DIYMobileAudio.com Car Stereo Forum banner

Sony High Res Deck

52K views 347 replies 67 participants last post by  ANDRESVELASCO 
#1 ·
See less See more
2
#3 ·
I think the lack of screen space is going to be a problem for a lot of people. That tiny screen won't even display an entire song title, let alone artist and album. The knob should be on the right side, not dead center, with a larger display taking up most of the left side.

However, the specs look promising, and it would be a nice piece for some people. But if I'm going to be using a digital source, they are going to need a reasonable way to navigate the files.
 
#4 ·
I really think that Sony looked at the market and who would want a deck like this. Most of those users are probably more than ok with using their tablet or phone as the dedicated source. That's why you're not seeing a fancy screen and the face is so plain. To that end, according the article, if you're using an Android device Sony suggests using an OTG cable to connect to the deck.
 
#17 ·
Exactly.

I like the that there is not a large distracting screen. Visual interference. Radio has become YouTube, so unless you have screen. You can see that either.

This is stepping up where current single den radios are missing. If the price is right. This will work for sure in my setup.
 
#18 ·
I'd love for Sony to release a modern high-end 10-Channel+ "ES" DSP to go along with this and to replace the XES system and XDP-4000X.

The other problem as previously mentioned is that this digital output will be Down-Sampled when connected to most DSPs other than the Helix DSP PRO or Audison Bit.One-HD.

And unfortunately, Sony has always had a problem producing a really good, intuitive, daylight-readable, and reliable Display for even their high-end Car Audio Head Units.

I agree that a safe, thorough, and intuitive GUI would be THE most important aspect of this product's design, usability, and success. All we can do is sit back and wait.
 
#20 ·
I'd love for Sony to release a modern high-end 10-Channel+ "ES" DSP to go along with this...

I agree. A current Sony Mobile ES System. Source, DSP, AMP. source check. DSP I would like to see with 12 channels. Most higher end cars are coming with speakers all over the place. Some don't want to change out the speakers. Give people the option to update some guts and make a system shine, This day and age high power amps class d is running cheap. I would like to see about 174 x 4 clean power. If you get the triple lindy allow them all to connect via optical in and out. To the speakers of you choice via some sweet rca connects or etc. I don't feel people will buy the speakers. Leave them alone and keep producing nice tvs.

Keep it simple and powerful.
 
#19 ·
It'll need a 10 channel dsp to use the super tweeters. Unless you do a 3 way front with midbass/midrange, tweeter, and super tweeter. Of course that's also pretty useless unless the dsp can tune above 20,000hz, and then, how do you tune above 20,000hz. Certainly not by ear.
 
#21 ·
Yea, I agree with most. It seems like this deck is the first cog in a larger multi-component set. If Sony comes out with a 10-12 channel DSP that is made to go with this deck you can guarantee that it will be expensive. I'm guessing that the deck alone is going to be in the $500 ballpark.
 
#29 ·
looking at the pics of this thing, i wonder if its actually as deep as a normal deck. it doesn't take that much space to have a DA Converter and some outputs. they could easily make it just a faceplate which would make sense as most cars come with factory integrated systems. it would be much easier to mount just a faceplate into the dash as opposed to removing the stock deck and installing a brand new single din unit.
 
#31 ·
Through a little more digging I found the model number of the deck: RSX-GS9

Also found a website that had way more information that must have slipped through the cracks back in February:

Sony Hits High-Resolution Audio Road | Twice

Highlights:

"The mech-less head unit is the first aftermarket head unit announced to date with high-res playback capability. The head unit not only decodes high-res files but also processes them through built-in high-resolution ESS ES9018 192kHz/24-bit DACs. “Native DSD full-performance playback is possible,” a spokesperson said, “and from speaker output, over 40kHz sound will come.”

"The head unit will be accompanied by a companion high-res capable amplifier and super tweeter for use with GS series speakers and subwoofers to reproduce a high-res experience in the car. It’s compatible with smartphones, high-res- compatible portable media players, and USB memory sticks. It also features OLED display with good visibility, time alignment though the company’s SongPal app, and optical output. The head unit connects to the outboard amplifier via Toslink digital output. "

Please Sony don't screw this up by making this a proprietary Toslink connector!
 
