This is the stereo system that was in my 1989 Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme from June 1997 to December 1998. The MDX-400 head unit has a very high instance of optical block failures which caused it to skip on recordable MiniDiscs. Unfortunately, I didn't get any luckier with mine than the large number of other MDX-400 owners. In October 1998, I pulled it out and sent it back to Sony for them to repair it under the Flat-Rate Repair Program. They replaced the mechanism, optical block, and a circuit board. Two weeks later, it started skipping again, so I sent it back in early December 1998. They replaced the optical block again. Not trusting this unit, I ended up selling it while it was still working good. Right now I'm waiting for my new stereo to arrive.

There were a few things I liked a lot better about the MDX-400 than my current head unit, Sony's flagship for 1999, the CDX-C90.

• The display was readable in even the brightest daylight! Not only did it have an antiglare coating on the plastic lens, the LCD had black text on backlit light-green background. It was never washed out, ever.
• 4-MDs indash... just way too cool.
• All functions were available from the RM-X38 joystick remote which in itself, was a very high-quality piece.
• Had a clock/calendar display.
• The dual-chassis design makes the indash unit not nearly as cramped.

Besides reliability, there were a few things I didn't like about the MDX-400:

• It stuck out way too far, looks goofy from the side.
• Since I had that XE-8MkII EQ, I had to run a lot of wires back and forth.
• It was easy to rub the rubbery-coating or paint off of the little bumps on the larger buttons.
• Rubbery coating was wearing off of the RM-X38.

Other than that, it was a really cool stereo and I miss it. I wonder how the current owner likes it?

The System Diagram (from 1997)
Want more details about my previous car audio components?

• Sony MDX-400 indash AM/FM 4-MiniDisc changer head unit
• Sony CDX-805 10-disc CD changer
• Sony XDP-U50D 10 mode DSP/digital preamp/18-bit DAC
• Sony XE-8MkII graphic equalizer w/"dancing lights" spectrum analyzer
• 2 Sherwood XA-5400 "400 WATT" power amplifiers
• 2 JL Audio 12W1-4 poly-cone 12" subwoofers
• Blaupunkt RL4027 4" poly laminate front speakers (suck)
• Pioneer TS-A6908 poly-cone 6x9" rear speakers