Over the last few years, Sony’s multimedia receivers have become increasingly popular. As more units have sold, retailers have asked for iDatalink Maestro integration, USB-C support and powerful sound customization. With Sony’s new XAV-AX4000, those requests and more have been fulfilled. Let’s look at what this sleek and impressive car audio source unit offers.

Clean Cosmetics and Intuitive Technology

The first thing you’ll notice about the XAV-AX4000 is that it still looks great in the dash of your car or truck, and the user interface is as intuitive as it gets. Anyone can easily select source options or adjust settings without needing to read the owner’s manual. The icons on the screen can be expanded by selecting the “All Apps” icon on the screen and can be rearranged to create a layout that gives you quick access to the elements you choose on the home screen.

The 6.95-inch touchscreen display has a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels with a brightness of 600 Cd/m2. Four physical control buttons along the bottom of the screen make it easy to access the main menu, adjust the volume, change tracks or activate voice recognition features.

The radio includes wireless Apple CarPlay and wired and wireless Android Auto connectivity. Start your car, and the phone will connect automatically so you can make phone calls, send texts or get navigation directions from Google Maps or Waze. Of course, you can use your favorite streaming services like Pandora, Spotify, iHeartRadio or Apple Music to be entertained while you drive. A USB-C port on the rear of the chassis can be used with a USB mass storage device to play MP3, WMA, AAC, FLAC, WAV, ALAC, DSF or DSDIFF audio files.

You can also use the USB-C port to charge your phone with up to 3 amps of current. The XAV-AX4000 supports the LDAC codec with Android smartphones for those wanting excellent Bluetooth streaming audio quality. Of course, the radio includes an AM/FM receiver with RDS information display.

Audio Features Add Realism to Your Music

The XAV-AX4000 includes a 14-band graphic equalizer, front, rear and subwoofer signal delay setting adjustments and adjustable three-zone high- and low-pass crossovers so your installer can fine-tune your system to deliver excellent sound and detail. The preamp outputs are rated to provide up to 2 volts of output, and the built-in four-channel amp is good for 20 watts of power in compliance with the CTA-2006 standard.

iDatalink Maestro Integration

One of the most sought-after upgrades to the XAV-AX4000 is the inclusion of support for the iDatalink Maestro RR and RR2 integration modules. These interfaces will allow the radio to communicate with certain vehicles to provide steering wheel control, backup camera and auxiliary input connectivity. You can display vehicle information such as engine speed, vehicle speed, battery voltage or engine load on the dashboard display and check tire pressures and battery voltage on another. Many vehicles allow the Maestro interface to provide access to climate control adjustments. Your Sony retailer can let you know about the features that are compatible with your make, model and year of car or truck.

Installer- and User-Friendly Design

From an installation standpoint, the single-DIN chassis behind the double-DIN display dramatically simplifies installation. The radio includes an external Bluetooth microphone to deliver excellent outgoing audio quality. Another new feature is selectable and user-uploadable background wallpapers to match your vehicle interior or your mood.

The radio also includes a rear-view camera input with automatic reverse triggering, and the Maestro will include factory parking lines and sensor data in some vehicles. Finally, Sony has designed the XAV-AX4000 to wake up quickly, so your music starts playing when you are ready to go.

Experience the Sony XAV-AX4000 Today!

If it’s time to upgrade the technology in your car or truck, drop by an authorized Sony retailer today and ask for a demonstration of the new XAV-AX4000 multimedia receiver. We’re sure you’ll be impressed by its performance, features, appearance and intuitive interface. You can find a Sony retailer using the dealer locator on the Sony Car Audio website. Be sure to subscribe to Sony’s YouTube channel and follow them on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to learn about their latest car audio product releases.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

The addition of amplifiers to Sony’s Mobile ES line means that every component in a premium car audio system can come from this prestigious series. Our second amplifier spotlight focuses on the compact and powerful XM-4ES four-channel amplifier. Let’s see what Sony’s development team has created!

Sony Mobile ES XM-4ES Amplifier Specifications

The XM-4ES can drive four 2- or 4-ohm loads in its stereo configuration. Each pair of channels can be bridged to drive a single 4-ohm speaker or subwoofer with significantly more power. This bridged configuration is common in systems with a pair of front component speakers and a single subwoofer in the trunk or cargo area.

