Sony MEX-BT3800U In-Dash CD Receiver MP3/WMA/AAC Player with Bluetooth

by Sony

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 4.4 x 10.2 inches ; 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B0032FOJPM
• Item model number: MEX-BT3800U
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (95 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #13,480 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

Sony's MEX-BT3800U is a great way to add Bluetooth and media power to your vehicle, with 52 Watts through four channels. Make hands-free calls or stream audio from your compatible devices. You can also play back CDs and CD-R/RWs, along with MP3/WMA/AAC files. A front auxiliary input is great for connecting external devices, and you can enjoy full iPod control right from the receiver.

A Bluetooth receiver that will play your digital music files. Click to enlarge.

Detachable faceplate for added security.

Front panel auxiliary input and USB port.

Detachable Faceplate
The MEX-BT3800U features a detachable faceplate for added security, with a 1-line, 13-segment LCD display and blue control illumination.

Bluetooth Functionality
The MEX-BT3800U features Bluetooth hands-free with an integrated microphone (or through an external microphone), as well as audio streaming functionality using your compatible Bluetooth music device.

USB 1-Wire for iPod, iPhone, and Other USB Devices
USB 1-Wire lets you directly connect, charge, and control your digital music player via the USB jack in the front of the unit, as well as view metadata like song title and artist on the front display.

Quick-Browzer Technology With Jump Mode and ZAPPIN Features
Quick-BrowZer lets you search and select songs by category, including artist, album, genre, or playlist. Jump Mode gets you closer to the song you want by allowing you to fast forward through a music category in 10 percent increments. With Zappin, you can play music in six-, nine-, or 30-second clips until you find the song you're looking for.

MP3/WMA/AAC Playback With DM+
Multi-format playback lets you play CDs, CD-Rs, or CD-RWs loaded with hundreds of MP3, AAC, or WMA songs. Hear the music on your recorded CDs and MP3s in their original vibrancy with DM+ (Digital Music Plus), an original Sony codec enhancer that reproduces detailed and high-frequency sound from compressed audio.

Satellite and HD Radio Ready
The MEX-BT3800U integrates seamlessly with satellite radio Sony Bus adaptors (sold separately) so you can receive digital satellite radio broadcasts. HD Radio capability lets you receive digital audio broadcasts when used with an optional HD Radio tuner.

Radio Data System (RDS)
The Radio Data System (RDS) feature displays radio broadcast information such as artist, title, and album.

Front Auxiliary Input
The front auxiliary input lets you connect almost any portable audio device to your car's sound system.

EQ3
Customize the sound with Sony's EQ3 feature, which includes 7 preset tone curves and a 3-band equalizer.

What's in the Box
MEX-BT3800U, Installation Hardware, User's Manual

Product Description

The Sony MEX-BT3800U can play back CDs and CD-R/RWs, along with MP3/WMA/AAC files. A front auxiliary input is great for connecting external devices, and you can enjoy full iPod control right from the receiver.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 37 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good Value for Money, some minor annoyances., April 17, 2010

By 

H. Sahni - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony MEX-BT3800U In-Dash CD Receiver MP3/WMA/AAC Player with Bluetooth (Electronics)

You get a lot for your money with this unit. Between the front auxiliary in, USB, and Bluetooth you have plethora of connectivity options so you should be able to connect anything to this unit for a long time. That's the unit's biggest plus. In fact, it can be a little bit annoying to have to switch through so many inputs via the source to get to the one you want (you can turn off aux in the settings though). You can also add optional HD Radio through an expensive adapter. I don't mind the lack of HD Radio since from what I've read, the execution isn't great yet with radios switching back and forth between the HD and analog signal and the signals themselves not being in sync.

The display is easy to read at a glance, and RDS (displays what is currently playing on the tuner) makes finding new radio stations easy. The iPod controls on the unit are a bit too complicated to bother learning, especially since you can use the iPod's own controls if you switch to "passenger mode". The buttons on the bottom of the unit used to switch stations and perform other operations have kind of a sharp edge a the bottom, which can make them sometimes a little painful to press if you don't aim high when you hit them. The USB will charge your iPod or other device fine.

The Bluetooth connectivity works really well, and sounds great. I use the Bluetooth stereo to stream music from my Motorola Droid with no problems. The Bluetooth hands free functionality is a bit basic since the unit won't display who is calling you, just that you have a call. Not that big of a deal at this price point. My phone will automatically pair the hands free profile when I turn the stereo on, but seems kind of hit or miss with pairing the Bluetooth stereo profile automatically. From using my phone with another Bluetooth speaker, it seems like it's more of an issue with the Droid.

One thing I find really strange with this unit is the remote functionality. If I use the head unit controls to turn on the unit / change source, the only control on the remote that will work is the off button. Vice versa, if you turn the unit on with the remote, all the remote functions work perfectly fine, but you can only use the volume controls on the head unit. Seek buttons, etc will not work. It took me a while to figure this out and at first I thought the remote control was defective. Again, this is not that big of deal to me since I would hardly use the remote, I just wish it was documented somewhere.

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great radio, March 12, 2010

By 

Matt (Minnesota) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony MEX-BT3800U In-Dash CD Receiver MP3/WMA/AAC Player with Bluetooth (Electronics)

I wanted a stereo to pair with my Palm Pre, primarily so I can listen to music and podcasts via bluetooth. This does that wonderfully. I can even answer calls to my phone by pressing the main dial button and hear the caller over the car's stereo speakers. The built-in microphone on the stereo works OK while driving around town, but at highway speeds the engine noise, road noise, and wind noise make it so the caller on the other end can barely hear me unless I shout. I will be purchasing the Sony XAMC10 External Mic and expect that to take care of the problem, based on reviews for that product.

My only complaint is about the LCD display. It works great for most things, but when listening to the radio, there isn't enough room for the RDS information to display, so you'll quite often see words truncated and then the 2nd half of the word displays when the display moves to the next bit of info. It's a minor thing since I spend most of my time listening to bluetooth audio, but thought I'd mention it in case anybody else cares a lot about that.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars AWESOME RADIO, February 27, 2010

By 

M. Hagler - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sony MEX-BT3800U In-Dash CD Receiver MP3/WMA/AAC Player with Bluetooth (Electronics)

I needed a radio to control my 2nd gen Ipod Touch and my Samsung Blackjack via bluetooth, and this radio does both and provides excellent sound quality in a sleek looking package with intuitive controls. Installing was a breeze (my previous radio was a Sony so I did not have to install the wiring harness). Ipod controls sort your music by album, artist, genre, etc. on the radio display. Not something you want to do while driving, but navigating to another song or album at a stop light is a breeze. After connecting the phone via bluetooth, answering was simple. Just push a button. I purchased the external microphoneSony XAMC10 External Mic for BT (Black) as well as the radio so I can't speak to the internal mic's quality, but with the external mic I had no ptoblems. Includes a remote with the simpler functions on it. This radio also controls my Sony disc changer I have been using since the 90's. I've always loved Sony products, and this radio just supports my choice in equipment. Great price too; Sony lists this unit for $199. Only con so far is no built-in HD radio tuner, but until that tech takes off I wouldn't worry about it.

Here is Sony's page for this radio:
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