Features
Changer Controls
Note

Features

Active Black Panel: When the unit is off, the display turns completely off. With the display illumination off, all you see is a flat, blank, gloss-black front panel, so it appears as though there isn't a radio in the dash.

Motorized Fold-down Face: This unit is equipped with a motorized fold-down faceplate. When you press the open button the faceplate flips down, revealing the CD loading slot and the silver control panel. When the faceplate is in this position, you may control all the functions of the unit from the control panel.

Spectrum Analyzer: You may select from 9 spectrum analyzer patterns, turn the spectrum analyzer off or select auto mode (auto mode shows all 9 patterns, one after another). When the spectrum analyzer feature is active, the selected spectrum analyzer appears in the main display.

Dual Info Display: The upper left portion of the display can be set to show the source name (FM1, FM2, CD, etc.) or the clock, while the main display line shows CD Text, the track number and elapsed time, or the tuner frequency.

Contrast Adjustment: The contrast for the Active Black Panel and the control panel may be adjusted independently for optimum readability. 

XM Satellite Radio Controls: This unit can control an optional Sony XM tuner (sold separately). The optional tuner, along with an antenna and subscription, will allow you to receive XM Satellite Radio. XM Satellite Radio programming features up to 100 channels of digital-quality music, news, talk, sports, entertainment, and children's programming.

EQ7: You may select one of the following EQ presets: Vocal, Club, Jazz, New Age, Rock, Xplod, or Custom. For each preset, you can adjust the following frequencies: 62Hz, 157Hz, 396Hz, 1kHz, 2.5kHz, 6.3kHz, and 16kHz. The level of each frequency can be adjusted from +10dB to -10dB in 1dB increments.

Dynamic Soundstage Organizer (DSO): When the DSO function is used in a vehicle equipped with speakers mounted low in the front doors, it creates virtual speakers in the dash to raise the soundstage.

SSIR-EXA Adaptive Reception: The SSIR-EXA tuner is equipped with "Adaptive Reception". The Adaptive Reception feature has two modes ("IF Auto" and "Wide") for optimizing FM reception. The "Wide" mode decreases the tuner's selectivity but results in better frequency response. The "IF Auto" mode automatically adjusts the tuner for a good balance between frequency response and minimum station-to-station interference. The Adaptive Reception feature cannot be turned off.

Best Tuning Memory (BTM): This feature selects stations with the strongest signals within the selected band and stores them in order of their frequency.

Station Memo: You can assign a name of up to 8 characters in length to each tuner preset station. Station Memos can be used with the List-up function to locate a station.

Mono Subwoofer Preamp Outputs: In addition to stereo front and rear preamp outputs, this unit includes one set of mono subwoofer preamp outputs. Although there are two female RCA subwoofer outputs, the same signal is carried by both connections. A low-pass filter (see below) can be used to filter high frequencies from the signals output by the subwoofer outs.

High-pass Filter: The front and rear preamp outputs have a selectable high-pass filter that may be set to 78Hz, 125Hz, or off.

Low-pass Filter: The subwoofer preamp outputs have a selectable low-pass filter that may be set to 78Hz, 125Hz, or off.

Auxiliary Input: Stereo RCA preamp inputs on back of the unit allow you to connect a portable audio source. These inputs are also used as the Bus Audio In when connecting a compatible Sony changer. When a compatible changer is connected to this unit, you cannot connect an auxiliary source.

Wired Remote Compatibility: In addition to the supplied wireless remote, the receiver can be controlled by an optional wired rotary commander (item 158RMX4S). Once the wired remote is connected, you can use the menu system to change the control direction of the remote, depending on which side of the steering wheel you choose to mount the remote.

Cellular Mute Lead: This unit is equipped with a lead that mutes audio output when a cellular call is received, then restores the level once the call is over. To use this feature, you must have a cellular phone with a muting output that can be connected to the cellular mute lead.

Dimmer: This unit is equipped with a wire that Sony calls an illumination lead, however, it acts as a dimmer lead. When the dimmer mode is set to "Auto" and the illumination lead receives power, the display dims to a preset level. The display brightness is not affected by the vehicle's dimmer control. Also, the dimmer feature may be turned off, so dimming does not take place when the illumination lead receives power. You may choose to dim the display at all times by setting the dimmer mode to "On". Note: For this feature to work, the unit's illumination wire must be connected to your vehicle's dash lights wire.

Changer Controls

Compatibility: This unit is compatible with Sony Unilink CD and MD changers. In addition, this unit can control compatible Sony Mobile Memory Stick players.

Multiple Changer Control: A maximum of 5 CD changers, 5 CD/MP3 changers, or 5 MD changers may be connected to this receiver. When connecting CD, CD/MP3 and MD changers, you may connect up to a total of 7 changers (but there must not be more than 5 of one type of changer). When connecting more than one changer to this receiver, you must use item 158XAC30.

Changer Controls: In addition to basic disc navigation features, this unit has the following changer controls: track repeat, disc repeat, disc random, changer random (plays all the tracks in the current changer in random order), and all random, which plays the tracks from the disc loaded in the head unit and all connected changers in random order.

CD/MP3 Changer Controls: When a CD/MP3 changer is connected to this unit, you can perform the following functions: disc skip, track skip, audible track search, album skip, track repeat, album repeat, disc repeat, disc random, album random, changer random (plays all the tracks in the current changer in random order), and all random, which plays the tracks from the disc loaded in the head unit and all connected changers in random order.

CD Text/MD Memo Display: When used with a compatible CD changer and a CD Text encoded CD, this unit will display the CD Text information. When using a compatible Sony MD changer, this receiver can display disc and track names that have been prerecorded on MDs.

Disc Memo: When a changer with the Custom File function is connected to this unit, you can enter names, up to 8 characters long, into memory for up to 110 discs. After a disc has been given a custom title, you may search for the disc, by title, using the List-up function.

Auto Scroll: If the text being displayed exceeds 12 characters and the Auto Scroll function is on, the information will automatically scroll across the screen.

Note

Display Illumination/Clock Display: Pressing the Off button once will turn off audio output, but the clock display and face/button illumination remain on. This makes the clock display and face/button illumination "Keyed" instead of "Unit On" only. To turn the unit off completely, you must press the Off button for two seconds. Note: When installing in a vehicle without an accessory power wire at the radio location, you must turn the radio completely off (this defeats keyed operation), or you may wire the accessory power wire of this radio to an alternate source of accessory power to retain keyed clock and face/button illumination operation.