With Sony walking away from aftermarket car audio, there’s an opening on the shelf that hasn’t existed in forty years. And for once, it’s not just the usual names in the running.
The safe bet is the majors. Alpine, Pioneer, and JVCKenwood all have the distribution, the brand trust, and the deep lineups to simply expand into the space Sony leaves behind. They’ll likely scoop up a good chunk of that old business without even trying.
But here’s what makes this moment interesting. For maybe the first time in car audio history, a B player on the bench gets a real shot at getting called up to the big leagues. And each one is brings its own unique features.
Blaupunkt is the heritage play. A storied name older customers still recognize, with a lineup that runs from modern wireless CarPlay units all the way to retro-styled receivers that update a classic without ruining the look.
Jensen is a familiar name in the RV and powersports world, but it’s clearly trying to expand its market share by getting into the bigger screens consumers have been drawn to over the last couple of years. Jensen has rolled out new floating touchscreen receivers running 7-inch, 9-inch, and 10.1-inch screens.
Boss is the value player. Nobody’s calling it premium, but with budget double-DINs running wireless CarPlay and Android Auto, and many models shipping with a backup camera right in the box, Boss is built to own Sony’s entry-level shelf.
And Modus, the new kid on the block, is betting on physical controls. Its signature is a detachable button cluster, a knob and buttons that mount right on the bezel or pop off for a clean touch-only look. Better still, those buttons can be relocated and used in custom installations, with Modus providing the CAD files so installers can mount them anywhere the build calls for. A contrarian bet on tactile feel, and maybe the right one.
Then there’s the real wild card. What if the hole doesn’t get filled by a single-DIN or double-DIN box at all? Vehicle-specific tablet style radios have come a long way, big screens molded to a particular make and model, often undercutting the name brands. A few years ago their quality was in question. Today there’s a real difference, and they’re harder to ignore. Maybe that’s the real opportunity here, the nudge that finally pushes a shop to try the category it’s been circling but never committed to.
Maybe that’s the silver lining in all of this. Every one of these challengers is leading with something distinctive, Blaupunkt with retro, Jensen with big screens, Boss on value, Modus with its detachable controls. For years there have been shops too set in their ways to look past the majors they’ve always stocked, and try something new. The shelf is open to everyone right now. The only question is which dealers are willing to look down the bench, and see which B player steps up their game.
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