Almost five years since it showed a concept system at its DreamWorld showcase in Yokohama, Japan, Sony has launched its first in-car SACD players in the States. One model is a combined DVD-V/SACD machine, and fits in a double-DIN dashboard slot, while the other is a simpler single-DIN head unit designed for more universal appeal.
At the DreamWorld show in 2002, as part of a large-scale exhibition of everything Sony, the company had a car kitted out with a complete system playing SACD. Clearly aimed at the very high-end market, the system sounded extremely impressive. And then everything went quiet...
Now the company is launching two systems into the US in-car market. The XAV-W1, which sells for around $800, is also Sony's first double-DIN audio/video entertainment unit, and comes complete with a 7in widescreen display (above) with touchscreen control.
For those wanting a simpler, less expensive option, there's also the MEX-DV2000 player (below), at around $280. This, like the bigger unit, will also play DVDs, CDs, and MP3/WMA, and has an input for a personal MP3 player or iPod. It has Dolby Digital and DTS decoding, and delivers 52W across four channels.
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