Sony Europe today announced the XAV-AX6050 and XAV-AX4050 – the newest additions to its line of car AV receivers. Both in-car DAB media receivers now include fully wireless smartphone connectivity for a hassle-free and safer driving experience..

Fully wireless smartphone connection
Thanks to a Wi-Fi connection from the user’s smartphone, together with the supplied GPS antenna, connection to Apple CarPlay® or Android AutoTM can be done wirelessly even if the device is in a pocket. Apple CarPlay® enables iPhone® users to make phone calls, listen to music, send and receive messages, access their favourite apps, get directions with real-time traffic conditions — including third party navigation apps — and so much more directly from the dashboard, all while allowing the driver to stay focused on the road. Designed with safety and convenience in mind, Android Auto is a simpler way to use a smartphone with the car audio’s display. Drivers can talk to Google Assistant on Android Auto and stay connected, entertained and informed while keeping their eyes on the road. Just say “Hey Google” or press the voice control button to get started.

Enhanced anti-glare touchscreen
The AX6050 features a 17.6cm (6.95”) bezel-less flush surface display with capacitive touch screen. Adopting a flush mount capacitive touch screen helps achieve an astonishingly flat, bezel-less and beautiful display that elegantly matches with the user’s car interiors. The AX6050 also features HDMI connectivity, allowing hooking up external audio and visual source device, for viewing while parked.

The AX4050 features a 17.6cm (6.95”) anti-glare sleek touchscreen. For both models, a newly designed clean user interface is available, enhanced for simple, quick and intuitive control. It was developed with Sony’s expertise and long years of engineering experience with GUI design, and has been receiving good consumer reputation in the rest of the world.

Enhanced DAB Radio Screen
The new DAB radio user interface now includes slide shows for album art or program info, depending on your country or region.

Sound and customisation
Enjoy the convenience of Bluetooth® wireless audio and exceptional sound quality thanks to LDAC on the AX6050 and AX4050. Connect compatible devices to stream audio at 96 kHz / 24-bit sampling with bitrates up to 3x higher (990 kbps) than a conventional Bluetooth® connection.
Both models are also FLAC compatible. FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec) is an audio format similar to MP3, but lossless, meaning audio signals are compressed without any loss in quality. Now the user can play back FLAC files with up to 24-bit depth and sampling frequency at 384 kHz4.

For sound customisation, the built-in DSP offers sound processing and time alignment – down to a remarkable 1cm for each of the 5 addressable channels (4 speakers + subwoofer via pre-out). A 14-band EQ lets users adjust the overall sound to their music or taste. Together with the 3-zone crossover, they can dial in the perfect match of front, rear and subwoofers.

Enhanced usability
The new models feature quick wake-up which means they start instantly after the ignition is switched on. They are also rear-view camera ready with adjustable parking guidelines. The ergonomically designed button controls ensures safer operation. Customisable wallpaper and icon positioning are available as well. USB Type-C® connection5 supports 5V 3A power supply. ​

For future expandability, the AX6050 and the AX4050 feature 3-preout terminals. This allows the user to build a full acoustic system, for instance including a subwoofer, a mono amplifier and 4- channel amplifier for even louder and powerful sound reproduction. The connection plugs are gold-plated to prevent aging and signal degradation.

In addition, on the AX6050, the high voltage pre-out feature provides a 5-volt signal, offering clearer sound with less distortion.

The AX6050 and AX4050 feature an installation-friendly design. The rear chassis is designed with single-DIN dimensions that gives enough room under the radio for cable harnesses, steering wheel control and integration boxes, etc. This also provides the ability to install the radio in vehicles that may have obstructions behind the mounting area.

Pricing and availability
The XAV-AX6050 and XAV-AX4050 will be available from October 2023. ​