Minidisc Car Stereo - advice please

[kenpark]

I have a Sony MDX-C7900 in-dash car stereo minidisc player with CD changer control and I want to upgrade to another player that has MDLP compatibility. I just bought a Sony home deck that can record on the MDLP format.

However, my CD changer is in perfect working order and I want to continue using it, however I'm not sure which Sony head unit that has MDLP capability will also be able to use my existing CD changer. I know at some point Sony changed the CD changer outputs on their head units so that they won't marry to older CD changers.

Anyone know which of these decks still use the same CD changer output as the MDX-C7900?

The ones I know that can support MDLP are:

MDX-CA680, MDX-CA680X, C780, CA780X and the MDX-F5800.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thank you.

[MDX-400]

Where are you located (in what country I mean)? The models vary by country, that's why I ask. But it looks like you got pretty much all of them anyway. I've never actually heard of either an MDX-C780 or even a CA780X but I know there was a CA790X which was not released in the US IIRC.

Anyway the quick answer is that they all will support CD changers They are all UniLink HUs There was no point that Sony changed the CD changer protocol, as you imagine. UniLink has been there as Sony's mobile audio protocol for well over 10 years now. There have been some changes in the devices that can be used and the features that each HU supports, but for CD changer operation it's been the same since it started (with the exception of CD-Text capability which started in the mid-90s on UniLink HUs/changers).

You'll be fine with any of them, though note that all of them except perhaps the F5800 have been discontinued. They are available used (and sometimes new) on eBay and you might be able to find them at stores, depending on your location again...

The CA680X is probably the best one of the lot though, as it has the best feature set as a car HU. The only thing it does lack, however is Group mode for MDLP so if you need that you'll have to go with the CA790X or later. The CA790X did drop some HU features though. For one it didn't use a rotary encoder knob but instead just +/- buttons; for another it downgraded to EQ3 from the CA680X's EQ7. The F5800 didn't seem to bring anything else new either--it just looks a lot uglier IMO, lol.

There is also the option of just finding/going with an MDX-66XLP 6-MD changer since you already have a HU but the problem there is that you already have a CD changer. You could connect the MD changer as well, but you'd also need to buy an additional MCA (multi-changer adapter) like the XA-C30. Furthermore the 66XLP is a difficult to find and often expensive item. But just letting you know that option is available.