Headunit plays MP3 CDs!
 

Hi All,

This is probably old news for all the seasoned motorists in here, but for us newbies, I just discovered that the headunit (I have an '06 with the h/k stereo) will play data CDs that have MP3 tracks on them. This was not mentioned by my motoring advisor when I accepted delivery, I don't recall seeing this in the description of the stereo when configuring the car on the web site, and also don't recall seeing this information in the radio user's manual (which I did read cover to cover).

Basically, just use your PC (or Mac) to burn a standard data CD (not music) with 100 or so of your favorite MP3 tracks. Insert said CD into the dash (or changer, I presume) and the headunit will play the tracks in normal or random. The display shows track numbers and not metadata (artist, album, title) but at least it works.

You can put your all your tracks at the root level of the CD or group them by folder. If they're all on the root of the CD, the display will show "Track XX" and the FWD/RWD buttons will skip tracks. When grouped by folder (one level deep, I presume), the tracks are played in the folders like albums and the display shows "TrackYY-XX" where "YY" is the number of the album (in alphabetical order) and "XX" is the track number. Press "M" and then the FWD/RWD buttons skip folders, otherwise they skip tracks within the same folder.

I'm so glad I didn't get the CD changer and instead opted for installing XM using the changer plugs. While a CD changer would allow for around 60 tracks (6 discs x about 10 tracks per CD), a single data MP3 CD in my dash can hold about 100 tracks!

One last comment; I have a small SACD collection at home, some of which are hybrid in that the same SACD also has a remastered CD layer. The h/k headunit will not play SACDs, but the CD layer of a hybrid SACD sounds phenomenal!!!

Needless to say, I am very pleased by my h/k audio :-).

One other thing... before I got my heart set on a MINI, I also test drove a new Audi A3 (the TT was my ride before the MINI). I don't know if the A3 stereo can play MP3 CDs, but it definitely had 2 SD card slots which could be used for music file playback.

Personally, I don't see why anyone would want to use TWO SD memory cards versus a CD. Blank CDs are virtually free these days, and SD cards, while relatively cheap, are still not free. Sure, you can get a 512MB SD card for about $30 but that holds a bit less than a 700MB CD which goes for an average of $0.30 each (1/100th the price of the SD card).

Anyway, it would be nice if the MINI stereo showed track metadata (artist/album/title) but at least it works. BTW, the Audi headunit also didn't display this information from the SD cards.

The '05 head unit (both std and HK) also plays native MP3 files.

Congrats on your new MINI gadgeTT. It's always nice when your car has some nice little surprises tucked away for you to discover. :thumbsup:
The MP3 compatibility was made available with the '05 model onwards.

Very cool that this has been in the '05 and up models. They really should document and advertise this awesome feature! I just burned two new data CDs with almost 200 tracks each. Each one holds more music that my 512MB MP3 player. Of course, I also have a 4GB and a 60GB iPod to use with the AUX input (didn't opt for the iPod integration).

I was very surprise to hear the unit plays mp3s too when I first got my mini. I might not have bought the ipod adapter. I'm surprise mini doesn't advertise this as a feature. I wonder if the bmw ones play mp3 as well because I heard the unit is an oem bmw cd player from my MA.


You don't have to put the files in root folder. It can be in subfolders and it works well too.

Congrats on your new car! I, like you, found the mp3 playback feature to be a surprise when I first took delivery! What an amazing surprise! I was going to purchase the iPod adapter, but since I can just burn mp3 cd's, I think I'll save the $. I know buring CD's is not nearly as convenient as pluging in my iPod Mini, but I don't mind the extra time it takes. And, with blank CD's so cheap these days (I think they come out to like $.15 each when you buy them in bulk), if I get tired of a full CD, I'll just throw it in the garbage and burn another. (Please don't blast me for being wasteful, I don't do it very often at all.) I do like the idea of SD cards though. The advantage there is that you can add/remove songs whenever pretty quickly. They are also nice and small!

That is a really good feature to have (MP3 play back).. But I would like to have the memory card slot feature that the A3 does have... by comparing to CD-R, they are flexible (I can replace old song that I no longer listen, or I don't have a feeling of wasting a CD-R when I don't have much song to stuff) and faster than burning a CD-R (just drag and drop).

