Aiwa CDC-MP3 Car MP3-CD Player

AnandTech Rating

Audio Quality/Performance

The quality of the audio output on the CDC-MP3 is merely average. That means your "CD quality" MP3's will sound just as good on the Aiwa as they will on any computer - as long as they're encoded properly and error-free. Unfortunately, those MP3's with errors are not handled particularly well, with constant skipping as they play.

However, the 2.2V preouts, 85dB SNR, and 12.7dBf FM sensitivity are all relatively weak in a product costing this much. Unless you're a true car audiophile, you probably won't ever notice the difference.

Features

In terms of features, the CDC-MP3 does little more than the minimum for MP3 playback. There is support for 8 levels of directories, long filenames, ID3 tags, and variable bit rate MP3's. While those seem very basic, not all players are quite as capable as the CDC-MP3. There are still a lot of missing features that we'll hopefully see implemented in second generation players.

Price

At $300, the Aiwa CDC-MP3 is the cheapest car head unit with support for MP3's. It's half the cost of the Kenwood Z919 and a quarter the cost of the cheapest empeg.

Availability

While the CDC-MP3 is technically sold at national chains like Best Buy, actually finding one in stock may be a bit of a challenge. Expect this to change once production is in full swing and the initial surge of buyer's has dwindled.

Documentation

Like most car audio products, the CDC-MP3 manual focuses on using the unit. A small fold out poster gives brief installation instructions, but manufacturers tend to encourage professional installation. We do wish the manual spent a bit more time describing the MP3 functionality, but it's not too hard to figure out.