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% Are CD Changers Still Viable Today? GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter!
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Newer technologies like Bluetooth and USB tend to show up in aftermarket head units long before the ...
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Search Close GO Smart & Connected Life &gt; Connected Car Tech 55 55 people found this article helpful <h1> What is a CD Changer?</h1> <h2> The safe way to swap CDs on the road</h2> By Jeremy Laukkonen Jeremy Laukkonen Writer Shoreline Community College Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles . lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 7, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email <h3> In This Article</h3> Expand Jump to a Section What Good Are CD Changers In-Dash CD Changers Remotely Mounted Changers Important CD Changer Features Cars tend to lag a few years behind the general flow of consumer technology, mostly because of the lengthy design process.
Isaac Schmidt Member
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Search Close GO Smart & Connected Life > Connected Car Tech 55 55 people found this article helpful

What is a CD Changer?

The safe way to swap CDs on the road

By Jeremy Laukkonen Jeremy Laukkonen Writer Shoreline Community College Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles . lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 7, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email

In This Article

Expand Jump to a Section What Good Are CD Changers In-Dash CD Changers Remotely Mounted Changers Important CD Changer Features Cars tend to lag a few years behind the general flow of consumer technology, mostly because of the lengthy design process.
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Jack Thompson 3 minutes ago
Newer technologies like Bluetooth and USB tend to show up in aftermarket head units long before the ...
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Newer technologies like Bluetooth and USB tend to show up in aftermarket head units long before the major automakers incorporate them, and older technologies, like cassette tapes and compact discs, stay around a lot longer in cars than they do elsewhere. Even if you&#39;ve ditched CDs in favor of a digital music collection, or even a subscription to a service like Spotify or Apple Music, your car probably still has a CD player in it. And if you do still listen to CDs in your car, then there&#39;s a strong argument to be made in favor of investing in a CD changer so you can shuffle through multiple CDs without swapping out, even in these days of Pandora and Spotify.
Mia Anderson Member
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Newer technologies like Bluetooth and USB tend to show up in aftermarket head units long before the major automakers incorporate them, and older technologies, like cassette tapes and compact discs, stay around a lot longer in cars than they do elsewhere. Even if you've ditched CDs in favor of a digital music collection, or even a subscription to a service like Spotify or Apple Music, your car probably still has a CD player in it. And if you do still listen to CDs in your car, then there's a strong argument to be made in favor of investing in a CD changer so you can shuffle through multiple CDs without swapping out, even in these days of Pandora and Spotify.
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Sofia Garcia 1 minutes ago
If you listen to CDs in your car, a CD changer can make your life easier. Andersen Ross / Blend Imag...
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Various shock protection measures have rendered that a non-issue, but a couple of glaring problems s...
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If you listen to CDs in your car, a CD changer can make your life easier. Andersen Ross / Blend Images / Getty <h2> What Good Are CD Changers </h2> Compact disc changers are devices that overcome a couple of the major issues that are typically encountered when listening to CDs on car audio systems. The biggest hurdle that the compact disc format suffered from initially was its tendency to skip and stutter when shaken, which was a huge stumbling block for early car CD players.
Nathan Chen Member
access_time 12 minutes ago
If you listen to CDs in your car, a CD changer can make your life easier. Andersen Ross / Blend Images / Getty

