Sony Adds DSD Car Digital Player, Turntable, and Disc Player

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bmoura

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More High Resolution Audio products from Sony that support DSD Downloads.
Including the long-awaited Car Media Player head unit that plays DSD and FLAC.

Sony RSX-GS9 - Car Media Receiver.jpg

http://positive-feedback.com/audio-...turntable-and-disc-player-dsd-lineup-updated/
http://www.sony.com/electronics/in-car-receivers-players/rsx-gs9
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_158RSXGS9/Sony-RSX-GS9.html?tp=5684
 
Nice!!! Pricey, but nice.

You need a lot of stuff to add to make the system work, but it's a great start.
 
Nice!!! Pricey, but nice.

You need a lot of stuff to add to make the system work, but it's a great start.

Haven't heard it but Sony is already selling it online (ABT, Crutchfield) and at Sony Car Audio dealers.
An encouraging sign that interest in Multichannel audio lives for music downloads as well as SACD!
 
Haven't heard it but Sony is already selling it online (ABT, Crutchfield) and at Sony Car Audio dealers.
An encouraging sign that interest in Multichannel audio lives for music downloads as well as SACD!

Great! :D

All we need now is an equivalent unit from Sony for the home (unless such a model already exists?) and a raft of juicy DSD and Flac MultiCh downloads of surround mixes from the major labels including Sony.. and we're good to go! :upthumb
 
The biggest issue is most late model cars do not have provisions to replace existing audio systems due to CAN bus integration. Many integrate the audio system with various electronic functions of the vehicle such as climate control, navigation, and various settings for certain vehicle accessories.
 
While I do applaud a beautiful flagship product to show the way, it's still rather expensive for what it is.

Other than a couple mentions of '6 channel preamp outputs' (if you know to look for them), there is absolutely NO mention of surround in any of these pages. The packages include stereo speakers or "get the whole package" which only adds a sub with amp. No center or rear speakers? I could understand this aspect going over Crutchfield's heads but shame on Sony for not even mentioning surround in at least the context of an optimum configuration. This is a high end stereo marketing campaign (only).

Hopefully it still serves our surround cause; I would simply prefer that it be portrayed overtly as part of the product vision not a fluke or coincidence. We need some respect! And surround software from Sony!

I'll be in my trailer. (Who Framed Roger Rabbit 1988)
 
Don't forget that when the high end aftermarket car DVDA players rolled out they retailed at @ $1800, within a year price had dropped to $1200, I would love to check this thing out but I am forever skeptical of Sony's 12 volt products, like does it really handle 5.1 discreetly within its small package? it does use the saber dac's=outstanding, but unless i missed something 5.1 capability is not mentioned at all in the sony specs or features. it is mentioned in the positive review site, it could be a (dare I say it) downmixer,which would be a bummer, but i am now dying to check this out, thanks for the heads up, I will be watching this one.
 
The Crutchfield listing for the RSX-GS9 shows the 6 channel RCA outputs of the unit as R/L Front, R/L Rear, Subwoofer and an unmarked jack which is presumably the Center Channel out.
Crutchfield also notes that the unit plays DSD natively via USB (ASIO).
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-VHytFFz34L6/p_158RSXGS9/Sony-RSX-GS9.html
http://www.crutchfield.com/S-VHytFFz34L6/p_158RSXGS9/Sony-RSX-GS9.html#&gid=1&pid=2

Sony's Announcement of the product says:
"In fact, the RSX-GS9 is the world’s first car audio player that is natively compatible with DSD (5.6MHz/1bit, 2.8MHz/1bit), an audio format that reproduces music with unprecedented accuracy."
 
well I've made a few calls to friends who are still in the car audio game and so far no one knows for certain that this can play 5.1 files without downmixing, I also asked the question at Crutchfield, unfortunately I don't 100% trust their answers. my problem is that just because it has 6 preouts does not mean it will pass 6 discrete channels out. it would need 3 independent sabre dac's and the associated independent processing onboard. It Looks like a small package with no hideaway processer, however, If it does then it is a true gamechanger. I am on this and if I can confirm anything I will pass it along. Again thank you for the heads up on this product.
 
I'm afraid this is a stereo-only device: https://docs.sony.com/release/Manual_4577101121.pdf. That said, the hardest part of getting multichannel audio in your car is not the head unit (or the amps); it's the center speaker. A small off-the-shelf computer with no moving parts makes a dandy head unit, and amps don't care where they get their signals from. The computer can run Kodi (or some such), and you can control it from your mobile device (Android or IOS) using Yatse (or some such). Admittedly you have to do a bit of hacking to put together such a system, but it's doable. As Arnold mentioned, it's not the sort of thing you want to do to a late model car, due to the tightly integrated nature of all the electronics.

I suspect that Sony's offering is a one-off niche product, and not a statement of direction.

P.S. I hate Sony. They find a way to substitute proprietary interfaces for standards in nearly everything they do. Boo hiss. They used to make good (CRT) TVs, but that was a long time ago.
 
Many car players has 6 pre-outs - 2 front, 2 rear and 2 for subwoofer - including my own Pioneer DEH-PRS80. The Manual for the Sony seems to indicate this too.

The hi-rez is interesting - but the rest of the functions/spec, as described in the manual, are rather simple/bad - considering the pricetag.
 
I do appreciate the effort being put forth to document this unit but it is Sony so I approach with skepticism.


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Yes, confirmed by a friend out in Seattle who has one on his test bench. it is only 2.0. It would NOT play his multichannel flac files, however he tells me the file structure on your usb connected device/stick must be perfectly set up for it to read anything, "a bit clumsy", but when it does read it does an excellent job with the mids and high end of the spectrum, "clean and as crisp" as he has ever heard from a 12v system, the bottom end however" leaves a lot to be desired",
unfortunately a deal breaker for me. had it been 5.1, it would have been in my sights, but typical for sony to fall down and not get up 10 feet from the finish line.
Hell I think the last thing Sony did that was a true audio innovation was back in 1986, the compact disc.
 
There are 18 pictures of it on Crutchfield. Anyone know what kind of car that is? Looks like they photoshopped out any identifying marks from the picture.
 
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I hate to admit it as much as I don't want to it is a sleek little unit, yea screen may be a tad small but imagine if this thing could actually play multichannel hi rez files through a stick or even better one of those pocket sized portable hard drives like a passport, it is actually small enough to place under the dash in a newer vehicle, or in some of those extra large glove boxes, i don't imagine that position is critical and could be independently wired to the sound system with a simple switch to avoid interference with all of the modern steering wheel & etc. connections. it would'nt be easy but it would be true game changer in the car audio market.
 
I received a response from Sony Electronics UK on their new Car Media Player.
They confirmed that it is a Stereo DSD and WAV/FLAC player, not a Multichannel Player.

The Positive Feedback article has been revised to reflect that and the mention of 5.1 playback is no longer on the Crutchfield web site.
 
Thanks for getting the clarifications Brian. It's hard not to feel like Rodney Dangerfield in the surround community.


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