Sony CDX-R 3300

Having known the brand name Sony since I was three, I knew that that I wanted something that reliable and well-built.

My CDMP40 was stolen and I had to get something to replace the silence in my car. So, after much research, I bought this unit in 2004 from Circuit City and picked it up instore, while in New York.

Having worked with car stereo instalations (to car-show level and quality) this deck was my choice because ...
.../> If you have used Sony CD decks in your car before then this deck should be a cinch for you to get accustomed to. The menu system is rather well-laid out, but there are so many settings to get to, (equaliser, DSO - Dynamic Soundstage Organiser, AM/FM presets, etc) that the constant clicking can get a bit tiresome.

Even though it has mp3 capability, this was not meant as a high-end CD/mp3 player, but rather as far as I am concerned, ... more

Having known the brand name Sony since I was three, I knew that that I wanted something that reliable and well-built.

My CDMP40 was stolen and I had to get something to replace the silence in my car. So, after much research, I bought this unit in 2004 from Circuit City and picked it up instore, while in New York.

Having worked with car stereo instalations (to car-show level and quality) this deck was my choice because of its mp3 playback capability and removable face plate.

However, this deck was plagued with problems from the moment I installed it.

While I was accustomed to the flip-down face design to accomodate loading of the CD, the little faceplate that slides down and clicks to eject the CD was rather well thought-out, so you wouldn't have to worry about breaking off the faceplate if you hit a pothole while loading a CD or something.

If you have used Sony CD decks in your car before then this deck should be a cinch for you to get accustomed to. The menu system is rather well-laid out, but there are so many settings to get to, (equaliser, DSO - Dynamic Soundstage Organiser, AM/FM presets, etc) that the constant clicking can get a bit tiresome.

Even though it has mp3 capability, this was not meant as a high-end CD/mp3 player, but rather as far as I am concerned, a cheap foray into the world of mp3s - there is no input for a CD changer (although you can see the "Next Disc" print on the remote control and the display) and only a front and rear RCA output. There was an output for the subwoofer, if I remember properly, but I never use the subwoofer output on any CD deck I purchase - I prefer to use the normal RCA output and use a separate signal processor to get the frequencies separated accordingly.

My major problem with this deck was its problem with air conditioning. True, I was driving a Nissan Sentra at the time, but after installing this deck, it overheated after playing 2 normal music CDs. I thought that this was because my car's air conditioning system was malfunctioning and the deck was purchased in New York (I live in the Caribbean, by the way). So, I had the excuse I needed to get my A/C fixed - the deck still overheated.

So, being the technician that I am, I had to figure out the problem with this unit.
- My first thought was since I was using the onboard amplifier (the powered outputs instead of the RCAs) that the heat generated may be the culprit. So, I got an equaliser/pre-amplifier and 2 amplifiers (one for mid-range and top-ends, while the other was a dedicated bass amplifier), as well as a separate car battery and an isolator circuit (so the 2nd battery wouldn't damage the car's wiring) - the deck still overheated with normal use.
- My next thought was that the CDRs I used were incompatible with the unit - even originals gave the same problem. (By the way, because mp3s don't come stamped like normal CDs and have to be recorded onto CDRs, you will have constant problems with this unit, since it takes forever to load and is constantly giving the "Disc Error" message. If you want discs to load with no problems, use originals - the mp3 feature was practically useless).

Of course, I should have just taken it back to the store and exchanged it, right? Well, because I had taken the unit out of the country and used "for export" my warranty was invalid, even though the purchase was made in New York - any risk was my own.

Thanks, a lot, Circuit City.

So, I did what anyone else would do - ripped it out of my dashboard and flung it out the window. Or rather, I used it as a selling point when I sold my car - "and I changed the deck and put in an mp3 player"...

Instructions were easy to follow - if you had the patience to read the rather long instruction manual.

Installation was easy, even for a do-it-yourselfer, but be warned - tampering with your car's electrical system under the dashboard can be dangerous, especially if wires are left exposed - the car's ground (or labeled as negative on most in-car equipment) is the car's metal components, such as the chassis and body.

Sound quality? I don't know - it never lasted long enough for me to really judge.

In terms of security, the faceplate came off rather easily, so you could take it with you - a basic, yet effective feature for any CD deck in a car.

Long story short: I would not recommend this deck to anyone looking for a CD/mp3 unit for their car. It's poor fabrication makes it a poor choice for everyday use (and I am talking about 15-minute trips to the office) or for long trips, poor compatibility with CDRs - hence limited mp3 playback capability. Sony disappointed me deeply with this product - even though I own a MD player and most of my home-theatre equipment is Sony, I have lost faith in their quality, especially in their car-entertainment line of electronics. 

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