What Good Are CD Changers

Compact disc changers are devices that overcome a couple of the major issues that are typically encountered when listening to CDs on car audio systems. The biggest hurdle that the compact disc format suffered from initially was its tendency to skip and stutter when shaken, which was a huge stumbling block for early car CD players.
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Jack Thompson 8 minutes ago
Various shock protection measures have rendered that a non-issue, but a couple of glaring problems s...
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Natalie Lopez 3 minutes ago
Aside from those two main issues, a CD changer can also make up for the shortcomings of a factory he...
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Various shock protection measures have rendered that a non-issue, but a couple of glaring problems still remain. When compared to purely digital media, traditional CDs fall short in terms of total listening time, and there are also safety issues involved in manually changing CDs when driving. Since CD changers allow you to seamlessly switch between multiple discs at the touch of a button, they deal with both of those problems.
Isaac Schmidt Member
access_time 10 minutes ago
Various shock protection measures have rendered that a non-issue, but a couple of glaring problems still remain. When compared to purely digital media, traditional CDs fall short in terms of total listening time, and there are also safety issues involved in manually changing CDs when driving. Since CD changers allow you to seamlessly switch between multiple discs at the touch of a button, they deal with both of those problems.
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Lucas Martinez 3 minutes ago
Aside from those two main issues, a CD changer can also make up for the shortcomings of a factory he...
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Sophia Chen 7 minutes ago
Some of these units are designed to integrate seamlessly with a specific line of head units, and oth...
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Aside from those two main issues, a CD changer can also make up for the shortcomings of a factory head unit that doesn’t have a CD player. That can allow you to seamlessly add a CD player into your car audio system while leaving the factory equipment untouched. The main types of CD changers are: Remote CD changers - These can be installed anywhere in your car, from underneath a seat to tucked away in the trunk.
Elijah Patel Member
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Aside from those two main issues, a CD changer can also make up for the shortcomings of a factory head unit that doesn’t have a CD player. That can allow you to seamlessly add a CD player into your car audio system while leaving the factory equipment untouched. The main types of CD changers are: Remote CD changers - These can be installed anywhere in your car, from underneath a seat to tucked away in the trunk.
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Sofia Garcia 14 minutes ago
Some of these units are designed to integrate seamlessly with a specific line of head units, and oth...
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Some of these units are designed to integrate seamlessly with a specific line of head units, and others are universal.In-dash CD changers - Installing an in-dash CD changer requires a car radio upgrade, since these actually incorporate the changer right into the head unit. You say goodbye to your head unit, but you don&#39;t have to dig around in your trunk or under a seat to swap out discs.
Christopher Lee Member
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Some of these units are designed to integrate seamlessly with a specific line of head units, and others are universal.In-dash CD changers - Installing an in-dash CD changer requires a car radio upgrade, since these actually incorporate the changer right into the head unit. You say goodbye to your head unit, but you don't have to dig around in your trunk or under a seat to swap out discs.
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Both of these types of CD changers are available as original equipment and aftermarket upgrades. <h2> In-Dash CD Changers </h2> Some cars ship with in-dash CD changers from the factory, but this type of head unit is also available from the aftermarket.
Evelyn Zhang Member
access_time 40 minutes ago
Both of these types of CD changers are available as original equipment and aftermarket upgrades.

In-Dash CD Changers

Some cars ship with in-dash CD changers from the factory, but this type of head unit is also available from the aftermarket.
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This type of CD changer contains a built-in magazine that is wholly contained within the head unit, so most of them fit into a double DIN form factor. They are relatively simple to operate in that you typically just feed in one CD after another until the changer is full.
Charlotte Lee Member
access_time 9 minutes ago
This type of CD changer contains a built-in magazine that is wholly contained within the head unit, so most of them fit into a double DIN form factor. They are relatively simple to operate in that you typically just feed in one CD after another until the changer is full.
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Nathan Chen 7 minutes ago
The main benefits of in-dash CD changers are that they don’t involve any additional wiring, and th...
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The main benefits of in-dash CD changers are that they don’t involve any additional wiring, and there is no remote unit to mount in the trunk or under a seat. That means they take up less space than remotely mounted CD changers, and aftermarket units can typically be installed with very little hassle.
Aria Nguyen Member
access_time 20 minutes ago
The main benefits of in-dash CD changers are that they don’t involve any additional wiring, and there is no remote unit to mount in the trunk or under a seat. That means they take up less space than remotely mounted CD changers, and aftermarket units can typically be installed with very little hassle.
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The main drawback of in-dash CD changers is that they typically can’t fit as many CDs as an external unit. It’s typically also harder to change which CDs you have in the unit, since you need to eject them one at a time and then replace them one at a time. External units are usually easier to deal with, and they sometimes even allow you to use multiple magazines.
Sophia Chen Member
access_time 55 minutes ago
The main drawback of in-dash CD changers is that they typically can’t fit as many CDs as an external unit. It’s typically also harder to change which CDs you have in the unit, since you need to eject them one at a time and then replace them one at a time. External units are usually easier to deal with, and they sometimes even allow you to use multiple magazines.
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Audrey Mueller 48 minutes ago

Remotely Mounted CD Changers

Some cars also ship with factory-installed remote CD changer...
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<h2> Remotely Mounted CD Changers </h2> Some cars also ship with factory-installed remote CD changers, but these units are much more commonly found in the aftermarket. If your vehicle originally had a CD changer as an option, then you can add a factory unit or use an adapter to add an aftermarket unit.
Alexander Wang Member
access_time 36 minutes ago

