In the first week of May 2021, Sony Electronics introduced its new Mobile ES series of speakers and subwoofers. If you’ve been into the car audio industry for a while, then you’ll recognize the Mobile ES (Elevated Standard) name from classic products like the CDX-X90 CD player. The new Mobile ES speakers include 6.5-inch coaxial and component sets, a set of 6×8 and 6×9-inch coaxials and a 10-inch subwoofer. Let’s dive into the 6.5-inch sets and explain what makes them an excellent solution for an enthusiast wanting amazing sound from their car audio system.

Sony Mobile ES XS-162ES Speakers

The XS-162ES is a 6.5-inch component speaker set that includes a pair of woofers with removable grilles, a set of 1-inch tweeters and a pair of passive crossover networks. The woofers are based on a proprietary lightweight composite material, designed to integrate cooling vents around the perimeter of the magnet to help keep the motor assembly cool. Sony calls this its Dynamic Air Diffuser. The five-spoke baskets also include venting under the spider mounting plateau to increase linearity at high excursion levels. There are 10 mounting holes in the thick upper flange to accommodate three-, four- and six-position fastener locations. A phase plug in the center of each woofer is supported by a finned aluminum bobbin with its own Dynamic Air Diffuser for added cooling.

The woofers are formed using Sony’s third-generation Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) cone material. The mixture combines mica mineral powder to increase damping and thermal stability with aramid fibers to provide good strength and rigidity. Sony reports that this new material helps suppress cone resonances to deliver improved bass and midrange performance. The cone is suspended by a progressive spider that helps control motion at extreme excursion levels. The design of the Separated Notch Edge Surround at the top of the cone, with its curved grooves, reduces distortion by equalizing compliance for inward and outward motion and damping the synthetic rubber material’s resonances.

Speaking of distortion reduction, Sony has included an aluminum shorting ring around the inside of the magnet to help control unwanted magnet flux in the motor assembly. This feature results in a significant reduction in speaker inductance and smoother upper midrange performance.

The set of tweeters included in the system uses a soft-dome design with a large surround. The voice coil is connected directly to the base of the diaphragm. A large neodymium magnet slug serves as the motor for the tweeter. The voice coil is immersed in a magnetic fluid that improves power handling, increases efficiency and damps unwanted resonance.

Sony claims these tweeters deliver output to 40 kHz. As such, they are ideal for Hi-Res source units that can play FLAC and DSD files. The tweeters can be flush-, surface- or angle-mounted using the included hardware.

The passive crossover networks each feature high-quality mylar capacitors and an air-wound inductor. There’s an output level control switch that will allow your installer to attenuate the tweeter by 3 dB to balance the system.

XS-160ES Coaxial 6.5-inch Speakers

The XS-160ES is the coaxial version of the XS-162ES drivers. They share the same basket and woofer design but feature a 13/16-inch soft dome tweeter instead of the 1-inch driver found on the component set. The tweeter is mounted on top of the composite center post and, just like its big brother, includes an integrated waveguide to help increase efficiency. The tweeter crossover capacitor is mounted in the center of the pole extension for a clean and tidy appearance.

An important consideration in choosing a coaxial speaker for your car or truck is to ensure that the tweeter doesn’t protrude too far out the front. The product development team at Sony took this into account and made the top edge of the tweeter even with the top of the woofer surround so it won’t come into contact with the stock grille in your car or truck.

Mounting Requirements and Specifications

Both the XS-160ES and XS-162ES have a mounting depth of 2.125 inches and require a 5-inch cutout diameter. When installed, the grilles stick out 29/32 of an inch. The tweeters in the XS-162ES require a 2.128-inch mounting hole and need 0.75 inch of depth when mounted flush. The overall outer diameter is 2.5 inches. Both speakers are rated for up to 60 watts of continuous and 270 watts peak power handling as per the IEC 60268-5 spec. The CTA-2031 spec is 90 watts per driver. Efficiency is specified at 89 dB with a tolerance of 2 dB at 1 W/1M. The frequency response is 45 Hz to 40 kHz for the XS-160ES and 40 Hz to 40 kHz for the XS-162ES system with no specified tolerance.

