Sony mdx-c6500rx . Line-In

[Dogga]

Hi,

Am looking at buying a second hand Sony mdx-c6500rx, the owner tells me it has two RCA plugs with BUS Line In written next to it;

Does that mean I can use any source for the line-in, eg Ipod, or is it really only for Sony cd-stackers etc,

Any help greatly appreciated;

Cheers;

Dogga

[MDX-400]

The "BUS Audio IN" is for UniLink devices ONLY (i.e. CD or MD changers connected via UniLink).

To make use of that input as an AUX input you will require an XA-300 UniLink AUX input adapter. The adapter has an MSRP of $100 US but frequently goes on eBay from $50-$80 US these days... The XA-300 features UniLink "pass-thru" (meaning you can still use a CD or MD changer with the XA-300 connected), and it has 2 analog inputs, one digital (but USB-only) input and also a headphones jack dedicated to one of the analog inputs complete with level control

The USB input allows you to connect a laptop or PC via USB for sound output, which is a very nice feature if you can use it.

It also has the 2, stereo RCA inputs for up to two other devices.

Its a nice adapter and it's come down in price and gone up in availability in the last year, though some would say that paying that much for an AUX in adapter is a little much, especially when a lot of today's HUs have a built-in AUX input (though you probably won't find an MD one that does!).

Just be advised that the input on the deck is UniLink audio input, without the XA-300 you can't input an external device besides the dedicated Sony changers.

[Note that there used to be another AUX in adapter, the XA-107. This adapter can be used with that unit but it was discontinued when the 300 came out. The 107 only has one analog input and has "pass-thru", but it was even more rare than the 300... If you find one used, it'll likely cost you around the same as a 300 and the 300 is a far superior model.]