Nakamichi now offers a head unit that plays mp3s. I am having trouble finding a vendor to buy it from. If anybody knows of one please let me know.

-Chris Carlisi

 

Has yet to been released to US market, to my knowledge.

You do know that the CD400 can play MP3s via the aux input?

Gene

 

Ebay has the cd-500 unit. Pricey though

 

do a search under www.pricegrabber.com. I think that's where I found it a few month ago. I like the 400 better because the MP3 capabilities

 

Checked ebay and no 500. there was a 700 II though :p

Honda, the 500 plays mp3s and the 400 does not. Thanks for the link.

 

There's a high-end and extremely reputable car audio installer and retailer called Goodman that's local here (Main Line Philly) that carries and installs Nakamichi. I'm not familiar with the units they have instock right now, but if it can be obtained, Gary Goodman could get it. If you'd like his number, just drop me a PM.

 

My bad. I like the Spec of the 500 but I like the looks of the 400 That what I was confused with.

 

CCarlisi, there was a CD-500 unit on Ebay for about $555 including shipping to the US a few weeks ago from Japan. I almost bid on it, but was hoping to find alternative sources myself. Besides what SexyRX mentioned, there is a corporate site in Canada I found from the headquarters' website. Dunno if they can get you more information or not.

Let us know if you come up with anything!

 

I certainly will. I assumed they had a US distributor because of the number of CD-400s floating around on ebay last summer. However, I just went back to their site and the only one listed in North America is in Canada.

Buying one from Japan is a thought, but I believe they use a different radio transmission format than we do.

 

I just spoke to Gary Goodman, SexyRX's contact, and he said that CD500 is not sold in the US. Apparently the US Nakamichi distributor shut down last year and was replaced by a company that does not want to distribute car audio. So aside from the CD400 and 700s floating around that's it!

 

I have the CD-45 in my FB and I just use the aux input to hook up an ipod (when I had one) for mp3 playback. Works fine, no need to put mp3s on discs. I just have a hidden 1/8" connected to hook it up.

Gotta love the NAK though...clean looks and oh so clean sound. My only complaint is that sometimes, but rarely, it gets picky with cd-r's.....and it also skips on hard cornering, which we all know we do a lot of in these little cars!

Right on..

 

That's too bad. So would it be a tough connection to make a CD-500 work in a US FD? I was wondering if there would be a wiring difference (glad I didn't bid on that unit then think of this after the fact!).

Well, I hope we'll see it come to the US one way or another. The Nakamichi units look like a real winner.

 

The issue is the radio tuner. I have been told by a couple different sources that it simply won't work with US radio frequencies. Frankly, I'm not sure what their definition of 'won't work' is.