The MEX-BT5000 is Sony’s first car CD player with built-in Bluetooth technology, and it’s all about making your life simpler. No more searching for the ringing cell phone while you’re driving down a busy street, or trying to talk on your phone while it’s connected to the charger’s too-short cord.

Instead, when the phone rings, you just push a button on the stereo to answer it. The music mutes and the call comes over your car’s front speakers. And your phone remains in your pocket, purse, or under the seat.

The Sony MEX-BT5000 is packed with useful entertainment and communications features, although it suffers from some fiddly controls. Advanced Bluetooth audio streaming may be its star feature, but its built-in sound optimization for digital audio playback means that it is more than a one-trick pony…

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The Sony XAV-W1 is its first stab at the aftermarket in-car ents game and it’s a beauty, dominated by a 7in 800×480 touchscreen.

The oversized head unit is designed to slot neatly into newer double DIN bays that are twice the height of your standard car stereo – hence the large screen.

• Plays most popular music and video formats. CD, DVD, SACD, Windows Media Audio, mp3 and JPEG
• Supports Dolby Digital surround sound and DTS Digital Surround Processing playback
• iPod ready. Just plug it in to enjoy your personal audio collection on the road
• Supports satellite radio and connects to Sony’s HD Radio tuner to deliver additional HD radio channels and rich information like artist, song name and more
• Command your digital music from behind the wheel or the back seat with the supplied remote card
• Customisable display and sound settings. Set your favourite photo as the background wallpaper
• Delivers 52 watts across 4 channels ensuring rich, clear sound. Zone by Zone capability allows you to set separate audio zones for the front and rear seats
• Camera input connects with a rear-monitor camera and displays the image on the player’s screen - makes parking a breeze!

It’ll play your DVDs, DivX movies, WMAs, MP3s and CDs, as well as your doubtless huge collection of SACDs. 5.1-channel surround sound is supported with Dolby Digital Surround and DTS Digital Surround Processing.

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Sony Debuts New Car Audio Systems at SEMA

Sony is providing quality mobile audio components with three new speakers, three new amplifiers and a new subwoofer here at the Specialty Equipment Market Association’s (SEMA) annual trade show.

The company unveiled its new GTX series speakers, which are the perfect complement to the GT series head units. Three new models - XS-GTX1620S, XS-GTX6930 and XS-GTX1640 - feature sleek designs and dynamic sound quality.

For improved sound imaging in the GTX design, the XS-GTX1620S two-way component speakers provide 260 watts peak power. They have a highly oriented polyolefine (HOP) cone woofer, which offers rich and solid bass as well as superb sound. The speakers offer a good option for factory replacement for newer vehicles with tweeters located in the A-pillar behind the side-view mirrors.

The separate .75-inch tweeters provide versatility in installation to optimize a vehicle’s soundstage, and can be surface or flush mounted. For better sound, the 2-way passive crossovers direct the appropriate frequencies to the tweeters for clear highs and better bass response from the woofers.

Both the XS-GTX6930 three-way speakers and the XS-GTX1640 4-way speakers offer an HOP woofer. The XS-GTX6930 has 400 watts peak power and offers powerful sound at a great price.

To get the best results when installing speakers, installers should match the power source level of RMS or continuous watts to the high end of the speaker’s range in RMS. The XS-GTX1640 has 300 watts peak power (75 RMS) and has a high density layered diaphragm (HDLD)…

Full story: ecoustics.com