By way of power specifications, Sony rates this amp as capable of producing a beefy 100 watts per channel with 4-ohm drivers. That power increases to 165 watts when driving 2-ohm loads. When a pair of channels are bridged, the amp will produce 330 watts into a single 4-ohm load. As we’ve come to expect from a no-nonsense company like Sony, all specifications are compliant with the CTA-2006-C standard for supply voltage, noise and distortion content. The power ratings contain less than 1% total harmonic distortion and noise and are measured with 14.4 volts supplied to the amplifier. The CTA-compliant signal-to-noise ratio is 77 dB, and harmonic distortion is rated as less than 0.05%. Finally, the frequency response is very wide at 10 Hz to 40 kHz. On paper, everything looks excellent.

XM-4ES Features and Design

The chassis of the XM-4ES is the same high-mass 10.63-inch wide, 8.46-inch deep, 2.36-inch tall cast-aluminum heatsink as used on the XM-1ES monoblock we spotlighted recently. All signal, power and speaker connections are made along the front edge of the amp, and all but one of the controls are concealed under a removable panel on top of the amp. It’s worth noting that the center trim panel on top of the amp can be rotated 180 degrees, so the Mobile ES logo is aligned with the amplifier’s orientation in your installation.

The front edge features three beefy terminal blocks with heavy-duty set screws accessible from the top of the amp. The right-hand block will accept four-AWG power and ground wires and the remote turn-on lead. The two center blocks are for the speaker output connections, and they will take 10-AWG speaker cables without fuss. A pair of 40-amp ATC fuses to the left of the power block protect the amp.

On the far left of the end panel is a switch that your installer can use to select between low- and high-input voltages. This indicates that the amp has differential inputs – a feature that should be on all car audio amplifiers. Three pair of RCA jacks are present. Two pair are inputs (one RCA for each amplification channel), and the third is an output that could feed a subwoofer amp.

On top of the amp, two groups of controls are mimicked for each pair of channels. These include input sensitivity, filter function, filter range and both high- and low-pass adjustments. Without getting into too much, it’s worth noting that each pair of channels can operate in full-range, high-pass, low-pass or bandpass filter configurations. The amp also includes remote or a signal sense turn-on detection that can be used in high-level input mode, which is crucial for integration with factory-installed source units. There are also switches for signal summing and line-out mode selections. We have a Test Drive Review planned for this amp in a few months. We’ll cover the details of each control then.

Chassis and Electronic Design

As mentioned in the XM-1ES spotlight, Sony has put extra attention into the design of the amplifier chassis to help reduce resonance and vibration that could deteriorate sound quality and accelerate wear and tear. That’s something I haven’t seen any other manufacturer focus on.

Internally, the amplifier is based on two circuit boards. The main board is home to the power supply and output stage. High-quality, high-tolerance surface-mount components are used wherever possible. The output filter chokes are shielded units that help to reduce electromagnetic interference. The second circuit board stands vertically and has all the signal processing controls and switches. In all, the design is modern and well-organized.

Check Out the Sony XM-4ES at Your Local Authorized Sony Retailer

We’re excited to get our hands on the XM-4ES to give it a listen and run it through its paces on the TestDriveReview bench. Until then, you can learn more about this amp and its monoblock and five-channel brethren by visiting the Sony Mobile ES website or a local authorized Mobile ES retailer. Be sure to subscribe to Sony’s YouTube channel and follow them on Facebook and Instagram to be the first to learn about their latest car audio product releases.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

The team here at BestCarAudio.com has been privileged to follow the introduction of new, high-performance car audio components in the Sony Mobile ES line. From their impressive speakers and subwoofers to the genuinely outstanding XAV-9500ES source unit, each solution has delivered exceptional performance and value. For 2022, Sony has added three amplifiers to the Mobile ES line. The first model we’ll spotlight is the XM-1ES monoblock subwoofer amplifier. Let’s dig in!

