If you want to keep your factory radio but wish you could link it to an iPhone and crank up the power, Sony has designed two new systems for you.
They include Sony’s first iPhone/iPod integration kits for the car.
The top-line system includes an iPhone/iPod Touch cradle with seek, volume and other buttons right on the cradle itself. Then there’s a “brain” black box; a 1,100 watt max power Class D mono amp and a 12-inch subwoofer. Finally, there’s a remote control.
A slimmed down version omits the subwoofer and amp but it includes the necessary connectors to add these later, if you wish.
Both systems include built-in digital signal processing to bring the sound stage up from your ankles (where the door speakers are often located) to your ears. There are simple switches on the main “brain” DSP unit to set the bass so it appears near, mid or far from the driver.
The remote can control the music on your iPhone, which can play back audio from YouTube, Internet Radio and other apps through the sound system.
The target user is “people who want to keep their factory radio,” said Taka Noguchi, business manager for Sony.
The new systems also work with other iPods like the nano or Classic but they are optimized for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
There’s no word yet about an Android version.
The Sony XDP-PK1000 five-component package with the subwoofer and amp will ship in early September at $799. It will be joined in early November by the XDP-MU110 three-component version at $399. Both will be sold through specialists and other channels and the PK1000 will also be sold through car dealers.
Sony notes that about 1 of every 3 adults own a smartphone, a figure which should increase to 1 of 2 adults by 2015, according to Strategy Analytics.
Source: Sony Electronics