04 Forester XT stereo question

[MattB]

Hello. I'm new here. I just bought an 04 Forester XT (used - 16k Miles) last
weekend and I love it1! What a cool car - it looks like a grandma or family
truckster kind of thing but drives like a sports car. I also live in the
mountains, so the AWD will definitely be handy this winter. Anyway, I'm sure
I'm preaching to the choir, so I'll get on with my question.

I have the stock premium sound system, which has the in-dash 6 disc changer
and sounds pretty nice for a stock stereo. I'm thinking I'll be keeping it
for a while, but I have one gripe. I listen to most of my music on my MP3
player (Creative Nomad Zen that I upgraded to 80 GB). Currently I have a
little FM transmitter to get the music into the car stereo, but the sound
is mediocre at best. Ideally, I'd like a mini plug connection into the
stereo but most head units don't have the inputs and I'd like to stick with
this one of I can.
I've seen third party accessories that will give you a line in by emulating
a cd changer or XM radio and offer a line in for whatever sound source you
want to feed it. I'd like to find one I could use with this head unit, but I
figure it probably doesn't have the cd changer controls since it already has
the changer in the head. So does it have support for an XM add-on? Has
anyone found another way to add a line-in or am I doomed to either live with
my modulator or replace the head?
If I do have to replace the head, can another one make use of the amp (I
assume there's an external amp based on the sound)?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Matt

 

[SuperPoo]

Hello. I'm new here. I just bought an 04 Forester XT (used - 16k Miles) last
weekend and I love it1! What a cool car - it looks like a grandma or family
truckster kind of thing but drives like a sports car. I also live in the
mountains, so the AWD will definitely be handy this winter. Anyway, I'm sure
I'm preaching to the choir, so I'll get on with my question.

I have the stock premium sound system, which has the in-dash 6 disc changer
and sounds pretty nice for a stock stereo. I'm thinking I'll be keeping it
for a while, but I have one gripe. I listen to most of my music on my MP3
player (Creative Nomad Zen that I upgraded to 80 GB). Currently I have a
little FM transmitter to get the music into the car stereo, but the sound
is mediocre at best. Ideally, I'd like a mini plug connection into the
stereo but most head units don't have the inputs and I'd like to stick with
this one of I can.
I've seen third party accessories that will give you a line in by emulating
a cd changer or XM radio and offer a line in for whatever sound source you
want to feed it. I'd like to find one I could use with this head unit, but I
figure it probably doesn't have the cd changer controls since it already has
the changer in the head. So does it have support for an XM add-on? Has
anyone found another way to add a line-in or am I doomed to either live with
my modulator or replace the head?
If I do have to replace the head, can another one make use of the amp (I
assume there's an external amp based on the sound)?

Any suggestions would be appreciated!

Matt

Hey Matt,

Are you the same MattB I have see in alt.mountain-bike? I can not answer you
question directly-- but the factory 6 disc will play wma files so you could
convert and burn your mp3s. That is what I do in mine.

Steve

 

[MattB]

Hey Matt,

Are you the same MattB I have see in alt.mountain-bike? I can not
answer you question directly-- but the factory 6 disc will play wma
files so you could convert and burn your mp3s. That is what I do in
mine.

Steve

Yep. That's my usual hangout.

It really will play wma's but not mp3's? What are you using to burn the
discs?

Thanks!

Matt

 

[LB]

I have Outback 2005 Limited with 6 disk CD changed.

It definitely DOES NOT play WMA (I even sacrificed one blank CD to try it).
It only plays regular audio CD (even if I burn them myself).

 

[D Ray]

I would check out blitzsafe.com.

 

[LB]

Subaru not on any of their lists

 

[MattB]

That's what I'd expect. I think if it played compressed CDs it would say
something in the manual, on the unit it's self or both.

Matt

 

[SuperPoo]

That's what I'd expect. I think if it played compressed CDs it would say
something in the manual, on the unit it's self or both.

As usual I have my head part way in my ass. I played around making cds about
a year ago and now that I have thought about it and looked at some of the
discs I made it came back to me. No my Subaru will not play mp3 or wma files
but it will play cd-rs (not cd-rws for some reason?) made from wma files
converted to standard cd format. Sorry for the confusion.

Steve

 

[David]

No my Subaru will not play mp3 or wma files
but it will play cd-rs (not cd-rws for some reason?)

Unless I'm remembering wrong, CDRWs are less reflective and play in fewer
audio players.

 

[MattB]

Unless I'm remembering wrong, CDRWs are less reflective and play in
fewer
audio players.

Yeah, cd-rs are less reflective than pressed cds and cd-rws are less
reflective again. My last car cd player wouldn't do rw either.
Anyway, I broke down and just ordered an Aiwa single disc head unit that has
a line in socket on the face and should hook into the existing amp. It will
play mp3 cd and cd-rw. That should keep me going for a while and was not too
expensive ($150 shipped with harness and kit).
As long as it sounds as good as the old one I'll be hapy with the new format
options.

Matt

 

[David]

As long as it sounds as good as the old one I'll be hapy with the new format
options.

With the factory speakers (even the upgraded ones in the XT), it's hard for me to imagine the
sound quality of the head unit being detectable.

[switching topics]
Got a hitch-mounted bike rack yet? You can carry bikes inside (I do regularly), but only
medium or small frames will fit on a fork mount carrier.

 

[MattB]

With the factory speakers (even the upgraded ones in the XT), it's
hard for me to imagine the sound quality of the head unit being
detectable.

That what I imagine too. I'm making the switch to get the aux input and mp3
cd support and expect the sound to be about the same.
The mp3 cds will be nice - I'll be able to put almost twice the music in I
can with the six cd changer on a single cd. Or listen to my entire
collection (over 8000 tracks currently) conveniently by plugging the Nomad
into the line in. As an additional bonus, the new head will be a single DIN
size and I'll have an extra little cubby underneath it to put stuff (like
the Nomad).

[switching topics]
Got a hitch-mounted bike rack yet? You can carry bikes inside (I do
regularly), but only medium or small frames will fit on a fork mount
carrier.

Nope. I'm getting a roof mounted Thule system that attaches to the rails. It
replaces those flimsy factory cross bars. I have skis, bikes, and kayaks to
carry so I like to have one rack to carry everything.. I like roof racks
better anyway.

Matt