Can I hook up my MCS Stereo System from JCPenny with my laptop or ipod?
May 20, 2010
so i found this stereo system in storage, it works great but my mom wants to sell it. as far as i know i can play cassettes and it comes with a turntable, but i dont have cassettes so i was wondering if i could hook it up somehow to any modern systems. ill buy the extra parts if needed. sorry, im a noob with sound systems, but it just looks too cool to sell. thanks!
You can play anything from your iPod or laptop through an AUX IN if the unit has such an input. Most stereos have an extra input (RCA stereo sockets) that can take a signal from an external source. The route you will take is audio out (headphones) of your external device to the RCA inputs so you will need a suitable cable which will be fairly inexpensive.. something like this:
http://www.cassette2cd.co.uk/img/photos/cable02.jpg
(Without the large headphone adapter…)
If the stereo doesn’t have an AUX IN or any spare inputs, then you will not be able to do this. Assuming we have an input, the tricky part is balancing the sound so that the signal does not distort. Your output from the external device will have a pre-amp (pre-output amplifier) which will need to be turned down if the signal distorts. The best way to do this would be to play something on the turntable/cassette player/radio etc.. and adjust the volume to a ‘reasonable’ level. Then connect your external device (ensuring that the volume control on the device [laptop/iPod etc.] is turned way down to minimum) and set it going. Increment the volume control on the EXTERNAL device step-by-step until it matches approximately the volume of the radio/cassette/turntable etc… DO NOT ADJUST THE VOLUME OF YOUR STEREO SYSTEM during this procedure.
You will need to make this adjustment every time you connect an external device that has it’s own volume control, otherwise you risk damaging the stereo system.
You can play anything from your iPod or laptop through an AUX IN if the unit has such an input. Most stereos have an extra input (RCA stereo sockets) that can take a signal from an external source. The route you will take is audio out (headphones) of your external device to the RCA inputs so you will need a suitable cable which will be fairly inexpensive.. something like this:
http://www.cassette2cd.co.uk/img/photos/cable02.jpg
(Without the large headphone adapter…)
If the stereo doesn’t have an AUX IN or any spare inputs, then you will not be able to do this. Assuming we have an input, the tricky part is balancing the sound so that the signal does not distort. Your output from the external device will have a pre-amp (pre-output amplifier) which will need to be turned down if the signal distorts. The best way to do this would be to play something on the turntable/cassette player/radio etc.. and adjust the volume to a ‘reasonable’ level. Then connect your external device (ensuring that the volume control on the device [laptop/iPod etc.] is turned way down to minimum) and set it going. Increment the volume control on the EXTERNAL device step-by-step until it matches approximately the volume of the radio/cassette/turntable etc… DO NOT ADJUST THE VOLUME OF YOUR STEREO SYSTEM during this procedure.
You will need to make this adjustment every time you connect an external device that has it’s own volume control, otherwise you risk damaging the stereo system.
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