Using the Sony X in the car.
First of all, thank god the X has two custom eq settings as it needs to be set up differently from earphones to the car system.
Also the dock is an absolute must for superior SQ. Powering the dock is unnecessary but if you want to charge the X then you'll need a 5V charger with a mini usb connector. The X's volume control is bypassed and I presume the line out is set to maximum volume. Powering the dock doesn't boost the volume in any way, it's purely for a line in (for those walkmans that can record) and charging.
My Headunit's eq, levels, phase, time alignment and crossover settings for playing CD's luckily worked well with the X, initially I was quite worried as it sounded very digital and compressed. Kind of like having a too bigger crossover gap between mid and tweeter drivers.
The final settings I used on the X was a 1db boost at 0.4khz, 2.5khz, 6.3khz and 16khz. Clear bass set to 2, all other processing turned off.
This gave a natural sound slightly on the warm side of neutral with a sparkling, well extended top end. I can't make up my mind whether I prefer the X's sound character or the headunit's cd. I'm used to an ultra dynamic, grab you by the throat and kick you in the ribs sound which puts a slightly scared mentalists smile on my face.
The X by comparison sounds very
hi-fi like. It's certainly entertaining but I feel like there's just something missing, it just needs a bit more get up and go. Perhaps it's a sound I'll have to get used to as I plan to ditch all the cd's in the car for the X.
Refinement and detail are all there, it's very easy on the ears and has a 3D presentation when called for, extending well beyond the size of the interior. MJ's (bless him) 'Billy Jean' is suppose to have a snare drum with a long decay on the left channel, the X pics this out well, making the stage eminate at least 6ft outside the window.
Again, 'Man in the mirror' has a delayed high hat at the beginning which should cross channels and back again, some systems completely miss this but the X easily picks this out with a clear space around it. Lovely....
Whether the X still has some running in to do, I don't know. But may be some more system tuning will bring out that extra
something the X is lacking in the car. To describe it as slightly veiled would be my impression.
So to sum up, the X is not quite as good as I had hoped it would be but better than I expected. I can live with that.