It seems Sony has not forgotten about car audio. Following the recent release of Sony’s new in-dash car stereos, the company announced new top-of-the-line car speakers and a subwoofer as part of their Mobile ES line. ES stands for “elevated standard” both in terms of build quality and performance.
The new lineup include four speakers (XS-162ES, XS-160ES, XS-690ES, XS-680ES) and one subwoofer (XS-W104ES) — all priced under $299. Each speaker is built with new 3rd generation Mica Reinforced Cellular diaphragm material. Sony claims this rigid but lightweight driver allows for a much more precise response than conventional driver materials, for smoother and more natural sound characteristics.
2021 Sony Mobile ES Lineup
- XS-162ES: 6 1/2″ 2-way Component Speakers ($299.99)
- XS-160ES: 6 1/2″ 2-way Coaxial Speakers ($249.99)
- XS-690ES: 6 x 9″ 2-way Coaxial Speakers ($299.99)
- XS-680ES: 6 x 8″ 2-way Coaxial Speakers ($249.99)
- XS-W104ES: 10” Subwoofer ($219.99)
Speaker Features:
MRC Aramid Fiber Matrix Woofer: Mica Reinforced Cellular (MRC) is Sony’s original speaker diaphragm material, engineered for high rigidity and good internal loss (low resonant distortion), with a lightweight design. This third-generation compound has been further optimized with mechanical driver improvements to deliver an even wider frequency response and smoother, more natural sound characteristics. Embedding MRC in a unique matrix with aramid fibers suppresses diaphragm resonance and minimizes distortion — not only in the lows, but also in the mid and higher frequencies. The result is sound that is powerful at all frequencies and uncommonly clean — even at high volume.
Separated Notch Edge Surround: The woofer surround features another proprietary Sony technology, with distinctive curved notches improving the vertical amplitude symmetry for dramatically reduced distortion and enhanced clarity.
Soft Dome Tweeter: Compatible with High-Resolution Audio, a soft dome tweeter diaphragm is directly attached on the voice coil, designed to cover the music’s ultra-high ends, with a frequency range extending up to 40kHz.
Five-beam Frame Structure & Dynamic Air Diffuser: The Five-beam Frame design disperses resonance while the integrated Dynamic Air Diffuser ensures efficient air circulation for smooth cone travel and cooling of the voice coil.
Progressive Height Rate Spider: The acoustically optimized spider allows for higher power handling and airflow, with a profile designed for more rapid and precise cushioning of the speaker cone.
Phase Plug (XS-162ES Only): The resonance damping phase plug on the XS-162ES woofer helps realize ideal frequency response, right up to the crossover point with the matched tweeters. A rigid aluminum bobbin and Dynamic Air Diffuser further support the speaker’s wide frequency response, for controlled and dynamic bass delivery.
Bi-amp Terminals and Gain Selector in Crossover Networks (XS-162ES Only): The audiophile-grade crossover features an optimal, metalized polypropylene film capacitor with lower dissipation for a smoother high-end. It features a bi-amp capable design to mitigate current distortion to the tweeter when running the woofer with high input levels. A dedicated gain selector balances the woofer and tweeter signal levels and enables tweeter level adjustment even when driving the components from a single amplifier.
Subwoofer Features:
MRC Honeycomb Woofer: MRC (Mica Reinforced Cellular) Honeycomb is specially designed for subwoofers. The core of the diaphragm is a foam-like material with a honeycomb shaped fiber base, which gives flexural rigidity exceeding ten times higher than that of regular PP matrix. This realizes astonishingly precise and powerful bass and low distortion simultaneously. Optimized for the newly developed mechanical approaches, this third-generation subwoofer diaphragm offers enhanced frequency response and smooth sound characteristics.
Separated Notch Edge Surround: With distinctive curved notches improving the vertical amplitude symmetry, this technology dramatically reduces distortion and enhances clarity.
Five-beam Frame Structure & Dynamic Air Diffuser: Like the Mobile ES speakers’ feature, the Five-beam Frame design disperses resonance while the integrated Dynamic Air Diffuser ensures efficient air circulation for smooth cone travel and cooling of the voice coil.
Progressive Height Rate Spider: The acoustically optimized spider allows for higher power handling and airflow, with a profile designed for more rapid and precise cushioning of the speaker cone. To increase signal integrity and prevent sound interference, the lead wire from the voice coil is also sewn to the spider, reducing wire movement.
“Our audio engineers have designed the Mobile ES speaker lineup to give our customers a premium listening experience, without compromise. Our new speakers give music enthusiasts a variety of options based on their unique needs, while delivering the next level of innovation to the in-vehicle audio market.” Daisuke Kawaguchi, Vice President of Home Entertainment & Sound, Sony Electronics Inc.
Availability
Sony’s 2021 Mobile ES car speakers and subwoofer will start shipping on June 10, 2021. To learn more and pre-order visit: https://electronics.sony.com/mobile-es