Remotely Mounted CD Changers

Some cars also ship with factory-installed remote CD changers, but these units are much more commonly found in the aftermarket. If your vehicle originally had a CD changer as an option, then you can add a factory unit or use an adapter to add an aftermarket unit.
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Evelyn Zhang 21 minutes ago
Otherwise, you’re stuck with the aftermarket and a handful of different installation options. Remo...
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Nathan Chen 8 minutes ago
Depending on where a remote CD changer is mounted, one drawback of this option is the level of diffi...
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Otherwise, you’re stuck with the aftermarket and a handful of different installation options. Remote CD changers can be mounted in a variety of locations, including the trunk, glove box, and under a seat. These devices typically aren’t dash-mounted due to their relatively large sizes, but there are some exceptions.
Emma Wilson Admin
access_time 52 minutes ago
Otherwise, you’re stuck with the aftermarket and a handful of different installation options. Remote CD changers can be mounted in a variety of locations, including the trunk, glove box, and under a seat. These devices typically aren’t dash-mounted due to their relatively large sizes, but there are some exceptions.
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Julia Zhang 46 minutes ago
Depending on where a remote CD changer is mounted, one drawback of this option is the level of diffi...
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Grace Liu 33 minutes ago
However, units that are mounted in the passenger compartment are much easier to deal with. Remote CD...
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Depending on where a remote CD changer is mounted, one drawback of this option is the level of difficulty involved in changing which CDs are installed in it. If the changer is located in the trunk, then you can only swap out discs when the vehicle is parked.
Zoe Mueller Member
access_time 14 minutes ago
Depending on where a remote CD changer is mounted, one drawback of this option is the level of difficulty involved in changing which CDs are installed in it. If the changer is located in the trunk, then you can only swap out discs when the vehicle is parked.
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However, units that are mounted in the passenger compartment are much easier to deal with. Remote CD changers typically fit a larger number of CDs than their in-dash counterparts as well, and many of them also support removable magazines. When a changer includes a removable magazine, you can have multiple magazines that are each filled with specific CDs, which allows you to quickly swap out one set for another.
Daniel Kumar Member
access_time 60 minutes ago
However, units that are mounted in the passenger compartment are much easier to deal with. Remote CD changers typically fit a larger number of CDs than their in-dash counterparts as well, and many of them also support removable magazines. When a changer includes a removable magazine, you can have multiple magazines that are each filled with specific CDs, which allows you to quickly swap out one set for another.
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Aria Nguyen 38 minutes ago
Some remote CD changers even allow several magazines to be installed at once.

Important CD Cha...

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Some remote CD changers even allow several magazines to be installed at once. <h2> Important CD Changer Features </h2> When purchasing a CD changer, look for these important features: Shock protection - This can help prevent your CDs from skipping when driving over rough terrain.
Aria Nguyen Member
access_time 16 minutes ago
Some remote CD changers even allow several magazines to be installed at once.

Important CD Changer Features

When purchasing a CD changer, look for these important features: Shock protection - This can help prevent your CDs from skipping when driving over rough terrain.
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If you already have a CD player in your car, but it's very old, then a new CD changer will usually be a vast improvement in this department. CD-RW compatibility - Some older CD players aren't capable of playing CDs that were created with a CD writer, even when you burn the disc as an audio CD instead of a data CD.
Kevin Wang Member
access_time 34 minutes ago
If you already have a CD player in your car, but it's very old, then a new CD changer will usually be a vast improvement in this department. CD-RW compatibility - Some older CD players aren't capable of playing CDs that were created with a CD writer, even when you burn the disc as an audio CD instead of a data CD.
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Most new CD changers are compatible with discs that you burn yourself at home. Support for multiple audio codecs - Most new CD changers are also capable of reading data CDs burned with songs in popular formats like WMA, MP3, AAC, and others. Disc titling - This is a helpful feature since it allows your head unit to display the name of the song instead of the number of the track.
Evelyn Zhang Member
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Most new CD changers are compatible with discs that you burn yourself at home. Support for multiple audio codecs - Most new CD changers are also capable of reading data CDs burned with songs in popular formats like WMA, MP3, AAC, and others. Disc titling - This is a helpful feature since it allows your head unit to display the name of the song instead of the number of the track.
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Chloe Santos 13 minutes ago
While these and other features are important in both in-dash and remote-mounted CD changers in terms...
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While these and other features are important in both in-dash and remote-mounted CD changers in terms of usability, connectivity and compatibility are also important features to consider in the case of remote-mounted units. The only way to add a CD changer to a factory head unit is typically to find an OEM unit, while cross-compatibility is a feature you are more likely to find in the aftermarket.
Brandon Kumar Member
access_time 19 minutes ago
While these and other features are important in both in-dash and remote-mounted CD changers in terms of usability, connectivity and compatibility are also important features to consider in the case of remote-mounted units. The only way to add a CD changer to a factory head unit is typically to find an OEM unit, while cross-compatibility is a feature you are more likely to find in the aftermarket.
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