does my cd changer play mp3 discs?

[djfinton]

I was about to buy an audio book on cd to play in my car, and discovered that the discs come in either normal cd or mp3 cd format. I would really like to be able to play the mp3 cd version, since it would be about half the discs and half the price. The catch is that I can't tell whether my player will be able to play these.

I have a 2008 Corolla LE, with the Audio Value Package. This was marketed as "includes AM/FM 6-disc in-dash CD changer with six speakers and cruise control." The in-dash unit has on it A51814, which other web info says identifies it as an OEM by Panasonic. The car's manual doesn't mention mp3, and I haven't found any specifications online.

I tried making a test disc in mp3 format. It seems to play but there's no audio output. Then again, the manual warns that some kinds of home-burned CDs might not play, so I can't rule that out as the problem.

Can anyone point me to online specs on this player? Or have any of you been able to play mp3 discs in the same model player?

Thanks!

[praveen_bruno]

Hi,
Iam in the same boat , no clue ...
first i tried to burn the audio songs in CD-R , it didnt work .. later tried to burn all my Mp3 songs in CD-R which said "Digital Audio Compact Disc " ... and i see the disc reading it .. but No sound
iam trying to find if i can get any information about the A51814 , but no luck so far !!!!
please post your answers if you have any

Thanks
Praveen Bruno

[djfinton]

Hi Praveen,

I called my dealer, and they weren't able to tell me anything new. But they suggested that I call Panasonic, and they gave me the service number that they call for such questions. I never got to calling, partly because I decided that MP3-capable devices would probably say "MP3" on them. If you want to try, here's the Panasonic number I was given by Michael's Toyota of Bellevue: 1 800 423 8150. Good luck! If you find out anything interesting, could you post it here?

Thanks,

David