Sony - 52W x 4 In-Dash CD Deck with Bluetooth Technology and Detachable Faceplate

I bot a new cell phone, a Nokia Music Express, to match up with my new car stereo. Be aware your phone has to have 2.0 Bluetooth capabilities. The price was great at Best Buy compared to other units, which didn't have the simple controls I wanted. Phone calls over the BT stereo were muffled, often described as sounding like I was talking under water. If I turned off the air conditioning in my car, in the hot hot hot Arizona or Texas area, they could hear me better, but it was still difficult to understand me. Maybe one out of ten calls could anyone hear me well. I returned the phone, and went back to my old Samsung. It hooked up to the Bluetooth fine, after another fifteen dollar fee, but I couldn't use the 200 songs on my cell phone like with the Nokia. Two days after the 30 day return policy at Best Buy expired, the stereo quit Bluetoothing. What a piece of yuck. I wish I had taken the advice of the other reviewers complaining of the horrible sound of the cell phone over it, and not bot it. So now I'm out over 260 dollars for the unit and install and syncing, and it doesn't work. DON'T buy this unit! My boyfriend did figure out how to change the microphone setting, but it was still difficult to hear me or understand others. And what an incompetent design - the microphone to the unit is on the BACK of it! How in the world could anyone hear voices when it's muffled behind the dashboard? DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THIS CAR STEREO!

The Sony MEX BT 2600 has been a wonderful addition to my car audio system. I have read some lackluster reviews of this stereo, and I am, needless to say, unsurprised and unimpressed with the complaints that most have made, namely about the sound quality of the radio output. Some of the complaints pretty well prove that the person who purchased this radio expected competition quality audio from changing one head unit and nothing else, and folks need to realize that this is an impossibility. If this was possible, why would anyone spend extra money on subs, amps, capacitors, etc? The radio is simply a receiver of signals, and most radios have a low RMS rating that will need to be supplemented with amplification of the signal at the proper crossover levels to get the sound you dream of. This takes a lot of time and money to do, but I know Best Buy has the materials you are going to need for the dream system. I used to be the very same way in my feelings, so I guess it takes one to know one. I have learned my lesson. To start, I will tell you what I have in my car: I drive a 98 Honda Civic. The Sony head unit is run to a Precision Audio parametric equalizer located in the console above the cup holder(There was a useless old cassette player in there), and the equalizer is run to an Emerson amp powering 2 Pioneer 5&1/2” front speakers and 2 Pioneer 6 x 9 rear speakers. The equalizer also run to an Infinity subwoofer amp powering one Sony 12” sub in the trunk, and one Rockford Fosgate 12” sub that “floats” between the 2 front seats. The subs have a capacitor in-line with them, so I don’t kill my battery and my lights don’t flicker with the bass. It took 3 years to build the system as I wanted it, so don’t think that a great system is an overnight thing. That’s only for rich people!!! It took years of purchasing and then tinkering to get the right sound, and once I did, my old radio went out!!! The radio I had was an import DVD player with 5” screen, Aux, SD, USB, Bluetooth…the works. After that broke, I realized how little I used anything but the Bluetooth and the aux, so I began looking for an affordable radio with the features I wanted. The Sony MEX BT 2600 fit this perfectly! The features of the radio are pretty impressive for it being a base model. The expandability of the unit is pretty impressive. The CD player works great, and being able to select the gain on the Aux and Bluetooth are awesome as well, so all inputs are equal in volume. No more blaring!!! I wish the radio did the same, but since this is an old model, perhaps the new model will have this feature? At least the radio is lower than the rest. I have also heard some issues about the Bluetooth mic, and while I find the mic location a little illogical, I do not have any issue with it. Sounding a little tinny is a small price to pay to avoid a ticket. I mainly use the Bluetooth for music, and it does an awesome job. I have a Samsung Juke(schU470, though on Sony Support they say U740), and it does everything that the radio is capable of, including music streaming, hands-free talking, and voice dialing, though Sony’s site said voice dialing was not supported. I have a Satellite car kit that I have run into the front Aux jack, and it has improved my satellite sound dramatically (I was using the direct radio antenna connection previously). The clarity is amazing. My next purchase is the HD radio kit for this radio. All in all, I find that this unit lives up to the hype and I am very pleased with my purchase. I would recommend to anyone finding that the sound is inadequate to ask themselves some questions. Firstly and most importantly, Did I use the factory radio ground? If so, you need to ground your radio differently or you will have HUGE amounts of engine noise in the speakers while driving. It would be no surprise to have bad sound in a configuration like this. If you are planning to expand, I would plan where you want the equipment and run the radio ground there. You’re your components all do not have a common ground, your sound will suffer. This is the main issue I hear complaints about. Then, ask yourself, How was the sound before? Is this even a slight improvement over what I had? Do I have aftermarket speakers, amps, etc. or is it just the radio? Do I have all components on a common ground? What kind of sound do I want for my car? Once you answer these questions, it is time to determine what you will need to achieve the results you want. It may be much more than you think, especially if you are an audiophile. Best Buy has you covered though, because they can sell you the equipment as well as install it for you too, if you don’t know how or simply don’t want to. I personally love a good project.

