Downloaded Music

A factory or aftermarket head unit can be a source for downloaded music from the Internet, not just pre-packaged CDs you buy at the store. 

For example, most head units allow you to plug in your iPod or other MP3 player, and if the head unit you have does not have an input, then there are companies that sell adapters that make the connection possible. Many head units that have the capability can also control the iPod or other MP3 player from its face.

Moreover, head units now have the ability to play CDs that contain specially formatted music downloads and feature a USB port or can accept a Memory Stick or SD card. That means you can download music into the head unit using a USB cable or you can capture downloaded music on a memory stick or SD card and then plug the stick or card into the head unit to transfer the music.

Finally, you may not be aware that major aftermarket audio manufacturers have developed head units that contain hard drives that store thousands of songs. 

For example, Crutchfield and PhatNoise, two Internet sites that sell aftermarket car audio products, are selling the Kenwood KHD-C710 Music Keg. Besides having all the other capabilities described here to play downloaded music, the unit also features a 10-gigabyte removable cartridge that stores up to 2,500 music files. Using PhatNoise™ music management software, you can organize music files in your PC and then download the files into the cartridge using your computer’s USB port and then pop the cartridge back into the Music Keg in the car. You control the Music Keg as you do a CD changer. Folders are discs and the files are the music tracks. 

Moreover, PhatNoise also sells the CX910 Kenwood Music Keg which features a 20-gigabyte hard drive cartridge. And PhatNoise has a kit that allows you to connect the Kenwood Music Keg to any FM radio. The kit includes an FM modulator which you can control with the standard CD changer interface. Text is shown on the modulator’s screen. 

A website called ExtremeToysForBoys.com is offering PDHercules Car Jukeboxes. Just like the Keg, the Jukebox can play downloaded music contained on CDs as well as MP3 devices and it also has a 20-gigabyte removable hard drive. It includes PDJockey software that allows you to fully manage files on the PC and download those files from the PC on to the drive. The drive stores the equivalent of 500 CDs of music and up to 300 hours of voice recording. And it can be installed to any car head unit. 

Sony once offered a head unit dubbed the MEX-1HD. It includes a built-in 10-gigabyte hard drive. You can use a memory stick to capture downloaded music on your PC and then use the stick to transfer the music to the hard drive. You can even transfer music from a Walkman to the hard drive. The files are converted to ATRAC3 format when the transfer takes place.

Finally, Chrysler has a multimedia head unit called MyGIG with a 20-gigabyte hard drive that can store 1,600 songs as well as JPEG photos. The unit appears on many of Chrysler’s 2007 and 2008 models. 

Today’s head units are not just radios anymore.