Originally posted by Stimps in this post

Do any of the skoda range have steering wheel mounted controls? Maybe the Superb, as it seems to have everything else!

Sony and the like offer extra stalks, but are they easy to attach (and do they stay in place?), and easy to use?

Had experience of the Pioneer remote that straps to the steering wheel: bit fiddly and worked intermittently as it was infra red and only worked at certains positions.

I had the Sony Joystick on a Pug 309 which was excellent because the stereo was so low in the dash. It never fell off!

New Kenwood came with remote control which is no use to any one and has sat in the tray below stereo from day one!

Paul

I have a blaupunkt woodstock dab52 in the RS with a cdc-a08 changer, great sound.

I have a blaupunkt santa cruz cd31 in the mondeo, with the steering wheel strap on remote. The remote works well, the only annoying thing is when letting the wheel feed through your hands to the straight ahead position, the strap keeps catching on your hand unless you completely let go.

Kenwood 6024 or 7024 (180 or 230 from MCS direct) and a 719 10 disk changer for

are the mp3 head units any good? how easy are they too use? i dont no much about them

I rate my head unit highly.

It plays MP3 and WMA effortlessly and has most of the features that top end Alpines have.

Here's a picture of mine from www.mcs-direct.co.uk

CD/RDS Receiver, 4 x 53W, MP3/WMA/CDR/RW/Text/DVD/CD Changer Control/5.1/DVS/DAB/TV/Control 6 Channel Line Out/2 In, Auto Volume/Dimmer, 728 Colour Display, Screen Saver, Auto Slope, Remote Control, Message Input, Contrast Adjustment

I am looking to replace the HU on my Vrs ( Not Jabbad...yet, I,ll have to get my head round the implications on the GAP insurance!) anyway back to much more mundane subject of ICE, I have been looking around at various makes, I like the Pioneer kit but having had my last car nicked with a load of Cds in the boot and hidden in the glovebox, I am loath to put in another Multchanger ( I know the VRS has one but thats what it cme with).

I hve been looking at the Dension HD unit ( DH101) as it is a hard drive based in dash unit for under

Kenny,

Yes they are, when you've finally got your head round the whole mp3 thing!:confused: I finally managed my first successful burn of an mp3 cd last night. I hasten to add that the problems can all be put down to 'user error' ie me being dim. As you can see from the above posts no one else has a problem, it's just that even though I've had burning software for ages I've never had the need to understand mp3's until I got my new H/U.

My first mp3 cd contains 8 albums, a total of 98 tracks and is recorded at 192 kbps which is 'better' than cd quality. Lowering to around 128/160 kbps will give you cd quality plus space to add even more tracks.

Makes a cd changer in the boot a little redundant don't you think?

Rich, MP3 CD's are easy, wait until you try the MMC slot

MMC slot?

Don't tell me. More 'must have' technology designed by the ICE depatment at NASA and with an instruction book in Hungarian translated by Google.

can u play mp3's in the auto changer?

No. The whole idea of getting an mp3 compatible h/u is that it does away with the need for an autochanger. To be more specific, the skoda fit autochanger can only be run by a VAG h/u. So you have two options. 1, spend

On both of the ones I suggested , no you can't.

If you want a boot changer that supports MP3s as well then you need the next changer up in the range which is about 50 quid on top , but with 8 albums or more per MP3 CD you probably won't need to put any in the boot. I know I don't.

hmmmm...........

as car is coming to me pre-chipped and exhaustified, i have a feeling that ICE is next. a decent HU with mp3 methinks. informative thread, thanks!

I've mentioned them both before but the service I received from www.incar-discount.co.uk and www.bluespot.co.uk was absolutely brilliant.

*cough* still have an mStation for sale *cough*

2nd vote for www.bluespot.co.uk , also got some of my bit from http://www.caraudiodirect.com , also great service.

Originally posted by kenny in this post

can u play mp3's in the auto changer?

In the Alpine changer in that pack I recommended you can. I have that changer coupled with a tape HU, so it's less likely to get nicked, and I can still play tapes, CDs and MP3s.

It's a good point that if you get an MP3 HU then you can fit 10 or so albums on one disc, so you still get more than most standard changers. However, if you have an MP3 changer, you can fit 6 CDs each with 10 or so albums on. And Also one in the HU if you get an MP3 HU.

Guess it depends how much of a variation you want!

Rob.

So where is this cubby hole just right for a Alpine 6 disk unit?

Ta

Dazz

Originally posted by ecklad in this post

So where is this cubby hole just right for a Alpine 6 disk unit?

If you lift up your boot carpet, there's a cut out in the polystyrene tray between the spare wheel and the rear edge of the boot. It slots in perfectly...was going to take a picture of it sometime, but I haven't got round to it...

Rob.

I appreciate your budget, currently on my sixth ICE car which is the vRS and the first motor i have had to have a rear parcel shelf. Currently on my second ear drum... But all sense... The Alpine's do offer superior sound quality although not the flashy gadgets and gismos. Personally I would go along to your local ICE dealer and just listen - Don't buy from halfords there stuff is always over priced but certainly have a listen to the head unit through something like some Kenwood HQ's or if you can afford it Focal 165H - I have them!!!!... If you listen to the head unit on some Goodmans POS you will probably never appreciate the head unit. Kind of like putting a lada engine in a vRS.

I think manny has already mentioned it but the past few weeks I have been eyeing up a Blaupunkt Woodstock DAB52. I quite fancy the prospect of DAB since I listen to some stations on AM that are poor quality and the DAB coverage that these staions have in this area would improve quality massivily. But having said that I just selled out

Colin,

good time to get a DAB52 as Blaupunkt have jsut released the DAB53.

I think Halfords were doing a special on them or check out www.bluespot.co.uk

Yeah, I went into Halfords and had a play but they guy said it was