Upgrade Your Car Audio Experience with Sony Mobile ES

Based on the feature set alone, the new Mobile ES speakers put themselves in competition with products costing two to three times as much. The new Sony speakers are available to audition and purchase from authorized Sony Mobile ES retailers across the U.S. and Canada. If you’re looking for a way to improve the audio system in your car or truck dramatically, the XS-162ES and XS-160ES speakers are a great option.

You can learn more about Sony Mobile ES car audio products by visiting their website or visiting an Authorized Sony Mobile ES retailer near you. Of course, be sure to follow Sony on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube to stay on top of future additions to the Sony Mobile ES line.

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When it comes to floating-face or T-style radios, there are more options than ever. The Sony XAV-AX8100 combines all the most sought-after features with an 8.95-inch screen that will look perfect in your dash. Whether it’s staying connected with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay smartphone integration or having support for all your favorite digital media files to entertain you on a long drive, this solution has all the bases covered.

8.95-inch Floating Face

The center point of the XAV-AX8100 is its large 8.95-inch color touchscreen. The display has a resolution of 800 by 480 pixels and has been treated with an anti-glare coating to help ensure that its graphics are clear in bright sunlight. At the base of the screen are eight physical buttons that provide quick and easy access to source selection, volume control, track selection and voice recognition features. As with all Sony multimedia receivers, the styling and colors are specifically designed to create a look that’s right at home in the dash of your car or truck.

One of the big upgrades to the XAV-AX8100 over its predecessor is the inclusion of an HDMI input jack on the bottom of the display. Located just under the volume control rocker switch, the input allows you to connect a laptop, game system or media player to access while the vehicle is parked and the parking brake is set.

Smartphone Integration Technologies

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration remain at the top of the feature list for the 8100. Using the voice recognition features of your smartphone and its internet connection, you can make phone calls, send text messages or request navigation directions without having to enter information on the screen. Instead, press the voice button on the radio and ask for what you want. Your phone will take care of the rest.

The Sony XAV-AX8100 also includes support for Weblink. When installed on your Android or iOS-based smartphone, Weblink allows you to display images from many popular applications on the radio screen. In addition, touchscreen commands from the system are relayed back to your smartphone if the application is compatible, so navigating app menus is intuitive and seamless.

Sony XAV-AX8100 Audio Features

This media device includes an AM/FM receiver and one USB port for your smartphone or a USB memory stick. The system will play MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and FLAC audio files, along with MP4, WMV and MKV video files (when parked). Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming are also built in, and the integration features provide direct access to iHeartRadio, Pandora, Spotify and Tidal streaming services. In addition, your authorized Sony retailer can add an SXV300 SiriusXM satellite radio receiver to deliver non-stop entertainment from coast to coast.

The XAV-AX8100 has a four-channel amplifier that can deliver up to 20 watts of power to each speaker. The front, rear and subwoofer preamp outputs are rated at 5 volts and include adjustable electronic crossovers. In addition, Sony includes their EQ10 10-band equalizer, the Extra Bass loudness feature and Digital Soundstage Organizer (DSO) processing to let you fine-tune the sound of your car audio system.

The radio is based on a single-DIN chassis, which will fit in vehicles that weren’t previously compatible with double-DIN aftermarket radios. Your installer can adjust the screen angle, extension and height so that the radio looks great and is easy to use. From an integration and safety standpoint, the XAV-AX8100 is compatible with most steering wheel audio control interfaces, and it includes a backup camera input with a reverse trigger wire.

If you’re looking for a reliable, high-performance radio upgrade for your car or truck, drop by your local authorized Sony car audio retailer and ask for a demonstration of the XAV-AX8100. Be sure to bring your smartphone to experience the voice command features. For more information about this radio and the other fantastic car audio upgrade products from Sony, visit their website. Also, be sure to follow them on Facebook page, Instagram and YouTube for the latest updates and new 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.

When it comes to bang-for-your-buck car audio receiver upgrades, the Sony XAV-AX5600 offers amazing value and performance. This double-DIN multimedia unit is based around a 6.95-inch capacitive touch display. In addition, it includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration and support for playback of most of your digital media files. Best of all, the radio is easy to use and looks great in the dash of your car, truck or SUV.

Easy to Use and Looks Great!

