Music. CD's Radio etc.

[lemontoes]

Having managed without any means of playing music, besides an old radio, for the past two years, I think it is about time I remedied the situation. Looking at doing something on a budget, I noticed that car radios/cd players can be picked up quite cheaply, and some will let you plug an ipod in (don't have one but it goes on my xmas wishlist every year!). I did have a mini type music system, but it hasn't worked since it jumped off the shelf. What do other people use to play their music?

 

Jan

[Guest]

Having managed without any means of playing music, besides an old radio, for the past two years, I think it is about time I remedied the situation. Looking at doing something on a budget, I noticed that car radios/cd players can be picked up quite cheaply, and some will let you plug an ipod in (don't have one but it goes on my xmas wishlist every year!). I did have a mini type music system, but it hasn't worked since it jumped off the shelf. What do other people use to play their music?

 

Jan

 

Ipod in a docking station for our own music.

 

For radio a Roberts DAB radio like this -

 

 

For music in the cabin and/or on the move (not loud enough to disturb)

 

 

 

If we want radio and can't get DAB (rare) we have a small Philips mini Hi-fi that came with the boat that is increasingly redundant and may yet be removed and the space used for something else or be replaced with a mini hi-fi with a docking station for the ipod..

 

Just thought one thing I need to check though is if the Hi-fi will accept iPod 'in' first and then I would keep that.

 

 

..

Edited December 12, 2011 by MJG

[Guest Quo Vadis]

Freeview TV gets all the music stations, small portable music centre does the rest .. linked to my mp3 player to cut down on CD storage.

[DaveP]

Inputs:

 

USB stick mp3 player/radio

HTC Wildfire phone (mp3's and radio)

iPod touch

Car radio in the stern

Networked hard drive that acts as an iTunes server/mp3 repository

 

Outputs:

 

Lounge: powered PC speakers - flying audio lead connected to TV/phone/etc as needed

Bedroom: travel speaker with usb charged battery plays from usb/memory cards and aux in

Stern: car radio speakers (also plays memory cards and has an aux in)

 

The radios are not dab; given I mostly listen to R4 and World Service, high fidelity isn't my highest priority on them.

 

I have been looking into devices that could be remotely controlled, connect to the network, and play out to each of the lounge, bedroom or stern; but nothing suitable has been sighted yet.

[KevMc]

At the moment I have a mini hi-fi that has satellite speakers in the galley and cabin, with a DAB radio in the cabin... which is fine if I just want to listen to one CD or the radio ...

 

... but when I want to have all my music available I use one of those little FM transmitters (now legal) to send it from my laptop to the radio in the hi-fi. It's ideal for when I'm working and don't want to be jumping up and down every few minutes to change a CD or for a party when you can set up a play list

[GSer]

Ipod and dock, along with a Roberts DAB radio.

 

All of it's playing up at the moment Ipod has an intermittant fault where sometimes it takes 5 min to select a track, and the Radio needs a better, external, arial.

[jelunga]

Car radio Cd player wired to switchable speakers in every cabin, but not used. iPod rechargeable speaker docking station thingy, freeview radio stations , radio from the mobile telephone device, my wife on the keyboard and me on the corner and bugle (not simultaneously, )

 

Car radio Cd player wired to switchable speaker in every cabin, but not used. iPod rechargeable speaker docking station thingy, freeview radio stations , radio from the mobile telephone device, my wife on the keyboard and me on the cornet and bugle (not simultaneously, )

Oh and Co-op DAB radio

Edited December 12, 2011 by jelunga

[Keeping Up]

A car radio/CD player in a cupboard; the sort that has a wired remote control that is designed to go on the steering column; instead it is on the wall of the boat outside the cupboard. Also used with an iPod. All bought second-hand off eBay.

[rrt2]

I noticed that car radios/cd players can be picked up quite cheaply, and some will let you plug an ipod in

Jan

 

 

Look on ebay you can get a plug in transmitter to send signal to a car or any other ( non digital ) radio from an Ipod. The one I bought has a remote control for the Ipod as well you can also plug a 12 volt supply in.

[lemontoes]

Some good replies. Whatever I do I want to keep it simple. At the moment I haven't got 12v in the saloon ....except for the lights. I want anything I put in from now on to be 12v. I'm working towards self contained, so that I can eventually cut the umbical cord.

 

Jan

[markb]

Two methods from me:

 

Bedroom: Sony XDRDS12IP (iPod/iPhone dock with DAB radio and alarm clock) This sounds pretty decent for what it is, is an alarm clock which can wake you up to DAB/FM radio or your music from iPhone. It is 240V, but you could probably replace the "wall wart" to power from 12V and it has battery backup so always remembers the time and alarm still goes off even if unplugged.

