A great budget car MP3 player choice
Written: Jun 23 '04 (Updated Aug 26 '04)
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Pros: Good sound, easy to use, good looking, relatively inexpensive
Cons: Off switch not obvious, doesn't display mp3 titles continuously
The Bottom Line: Lots of features for the price, and thoughtfully put together
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| mattwimmer's Full Review: Panasonic CQ-C1300U Car CD/ MP3 Player |
I got this CD/MP3 player a few weeks back after my previous Jensen unit was stolen. In choosing it I considered comparably priced Jensen, Blaupunkt, Alpine, and Kenwood units, but none had all the features I wanted for the price I could pay (~$140 US, incl. shipping). I looked at some cheesy Lanzar, Audiovox, etc. as well but I didn't want to risk buying something extreme low-end. In the end I chose this unit because 1) I have owned Technics (also produced by Panasonic) home stereo equipment for years and I have been impressed with its durability. 2) It had all the features I wanted 3) the price was right and 4) it's fairly good looking.
Installation was a pain, but only because I had to figure out which wire went where, not because of the stereo. The manual suggested securing it at the back to the car firewall, but unless you have tiny and extremely dexterous hands, or your car stereo slot is a lot more accessible than mine, forget about it. It seems to work fine without that though & seems firmly attached.
Once I turned it on I noticed that almost all functions are very intuitive. It has a volume knob, which I really like. Skipping folders on MP3 disks is simple, and it will fast forward and reverse through mp3s. Setting the clock required consulting the manual, but was quick and easy. Turning it on and off is not super intuitive - the button is marked "SRC" and has "On/Off" above it in tiny print - but once you figure it out its not a big deal.
The sound is great and made my previous unit look bad. Same speakers, but now I can crank it up to near teenager friendly levels without clipping. It just sounds better overall at all volume levels as well. The "equalizer" consists of 4 presets - flat, rock, vocal, and pop. These are OK as far as they go, but you really can't expect to find a full equalizer in this price range.
Reception on the radio seems adequate and it is easy to set stations. It handles MP3's and WMA's easily, although it does take a couple of seconds to find the files when you start up the car. ID3 tag support is basic - just title and album. Also, it only displays the folder or track name once, not continuously. To make it display again you have to push a button. My previously player did this continuously and I prefer it that way. To my mind these shortcomings are minor.
It looks expensive even though it was not, and the display is easy to read even in bright sunlight or at night.
Theft protection was obviously important, and the removable faceplate fits the bill. It comes with a case to put the faceplate in. It also comes with a remote, which works fine, but I have no idea why this would be necessary.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 130
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Epinions.com ID:
mattwimmer
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Reviews written: 7
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