At the beginning of May, Sony Electronics Inc. released information about the brand-new Mobile ES subwoofer and car speaker lineup. This exciting lineup includes the XS-162ES, XS-160ES, XS-690ES and XS-W104ES. As we dive deeper into the new product offering, it's clear that Sony has set the bar high for in-vehicle entertainment, allowing you to experience your favorite music while transforming the car environment and elevating your mood. Let's look at the new Sony Mobile ES products.
Sony Electronics is based in San Diego, California. The company is a leader in consumer and professional electronics, including automotive electronics and stereo equipment. Officially in business as Sony Group Corporation since 1957, the company is known today as one of the largest entertainment providers in the world, offering a vast portfolio that includes music, electronics, motion pictures, gaming, mobile, financial services and robotics.
Daisuke Kawaguchi, the Vice President of Home Entertainment & Sound for Sony Electronics Inc., stated that the purpose of the new Mobile ES speaker lineup is to provide customers with a premium listening experience without any compromises. With the new Sony speakers, enthusiasts can choose the products that fit their needs while experiencing a new level of in-vehicle audio innovation.
The Sony Mobile ES selection of speakers is scheduled to be released for purchase this month. They're built for the audio enthusiast and engineered for perfection. With the advanced technology included within their speakers and subwoofers, you can expect unparalleled sound from your car stereo.
Let's take a closer look at what makes the ES lineup stand out from other car audio products. You'll quickly see that Sony took its time creating speakers from high-end materials and put a lot of thought into the construction to produce that perfect tone.
With MRC (Mica Reinforced Cellular), the speaker diaphragm is specifically engineered to be rigid yet still lightweight. It also created good internal loss or less resonant distortion. Sony is using the third generation of this compound, which provides some mechanical driver improvements. In all, you can expect a wider frequency response combined with more natural, smoother sounding characteristics.
In fact, MRC is the perfect partner when it comes to playing modern bass-driven tunes. The fiber holds its shape, even when pushed to high speeds and pressure. The end result is basically better audio quality and less distortion, particularly when you drive the bass hard.
The separated notches that are curved on the surround are proprietary technology to Sony. This unique design improves the vertical amplitude symmetry of the subwoofers, to produce a clearer sound with less distortion. Sony claims that this surround design “dramatically reduces distortion” and “enhances clarity”. It's the first time we've seen a design like this on a surround but ultimately it looks like this will reduce friction/resistance on the cone to allow it to travel further faster.
The core of the speaker's structure is built around the beams. They are needed to supply rigidity, translating into the level of distortion that is heard and sound clarity. Sony put in the extra effort and uses an innovative five-beam frame construction. Their goal with this design is to further reduce distortion and resonance dispersion. With many other brands, the speakers are only manufactured with a four-beam design, so it's clear that Sony took care when creating the structural aspect of this speaker. With this innovative design, you can count on a solid foundation that translates into better sound quality. In conjunction, the Dynamic Air Diffuser provides superior air circulation to cool its voice coil and supply smoother cone travel for all-around solid tones.
A speaker's spider is what allows the coil to move within the magnet without actually touching the magnet itself. It's one of the core components of a speaker that affect clarity and quality. With Sony's acoustically-optimized spider, the products achieve higher airflow and more power handling capability. Plus, the profile is created for precise and rapid speaker cone cushioning. Basically what this design does is creates a more precise and clearer sound while allowing the speaker to cover a wider frequency range without distortion.
With the XS-162ES speaker, you will find a resonance damping phase plug that provides the best frequency response to the crossover point when combined with matching tweeters. If you've ever heard distortion while running two speakers off of the same power source, you know the problem this design fixes. Plus, the Dynamic Air Diffuser and aluminum bobbin help to support this frequency response, creating more dynamic and controlled bass delivery.
With so many new products to choose from, the Mobile ES speaker lineup is sure to make waves. Here are the latest offerings, although there are sure to be more coming down the pipeline.
You can choose the 6 1/2″ 2-way Component Speakers (XS-162ES) or 6 1/2″ 2-way Coaxial Speakers (XS-160ES). There are also 6 x 9″ 2-way Coaxial Speakers (XS-690ES) and 6 x 8″ 2-way Coaxial Speakers (XS-680ES). Plus, the lineup is completed with the 10” Subwoofer (XS-W104ES).
When combined, these products offer the sound quality you have been hoping for. We can take a look at each one in-depth and showcase the design and specifications that set each apart.
Before we go into the specs of every new speaker, make sure you check out Sony's new YouTube video highlighting the lineup.
With Sony component and coaxial speakers, expect superior sound for your car entertainment system. Look at these key features.
Just as we showed with the speaker lineup, Sony has pulled out the big guns while creating the XS-W104ES. Here are some of the features you can expect with this car audio subwoofer.
All of the products listed above included a May 2021 release date, according to the press release. However, when looking at the Sony Mobile ES website, it shows a release date of June 2021 next to each product instead. With that in mind, we expect the speakers to arrive soon. Here is the pricing that Sony has released.
In the lineup, you are looking at between $220 and $300 for each product. The subwoofer costs the least, while a couple of coaxial and component speakers require the most significant investment.
If you remember the branding, Sony Mobile ES, you aren't alone. The name used to be for a lineup of car audio CD receivers back in the day. At their prime, they were some of the top-of-the-line receivers, highly coveted by audio enthusiasts.
Now, Sony is using it once again for this lineup of car audio speakers. So, what do we think of the five products being offered? First, it's clear that Sony put a lot of thought into the design and construction. From the premium materials to the structure design, these speakers are sure to produce the sound you are hoping for.
Secondly, the pricing comes in well below what we thought it would be. Sure, these speakers aren't offering a cheap way to upgrade your car stereo, but they are going to provide premium quality without breaking the bank. For a reasonable price, you are going to be able to upgrade the sound in your vehicle to a level you didn't imagine.
As with most of the Sony products we have received, we are pleased with what the company offers. This manufacturer has proven itself to be a cutting-edge leader in the head unit industry, offering products we've recently reviewed like the Sony XAV-AX8100 and Sony XAV-AX8000. Now, the company goes deeper into creating superior speakers for a complete car audio system. When used together, you receive a well-rounded, clearer sound than what other brands offer.
Of course, there will be far more opinions once we get our hands on the speakers. We actively wait for that opportunity and plan to update you on our thoughts after testing them out personally. In the meantime, tell us what you think.
This post was last modified on July 4, 2021 10:30 am
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