claf

To work correctly does the changer cartridge have to be full or can it be partly loaded ? Mine will play a disc or two and switch to "err" mode. It's about half full . (This is in a 2004).

Do the discs go back into their original slots after playing or do they rotate position ?

I like the concept but not current operation mode- SCREWED UP.

Thanks, Bob C

Rico7142

The CD's stay in their original spot.. The error message is generally because the CD is dirty / scratched. The changer does not have to be full in order to work correctly. Mine is not full and it cycles through with no problems.

JR-01

All the CDs in my changer are burned by me. It is all I use and has worked flawlessly for the last three years and 18K miles. I bought two extra cartridges for 20 bucks and switch them out for a change of pace.
I really like the C5 system. I might be the only one.

Rico7142

I have no issue with my stock C5 system

Kj814fun

I use burned cd's in mine and it works just fine you just need to make sure they are an audio cd not mp3's.

claf

I got spoiled with my other car. It's"modern" CD player plays MP3 burned CD's up to 100-120 selections per CD.

But getting back to my original problem where my 12 disc changer worked once in a while when it felt like it. Yanked it out of the car today and prepared to dismantle it to see if anything obvious was wrong. BUT just as i took out the cartridge I spotted a naked disk peeking out of the guts of the changer.

Must be the PO "lost" a disc inside and gave up on it. My cartridge had the correct number of trays so sometime in the past someone had a disc slip out of the tray and not retract. It's a wonder the darn thing worked at all

Forcedvert

Did you have a adapter that went through fm radio or the one wired to go through cd changer input?, I have the one wired to go through cd changer and it sounds as good as cd's with the only limit on music being your phone or iPod so it is pretty unlimited. The fm adapters are not very good.

Deneb

There is no way the crappy add-on thing is better. CD sound quality alone wins that race. I know. I've tried both.

Forcedvert

I operate mine from iphone, i agree on that aspect, sound quality is not bad.

Forcedvert

Both? Maybe it was a brand thing, mine is input through cd changer input, im no audiophile but enjoy music and im pretty sure i cant hear a difference. I think the signal is the same as the cd input? The only issue i have is the radio controls dont work well.... but from the phone it works fine, i also use pandora through it.

RocketSled2004

my 04 trunk changer stopped working. iSimple has an ISGM73 model, looks good. Are there any other manufactures of these devices?

claf

Yes, the CD changer now works. Only a short test up to this point but when I pressed the random button it changed both tracks AND DISCS. Will it keep working only time will tell but tomorrow it will get a more lengthy highway test,

I get a kick out of the discussions on quality, as a super senior citizen I have been tested and my hearing quits around 4500-5000 cycles, no wonder I can enjoy my compressed home recorded CD's I have no idea what i am missing.

GCG

Unless the music stored in an iPod/iPhone is in a lossless format and it was obtained from a CD or a higher quality source than a CD, music from a CD will have better sound quality than that of an iPod/iPhone or similar device.

The average people tend to use lossy audio formats, such as MP3 or AAC, when storing music in their digital players because that way they can cramp more music in the same space. People even burn CDs with MP3s for the same reason, and then the result is no different than what an MP3 from a digital player can offer.

Whether or not the difference can be appreciated while driving a C5, is another question... and a very subjective one. A noisy environment is not audiophile friendly, but it could be said that the answer to this question would depend on the quality of the audio equipment installed in the car, the recordings and -most importantly- the person's ears. Noise insulation will definitely help as well.

As mentioned above, "sound quality is in the ear of the beholder".

UM Rebel

I put in a PAC AuxBox on the factory radio years ago. It's always worked perfectly. I brought a cable up through the ashtray. I can connect a Blutooth receiver and play wirelessly or connect directly to any MP3 player.

Deneb

I have fine ears. I play piano, guitar, and edit sound for a living. I play the bells with my twin daughters and listen to music ever day. Sound and tone are big part of my life.

Trust me there is no comparison to CD quality in the vette. Heavy metal, Hendrix, and even Yes lose subtle tones only noticed if expected. However, the ease of access to so many songs may make it worth it to some.

Vetteman Jack

I've not had any problems playing burned CDs in my single disc CD player. Do not have the 12 disc changer so can't comment on its operation.

Forcedvert

It's worth it to me to have all that access without effort, but mine is a vert with headers, cam, and supercharger so audio sound is not so important to me and it blows away the fm radio. But you have me curious enough to dig up a few cd's and compare same songs and I will report back my impressions. ( not that anyone cares what I think)

Forcedvert

I will let you know, I do like music and at one time had to defend buying new speakers to my wife with a side by side comparison, speakers do wear out, so it's not like I will accept transistor radio sound

I've been in two audiophile's homes one only had 150,000 into his stuff, it was set up in the middle of his living room. You absolutely could hear it was special even from the front door so much so I asked if he had a live band in his house,that was 15 years ago, then six months ago I was in a room purpose built for a audiophile it made the other guy look cheap, I would not ask him how $$ much because it was so over the top it would have been a number I can't fathom, he did a demo it for me, it gave me goosebumps. So I can appreciate good audio.

GCG

As I mentioned above, unless the music stored in an iPod/iPhone is in a lossless format and it was obtained from a CD or a higher quality source than a CD, music from a CD will have better sound quality than that of an iPod/iPhone or similar device.

People use lossy formats to be able to store more music for the same reason you mentioned: ease of access and that's perfectly fine, but it is at the expense of quality

GCG

My point precisely, especially in engineering, where everything is a compromise.

Engineers optimize one variable, or set of variables, at the expense of others, but keeping the overall design within predefined limits.

As I already mentioned, it's a personal choice. I was just clarifying that it is not a "free lunch", for those who want to make an educated decision.