Sony has just introduced the Double-DIN WX-GS920BH CD receiver, offering a beautiful, high-end solution with multiple ways to get your digital music into your dashboard while still providing the ability to play your classic CD tracks. With the popularity of smartphones and streaming audio solutions, CD sales have taken a back seat to digital entertainment delivery, but in the market for this type of head unit, the option must be there. Sony has loaded the WX-GS920BH with every feature you could want. Let’s take a closer look.

The Platform

Why reinvent the wheel when you already have a garage full of race cars? The chassis for the WX-GS920BH is from one of their single-DIN receivers, but Sony has grafted a Double-DIN front panel to it. The space afforded by the single-DIN chassis can dramatically simplify installations by allowing the installer to tuck integration devices and adapters underneath the chassis.

Industry-leading Power to Spare

One of the highlights of the WX-GS920BH is the integrated high-power amplifier. Sony has been redefining the capabilities and expectations of what a head unit can achieve regarding powering a set of speakers. Most radios are capable of producing between 15 to 20 watts per channel. The Sony WX-GS920BH includes a built-in Class D amplifier that delivers more than 45 watts per channel of continuous (RMS) power. The result is a source unit that can dramatically outperform all others on the market and exceeds the capabilities of even some small amplifiers.

The Well-connected Gentleman

The WX-GS920BH includes an AM/FM receiver with built-in HD radio, front and rear USB ports, and front and rear auxiliary inputs that also is SiriusXM-ready. The USB ports are compatible with a memory stick containing MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV and FLAC files. The front USB port can provide 1 amp of current for charging a phone, while the rear can provide 1.5 amps. Both USB ports support iPhone and Android phone music playback.

The built-in Bluetooth 3.0 transceiver supports hands-free calling, as well as A2DP audio streaming with AVRCP version 1.5 support. The WX-GS920BH supports two active Bluetooth connections, allowing one to play music and the other for phone calls or media.

An important safety feature included in the WX-GS920BH is Siri Eyes Free and Android voice recognition activation. Pressing and holding the volume control for more than 2 seconds activates your smartphone’s voice recognition capabilities. You can make phone calls, ask the unit to play music, or listen to incoming SMS messages and reply by simply talking.

The WX-GS920BH supports Pandora over a Bluetooth connection to any smartphone. You have the option of giving thumbs-up or down feedback to refine your musical tastes further.

The rear panel of the WX-GS920BH includes front, rear and subwoofer RCA outputs rated at 5 volts. Sony includes connections for a steering wheel control interface, as well as the included external Bluetooth microphone, and the compact RM-X231 IR remote control with the WX-GS920BH.

Handsome and Intuitive Interface

The front panel of the WX-GS920BH includes a large three-line display. The illumination of the screen and the controls can be adjusted separately from almost 36 thousand different colors. A large rotary volume control and over-sized buttons make using the WX-GS920BH possible when wearing gloves.

Signal Processing Suite

The WX-GS920BH includes Sony’s EQ10 10-band graphic equalizer and several built-in signal delay presets. The positioning system includes options for subwoofer placement as well – something unique in a standard receiver. You can choose from near, normal and far positions to further fine-tune the system.

Sony has been generous with the built-in crossovers. The front and rear RCA outputs and the internal power amplifier have crossover frequency and filter slope options. Since the WX-GS920BH has a lot of power built in, Sony has included a function called Subwoofer Direct Mode. You can connect a 2 ohm subwoofer directly to one rear speaker output of the WX-GS920BH to power it from the head unit itself, eliminating the need for a separate small amplifier. This wiring configuration provides more than 120 watts of power to the subwoofer and can provide plenty of great sounding bass for most users.

Sony WX-GS920BH Digital Media Receiver

If you are in the market for an amazingly well-appointed double-DIN receiver, then the Sony WX-GS920BH checks off everything that matters regarding a feature list. Visit your local authorized Sony retailer for a price to install the WX-GS920BH in your vehicle, including a wire harness adapter, steering wheel interface and appropriate dash kit.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.

One of the most popular upgrades to a car audio system is to add an amplifier to the speakers. Providing your speakers with extra power allows them to play louder without fear of damage from harmonic distortion. Over the years, Sony has offered many different amplifier solutions that sound good and offer excellent value. Recently, Sony introduced a cool little amp that is a perfect upgrade to a factory or aftermarket radio. In this product spotlight, we are going to look at the Sony XM-S400D Class D four-channel amplifier.

Size and Specifications

Sony has used the industry-reference CEA-2006 Car Amplifier Standard for the power ratings, as well as the signal to noise ratio specification. Sony rates the XM-S400D as being able to produce 45 watts per channel into a 4 ohm load and a signal to noise ratio of -83 dBA when referenced to 1 watt of output into a 4 ohm load. Lastly, the frequency response of the amp is stated to be 20 Hz to 20 kHz with a tolerance of the -3dB to +0.5 dB.

As you can see from the images, the XM-S400D is in the ultra-compact class of amplifiers. The amplifier measures a diminutive 7-1/4 inches long, 1-1/2 inches tall and 2-1/2 inches wide, excluding any wiring. If you are looking for an amplifier that will fit in a dashboard or center console, then the XM-S400D is one of the smallest on the market.

Features and Connections

Sony built the XM-S400 around an anodized aluminum extrusion with stamped-steel end panels. As simple as it is, it is quite handsome. There is a set of quick connect terminals on each end of the amp. On the right side is a connector for power and remote turn-on input wiring, as well as the eight output speaker wires. Built into the connector is a 15 amp fuse to protect the amp. On the left side is a plug that will accept the included four-channel RCA signal input harness or a different plug with eight wires for speaker-level input signal connections. The amplifier features smart turn-on when using the speaker-level input connections, so there is no need to run a remote turn-on wire in this type of installation.

The left side of the amp also has three signal processing switches. Directly adjacent to the input connection plug is an input select switch. Your installer has the choice of using four channels of input, each routed to the four output channels. Alternatively, if the input select switch is set to the 2-channel mode, the left front input signal is fed to both the left front and left rear output. The right front input feeds both right channels.

Sony has included crossovers on each pair of channels. The front channels have an optional high-pass filter, and the rear channels have an optional low-pass filter. Sony specifies the crossover frequency for both filters at 120 Hz with a slope of -12 dB per octave.

There are no sensitivity controls on the XM-S400D. Sony has designed the amp to produce full power when 1 volt of signal is present at the RCA input jacks or when 8 volts of signal is present on the speaker-level inputs.

Installation Design Features

Sony has included a pair of removable mounting tabs with the amplifier. If you need to secure it to a panel, simply insert the tabs into the slots on each end of the amplifier, secure them with the provided hardware and screw down the tabs. With that said, many installations will find this compact amplifier strapped, tied or taped to a factory wiring harness.

To the left of the signal input terminal is a Power/Protect LED. This LED will illuminate when the amp is on and functioning normally. If the LED is flashing quickly, then the amp has detected a short circuit or the speaker-level input or power connectors may not be inserted into the amp completely. If the LED flashes slowly, it means the amplifier has overheated.

Sony XM-S400D – Big Power in a Small Package

If you are looking for a little amp that can add some big power to your system, then it is well worth checking out the Sony XM-S400D. It offers at least double the power that most premium head units can produce, and it will work with either a factory or an aftermarket head unit. Visit your local authorized Sony retailer for more information, pricing or scheduling an installation.

This article is written and produced by the team at www.BestCarAudio.com. Reproduction or use of any kind is prohibited without the express written permission of 1sixty8 media.