like teemcbee, i have been waiting about 1 1/2 years for an empeg. i got invited to order back in january, but couldn't afford it then. for a little background, i really wanted all my mp3s in the car, so i hooked up a laptop, but was riddled with problems like slow bootup, crappy inverter connections, space it takes up (at a premium in a miata), it just looked plain ugly, etc. i had envisioned it as a replacement for the empeg that i could not order or afford, but after using it for a while, i realised my need for something designed by smarter people than i.
i have my empeg installed in a 2000 miata with the bose sound system. at the risk of offending tony and others, i will admit that i am running it through my pioneer b/c i am too lazy to take apart the interior to run cabling for an external amp. actually with the nicer bose speakers, i am very happy with the sound.
impressions... i am blown away with how cool this thing is.
one thing i noticed is how easy it is to use in the car. i have only had it in for about a day, and i can already use it pretty well. i was really expecting something more complicated for an interface.
the display is also very cool. i was expecting it to be sort of dull, and with larger pixels, but it is definitely very flashy and easy to read. very impressed. drove all day and had no problems reading the display, but i will wait to comment for sure on that until it is cool enough to turn off the air and put the top down.
emplode is a very intuitive program. one incredibly nice feature is the automatic playlist generation. i was expecting to have to create playlists for each artist and album, but emplode determined my playlists and made them just from my directory structure. very very very nice.
my serial cable was one of the wrong ones, and i can't get ethernet to work yet, but i did an upload of a little more than 3 gig in a bit under 3 hours.
boots up in about 8 seconds and picks up right where it left off. a far cry from the laptop that took 1 1/2 minutes before winamp started playing a totally different song than it was playing before the stupid thing shut off b/c the inverter kept losing the connection with the lighter socket.
my only problem is a bit of engine noise that comes and goes. a loose ground, but that means i have to take out both stereos and make it tighter. for now though, it is not that bad.
my final analysis...
it was a long wait, but it was worth it. the empeg is definitely the coolest gadget that i have ever owned. if anyone out there is debating whether or not to get one, buy it when your turn comes up. my experience with the laptop mp3 player setup has really made the empeg experience all the more enjoyable. almost immediately after the car is turned on, it is playing my music.
i also want to say a big thank you to the entire empeg staff. whether it was rob answering my email at 10:00 pm, or hugo answering minute technical spec questions, or mac keeping everyone informed of the latest upgrades, any anyone else i forgot, this is the best customer service that i have ever received. it is definitely appreciated.
also, thank you to everyone else on the board who has taken their time to answer questions (stupid or not) for those of us who have no idea what to do.
jeremy
oh, i wish i wish i had an empeg...
_________________________
12 gig, green...
Previous Topic
Index