2005 HU won't play this MP3?
 

I downloaded some MP3s and burned them to a CD, but my 2005 head unit won't play them. This is the first time this has happened. Never had problems with MP3s before.

The HU recognizes the disc, folders, and tracks. It says "CD Check" (or whatever it says when you insert a disc) and then it goes to "TR01-001" like it's playing, but no sound comes out. I can skip to other tracks, the other folder ("TR02-001"), and the tracks in the other folder. I don't get any error messages at any time. Just no sound. (And yeah, I did try the volume knob!) :)

The files are a series of lectures, mono and highly compressed. I'm wondering if the problem has something to do with the way they're compressed or something. Here is an example of what my MP3 software tells me about one of the files:

Kind: MPEG 2-Layer III
Bit rate: 16Kps
Sample rate: 16.000 kHz
Channels: Mono
Time: 46:00
Size: 5.39 MB

(I'm assuming they are CBR.) Quicktime plays these files fine, and so does my Nomad MUVO. Any ideas why the MINI can't play them?

Thanks in advance-

My guess is the bit rate... can you resample them ? I had this one mp3 file that plays fine on a computer but when I played it in the car it screeched and beeped like a seizure. The only thing I found different than my other mp3s was the low rate.

I think aminicooper is right
 

Try re-sampling the bit rate higher to 22 or some other more common rate.

Thanks for the responses. I had a feeling it was the really low bit rate or something like that. I may try resampling them, but they're so crappy to begin with, that the loss in quality may just be too much.

I sure wish the HU would give a running time. If you've got an hour-long MP3 (as in these lectures, and a lot of audiobooks) and you've got to stop somewhere in the middle of it, it's a major pain in the anatomy to try to find out where you left off.

I may just put these on my MuVo and listen to them through the Aux input.

But thanks again for taking the time to answer!