I wanted to wait some time before I wrote this review so I could play with this thing for a while. After about a month, I still LOVE IT! My stock stereo died and I wanted to get something with a lot of features for not a lot of money. The unit has handsfree talk capabilities through bluetooth so you can stream your calls through the car stereo (with a bluetooth enabled phone) and not have to wear one of those goofy earpieces! The bluetooth feature can also be used to stream music from a bluetooth enabled music player. For players without bluetooth, there is an aux input on the front of the unit that comes in very handy. The bluetooth works pretty well for handsfree phone calls, though I advise turning off your heat or a/c and rolling up windows when calling to reduce noise levels. Music streaming also works very well, though you may have to adjust the EQ for best quality. One complaint, and this is admittedly trivial, is that I still cannot find a way to shut off the scrolling menu that advertises the features of the unit. You can set the default display to be track info, time, tuner, etc, however after 30 seconds or so of idle, the screen scrolls the features of the product. I already bought it! Quit advertising your features! I know what you can do! I will continue to try to find a way to stop this one hiccup. Aside from that, my only other complaint is the hurting Best Buy put on me for installation charges. The service was great, it was done quickly (25-30 minutes for mine), it looks fantastic, and it's all guaranteed (hold onto your receipt), but it is pretty costly (mine cost me $110 to have installed!!!). That aside, this is still the best car stereo I've ever owned or used.

Sorry for a long review but includes some helpful tips. I would have to disagree with a couple of reviewers. The Bluetooth works well. This is the most convenient cell handsfree I have had. Good that it automatically cuts any of the music functions off to allow you to answer the phone. Easy to just push the volume knob to activate the phone for receiving a phone call! Love ability to turn the volume up or down in hearing the caller on my speakers in my car. True that there is a small mic area and there is only two settings for the mic (Low/Hi) but so far no one has complained they can't hear me. Reminder to all, it really has more to do with your phone's reception and the distance from your seating to the radio! (Should be in arms reach). Quality of the sound of the radio is perfect for me. True that different music options have different volumes. The radio was hooked up properly to my antenna and works fine. My made CD-R MP3 CD's sound great. (I turned up the volume of the sound files IN my iTunes - CMD+I / OPTIONS - turn the volume to 3/4 or 75%). Hooking to my Apple iPod is just fine. Only problem is controls ... Good idea to set playlist or shuffle desires ahead of time so you're not fumbling since you cant control the iPod through the radio ... ALERT: set your iPod volume to low or medium ... Then adjust volume as needed through the car stereo unit. (or else it could distort)