Above everything else, the XAV-AX5600 radio features an intuitive interface and lightning-fast response to your input. Whether you want to access the tuner to listen to the news or your favorite radio station, stream audio from your smartphone using Bluetooth or play files from a USB memory stick, all the sources are quickly accessible from the main menu screen.

The XAV-AX5600 features two USB jacks on the rear of the chassis. USB1 is the primary connection to your smartphone for CarPlay and Android Auto integration. These technologies let you use simple voice commands to send text messages, make phone calls, get navigation directions or choose the entertainment options you want. The radio uses Bluetooth 3.0+EDR and includes A2DP with AVCRP, HFP and PBAP profiles to listen to music and place phone calls easily and intuitively. In addition, Sony includes an external microphone that your installer can mount in the center of your vehicle to deliver crystal-clear outgoing audio during Bluetooth calls and accurate responses to voice commands.

You can connect a USB memory stick to either port to play MP3, WMA and FLAC audio files. Playback of WAV and AAC audio along with MPEG-4, WMV, MKV and XviD video files is supported by USB1 exclusively. USB1 is rated for 1.5 amps and USB2 can provide 500 mA in terms of power to charge your phone. FLAC file compatibility is specified for tracks encoded with a bit depth of 24 and a sampling rate of 48 kHz.

From an audio feature standpoint, the XAV-AX5600 includes a 20-watt per channel, four-channel amplifier along with front, rear and subwoofer RCA outputs. Each preamp output is rated to provide up to 5 volts of signal so your installer can keep the gains on your amps down. High-pass crossovers adjustable to 50, 60, 80, 100 or 120 Hz are available from the deck power and front/rear preamp outputs. The subwoofer output has an adjustable low-pass crossover with the same frequency options and an output level control that is easily accessible from the equalizer menu. Speaking of equalization, the radio includes a 10-band equalizer as well as Sony’s Extra Bass and Digital Soundstage Organizer (DSO) processing to help make your audio system sound amazing. The EQ has adjustment bands at 32 Hz, 63 Hz, 125 Hz, 250 Hz, 500 Hz, 1 khz, 2 khz, 4 kHz, 8 kHz and 16 kHz to tame peaks and valleys in the response of the audio system.

Expansion Options Add Entertainment and Safety

A new feature from Sony for 2021 is the inclusion of an HDMI input on the back of the screen under the chassis. That way, when your vehicle is parked, you can play movies or video from a laptop, camera or game system right into the radio. Your car audio retailer can also add an SXV300 SiriusXM satellite radio tuner to the system so you can enjoy genre-specific content almost anywhere in North America without interruption. Another connectivity option is Weblink. You can connect your smartphone and mirror compatible apps from your device right to the screen of the radio.

The radio includes a dedicated video input for an optional backup camera. The camera image will display automatically when the vehicle is put in reverse. Sony includes customizable guidelines to help you back into a spot safely. If you’re towing a trailer, you can bring up the camera video feed any time (assuming your camera is powered) to ensure that everything is safe and secure.

Amazing Integration and Installer-Friendly Design

The radio’s chassis is designed for double-DIN mounting locations, but the body of the radio is only a single-DIN, shallow-mount unit. This unique design gives your installer extra room for interface modules and wiring. The radio includes a steering wheel control interface jack that works with optional modules from iDataLink, PAC, Axxess and Scosche. The radio includes inputs for illumination dimming, a reverse trigger input for the backup camera and a parking brake input for video lockout while driving. Sony includes a remote turn-on output for external amplifiers.

As we mentioned, the 6.95-inch display features a capacitive-touch interface that helps deliver excellent brightness and contrast. Sony has a bezel-less front fascia that makes the XAV-AX5600 look as if it came with your vehicle right from the assembly line. The control panel with the six hard buttons protrudes slightly from the face, and the white backlighting looks elegant in any vehicle. Adjustable illumination brightness allows you to match the intensity of other dash lighting, and has independent brightness settings for when the vehicle lights are on and off.

Upgrade Your Drive with the Sony XAV-AX5600

If the technology in your car or truck isn’t state of the art, drop by your local authorized Sony car audio retailer and ask for a demonstration of the new XAV-AX5600. With a suggested retail price of $499.99 US/$649.99 CDN and a complete set of smartphone integration and entertainment features, this radio is a value that’s hard to beat. You can learn more about Sony Car Audio products by visiting their website, their Facebook page and their Instagram feed.