If the standard head unit can play MP3s fropm a CD ROM then I would also believe that the CD changer can read CD-ROM. Remember that a CD changer only reads the data. It still is converted to sound at the head unit. If you have a CD changer please confirm or deny.

The only drawback of MP3 is the current lack of abality to play a specific play list. OR atleast on cheap MP3 players. MP3 files are data files and the computer/player/car head unit will always list/play them in alphabetical order. Now if you have special software or player then you can create play lists. But I dobt that the radio in the MINI has these features. In the future consumer demand will cause this to happen but for 2005/2006. Most folks are like gadgeTT and blitz64 just happy to be able to play the files.

While the iPod adapter is nice (if you own an iPod) I wish MINI would offer a radio with memmory card reader/ USB port. Then we would be talking FREEDOM!

Don't you realiize that the sales of aux input and iPod adapters would fall down the toilet if word actually got out that the factory head unit can play MP3 files? Remember we are talking DIG (Dealer Inalled Goodies) here. That means install fees, 100% profit to the dealer.

I think that the radio manufacturers KNOW that we want to play MP3 files. But they dont want the Recording Industry to know that their radios offer the feature! Lawsuits... Loss of $$$$ :razz:

That's true... Before I had my car, I really want to add the aux or iPod interface... After I know the head unit can play MP3, those expenses never come to my mind again.

I was pleasantly surprised to find out that the Shaker 500 in-dash 6-CD changer in my wife's Mustang plays MP3s, WITH track information. Figure between 175-200 songs per, that's almost 1,200 songs waiting to be played. Not too shabby for a factory system. . .

MP3 headunits rule!

Now if they'd just put a USB port on the front so I could plug in a 1GB flash drive. . . :razz:

It might be easier thanyou think. Use the plug from the Auxillary port. [now we have a reason to buy this] and then get a USB 2.0 adapter for the computer. Hardware is easily available. The only difficult part would be the connections between the two.

Where is Ian when you need him! If he can make the MINI circuit, he ought to be able to make this adapter!

Wow, I didn't know the headunit could play mp3s! I'll definately take advantage of this as I didn't opt to buy the CD Changer.

When asked by my MA if I wanted the changer or ipod adapter I said no thanks. The radio plays MP3 files. He looked surprised like he didn't know that or maybe it was because I did.:lol: This is just a wonderful feature.:thumbsup:

Chuck

Upon seeing this in the morning, I burned a CD of MP3s. Yup, verified in my car! Thanks for the heads up!

I also burned some OGG files onto the disc, but I don't think they're playable. :mad:

Hope someone can help me out here. For some reason, some of the tracks on my MP3 CD is divided up into several sections. For example, while playing a track, there's a slight pause and the track number goes up by one then it just resumes playing. :confused: But when I played it on my computer, there's no problems what so ever. Call me stumped.

Unfortunately, it does not display mp3 tags or track names. Just folder number and track number.

Just be thankful it has basic play functions. It could just play CD's only! :thumbsup:

Funk Flex, You got the MP-8Track feature instead of the standard MP-3?

OK, I tried to burn a CD using the i-tunes software, however, was unsucessful to get it to play in the '05 headunit.:sad: Anyone know what I'm doing wrong? Noticed that the files were MPEG-4??

I would assume that most of the files you tried to burn are in AAC (or MPEG-4) format. I'm sure the MINI HU can only play MP3 files. iTunes will not automatically transcode your AAC into MP3 during a burn either.

I recently found this out and was sorely disappointed. Oh well, I'll opt to upgrade to an iPod solution pretty soon anyway.

The default "ripping" format used by iTunes is AAC but it can easily be switched to rip in MP3 format. AAC files sizes are smaller than MP3 for similar encoding rates (higher quality sounding files at smaller file sizes) but MP3 is the de facto standard.

Your MINI headunit cannot play purchased iTunes music files or files ripped into the default AAC format. Change your iTunes to rip into MP3 and then burn those files onto a data CD. That should work. Files purchased from the Itunes Music Store (ITMS) are in protected AAC format and there is no easy way to convert them to MP3... At least blank CDs are cheap :)

If you are on a mac simply use toast and it will burn the MP3, while recoding the aac to mp3 for you :nod:

Any other options for non-Mac users (i.e. translating MPEG-4 to MP3)?