#34 ·
a 40Khz capable system, is putting half the expense on half of the spectrum I won't be able to hear.

if there is something tangible, quantifiable, about the detail or the general fullness of the playback that High Rez is able to produce, in a no-holds-barred, audibility test...


then hey, let's put it out there.

I'm all for pushing the boundary back, making things with circuits that have "overkill" as their mission statement.

If a panel of 10 people can't do better than 55% on ABX testing using the newest, and the greatest, if the switching from this to a normal 44.1Khz CD wav file, and back again proves that we are using out-dated technology then that's great, bring it on...



but if the consensus view is that this is for those people who can't hear the difference but electrical tests using objective equipment shows that the technology is superior, I'm still on board, hey...

I'm a freak too and I want to believe, I want to own the superlative, I want to know that after all is said and done, there is no weak link in my chain, there is no indication that I've not measured well, or up... our little portmanteau, in the wasteland...

High REZ, indeed...
 
#35 ·
Just from the looks of this, I get the impression this thing is a very early prototype that'll probably never make it to market. I think if anything Sony is simply testing the waters with it.. The minuscule display is my first clue. The styling however is something I wish the big-head-unit-brands would take note of however.. Clean, minimal, quality.
 
#37 ·
But on this.. Since we're talking probable vaporware.. If I were the king of head-unit design, I'd do this hi-rez business in a 2-din, still with a somewhat minimal face with enough rows to successfully navigate USB source (which is attached in back, not front). Why 2-din? Well that's for the space to go straight from itself as source to the in-board full function no-holds-barred 10ch DSP that could process at that rez level. Bam! Who's with me?!?!?! :) I'd certainly pigtail 10 RCA runs behind the dash for such a beastly thing.
 
#38 ·
I actually think the approach Sony is taking is for this unit to be more of a preamp rather than receiver. FWIW, I haven't read anything about this unit having any kind of tuner, digital or analog. For guys like me who have a big, complex, OEM integrated system, I don't have the space to install a 2 Din and my OEM dash. I can't remove the OEM equipment because it will kill my LCD/Nav (if I had it). Creative installers can usually find a way to fit a single din and keep the OEM equipment, so in this sense the Sony deck would accept an input from the OEM source along with a users media device. Further, the lack of screen is negated because as the article states functionality will be enhanced by using the SongPal app which already provides a player view for stored or streaming music and EQ functions.

Just my $.02.
 
#40 ·
Not that I don't like the idea behind the unit....

But what does hi-res really matter for if it doesn't solve the current problem of music being mastered like crap. Sure, SOME hi-res releases are mastered better, but many are just the same dynamically compressed crap as the cd masters, without the downsampling. The dynamic compression and loudness wars far overshadow anything gained by the higher sampling rate and "frequency response past 40khz".
 
#41 ·
I think that's why DSD is supported here. A lot of the remastered hi-rez products are released on DSD files now.

It will be interesting to see if the analog or digital output would be better. A couple extremely hi end home DAC's convert DSD to PCM before conversion (eg Berkeley Alpha DAC). If this will do the conversion and output 24/96 then this could be a big win. Even the analog out might sound great.

I also agree w Slowsedan. My post earlier was in regards to the exact same thing. This is more of a digital preamp than head unit as we are used to. I wouldn't be surprised if control and display is really done through an App rather than relying on anything built it.
 
#42 ·
how many High Res car audio products are available at this time?


Isn't High Res a blanket term for new technology being promoted by Neil Young, where you can buy 24 bit/96K recordings and this would fill the void for something you can put in a dash that decodes it natively without desampling or upsampling or whatever?
 
#43 ·
However, dsd doesn't guarantee a good master. There are plenty of dsd releases that are brickwalled as well, and the ones that aren't generally are far outside the mainstream audience. As much as I like classical, I'm not a jazz fan, and those are the two biggest groups of well mastered high resolution content.

So, for most people, hi-res is still a wash, it doesn't fix the real problem.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top