It all depends on how exactly you put the information on the disc.
For your purposes here, there are basically two ways to store the media on the disc, which mean formatting the disc in one of two ways:
-
as data disc
-
as a media disc
Again for your purposes, the only difference between the two is compatability with your player. A media disc will be formatted like any normal CD and will play in virtually any player. This is where you run into the limit of maybe 20 songs or less. As a data disc, you can store up to ~644MB worth of mp3, which is closer to 200+ songs. The catch is, most CD players will not be able to read the data on this disc.
If you have a special (aka non-standard) stereo/CD player in your car, you may have the option to play this disc. If not, then you’re stuck with the media format. So to answer your question, no, there isn’t a “certain type” of CD that is capable of holding more data, it’s basically just a matter of how you format it, and whether or not your player is sophisticated enough to be able to read it.
That’s kind of the price you pay for using dated technology.
Obviously the better option is using a digital audio device that will allow you to store mp3 files (e.g. an iPod). Of course the default way to listen to this is through headphones (or if your player is more advanced, a built-in speaker). Of course the quality isn’t very good this way, especially if you’re in a car with road noise…and also if you want more than one person to be able to hear it.
So the main two ways to get the audio of your mp3 player to play from your car speakers are
-
an auxiliary jack
-
an AM and/or FM transmitter
Ideally, your car comes equipped with an auxiliary jack that will allow you to simply connect your audio device directly to your car speaker system. This basically means you’ll never need to use CDs again. Hopefully your car has one. If not, it can be added, but it’s not exactly like flipping on the kitchen light.
If you don’t have a jack and don’t want to put one in (or install a new stereo that has one), your other option is a transmitter. This is a device that will attempt to transmit the audio from your device over the radio spectrum, and allow you to pick it up by tuning to the proper frequency on your radio dial.
Here is a very small one, that also has a USB port which allows you to also charge your audio device (assuming it has USB connectivity)…i.e., it’s also a car charger.
The only draw back to a cheaper one like this is, you are limited in your radio frequency choices. This particular one, for example, will only allow you to choose from 4 different frequencies. If you happen to be in an area that is broadcasting on those frequencies, odds are their signal will be strong enough to interfere with yours, and your listening experience will be less than satisfactory. If you’re willing to spend more, you can get more advanced models that allow you a much greater range and power…but you pay for it.
The set up for audio listening in a car, starting with best is:
-
mp3 player with noise-cancelling headphones
-
mp3 player with auxillery connection to your car stereo
-
stereo with ability to play data CDs
-
Standard CD player
-
mp3 player with regular headphones
-
mp3 player with built-in speaker
-
phone speaker