Thread: Sony BUS Aux-in workaround

I still don't see why I would need the adapter if I had a CD changer that has the bus control. Say that I plugged in the CD changer to the Sony stereo, and then plugged in the mp3 to the CD changer. If I want to access the mp3, wouldn't I just turn on the MP3, not touching any of the buttons on the head or the CD changer? And if I want to access the CD changer, wouldn't I just have the MP3 player off and select the CD changer from the head and/or the CD changer screen?

You don't need the adapter if you have a changer with the bus control, but you can't pipe an aux input through the changer. There's no aux in on the back of a changer...no reason for the manufacturers to spend the extra bucks to do it. Therefore, you either have to swap RCA plugs or use a 2-source selector switch (available cheap on Ebay). The aux inputs on the head unit are ignored unless you have a buslink device connected and select it, so even if you did find a changer with aux in, you'd still have to select the changer as the source on the head unit in order to activate the head unit's inputs.

What do u mean by a 2 source selector switch? I couldn't find any matches on that on eBay. Or did you mean something like a Y junction cable? Something that would allow two sets of Aux cables on the same Aux input? If that was not what you meant would that still work?

It'll be a little switch box with 4 RCA's going in (source 1 L/R & source 2 L/R) and 2 RCA's coming out. Radio Shack should have them as well. The problem with the Y splitters is that you'd have no way to shut off the output from the changer when you wanted to use the MP3 player.

http://www.radioshack.com/product.as...t%5Fid=15-1982

Like that one?

And if I have something like that, the OUTs of the switch will be connected to the stereo's Bus Aux-in, the IN's of the switch would be connected to the MP3 and the CD changer through Aux, and the Bus control on the stereo will be connected to the Bus control on the CD changer. Is that right?

Yup, something like that unit. Actually, I thought about it a bit later and you could probably get away with the Y-cables if you simply paused or stopped the CD changer playback. The out from the switch would go to the cd changer in on the head unit, bus on head to bus on cd changer, cd changer out into the switch and MP3 out into the switch.

Why would the out from the switch go to the CD changer on the head unit?

Would a JVC CD changer like this one http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...733998010&rd=1
work with a Sony head unit?

You used the term 'bus aux in' so I was just trying to clarify that you'd be using the RCA inputs that the CD changer would plug into...the bus is not an audio connector. You could probably use the JVC with FM modulator, but why add all of that extra crap and send the signal through your FM tuner? I'll bet you can find an older Sony changer for under $100. http://search.ebay.com/sony-cdx-chan...ectZ1QQfromZR8

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...733177061&rd=1

Would an older adapter like that one work? I've been looking at it for a while and if that one works I might as well go for it and save all the hassle. Wasn't sure if it was compatible b/c it looks so old and its a bit cheap.