Sony Mobile ES XM-1ES Amplifier Specifications

The XM-1ES is a monoblock car audio amplifier designed to power subwoofers with up to 1,000 watts of power. Specifically, Sony rates the amp as capable of producing 600 watts of power into a 4-ohm load with specifications that fall under the CTA-2006-C guidelines for noise, distortion and supply voltage. When driving a 2-ohm load, power output increases to 1,000 watts while remaining under the 1% THD+N limit. Sony specs the distortion as being 0.05% or less at 100 Hz. Though it’s uber-geeky, I’m happy to see that the 77 dB signal-to-noise ratio specification is also CTA-compliant. Everyone at BestCarAudio.com is fanatical about proper specification qualifications, and Sony isn’t playing any games in this regard.

The amplifier measures 10.63 inches wide, 8.46 inches deep and 2.36 inches tall. This is small enough to fit under the front seats of many vehicles or in a storage compartment under the floor of a cargo area. Sony has done something unique with the chassis and bottom-plate design of the XM-1ES that I’ve never seen from any other amplifier manufacturer. The high-mass cast-aluminum extrusion has been optimized for a resonant frequency that is well out of the region where most of the vibration energy from the vehicle and subwoofer system occurs. This will contribute to product reliability and could easily improve the amplifier’s sonic performance. It’s also worth noting that the center trim panel on the top of the amp can be rotated 180 degrees, so the Mobile ES logo aligns cosmetically with your installation. This is impressive attention to detail.

In terms of electrical connections, all signal, power and speaker terminals are along the front edge of the amplifier. All the speaker and power connections are made via heavy-duty terminal blocks with hex-head set screws accessible from the top of the amp. Even better, the same size hex key is used for every screw on the amplifier, from the top trim cover to the beefy 1/0 gauge power terminals. Fuses, the connection for the very handsome remote level control and an input voltage selection switch round out the end panel features.

Removing two screws on top of the amp gives your installer access to the amplifier’s configuration settings and controls. RCA input jacks will accept 0.2 to 8V in low-voltage mode and 3 to 16 volts in high-level mode. This switch implies that the inputs on the amp feature a differential design that will help eliminate the presence of induced noise. The low-pass crossover is adjustable from 50 to 500 Hz and has a slope of -24 dB/octave.

The XM-1ES has remote signal detection turn-on capabilities when using the high-level input setting, so it can be used with a factory source unit without needing external hardware in most applications. The infrasonic filter is adjustable from 5 to 50 hertz with the same attenuation rate.

A look inside the amp shows a modern design, using surface-mount components almost exclusively. Surface-mount parts, which can be placed on the board robotically instead of by hand, offer exponentially better value to consumers. These parts also typically offer higher precision than their through-hole brethren. High-quality capacitors, shielded output filter chokes, lots of energy storage and good input filtering are clearly evident.

A small variable-speed fan in the back left corner helps ensure that the amp will continue to function reliably, even when installed in a space with limited ventilation. This durability is part of why Sony can back its Mobile ES amplifiers with a three-year manufacturer’s warranty.

Check Out the Sony XM-1ES at Your Local Authorized Sony Retailer

We plan to get one of the new Sony XM-1ES amplifiers to our lab for a full BestCarAudio.com Test Drive Review shortly. If you’re shopping for a high-quality, full-featured subwoofer amplifier for your vehicle, visit your local authorized Sony Mobile ES retailer. You can learn more about this amp and its two brethren (the XM-4ES four-channel and XM-5ES five-channel) by visiting the Sony Mobile ES website, their Facebook page, Instagram feed or YouTube channel.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

Consumer reception of the new Sony Mobile ES speakers has been incredible. These solutions were designed to offer benchmark performance at very accessible price points. A while back, we looked at the 6.5-inch component set and coaxial speakers. In this BestCarAudio.com spotlight, we’ll check out the features of the XS690ES 6-by-9 and the XS-680ES 6-by-8-inch speaker sets.

Sony Mobile ES XS-690ES

The XS-690ES speaker set is a drop-in replacement for the most popular speaker size of all time – the ubiquitous six-by-nine. Sold in pairs, the set includes mesh grilles for custom installations. These two-way speakers feature a 1-inch soft-dome tweeter and a mica-reinforced cellular aramid fiber matrix woofer cone. The tweeter uses a synthetic fiber diaphragm that balances mass and rigidity to deliver excellent clarity and extension to an as-claimed 40 kHz. The woofer cones are well-damped and rigid to ensure uncolored midrange performance and great bass production. The rubber surround features Sony’s Separated Notch Edge Surround design that helps to damp unwanted oscillations that add distortion at high excursion levels. In addition, Sony notes that the progressive spider is designed to deliver “rapid and precise” control over the woofer for crystal clear performance.

