What external CD Drives can be used to play my CDs?

[jonesgreg]

Hi there. I have just bought a 2018 Octavia SE Technology estate which doesn't have CD slot in the console in the glove box, only an SD card slot. I want to play my CDs and I'm aware that it may be possible to use external CD drives connected to the Infotainment System via the USB port below the central console. Has anyone ever tried this and got it to work? I know that it may also be possible to use portable CD players connected the same way, but they require either batteries or being connected to a power supply. Also, some of these types of CD players have Bluetooth but often the description says that they may not work when connected to some car audio systems. So, please advise what I should do? Which external CD drive or portable CD player would work in my Octavia?

[Kenny R]

Why not put your CD collection on an SD card or USB flash drive.

Saves having CD,s CD player and cables lying around. Also means you can select album, track etc without faffing around with a CD player etc.

[jonesgreg]

1 hour ago, Kenny R said:

Why not put your CD collection on an SD card or USB flash drive.

Saves having CD,s CD player and cables lying around. Also means you can select album, track etc without faffing around with a CD player etc.

Thanks, Kenny R. I've known that ever since I bought the car, but life's too short to spend it transferring over 300 CDs to several SD cards!! Besides, I like the actual CDs and their covers. Call me old-fashioned, but do I care? No, so any help on external CD drives or portable CD players would be nice. Thanks.

[langers2k]

I wouldn't expect any external USB CD drives to be supported as they aren't mentioned in the owners manual.

 

I don't even think you have an "aux in" port so your options are even more limited.

 

The only plausible way I can see to get it working is a personal CD player with a bluetooth transmitter fitted. You'll need to use the buttons on the CD player to play/pause/skip etc and probably need an anti-vibration mat along with 'anti-skip' technology in the CD player...

[PetrolDave]

8 minutes ago, jonesgreg said:

but life's too short to spend it transferring over 300 CDs to several SD cards!!

I've got many thousand CDs all on one 256GB SD card that happily plays in my Octavia - I just started ripping my favourite CDs first and then did some more each time the weather was rubbish and now just transfer each CD as I buy it.

 

You don't have to miss out on the cover artwork as you can include the artwork in the MP3 files and the Octavia infotainment shows the artwork.

 

BTW the real problem with CD drives is that most of them take more current than a single USB socket can provide, so finding one that will work (assuming it is supported which as Langers2K says is unlikely) is a case of trial and error.

[NikTheGeek]

11 minutes ago, jonesgreg said:

Thanks, Kenny R. I've known that ever since I bought the car, but life's too short to spend it transferring over 300 CDs to several SD cards!! Besides, I like the actual CDs and their covers. Call me old-fashioned, but do I care? No, so any help on external CD drives or portable CD players would be nice. Thanks.

 

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Portable-Headphones-Anti-Skip-Shockproof-Protection-Silver/dp/B084MGYPCM/

 

Not yet found one with bluetooth output, so you'd have to use the auxillary in.

 

But assuming an average CD has 20 tracks (which I think is a generous average) you could fit 335 CD's on a single 64GB SD card in the headunit in the glovebox.

[jonesgreg]

I know that Kenny R, Langers2K, PetrolDave and NikTheGeek are all right in your comments about putting CDs onto an SD card as the sure-fire way of accessing all my CD collection, but I've seen videos on YouTube of guys connecting CD drives with a USB cable to the USB port in the central console of their cars, albeit most of them are American or Australian. Also, I've see pictures of a portable CD player looking as though it's connected in a car, but couldn't tell what player it was. I've thought of using the Bluetooth connection because I'm already able to do that with my smart phone, which has a limited number of my CDs on it. So, any ideas which makes of portable Bluetooth CD players might do the job would be very helpful. Thanks

[langers2k]

There are some 'bluetooth' personal CD players on Amazon:

- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08H5H8G9B

- https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B08BC9RKZ6

 

The first claims you need to use an aux cable to connect to the car so no use.

The second states it's not compatible with "some car’s Bluetooth" but gives no indication how you find out more.

 

I think it's going to be a bit of a minefield to actually find something that works as you want I'm afraid

 

Spending time ripped CD's to an SD card will probably be a more sustainable solution. I'm not sure of your age but if you have kids or grand-kids, it could be an easy pocket money earner for them

[TheWanderer]

Someone call the whitecoats, another one has escaped. 😉

 

CDs are for home, it takes my PC about 90-120s to copy a CD into MP3 format at 192kbps. Which is a good compromise on quality, size and space taken. 

[VRS_White_Hatch]

6 hours ago, TheWanderer said:

Someone call the whitecoats, another one has escaped. 😉

 

CDs are for home, it takes my PC about 90-120s to copy a CD into MP3 format at 192kbps. Which is a good compromise on quality, size and space taken. 

 

Hey I'm having the same problem with my cassettes. Any help appreciated. 

[MarkyG82]

If you already have some music on your phone why not add to it?  Google music (and probably others) can have your music uploaded to them.  Then its just a small charge for the data to stream it or free if you pre-download.  You can then access your own music wherever you are with internet if the memory on your phone is too small.

[PetrolDave]

3 hours ago, VRS_White_Hatch said:

Hey I'm having the same problem with my cassettes. Any help appreciated. 

As well as our CD collection I have ripped all our vinyl and cassettes to MP3 using USB to cassette/vinyl gadgets from Lidl and software called Audacity

 

So I have all our music (current and from the distant past (my oldest vinyl I purchased in 1963) on an SD card in our Octavia, my Windows PC, my MacBook and my iPhone - so I always have our entire music collection wherever I am without need for the internet (which as mobile phone coverage is patchy in north Devon is important unless you like long silences!).

[VRS_White_Hatch]

59 minutes ago, PetrolDave said:

As well as our CD collection I have ripped all our vinyl and cassettes to MP3 using USB to cassette/vinyl gadgets from Lidl and software called Audacity

 

So I have all our music (current and from the distant past (my oldest vinyl I purchased in 1963) on an SD card in our Octavia, my Windows PC, my MacBook and my iPhone - so I always have our entire music collection wherever I am without need for the internet (which as mobile phone coverage is patchy in north Devon is important unless you like long silences!).

 

Ah ok, now what about my collection of 78's?

[TheWanderer]

7 hours ago, VRS_White_Hatch said:

 

Ah ok, now what about my collection of 78's?

 

Are you that old? 🤔

[VRS_White_Hatch]

10 minutes ago, TheWanderer said:

 

Are you that old? 🤔

No, and I dont have any cassettes either, but my attempt at humor fell a bit flat. 

[john999boy]

I can also remember seeing fully fitted car 45rpm record players - which were available before 8-tracks!

 

Anyway, back to the original question.

If there is a Bluetooth CD machine available then won't that BT connection make the phone connection null & void?

[PetrolDave]

19 hours ago, VRS_White_Hatch said:

Ah ok, now what about my collection of 78's?

You rip them at 45rpm, then use one of the filters on Audacity to up convert it back to 78rpm equivalent.