Audiophiles: what's a good home theater MP3 & CD replacement

[tuqqer]

There's a gym I go to that uses a classic home theater system, with separate components (big tuner, separate CD player, separate big butt speakers for the 20x80 room, etc).

I want to gift them a new MP3/CD player. Something that will allow gym members to come in with their MP3 player (iPhone, iPod, etc), or CD with modern-day formatted MP3s and easily be able to play a set of music. The current CD player doesn't play any custom CDs I've burned with iTune MP3s. I just want to get a new system for them (this is purely selfish; can't stand the music the class leaders currently play!).

Currently, there are just 2 jacks coming out of the CD player now (I think they're now as classic RCA jacks). So that's all the ports it would need.

What am I looking to get? I did a long search today on Amazon for "MP3 players" and mainly came up with those small compact boom boxes. I need instead something that doesn't have speakers, but allows external speakers and external tuner to do the heavy lifting. But something really modern that accepts any kind of digital formats really, really easy.

Any ideas from those currently using such a thing?

[M>B>]

Most players are backwards compatible. That CD player might/should also play MP3's. My home CD player and Blu-Ray plays everything that came before it, including MP3's.

As for the jack plug for the iPods etc. you might have to rig something from the audio outs from the back of the player to the correct jack extension brought to the front.

PS, I am jealous as my big space is just 24x36 sq ft.

[kj4btkljv]

This was just announced today:

http://www.macworld.com/article/141879/2...opus4.html



Jeff

[Article Accelerator]

tuqqer wrote:
There's a gym I go to that uses a classic home theater system, with separate components (big tuner, separate CD player, separate big butt speakers for the 20x80 room, etc).

I want to gift them a new MP3/CD player. Something that will allow gym members to come in with their MP3 player (iPhone, iPod, etc), or CD with modern-day formatted MP3s and easily be able to play a set of music. The current CD player doesn't play any custom CDs

...What am I looking to get?

If you have an iPod (or wannabe iPod), all you need is a suitable cable to plug into the amplifier, i.e. a 1/8" to RCA phono cable. Regarding the CD player, just replace it with a modern one. Any new player should be able to handle both writable, high capacity CDs as well as MP3 files on the CD.

[Harbourmaster]

Most of the new DVD players can play just about every MP3 formatted music disc you can throw at it.

Add an iPod docking station and your good to go...

[RAMd®d]

Nothing pejorative, but a gym wouldn't really benefit from audiophile level equipment, unless the home theater gear *is* of audiophile level, and the listening area is separate from the gym.

As such, even an average CD/DVD player would play MP3s at a minimum, and other formats as well. A music DVD would last *hours*.

Heck, even a CD can hold 10+ hours of music. They all use phono jacks (aka RCA jacks) for the audio, so there's no problem with compatibility.

I'd pass on an iPod. You can get a new CD/DVD player cheaper than a new iPod and the "non-portability" factor would make the player less likely to get "misplaced".

If you decided to go with an iPod, patch cords are readily available for easy connecting.

[anonymouse1]

If you want something nice, the year or two old models of the Denon changers have very good audio. I don't know the whole model number, but try 1940 and 1930 as part of the number.