Problem With CD-Rs in Factory Head Unit

[vincedog3]

A flakey table of contents or poor finalizing can cause problems too.

[kong]

I've never had the problem with the LGT.

 

I haven't had any problems either on any of the disks I've burned. I used Verbatim disks, burned at maximum speed, and used Roxio Media Creator to do it. I have yet to hear anything wrong with them. My burner drive is also a plextor px-712A.

[mach_six]

I was curious if anyone else has experienced this problem with their factory unit. I, like most people, listen to CD-R's mostly. Lately I have been having the same problem. My CD-R's will skip after about half the CD has played. I don't understand it. The CD's don't have anything on them and arn't even scratched. The CD player just started skipping and and freezing after track 10-15. I use iTunes and usually burn the discs at 2x with a 1 second gap. I use memorex CD's. I don't think I am doing anything wrong, but this problem has happened with almost every burned CD I put in. Its a 6 CD changer completely stock system (momentarily) in a 2005 Legacy Limited. Any ideas?

 

I tried Memorex too, it's only CD-Rs as original discs don't have any issues. I have yet to find a brand it likes but I'll try some Verbatims...most likely it's the player not liking CD-Rs.

 

I use Nero too but i will try something else. But the problem in my car, happens like 30 minutes or so then it starts to skip.

[schwinn]

Nero works fine for me on many different CD players (cars, home, computers, portable). Media quality is suspect... TY is great, but I ahve had good luck with TDK, Sony, and Memorex. Other brands have worked fine, too. Liteon burners (either the CD or DVD burner)

[NickB34]

Go get your local computer nerd to help if you have problems burning a disc. I've never had a problem with a disc skipping... even when I had the old 2x... all the way up to my 52x. The only thing I would suggest checking is to see if your cd player is getting really hot, possibly the reason it starts skipping after 10-15 tracks. I've had this problem with a few older cd players, but only after many many hours of play time. I would go to take off the faceplate and it would be so hot you couldn't hardly touch it.

[808subaru]

the cd-rs skip like crazy in my leggy as well. i was even considering swapping out the head unit, but thanks for the input!!

[Hanger]

This happens to me as well.. i tried 4 times burning the same CD and it still wont work, skipping and the noise...

[eb50]

dont do anything expensive until u at least try TYs

[Hanger]

^you mean the disc? what's the full name?

[eb50]

^you mean the disc? what's the full name?

 

 

Taiyo Yuden FTW

[Meltdown07]

For audio you should never burn a CD at 24x or above unless you dont mind a quality loss. This isnt the reason for your skips or hic'ups, but just a word of advice for everyone. I've read that because of the way audio is burned you get a quality loss from the conversion, due to the truncating of the leading bits when burning at faster (>20x) speeds. I burn all audio at 12x or 16x and have never had a problem. Using brand name discs helps too. Using cheap Best buy/Circuit City brands CDR/DVDR's is going to lead to problems. And nero DOES have compatability issues was some burners. Good luck!

[schwinn]

For audio you should never burn a CD at 24x or above unless you dont mind a quality loss. This isnt the reason for your skips or hic'ups, but just a word of advice for everyone. I've read that because of the way audio is burned you get a quality loss from the conversion, due to the truncating of the leading bits when burning at faster (>20x) speeds. I burn all audio at 12x or 16x and have never had a problem. Using brand name discs helps too. Using cheap Best buy/Circuit City brands CDR/DVDR's is going to lead to problems. And nero DOES have compatability issues was some burners. Good luck!

How do you figure "quality loss"? I burn at 40x or 52x all the time, and see ZERO issues with my CDRs (skipping or otherwise). The data is not "truncated" or anything like that... the data is converted from MP3 (if necessary) the same way whether it's a 1x burn or a 52x burn.

 

Skipping is caused by low quality CDRs, or heat-damaged ones. That's it.

 

Quality is not any better with a slower burn, though with cheaper media, some players may not "complain" as much with a slower burn... but again, that's a CDR quality issue, not a music "truncation" issue.

[Meltdown07]

How do you figure "quality loss"? I burn at 40x or 52x all the time, and see ZERO issues with my CDRs (skipping or otherwise). The data is not "truncated" or anything like that... the data is converted from MP3 (if necessary) the same way whether it's a 1x burn or a 52x burn.

 

Skipping is caused by low quality CDRs, or heat-damaged ones. That's it.

 

Quality is not any better with a slower burn, though with cheaper media, some players may not "complain" as much with a slower burn... but again, that's a CDR quality issue, not a music "truncation" issue.

 

Don't shoot the messenger. Like I said, that's what I read in some computer magazine. Never claimed it to be gospel.

[mach_six]

For my car, it's not the CD-Rs, they work fine a Kenwood deck I installed in my other car burned exactly the same way.

 

I would try it in another CD deck before blaming the media. Only real CDs work in my car.

[bkilcoyne]

I think NickB34 is on to something. I have the same problem in my 01 Outback. I’ve noticed that the unit is very hot when it starts skipping. I’ve also noticed that it as gotten worse with age.

I’ve been the computer biz for 20 years and I’ve hot wired all sorts of stuff. I will say that it is not your software or the speed you burn at. It’s probably not the burner either but some of the post I’ve seen about firmware updated do make sense since manufactures fix minor bugs in formats with the updates. Keep the quality of the burner you buy in mind when you read the operations below.