 

Saloon: Sony MEX-BT3800 (car stereo with USB to plug memory stick or iPhone into and bluetooth) This works really well, so well that I've got the same one in my car too!! Got it off ebay for ~£85. The fact it has bluetooth is great as i can stream music to it from my phone or my laptop. Connected to some cambridge audio speakers from richer sounds. Sound is very good, uses very little power.

 

Mark.

[lemontoes]

Mark .....that Sony MEX-BT3800 looks just the thing. A little more than I had been planning on spending, but definitely worth thinking about.

 

Jan

[i love my narrowboat]

When we sold our house and downsized to live on our narrrowboat, there was no way I was going to stash all my cds on board, I bought an ipod and downloaded all my music, gave all the cds to the charity shop and now have 6,821 songs on a very handy piece of technology, i have all my music backed up so no chance of losing any of it...GREAT..we have a radio in the sitting room and a Panasonic SC-HC35DB which is a dab radio/cd/ipod and very slim in design with a good sound.

[lemontoes]

When we sold our house and downsized to live on our narrrowboat, there was no way I was going to stash all my cds on board, I bought an ipod and downloaded all my music, gave all the cds to the charity shop and now have 6,821 songs on a very handy piece of technology, i have all my music backed up so no chance of losing any of it...GREAT..we have a radio in the sitting room and a Panasonic SC-HC35DB which is a dab radio/cd/ipod and very slim in design with a good sound.

 

 

That looks like a very nice piece of equipment. At the moment I only havea few cds so storage isn't a problem! I do intend getting an ipod eventually, but thought it would make sense to get something that would play my cd's meanwhile, and also play the ipod music, when I eventually move on. I actually have a space which is ideal for a car cd, but haven't completely made my mind up yet.

 

Jan

[i love my narrowboat]

My husband has made a very nice set of shelves to allow my Panasonic to sit nicely on, I do not know how to load it on here so will put it on the Gallery :-)

[lemontoes]

My husband has made a very nice set of shelves to allow my Panasonic to sit nicely on, I do not know how to load it on here so will put it on the Gallery :-)

 

that looks very nice......I like the way the shelf is set back to allow the sides to hang over.

 

Jan

[Guest]

My husband has made a very nice set of shelves to allow my Panasonic to sit nicely on, I do not know how to load it on here so will put it on the Gallery :-)

 

Allow me -

 

[markb]

Mark .....that Sony MEX-BT3800 looks just the thing. A little more than I had been planning on spending, but definitely worth thinking about.

 

Jan

 

I tried many, many different car stereos that allowed connection of iphones. this sony was by far the best for the money. Don't be tempted to go for the "updated" versions, they took features away and put them on the more expensive versions instead. The MEX-BT3800 is the one to go for in my opinion, "it just works^TM"

[Ally]

our music from phone via main speakers in boat, radio via t'internet...via main speakers.

[FadeToScarlet]

Dab radio. All we use, really. I do want to put in a car radio, speakers etc. but haven't got round to it.

[Athy]

We have a wall-mounted Grundig combined radio/cassette player/ CD player which is quite flat-section and which thus does not get in the way much.

[Martin Megson]

Car radio Cd player wired to switchable speakers.

[bizzard]

All my stuff is simple 12v car type.

A Radiomobile radio of 1960's vintage in the bedroom.A tractor type 12v radio with built in squeaker in the lounge.A Roberts potable DAB radio and by using a wee 12v to 6v step down transformer runs off the boats supply,this is in the drawing room come galley.

For a high powered musical racket i use a simple Sony £15 Walkman CD player again powered by a wee step down transformer,amplified through an old cassette player and then 12v boooooooster amplifier and then to two brilliant quality JBL squeakers which i built separate portable enclosures for with long cables for playing music outside at parties or field picnics ect down the river.

And if all this lot fails i have a Ranger wind up and solar powered radio.And if that thing fails i have an old Crytsal set in the shed.

Edited December 15, 2011 by bizzard

[Robbo]

I tried many, many different car stereos that allowed connection of iphones. this sony was by far the best for the money. Don't be tempted to go for the "updated" versions, they took features away and put them on the more expensive versions instead. The MEX-BT3800 is the one to go for in my opinion, "it just works^TM"

 

Why do all car stereos look flimsy and have more flashy lights than a christmas tree.

[Wiggins]

While not on a boat, we have cardboard flat-packable speakers that dont need power & plug straight into the ipods - from Muji, although not sure if they make them anymore. The sound is far better than you'd think, and they're useful for hospital stays & the like...