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.

Sony’s new XAV-AX5500 media receiver not only covers all the ground, but it also raises the bar in terms of smartphone connectivity. Equipped with WebLink 2.0, you can see and control your compatible smartphone right from the 6.95-inch touchscreen on the radio. Of course, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, high-quality Bluetooth audio streaming and all the digital media support you’d ever want are also included. Let’s check it out!

Same Great Look with New Features

The Sony XAV-AX5500 is an evolution of Sony’s famous XAV-AX5000 media receiver. The upgrades include WebLink 2.0 smartphone display technology that lets you cast most apps to your radio to see and hear all the action. Commands from the radio screen are fed back to the phone for easy and intuitive control. Waze and YouTube are two of the most popular applications for WebLink, and both offer an app icon on the WebLink home screen.

Users can upload home screen background images to the the XAV-AX5500 to express their style by personalizing the installation to their vehicle.

The XAV-AX5500 includes 5-volt preamp outputs instead of the 2 volts of signal available from the AX5000. This extra voltage will allow your installer to turn down the sensitivity controls on any external amplifiers to reduce background noise.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto Smartphone Connectivity

The AX5500 continues to offer Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity with its plug-and-play USB port. Both of these phone interface technologies use voice recognition to make it quick, safe and easy to access your music, make phone calls or send text messages using plain-English voice commands. Likewise, you can get turn-by-turn navigation directions to the address of your choice by simply asking.

Classic Style and Intuitive Interface Look Great in the Dash

Sony has eschewed fancy colors and lines to offer a clean look that looks great in the dash of your car or truck. Six hard buttons, a large bezel-less 6.95-inch display with a capacitive touch interface and easy-to-understand menu options make this radio look great while streamlining the process of learning all the functions.

The AX5500 includes Bluetooth hands-free calling with an external microphone and high-quality audio streaming with album art display capability, thanks to AVRCP 1.3. You can have your retailer upgrade the radio with an SXV300v1 SiriusXM satellite radio tuner module for genre-specific music, information and entertainment.

Dual USB ports allow you to connect your smartphone for Apple CarPlay, Android Auto or WebLink Cast connectivity and play MP3, WMA or FLAC audio, or MP4, WMV or MKV videos from a USB memory stick connected to the other port. The USB ports provide 1.5 amps and 500 mA of charging current.

Vehicle Integration Features

The XAV-AX5500 has a dedicated backup camera input jack so your installer can connect a backup camera and have it display automatically when the vehicle is in reverse. The radio also includes support for steering wheel audio control interfaces so you can use the factory buttons to change volume, tracks or stations.

The amplifier built into the AX5500 is rated to produce 20 watts of power into each of four channels. The radio includes adjustable electronic crossovers so that the built-in amp can be optimized for use with an external subwoofer system. Speaking of signal processing, the radio includes Sony’s Dynamic Soundstage Organizer. It helps create a realistic soundstage across the dash of your vehicle and is adjustable to accommodate any type of vehicle. Your installer can further fine-tune the sound of your system with the built-in 10-band equalizer and Extra Bass processing.

Installer-Friendly Design

Your installer will love integrating the XAV-AX5500 into the dash of your vehicle, thanks to the compact chassis design. Instead of being 4 inches tall by about 6 inches deep, the rear chassis is 2 inches tall and an inch shorter. This design leaves more room for interface modules, wiring and RCA cables that are typically tucked behind the unit.

Upgrade Your Driving Experience with the Sony XAV-AX5500

If you’re shopping for a new radio for your car or truck, drop by your local authorized Sony car audio retailer and ask for a demonstration of the XAV-AX5500. From its intuitive interface, great looks and quick start-up process to the fantastic features and sound quality, we are sure you’ll be impressed. To learn more about this radio or any of the amazing Sony car audio products, visit their website. Be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram to stay up-to-date with the latest 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 introduction of the DSX-M80 Bluetooth receiver marks the newest version of Sony’s marine-grade High Power head unit in its current product line. It replaces the MEX-M100BT, which debuted Sony’s proprietary impressive High Power technology at 45-watts by four from its internal amplifier to a marine-grade radio. The fun doesn’t stop there – dual USB ports, dual Bluetooth connectivity, UV-resistant materials used for the face and trim, anti-corrosive coatings on its electronics and a suite of signal processing features make this radio an excellent solution for boats as well as powersports applications.

