Subject says it all. Perhaps Sony is clearing it out?
http://www.bestbuy.com/detail.asp?e=11191497&m=3026&cat=3015&scat=3010

Wasn't this thing originally $1299?

EDIT: Crutchfield is still selling it for $1599. So, in some strage way, this is a good deal.

Everything has to be ripped from cds to this thing, how the hell would you get any tags? Thats a pretty lame unit.

Looks like they tried to add a whole lot of cutsie crap, without really thinking about what people want. Sure, It rips from the CD, You want to sit in the car for 10 minutes waiting on a cd to rip? Do you really NEED a motorized fold down front? Are people REALLY going to download to their memory stick?

I like this one:

In reply to:

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Auxiliary inputs (1 pair, stereo) permit connection of external devices including portable MP3 or MiniDisc players and plug-and-play satellite radio systems

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Why would anyone plug in a portable MP3 player with 64M of data to a head unit with 10G?!?! Stupid.

The only thing it has that is remotely better than the Empeg is the integrated amp, but who (that could afford this) would use that anyway?

The only thing it has that is remotely better than the Empeg is the integrated amp, but who (that could afford this) would use that anyway?

To be fair, I have my empeg hooked up to my car's factory amp and speakers. If I had a "normal" car, I probably would have been happy enough using the cheapo built-in amp with whatever factory speakers. I'm far more interested in having thousands of tracks on tap than in having super-duper high quality sound in the car. That's what the enormous home stereo is for...

Granted, but my point really was, someone willing to blow $700 on a HU probably wouldn't mind having to add a reasonably inexpensive amp. I kinda equate it to watching a DVD on a 13" TV, VHS would be just fine. You're right though, it's all about the music.

some of us drive around so much that we have better systems in our car than at home. Except for road noise of course, i hate that road noise.

Yeah, that things sucks just about as much ass as the Kenwood Keg when compared to the Empeg. But, I gotta say, the unit does look sort of cool.

I'd have to say that the Sony design is similar to the product we wanted to develop as the Mk.3. Of course our player would have run Linux, encoded to MP3, incorporate FreeDB or CDDB and have some kind of PC interoperability even if it wasn't pull out.

Marketing didn't see the light. They were probably right - none of these devices have been successful, and neither will they be until they hit $300 with a feature set dumbed down for the great unwashed. You can tell I'm not in Marketing (or PR).

Rob

I'm far more interested in having thousands of tracks on tap than in having super-duper high quality sound in the car.

I dunno about that... once you have "super-duper high quality sound..." it's really hard to go back to an "ordinary" car sound system. If you've never had it, you may not know what you're missing! It's pretty addictive.

tanstaafl.

Auxiliary inputs (1 pair, stereo) permit connection of external devices including portable MP3 or MiniDisc players and plug-and-play satellite radio systems

Why would anyone plug in a portable MP3 player with 64M of data to a head unit with 10G?!?! Stupid.

*cough*ipod*cough*.

I kinda equate it to watching a DVD on a 13" TV, VHS would be just fine.

<nitpick>
I beg to differ on that. If you only have a 13" TV, you're far better off with DVD than you are with VHS. With such a tiny screen, VHS format related problems, such as colour bleed, are much harder to ignore, simply because they take up a greater percentage of the screen.
</nitpick>

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It's pretty addictive.

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That's a fairly subjective term. I've had freinds who were audiofiles who would spend thousands on achieving that "super-duper high quality sound". I can tell a difference from stock stereos, but it sure as hell aint worth puttin more money into.
Any new car I've ever test drove or owned had an adequate sounding stereo. I've never purchased (car) speakers in my life because I've never seen a need to.
My empeg is less a car stereo and more a "personal music repository".

hmmm... maybe im just tone deaf or somethin.

I kinda equate it to watching a DVD on a 13" TV, VHS would be just fine.

I'd more equate it to watching a DVD changer on a 13" TV, for the convenience of it and because VHS changers are much harder to come by. If they made 13in (actually maybe 16in) widescreen 100Hz televisions then I'd be all over one.

Peter

Ok fine, nevermind. I rescind everything.