MP3 meets Car Audio: Empeg Mark II in-dash Car MP3 Player

Click to Enlarge

Instead of simply sticking a piece of colored plastic over the VFD display, the Mk.2 actually had a plastic faceplate that gave the unit a much more appealing look.  The simple appearance of the Mk.2 can be considered by some to be superior to the extremely flashy and tasteless designs that we’ve seen lately in aftermarket head units.  Then again, others may prefer that style to the empeg’s relatively simple layout.

Click to Enlarge

Unfortunately, one advantage the Mk.1 continues to hold over the newer Mk.2 is that the colored faceplates on the Mk.1 featured an anti-reflective coating, whereas the Mk.2’s faceplates do not.  This unfortunately means that in direct sunlight, the Mk.2’s display is extremely hard to read.  The default blue face is the easiest to see in direct sunlight, however there’s a clear need for an anti-reflective coating on the panel.  There are plans to introduce AR coated faceplates for the Mk.2 however we have yet to see any set date on when these will ship. 

Another problem we noticed with the faceplates was that they scratch very easily, at least in comparison to most aftermarket head unit displays. 

The Mk.2 also adds support for another display color, in addition to the blue, green and amber faceplates, empeg offers the Mk.2 with a red plate as well.  As with the Mk.1, these face plates are interchangeable and user replaceable under warranty.  While choosing an amber or red faceplate may end up matching the gauges and displays in your car, you sacrifice an incredible amount of functionality for that pleasure.  The amber/red displays are very difficult to see in the sun, noticeably more so than the default blue as we mentioned above.  

Amber

Blue

The floating ground inputs were ditched on the Mk.2 courtesy of the use of more standard line-level outputs, however those weren’t the only things to go.  The original Mark I player featured an integrated FM tuner, making it a complete stand alone head unit replacement.  The Mark II however, does not feature the integrated FM tuner that will be offered later as an external add-on module.  For some, this is a major turn-off, however for those that aren’t planning on replacing their current head unit, this makes the Mk.2 a perfect companion since it can be used alongside your current head unit or as a replacement.

The control of the unit was also improved, providing a rotary control knob in addition to the standard 4 buttons.  As an indicator of Empeg, Ltd’s U.K. base, the Mk.2’s rotary control knob is placed on the right hand side of the unit instead of on the left as with most head units designed for left hand drive cars.

The rotary control knob, by default, controls the volume of the Mk.2 which is useful if the Mk.2 will be replacing your head unit, or if you’re not going to be feeding the Mk.2 as an auxiliary input to your current head unit. 

Another potentially useful feature is the inclusion of a microphone input on the Mk.2 which could be used for future voice recognition support.