Conference terri::cars_uk

    I doubt if it means it can play DAT. The case of a DAT is of a
    different size from a normal audio tape.
    
    It probably means it is adaptable to play CD, perhaps via a jack on the
    fascia or one of those cassette shaped adaptors you find in Tandy.
    
    Why not give Ingrams a phone and ask them. They supply Panasonic as
    original and aftermarket equipment
    
    Kev...

It probably means that they think they'll sell more if they have the
word 'digital' on them.  I wish it worked for our products :-}

Jon

Ahhh Gi'day...�

    It probably means that there's an input jack on it for a CD
    
    There is  a  DCC  (Digital  Compact  Cassette)  coming  which will play
    ordinary Cassettes, but I doubt there'd be any on the market already.

>>    It probably means it is adaptable to play CD, perhaps via a jack on the
>>    fascia or one of those cassette shaped adaptors you find in Tandy.
    
    The former answer is correct.
    
    The latter answer works for other tape decks that don't have a CD jack.
    (this seems like a real tacky solution to using portable CD's).
    
    I have a Panasonic unit that I bought because I wanted this feature.
    
    I can now plug in my portable CD player (technics) using a simple
    jack plug connection and get good quality performance from the
    car stereo.  The jack connection is on the front of the unit.
    When you push in the plug, it disables the tape and tuner, taking
    input only from the jack.
    
    I don't actually know if this does actually use a digital signal on
    the 'line out' connection from the CD player, but sound quality is good.
    
    I can turn the stereo up to its maximum volume setting with no
    apparent distortion in the sound when using the CD as a source.
    With tape as a source, you can clearly hear quality isn't so good
    when wound right up (could also be due to my cassette recorder).
    
    J.R.

>     I don't actually know if this does actually use a digital signal on
>    the 'line out' connection from the CD player, but sound quality is good.

I'm sure it won't, unless the 'line out' is labelled as digital on the
CD player.  If it only has one output (apart from the headphone socket)
it will be an analogue line output.  Only a very upmarket portable CD
player would also sport a digital output, and it would be labelled as such.

If you did find a portable with a digital output, it wouldn't help you
because your 'digital ready' car radio won't have a digital to analogue
converter built in.

The socket on the radio is an analogue one which could equally be used
to plug in a turntable or a wax cylinder machine if you wanted to! 
(Neither are recommended while driving though...)  The word 'digital'
just sounds modern so they label it as that rather than the more
prosaic 'line in'.

Jon

>>(Neither are recommended while driving though...)  The word 'digital'
>>just sounds modern so they label it as that rather than the more
>>prosaic 'line in'.
    
    I assumed as much...
    
    Thinking about my portable CD, I think I have a lead for the line out
    socket which connects to normal stereo jacks, enabling it to be used
    with an amp as a normal component.
    
    The 'digital ready' symbol is a flash term for marketing, but it does
    at least mean I can plug in my portable CD without using one of the
    dummy tape units which are available.  Using one of those would seem
    to negate any benefit of having a CD player (other than not having to
    have a tape of each CD album you wished to play).
    
    Whatever, I guess all this has answered the original question.
    
    J.R.

Ahhh Gi'day...�

		 Digital output is usually fiber, isn't it?

RE: -.1

Can be fibre optic or co-axial.

It is actually more commonly coaxial than fibre-optic.

--PSW

    Here's a tip for anyone who's thinking of buying one of those
    transducers, which you plug into your cd at one end, then plug the
    compact casette at the other end into your car hi-fi.
    
    DONT !
    
    I bought one to plug into my Technics portable CD, so that I could
    listen to it through my Phillips car stereo (can't call it a hi-fi).
    I bought the casette interface first, which cost 17 quid, then I had
    to order a special car power adapter for my cd player, this cost over
    20 quid, and took about 2 weeks to arrive.
     When I finally got my power adapter, I hurried to the car and
    connected everything up. Then I exitedly popped in a disk and pressed
    play. Well,......... the sound quality resembled that of one of Thomas
    Eddisons old inventions. I was gutted. I'd spent over 40 quid for a
    sound that was even worse than the exisisting one.
    I've since spoken to people who've also had the same experience. I wish
    I'd spoken to them before.
     
    Has anyone actually got one of these things to sound good ?

    I built my own version of the "CD adpter" using a spare stereo cassette
    head that was lying about and an old cassette. It works fine with one
    car radio (definite sound improvement over the recording of a CD) but
    with another car radio it has problems with the auto reverse mechanism.
    I'm sure this can be cured by a stronger elastic band connected between
    the two wheels but this shouldn't be a problem on a commercial gadget.
    
    Of the few commercial versions I have seen, I wasn't impressed by the 
    build quality for the price you pay.
    
    Maybe you just got a duff one. Send it back for a replacement.
    
    Barry.

    You have two options:-
    
    1: Change your car sterio to one with a CD input jack on the front.
    
    2: Buy a Equalizer/Booster unit with a CD input jack for about �40 from 
       Tandy, wire this up to your existing radio and speaker and enjoy.
       This is what I did, and it worked out far cheaper than buying a new
       sterio. But make sure you don't get one that puts out more power
       than your speaker can handle.
    
    Have fun,
    
    NeiL  

I bought a CAR Discman (main use for CD player was in the car) it came with
the cassette adaptor and cigar lighter power thingy.

The quality is as good as any cassette played in the drive.  The sound is much
lower, so the volume has to be turned up by comparison.


Definitely a good buy from my point of view.  It kept me happy on the drive 
down France and back :-)

    I know a year late but may be better late than never. The quality
    problem referred to in .10 is due to poor "head to head" alignment
    Most of the cassette plug in units I have come across have vertical
    adjustment capabilities but not lateral. This shows up most in 
    some autoreverse units, (Philips, Hitachi, Grundig but to mention a
    few). The reason: these units have heads and capstans attached to the
    same platform, depending on which direction the tape is going to drive
    the platform pivots to "select" one of the capstans and then goes
    forward to engage the head and the selected capstan, the result is a
    head which is not a 90 degrees to the tape path. The cassette adapters
    are set up to line up with a head which is at 90 degrees to the tape
    path, and in some cases (Sony variety) the problem is exaggerated by
    the method of tensioning the adapter head to the cassette player head.
    I was fortunate enough to be able to alter my Sony CP33 adapter so that
    the head could be aligned laterally as well as vertically. 
    
    Result: Can now use my portable CD player in the car - good sound - no
    poncing around recording CD's to tape - Car tidier (no tapes kicking 
    around).
    
    Kev.