Sony High Power Source Unit Amplifier

Unlike typical car radios that use a single integrated circuit powered directly from the vehicle battery voltage, Sony has included a switching power supply and a four-channel Class D amp in the chassis of the DSX-M80. This amp is capable of producing at least 45 watts of power per channel into 4-ohm loads and is 2-ohm stable to bring even more power in that configuration. Sony also includes its Subwoofer Direct Mode, which lets you feed even more power to a single rear output connected to a subwoofer setup to bring your audio system to life without the need for an external amplifier.

Sony DSX-M80 Design and Interface

The display on the DSX-M80 features a high-contrast design with a white panel and black text that works well in bright sunlight. The 14-segment, 12-character display allows song titles and radio station information to be displayed accurately. The display and button backlighting colors can be set to any of more than 34,000 options, or you can use the Sound Sync mode to have the display change to the beat of your music. A key feature for marine applications is the inclusion of non-volatile memory that will maintain system settings, radio station presets and phone pairings when power is cut to the unit for storage or maintenance on the vehicle or watercraft.

Likewise, in keeping with the marine design, the radio’s face is constructed using UV-resistant materials that can handle prolonged exposure to the sun without fading or cracking. Sony has coated the main circuit board with a moisture-resistant conformal coating to help prevent corrosion in high-humidity environments.

Marine Entertainment Source Options

The DSX-M80 includes dual USB ports so you can connect an Android smartphone or Apple iPod, iPhone or iPad to play music. Android connectivity includes Android Open Accessory (AOA) 2.0 support. The rear USB port supplies 1.5 amps of charging current, and port on the front face supplies 1 amp. You can play up to 10,000 audio files in MP3, WMA, WAV, AAC or FLAC formats at up to 48 kHz sampling rates from a single USB device.

As mentioned, you can pair two Bluetooth devices simultaneously to this radio. The first connection can serve as an entertainment source using Bluetooth A2DP and AVRCP connections, giving you access to communication, navigation and music playback features. Pair a second phone for hands-free call connectivity.

There is a front-panel 1/8-inch aux input, and the AM/FM tuner features RBDS station information display. The radio tuner channel spacing can be changed to work with European and other countries’ standards. The DSX-M80 is compatible with SiriusXM satellite radio — just ask your retailer to add the optional SXV300 tuner module during the installation.

System Configuration and Tuning Features

Sony has included its EQ10 10-band equalizer along with the Extra Bass function so your system can be fine-tuned to deliver the frequency response you want. Adjustable high- and low-pass crossovers with adjustable slopes let your installer optimize the operating frequency range for each speaker in the system. ClearAudio+ and DSEE (Digital Sound Enhancement Engine) audio processing features help to recover audio information lost during the digital compression process or radio transmission to make your music sound better.

This radio is also compatible with the Sony | Music Center app. The app not only serves as a convenient music player, but it provides full remote control over the radio from your smart device. Your installer can even configure signal delay and level settings using the Advanced Car Audio Setting portion of the app to optimize the system for the given speaker locations in your boat or vehicle.

Sony DSX-M80 Connectivity Features

The Sony DSX-M80 includes the aforementioned four-channel High Power amplifier and three sets of 5-volt preamp outputs. Connections are provided for the included Bluetooth hands-free microphone as well as an input for an optional steering wheel or helm control input interface. A programmable steering wheel control input feature allows connection to older resistance-based controllers that may already be installed in the boat. Your retailer can help you determine if your existing system will be compatible with this feature.

Upgrade Your Playtime with Sony

Whether you’re looking for a source unit for your boat, golf cart or side-by-side, the Sony DSX-M80 is a great option. It has all the source features you could ever want, and the High Power amplifier ensures that you can blast your music loud and clear. For more information, visit the Sony car and marine website or visit their Facebook, Instagram or Twitter social media sites.

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.