New Sony After Market Car Stereo Unit Keeps with the Times
Given what automobile manufacturers are installing as standard equipment in many of their cars, you have to think that the after market people are worried. Who would want to rip out a complicated highly-integrated factory system and possibly void all kinds of warranties?
But not all cars come with state-of-the-art dashboards. There’s still room to grow–at least according to Sony, which has just introduced the new DSX-310BTX head unit.
The front of the unit opens to reveal what they call a “Tune Tray.” Slip your iPod/iPhone inside and close the door. The display and the controls on the front do the rest.
The unit also features something that Sony calls SensMe, which is an algoritmic musical mood ring. It somehow senses when you’re, say, sad–and then spits out nothing but Smiths songs. (I haven’t had any hands-on time with this, so I’m going by what others have told me.)
How much? About $280 CAD.
In modern cars, the primary control device for an audio system is commonly referred to as a head unit, and is installed in the center of the dash panel between the driver and the passenger. In older vehicles that had audio components as an option, such devices were mounted externally to the top of or underneath the dash.