Supported bit rates of Sony's Car CD Tuner range

[richm]

Does anybody know what Atrac3plus bit rates are supported by Sony's in-car CD tuner range? I'm interested in purchasing a CDX-F5550, CDX-R3350 or a CDX-R6650 but there is no mention in the respective manuals what the supported bit rates are, Atrac3plus or MP3. I feel I'm pretty safe in assuming that Atrac3 LP2 and LP4 are supported and Atrac3plus 48kbps and 64kbps since they are pretty old, but a bit poor for my tastes. But what of 256kbps and the new fangled bit rates?

Thanks.

[Ishiyoshi]

Welcome to ALC!

According to Sony Netherlands, the CDX-F5550, CDX-R3350 and CDX-R6650 support ATRAC3plus and Mp3. Thus, it should support ATRAC3plus 256kbps, 64kbps, 48kbps and likely ATRAC3 132kbps, 105kbps, 66kbps as well as ATRAC (SP) 292kbps.

With the advent of SonicStage 3.2, there are new additional ATRAC3plus bit rates: 320kbps, 192kbps, 160kbps, 128kbps and 96kbps; and there's a possibility that the car unit may support at least one of these new bit rates.

[pata2001]

As for now, Sonicstage only allows the bitrates of Atrac3 132kbps, 105kbps, 66kbps, and Atrac3+ 256kbps, 64kbps, and 48kbps for AtracCD. Presumably the unit itself should be able to decode all bitrates of Atrac3+, but there's no way to burn AtracCD with the new bitrates. SP (Atrac 292kbps) is not possible via Sonicstage, so there is no way to see if the unit actually supports it (presumably it doesn't).

As for MP3, Sony car units play all bitrates, including VBRs (--preset standard, etc) just fine. I would go with MP3 since there is no advantage at all by going to Atrac since current car units cannot play AtracCD gaplessly (plus, making AtracCD is more time consuming having to use Sonicstage, while you can just burn MP3s to a data CD using any burning software)

[richm]

Thanks for your quick responses, but I need a little more certainty whether these units offer 256kbps before putting my hand in my pocket. I did come to the same conclusions by searching through SonicStage 3.2, the Sony UK site and doing a lot of googling, but I've found nothing firm.

Thanks.

[Damage]

Again, all ATRAC CD Players (all three generations) can play the following:

ATRAC3+:

256kbps, 64kbps, 48kbps

ATRAC3:

132kpbs, 105kbps, 66kbps

MP3:

All bitrates supported, including VBR and ABR!! However, there is one caveat, that it only supports only 44.1kHz MP3s, AFAIK.

[richm]

Again, all ATRAC CD Players (all three generations) can play the following:

ATRAC3+:

256kbps, 64kbps, 48kbps

ATRAC3:

132kpbs, 105kbps, 66kbps

MP3:

All bitrates supported, including VBR and ABR!!  However, there is one caveat, that it only supports only 44.1kHz MP3s, AFAIK.

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I have come to this conclusion myself, thanks all.