More than any other place, the car is where people listen to music. Cruising around with the latest summer jams blaring is a tradition that spans nearly the entire life of the automobile, which is why getting phased out of car stereos is the kiss of death for any audio media (just look at cassettes and eight-track tapes). And, now, that kiss of death is being planted on the CD. In the past year, several major car-stereo producers – including Clarion and Alpine – have introduced decks with ports for connecting digital media players in place of traditional CD players. While previous stereos featured both media ports and CD players, newer models have done away with the CD component altogether. With portable media players like the iPod only continuing to grow in popularity, car-stereo makers can no longer ignore the prevalence of the new technology.
It seems as though every device is becoming iPod compatible (from alarm clocks to running shoes), and people want the convenience of having a one-stop source for all their music. Several car-stereo makers have responded to consumer demand by dropping the CD player to provide enhanced portable media data transmission and sound quality. Clarion rolled out a $199 stereo in 2007 that plays music from MP3 players or SD cards instead of CD players. The company used the CD-free stereo as a test to gauge market interest and they’ve said it hit expectations. Meanwhile, Alpine released four new CD-free receivers in the beginning of the year (priced between $200 and $450) designed specifically for use with iPods.
However, despite these models (and a few others by less prolific stereo makers like Blaupunkt), the overwhelming majority of decks on the market still have CD players. And many makers believe it’s too early to drop the CD player altogether. For one thing, a lot of people – particularly older drivers – are still more likely to get the majority of their music from CDs. Another major factor is that CD sound quality is better than the quality of compressed audio files – though only music aficionados can really tell the difference (and most of them say that sound quality on CDs is a drop from vinyl anyway). Of course, the major advantage these new players offer is that they eliminate all the bulky CD cases and books strewn around people’s cars. That, and the fact that downloads won’t skip even if a driver rides over twenty miles of rumble strips.
Still, for now, the CD retains its place atop the audio media hierarchy. But it’s on borrowed time, awaiting the inevitable overthrow already in the works. And, if history is any indication, CD-free car stereos indicate the end is drawing closely near.