Physically, the speakers are based on a five-beam composite basket that offers both rigidity and excellent damping characteristics. This construction allowed Sony to integrate a cooling system around the ceramic magnet that they call the Dynamic Air Diffuser. As a result, hot air from the voice coil can escape from under the spider to optimize power handling and reduce compression and rarefication at high excursion levels.

In terms of specifications, the XS-690ES speakers are rated to handle 110 watts as per the CTA-2031 specification and efficiency is specified as 90 dB at 1-watt, 1-meter, with a tolerance of 4 dB. When choosing these speakers for upgrades in vehicle doors, note that the mounting depth is 2.875 inches with a protrusion height of just 0.50 inch from the mounting surface. Last but certainly not least, the speakers have a nominal impedance of 3.2 ohms.

Sony Mobile ES XS-680ES

The XS-680ES speakers are explicitly designed as an OE speaker upgrade solution. These drivers share the same five-spoke composite basket with their integrated Dynamic Air Diffuser cooling technology. The woofer cones feature the same balanced-performance mica-reinforced cellular aramid fiber matrix construction. It’s worth noting that the mica mineral not only improves damping but it also increases thermal stability. This physical robustness is crucial around the joint with the voice coil.

Sony has done its homework in terms of delivering smooth output between the midrange and tweeter. Aside from the high-quality polypropylene capacitor that serves as the crossover, the XS-162ES 6.5-inch coaxial speakers and these XS-680ES six-by-eight drivers use the same 13/16-inch (2.0 cm) tweeters. The XS-690ES uses the larger, more efficient 1-inch design used with the XS-160ES component set. The crossover in the component set includes attenuation circuitry, so the output efficiency matches that of the woofer while offering improved low-frequency output.

In the case of all three coaxial driver solutions, the tweeters are mounted atop a custom-tooled composite post that extends up through the center of the driver. The post features a smoothly tapered shape and finned outer edge to help control midrange-information reflections. Likewise, the top of the tweeter is positioned so that it doesn’t extend past the front edge of the woofer surround. Other drivers aren’t always like this, and their tweeters can present issues when mounted behind factory grilles. It’s clear that every square inch of these drivers is optimized for the best possible performance.

The XS-680ES drivers also use a progressive spider at the base of the driver and Sony’s new Separated Notch Edge Surround for compliance at the top of the cone. In terms of specs, power handling is rated at 75 watts (CTA-2015 compliant), efficiency at 89 dB with a tolerance of 4 dB, and nominal impedance at 3.2 ohms. The mounting depth for these six-by-eight speakers is 2.125 inches.

Distortion-Reducing Shorting Ring

With respect to both the XS-680ES and XS-690ES, we’ve already mentioned the woofer cone material as well as the notched surround as crucial factors in delivering clear sound at high volume levels. However, another vital feature that Sony included is an aluminum shorting ring inside the motor assembly. This seemingly simple addition helps damp unwanted magnetic fields that are created as the voice coil moves forward and rearward from rest. Those fields would oppose the efforts of the fixed ceramic magnet and dramatically reduce output at the top end of the midrange and add distortion. The aluminum shorting ring, quite simply, acts as a short-circuit to those unwanted high-frequency magnetic currents, allowing the drivers to deliver uncannily clear midrange clarity.

If you haven’t heard car audio speakers with this technology, it’s well worth making a special trip to audition them. Quite simply, they sound different and better than speakers that don’t include this technology. Oh, and most products that include shorting rings cost at least twice as much, if not three times.

Experience Sony Mobile ES Speakers Today!

If it’s time to upgrade the audio system in your car or truck, drop by your local authorized Sony Mobile ES retailer and audition the new XS-690ES and XS-680ES. Be sure to bring your favorite music with you and give the volume on the display a good crank. You won’t believe how great they sound!

For more information on Mobile ES products, visit the Sony website. Be sure to follow Sony on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay on top of future additions to the Mobile ES line.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.