 

You have to remember that a bit is a bit whether it is on a hard disk, CD, DVD, memory, etc. When you burn a CD there is error check that takes place during the burn to verify the process. I’m sure we’ve all made our share of coasters. When any digital device is function properly it is always perfect in it’s reproduction of data.

Most likely it is a combination of the media and the player. Manufactured CD have a highly reflective surface. You will notice that CD-R is not as reflective and the lower the media speed the darker media surface. Each laser has an associated electronic circuit that is calibrated to read media with in given specifications. This circuit is what converts the photons from the laser into electrons for the electronics. We all know that heat affects how electronics operate and how they operate differs with temperature, e.g. you can run the same CPU at a much faster rate if you can cool it. Data on the CD starts on the inner part of the media and moves to the outside edge. Audio format is like an old vinyl record and is written in a continuations data groove on the CD. Therefore the further you go out on the media the more densely the data is pack and the motor in the unit has to make more adjustments to keep the linear data rate the same (128kbs for CD Audio). This causes vibration on the CD and the skipping starts. If you have trouble follow this think about how they rate CD burners … they always advertise the highest rate but in the fine print they say something like 24x to 52x write speed.

Note the behaviors of the unit. When you first turn it on you can play any track. After it heats up you can only play tracks past a certain minute mark and you can always play track at the beginning of any CD. After it cools down you are back to square one. One cold days it takes the player longer to heat up and you may get through a few CD before the problem starts. Hot days the problem starts sooner.

Suggestions: Better media may help (taiyo yuden is rated very well on most sites). If you find that you just have trouble with CD-R all the time there could be something that the burner is doing that is driving the player crazy. Try a firmware update or a different burner. In either case do not believe the “NameBrand” on the box for anything. Media with a Sony label can come from different factories and have different qualities … there are very few places that actually do the manufacturing of media. The same goes for drives, e.g. LiteOn makes a lot of the Sony drives last time I check. You get better support and spend less on the LiteOn.

Hope this helps everyone out.

[bkilcoyne]

One other quick thing ... try CD Freaks.com - The digital storage weblog and worlds largest CD & DVD community for many answers to your questions about media, drives, etc.

[Adriftoc]

I have been getting a new problem with the CD's. yes, after you play a CD for a while it starts to skip...but once in a while I get like static as well. It doesn't skip, there is just static on top of the music. Like as if there was a bad connection. I asked the dude at the dealership if it was the CD player, but he said that it sounded more like the CD's. I thought that was bullshit. Any of you have the static problem?

[Hanger]

Any of you have the static problem?

 

 

yes and lots of it

[bkilcoyne]

Yes, normally just be fore the skipping starts. My son drives my 01 now and I've got a new 06 that I just picked up. I hit these boards trying to see what people where doing for an aux in ... not much choice there. I'm going on a trip hear in a bit and I'll be taking my CD’s that I played in my 01 ... I'll let you know if they skip in my new unit. That will tell us if the media has anything to do with it.

[Adriftoc]

This may be a very stupid question, but then again I don't know much about car electronics. Do you think there would be any chance of replacing the Headunits lazer with a better one? Like the skipping is simply due to a bad lazer right? what if you replaced the head units lazer with an aftermarket one. Its probably impossible...but I thought splitting the AC from the audio on the same circuit board was impossible but I see someone with a lot of experience managed to do it.

[bkilcoyne]

Can't replace the laser ... but you could get it fixed. Also, I did see a kit for the 2005's so you could replace the stock unit with an aftermarket unit. The kit is basically a plastic housing that supports an aftermarket unit. To fix the unit there is a place in the Syracuse NY area that repairs radios quickly. Try this URL: http://209.238.89.122/Automotive/auto_products.asp

[schwinn]

Don't shoot the messenger. Like I said, that's what I read in some computer magazine. Never claimed it to be gospel.

Ok, sorry for jumping all over you...

 

As long as people know it's not true, then I'm happy.

[trabbic]

OK, I just noticed this same problem, with a little something extra.

 

Two CD's made In iTunes on Memorex media (I don't know what speed recorded, probably the fastest possible, on a laptop drive so 20x or so...).

 

After song 10 or so it starts to get static then skips, then after a while of the laser hunting around the screen on the stereo and climate control blacks out (like a faulty power connection)... Yes you read that correctly, the screen blacks out, and when I switch to FM or another CD my auto climate setting is off...

 

The CD's were my girlfriends made by her brother, and play fine in her 05 impreza CD player.

 

I can also play them on my home CD and my Ford Truck CD players.

 

Working in the computer industry the problem is not always hardware or software, but can sometimes be a combination of the two and how they interface. Obviously only my CD Changer has issue with these CD's, but when the CD's are made differently, my CD Changer has no problems, indicating an incompatibility.

 

In my opinion Subaru needs to fix this incompatibility (but I don't think they will), because it is causing a hardware crash (at least in my system); and a hardware crash of a CD player because of a CD (of any kind) is unacceptable, the CD player should just spit the CD out or not play it. A CD Player in a car should NEVER do what mine is doing, especially because it also screws with the climate control.

[NewSubieLegacy]

Now that the CD player in the 2005 Legacy has aged a bit, is this getting worse for anyone else? It is for me. Please do not tell me it's the CD media or the CD burner or the CD software. I understand any one of those can cause an issue, but that is not the case here or the question I am asking. The CD-Rs that are skipping play fine in two different home CD players, friend's car audio and on several PCs. It appears to be worse as heat increases - either hotter weather or the unit playing longer. But, it is skipping even when cool now.

[pillboy]

I think you need a new needle in the old Victrola.