Reviews

Sony XAV-AX5500 vs Pioneer DMH-WT8600NEX – Ultimate Car Stereo Faceoff

Today we are going to review two of the best Radio (head units) available in the market, one from Pioneer and another one from Sony. Both come with a variety of different options and key features, but which one should you choose? Let’s compare them in some major key features to find out which one you should put in your car stereo system.

 

Pioneer DMH-WT8600NEX - Advanced Car Stereo
Pioneer DMH-WT8600NEX – Advanced Car Stereo

 

Display

 

Starting with the display both Sony XAV-AX5500 and DMH-WT8600NEX offer a capacitive touchscreen, which makes them highly responsive car stereo head units what we like about capacitive touchscreens is that they’re very similar to the feel of an iPhone. It seemed to be very responsive with quick taps.

 

One of the key enhancements of the XAV-AX5500 is the bevel-less 7in (6.95″) capacitive touchscreen. DMH-WT8600NEX also offers a 10.1 Inch 720p HD display. You would think that a 720p HD screen would prevent you from keeping your eyes on the road, but the truth is that it makes it easier to glance at the screen and understand what you’re seeing so that you don’t have to keep looking.

 

Apple/Android Compatibility: Both Win Big

 

CarPlay is becoming a standard, so it’s a pretty big deal if the radio that you’re buying doesn’t have it. Pioneer and Sony are with the trend and have fully integrated Apple CarPlay and Android Auto into the radio (head unit) to bring the Apple/Android interface directly to your car so that you don’t have to pull your phone out every time you want open any application.

 

Audio & Sound

 

If you were to amplify your sound system, the XAV-AX5500 has you covered with 5V pre-outs, making it a well-rounded and universal multimedia unit for both OEM sound systems and custom amplified sound systems.

 

Sony XAV-AX5500 - Advanced Car Stereo
Sony XAV-AX5500 – Advanced Car Stereo

 

We know that we didn’t utilize the features for a custom, amplified system but let’s walk through them anyway. Most of Sony’s new units come with 5V pre-outs for front, rear and mono sub-channels. As we just mentioned this is key for amplified systems. 4V pre-outs are a thing of the past, so if you’re looking for amplification you need the 5V pre-outs. You can also configure each pre-out channel (front, rear, mono sub) to output high pass or low pass frequencies. This is nice because you can just set your amplifier channels to full range and adjust the crossover and frequencies directly from the head unit now.

 

Pioneer also offers great sound quality. With a Pioneer NEX in-dash receiver, sound quality features such as the 13-Band Graphic Equalizer with touch panel swipe settings and built-in high/low pass crossover with adjustable points and slopes provide you with the controls to tailor the listening experience to your vehicle and listening preferences.

 

Conclusion – Which Car Stereo head unit is for you?

 

Sony’s XAV-AX5500 is a sleek-looking unit with a bezel-less screen. It reminds you of the look and feel of an iPhone screen when you’re navigating through the features of the unit. From an expandability perspective you can do almost with this unit – from Bluetooth connectivity and music streaming to Web Link and phone mirroring and custom wallpapers. It’s ideal for both an OEM system upgrade and a fully custom, amplified stereo.

 

In the Pioneer NEX in-dash receiver, this head unit has a lot to offer. The unit gives you the availability to give you wireless apple car play and wireless android auto. Plus also gives you the options of an HDMI input so you can even plug in an Amazon Firestick or even Actiontec ScreenBeam Mini2. Overall the Pioneer NEX in-dash receiver gives the sound quality which you are looking for and video clarity for movies and pictures.

 

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