I got this to replace a factory radio where the CD unit had broken. I had always wanted a Bluetooth handsfree car stereo but until recently the Bluetooth capability tended to be a $150 optional extra. While I wanted something a bit better quality than a cheap unit, I also didn't want to spend a fortune as I'm not an Audiophile. Yet for little more than the cost of what the optional Bluetooth unit used to cost on its own, you get a complete car stereo and at first I thought it too good to be true when it said it had Bluetooth capability though usually they say 'Bluetooth ready', a euphemism for 'Bluetooth extra $'. Sony may not be highly regarded among Car Stereo Audiophiles but, not being one, I have to say that I am very happy with this unit. The sound quality is easily good enough for me and the handsfree works remarkably well. Occasionally a caller may complain you sound a bit distant or have trouble understanding you but most of the time as long as you speak in a clear voice with reasonable volume it works fine. I even use my phone to play podcasts via Bluetooth on this unit. I like how the unit fades whatever is currently playing ie CD or Tuner when making or receiving calls and then resumes afterwards. The other reason I got this unit was that it has an AUX jack, so no more messing with cassette adapters for mp3 players. Of course, like many car stereos now, it will also play mp3 and wma CD's. If you are wondering, no it won't play ATRAC CD's. Sony have finally given up on that unnecessary format! How do I know? Well I have also have Sony MP3 CD player that also plays ATRAC and made a CD with the software to try just out of interest. The controls are adequate meaning they are not the most ergonomic but do the job. It also comes with a remote, which personally I find no use for. If you're an Audiophile then you're probably already looking elsewhere but if you are like the rest of us and want a decent car stereo with a Bluetooth handsfree option that works, then this is highly recommended.

Just installed this in my wife's car - 2004 Pontiac Vibe. I feel that some of these reviews do not do justice to this unit, as it is a great value for the price. First, you need to consider that yes, the placement of the mic for the BT (behind the face plate) can be an issue, especially if you drive a vehicle where you are sitting far away from the unit, you drive a vehicle with a lot or external noise (examples - 4x4 pickup with a lift kit and off-road tires, Mustang 5.0 with dual exhaust, Subaru WRX w/aftermarket exhaust) or the unit is somewhat hidden. You need to consider the final installation location of the unit before you decide on this one - if Bluetooth is the primary reason you are buying this. The head unit in the Vibe sits high and center, so the mic is no problem. Front AUX input is very handy, especially if you didn't follow the flock and you got a regular MP3 player instead of the over-priced ipod. I found the sound quality to be good from the 3.5 jack, but as another reviewer said, you should set your MP3 player volume to medium or med-high, and then adjust the volume with the head unit. Finally, if you are going to install this yourself, make sure you have all the parts and supplies you need beforehand, and take your time making the connections. I recommend you get the wiring harness, install kit (if needed) and some cars (like the Vibe and other GM cars) need an antenna adapter - spend the extra $10 to get the antenna adapter and you will get great radio reception. I have been installing mobile electronics since 1989 and this was one of the most hassle-free installs I have done. Everything worked without a hitch, and even the radio reception dramatically improved over the factory head unit.

I've been using a comparable ($199.99) Alpine deck. Although the Alpine may have looked a little nicer, this Sony deck is much better. The sound is much richer in this Sony (even without playing around with the built-in EQ. I have it installed in a single cab truck so the cab noise is pretty loud. The built-in blue tooth (which the Alpine didn't have) works just fine. Very easy to use. Like noted above, there isn't a rear AUX input (for MP3 players or satellite radio) so you are forced to use the front jack but that isn't a big deal. The Alpine had an AUX to RCA in the rear which allowed you hide any wires to MP3 players or sat. radios. This is the first Sony deck I have ever purchased and I am extremely pleased with the product.

I recently decided to upgrade the stereo in my car. My cell has bluetooth, so it was an obvious choice, especially if you're on a budget of sorts. I love the ease of calling and receiving calls without having to actually hold my phone. It also streams music from my phone through the audio in the car. Pretty sweet! I also love the input for my mp3. I have a Zen vision M and i love how i just plug n go. Running errands is fun again!! I can crank the sunroof open, turn 'er up and jam without worry that I will miss a call. The mic for the bluetooth is behind the face, which makes talking a little bit better than my relatives that have factory bluetooth in their vehicles. The only trouble though is that since the mic is basically in the middle of the dash, when I have the air cranked up on high it can sometimes be loud for the person I'm talking to. I'm not one to actually write reviews and stuff, but I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to upgrade their existing system, especially if they live in an area that requires handsfree calling.