I've followed developements with the Empeg car for a while but as I always drive Minis and don't have space for big amps it's never been practical. Recently I mailed empeg to ask what the chances were of an internal amp, taking into account the rio thing and modern HD sizes making 2 bays redundant and got a really cryptic answer to the effect that the current product will continue for at least 'several months'.

This doesn't sound long to me - has anyone else heard rumours of a major hardware update?

but as I always drive Minis and don't have space for big amps it's never been practical

Rob Schofield, one of the long-standing BBS members here, has put an Empeg in his Mini with no problem. Rob, if you're listening, could you link some pics for this gentleman?

Adding an amplifier isn't all that difficult, and the sound quality of an external amp is so much better than any internal amp could ever be.

Don't let the external-amp thing stop you from buying an empeg. Trust me, once you begin using the empeg, you'll wonder how you ever lived without it.

___________
Tony Fabris

There are a number of physically small amps available that are easily placed under a front seat although I am not familiar with the mini's seats. Amps in general are usually not big unless they are specifically used to drive large/many subwoofers which I am guessing you aren't even using if you have a mini and are concerned about space.

Although I wouldn't personally use it, I agree with you that they should work an amplifier into the player to compete with other head units pricewise. From my experience, the average person thinks the empeg is a little expensive. Although, the recent price cuts have helped that out a bit. Then when they find out they have to spend a few hundred dollars on an amp it usually seals the players demise. I believe price is the reason the empeg is struggling to hit mainstream. Everyone I know listens to MP3's (even the non technical ones) but almost none of them would spend that much on a car stereo. Hopefully the next empeg redesign will also involve more emphasis on cheaper part and production costs so we can see an empeg base price down around $600. That would be serious CD player competition.

Alex Lear

Hopefully the next empeg redesign will also involve more emphasis on cheaper part and production costs so we can see an empeg base price down around $600. That would be serious CD player competition.
To be honest, I hope this does not happen. Or at least any redesign should also provide the high quality we are all used to by now. Really, I would like to see an empeg alike device in a more mainstream price region, but I wouldn't want to give up the top of the notch (in terms of quality and usability) type device the empeg / rio-car currently is. But I wouldn't mind a split into two players, a lower cost one with integrated amp (and probably lower quality and a less sophisticated UI) and the high end one with no parts in it but the best currently available.

cu,
sven

proud MkII owner (12GB blue/green/smoked, #080000113)

I totally agree with you. I think what I had in mind is continuing with high quality parts but finding less expensive parts and ways of manufacturing. As a smaller company with a low production I think they had to put up with limited options for manufacture. I think parts like the docking connector posed a problem because of limited selection and high price. I have seen some cases where being part of a large electronics company gives you access to better circuit board design software so you can use fewer layers and save manufacturing costs. Luckily hard drive prices will get bigger with cheaper prices and mp3 sizes could go down in size so there is at least one future reason for a price drop.

Alex Lear