Sony Reveals Its First CarPlay-Supported Audio System, Coming in November - MacRumors
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Sony Reveals Its First CarPlay-Supported Audio System, Coming in November

Sony today announced its first CarPlay-supported in-car audio system, the XAV-AX100, which the company touts as offering "everything you need" for long car journeys, including smartphone connectivity, a high-quality sound system, and voice command features. Following Alpine, Kenwood, JVC, JBL, and Pioneer, Sony is the newest company to manufacture aftermarket CarPlay systems.

Thanks to the inclusion of CarPlay, Apple's in-car software platform, users with Sony's new system installed can access Apple Maps, Apple Music, make phone calls, send text messages, and control various functions with the help of Siri. The XAV-AX100 system is also compatible with Android's CarPlay alternative, Android Auto.

sony carplay In its announcement, Sony focuses on its new system's sound quality, which it says can "overcome engine noise and reproduce clear sound at any volume with deep and punchy bass." Users can even expand the system with other external amplifiers to get a more customized listening experience in their vehicle.

High power sound comes full throttle with the XAV-AX100 in-car audio system. 55 watts x 4 Dynamic Reality Amp 2 and EXTRA BASS™ low boost circuitry overcome engine noise and reproduce clear sound at any volume level with deep and punchy bass.

The 10-band graphic equalizer gives an astonishing variety of sound, perfectly complementing EXTRA BASS™ for an enjoyable drive. 3-pre out connectivity allows system expandability to connect external amplifiers with a wide range of speaker connections, allowing sound enthusiasts to build their own bespoke system

Users will be able to purchase Sony's XAV-AX100 in-car audio system with included CarPlay support for $499.99 when it goes on the market sometime in late November. The company listed a full roster of the system's technical specifications in its press release.

Related Roundup: CarPlay

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Top Rated Comments

132 months ago
Wow, a company managed to put out a touchscreen car stereo with an interface that doesn't look like it was designed by someone on a caffeine-fuelled '90s Photoshop filter binge. I never thought I'd see the day.

Plus, an actual knob for controlling the volume.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
ike1707 Avatar
132 months ago
..an actual knob for controlling the volume.
This. It's a good looking unit, but that physical volume buttons would be the most relevant selling point to me. For the sake of safe operation while driving, I think a physical volume button is a no-brainer.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
132 months ago
Does it say anywhere about the car models it can fit into?
Aftermarket car stereos are pretty universal, there's two standardized sizes: Single DIN and double DIN. This one would be double.

If your car doesn't have all kinds of integrated entertainment system ****ery, it should pop right in. Might need a bracket, though.
Score: 2 Votes (Like | Disagree)
macs4nw Avatar
132 months ago
.....Sony are great with sound quality too. Brilliant headphones, brilliant speakers, and brilliant car audio systems.
OK, Kazuo Hirai, no need to convert me :D, I'm a big life-long fan of their TVs, and hope they don't pull out of that market in light of their staggering losses in that business segment. (past TV division losses totaling $7.8 billion over a decade)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
132 months ago
Awesome, another double DIN option for the 10 cars on the road that still use DIN mounted stereos...

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Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
132 months ago
I'm not sure there are many new cars that are able to accept aftermarket stereos. The radios in our cars, a fiesta and Mini, both have fairly basic radios but they are tied into the trip computer. I'm sure I could fit the Sony into both cars and have it working but am not so sure how easy the trip computer etc. would be to work.
Car manufacturers use radios like Apple uses flash storage, you need to pay over the odds to get what you want.
Better off buying an older car and putting in anew stereo...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
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