Showcasing the Best in the Mobile Enhancement Industry
With all the SUVs I have been reviewing, it was nice to get into a sedan. You forget how good bargain sedans have become. The last Kia sedan I reviewed was the Forte, which was good but nothing extraordinary. However, the new Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo has everything going for it. Racy looks. Clean bodylines. Cool colors. A reasonably luxurious interior. Quick and nimble handling. Read more
A while back, we examined the difference in sound quality between wired and wireless Apple CarPlay. Now that many Android-based smartphones have access to additional audio streaming codecs like LDAC and aptX, it’s time to check out how they perform in terms of signal accuracy and frequency response. We’ll use the Sony XAV-9000ES digital media receiver we tested in May 2024 for Read more
Floating-face car radios are popular because of their flexible installation options and relatively massive displays. The Sony team has been hard at work updating their products, and the new 10.1-inch XAV-AX8500 digital multimedia receiver is their latest offering in this hot market segment. Let’s see what’s been added to the platform to keep it at the forefront of the Read more
Jeep doesn’t always have to represent the Wrangler. Back in the day, we had the Grand Wagoneer, with optional wood paneling. Jeep has reincarnated the Grand Wagoneer name with its most luxurious offering to date: the Grand Wagoneer L Obsidian. This is the biggest and baddest Jeep you can get, meant to go up against the large-and-in-charge Cadillac Escalade and Lincoln Read more
So, the year is 1993 and a new version of the already great Acura Integra is set to launch as a 1994 model. Your author is graduating from high school, and the Integra soon becomes among the most sought-after vehicles. Sure, there were the wealthier kids with their Nissan 300ZXs and still-fresh Jeep Grand Cherokees. But the Integra could do it all: be sporty, practical, fuel Read more
When it comes to choosing a radio upgrade for your car or truck, you’ll find hundreds of options. At the bottom of the market are inexpensive radios of dubious reliability, with difficult-to-see displays and questionable performance. Then there are the name-brand products that go through years of design and months of testing to ensure that they do what you want, how you want Read more
Over the last few years, Sony’s multimedia receivers have become increasingly popular. As more units have sold, retailers have asked for iDatalink Maestro integration, USB-C support and powerful sound customization. With Sony’s new XAV-AX4000, those requests and more have been fulfilled. Let’s look at what this sleek and impressive car audio source unit offers. Clean Cosmetics Read more
If you've been into high-end car audio for as long as I have, then you have fond memories of source car audio source units like the famed CDX-C90 from the late ’90s. While the RSX-GS9 media receiver is an amazing option, consumers have been craving a multimedia solution with CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration. Thankfully, the Sony product development team heard Read more
