Sony XAV-AX8000 is a popular single stereo with built-in amplifier. In this in-depth Sony XAV-AX8000 review, you’ll learn whether or not you should buy this head unit.
If you are in hurry, here’s a quick overview of our review!
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Key Specs
Phone Integration: Android Auto & Apple Car play | Equaliser: 10-band equaliser | Touch Screen: NO | Radio: Yes | Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB | Hands-Free calling: Yes | Camera support: Yes | Music Streaming: Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM | Voice Assistant: Siri and Google Assistant
Our Verdict
Is the Sony XAV-AX5000 worth it?? Yes, definitely. The Sony XAV-AX8000 1DIN head unit has a sleek design and impressive sound quality. The three-way adjustment mount and bright display are great features, while the inability to upload custom wallpapers is the only downside. Overall, I highly recommend this top-notch single-din head unit with a built-in amp.
Pros
- A three-way adjustment mount for the screen height is a handy feature.
- Good sound quality.
- Easy to use.
- Easy to install.
- Fits well in the car.
- Has an auto dimmer for the night.
Cons
- The software is not vastly different from other Sony units.
- Can’t upload your own wallpapers.
- Sound can get dull at high volumes.
What Other Experts Say?
Quality Mobile Video
“We’ve seen oversized displays on both single dens and doubled-ins before, but this was for sure the highest-quality display of them all. Not only was it sturdy and felt like it could last years, it has a three-way adjustment mount, meaning you can customise the height, depth, and tilt angle of the display.”
Detailed Sony XAV-AX8000 Review
Sound Quality
The sound quality of the Sony XAV-AX8000 is good but not very good. Because I’m an audiophile who likes listening to music at a very high volume,
But when I set this head unit’s volume to high, the sound started getting dull. I could feel it, as I’m fond of loud music, but I don’t think it was so loud that everybody would be able to feel it, especially the ones who are not audiophiles like me.
The head unit comes with a 10-band equaliser, which helped me a lot in setting the tune and the bass of the sound in my car. Also, it has a high-pass crossover and a low-pass crossover, which help make the sound quality even better.
Not forgetting to mention that this head unit is equipped with an RMS CTA-2006 built-in amplifier and 5-channel preamp outputs (5-volt front, rear, mono sub).
- Equaliser: 10-band Graphic Equaliser
- Built-in Amplifier: RMS CTA-2006
- RMS Wattage: 55 wattage
- Crossovers: High pass Crossover and Low pass crossover
- Time Correction Feature: Not available
Design & Display
The Sony XAV-AX8000 1 din comes with an 8.95″ floating LCD screen that isn’t capacitive but resistive. I’d like it more if it were capacitive, but still, I found it to be responsive and fast enough to make use of it.
I mean, you won’t have to tab several times on the functions to make them work. However, it’s not as smooth, vibrant, or responsive as capacitive screens.
The head unit is sleek and designed to be quite lightweight. I found the design of this head unit to be too simple. It’s not a very modern design for a head unit.
The best thing about the display of this head unit is that it has an auto-dimming feature that automatically dims the light at night. Because of this feature, I can now drive at night, which I used to avoid when I didn’t have the auto dimmer feature in my car’s stereo system..
I’ve had some head units in the past that did have the auto dimmer feature installed in them, they wouldn’t dim the light so much, and it would still be distracting. But this Sony head unit really does a great job at it.
This head unit has a screen mount feature that allows me to adjust the screen height according to my preference, which is quite convenient.
I have two small complaints about the display of this head unit. First, it lacks colour illumination, so I cannot personalise the display colour to my preference.
Secondly, it does not allow me to set custom wallpapers. Only the ones which are pre-installed on it I can use. While it’s not a dealbreaker, I wish Sony had included these features in this DIN
- Touch Screen: Available
- Color illumination: Not Available
- Durability: It’s made of a combination of metal, plastic, and other materials.
- Capacitive vs Resistive: Resistive Screen
- High Brightness for sunlight: Yes
Smartphone Integration
The Sony XAV-AX8000 head unit offers smartphone integration with both Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but only through a USB connection, not wirelessly. However, I found them to work flawlessly when I used them.
The head unit also includes Bluetooth calling and supports voice assistants such as Google Assistant and Siri. Additionally, it supports popular streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, and Amazon Music and comes with a remote control.
Lastly, the built-in WebLink® for Android devices is a helpful feature that allows for screen mirroring on the head unit’s display, which I found particularly useful for watching movies on a larger screen.
- Android/iPhone: Both, (Wired using USB)
- Bluetooth/ Handsfree calling : Available
- Voice control: Siri and Google Assistant
- Wifi: Not Available
- Wireless: Remote Control, Bluetooth
- Streaming Services: Apple Music, Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, and Amazon Music
- Screen Mirroring: WebLink® for Android devices
- USB Ports For iPhone: Not Available
- Backup Memory: Available
Expandability
This head unit is equipped with a USB input, allowing me to connect my smartphone and other USB devices to play music and other media. Not just that, it has a rear-view camera input that lets me easily connect a camera for safe and easy parking.
Moreover, this head unit has 5-channel preamp outputs, including 5-volt front, rear, and mono sub outputs. This feature enables me to connect an external amplifier and add additional speakers and subwoofers to enhance the sound quality of my car. Unfortunately, this head unit doesn’t have AV inputs, which means I cannot connect any external video devices.
- USB Input: Available
- Camera support: Rear-view camera input
- Pre-amps output: 5-channel preamp outputs (5-volt front, rear, mono sub)
- AV Inputs: Not Available
Playback Features
The Sony XAV-AX8000 is a highly capable head unit that offers a variety of playback features to enhance your in-car entertainment experience.
While it doesn’t have an auxiliary port, it does come equipped with USB music playback support for a range of file types, including MP3, WMA, AAC, and FLAC.
This makes it easy to connect your smartphone or music player to the head unit and enjoy your favourite tunes while on the road.
It’s worth noting that the Sony XAV-AX8000 does not have DVD support, so you won’t be able to play DVDs directly on the device. However, if you’re a fan of satellite radio, you can add a SiriusXM satellite radio tuner to enjoy a wide range of radio channels while driving.
- Radio Support: SiriusXM satellite radio tuner (not included)
- DVD Support : Not Available
- Auxiliary (Aux): Port: Not Available
- USB Music: Available
- Music File Playback: MP3, WMA, AAC, and FLAC music files
Ease of Use
Sony’s XAV-AX8000 head unit has an intuitive interface that makes it easy to use.The large, high-resolution touchscreen display makes it easy to navigate through menus and settings.
Although the screen is resistive, it still works pretty well. The built-in voice control capabilities allow you to operate the device hands-free using Siri or Google Assistant.
Installing the head unit is also a breeze, thanks to its single-DIN design and included mounting bracket.
The compact size of the unit means that it can fit easily into a wide range of vehicles, while the wiring harness and installation instructions provided by Sony make it simple to connect the device to your car’s electrical system.
- User Interface: The functions are quite big and easy to read but the screen is resistive
- Easy to install: It’s very easy to install and doesn’t require you to be an expert
Value for money
The Sony XAV-AX8000 head unit is undeniably a top-of-the-line product, packed with a wide range of features that make it a great choice for anyone looking to upgrade their car’s audio system.
However, it is also true that the sony XAV-AX8000 price is way more compared to other models that offer similar functionality. But, overall, I found the Sony XAV-AX8000 to be a very good single-din head unit that you can get your eyes on.
- Price: A little expensive compared to other DINS
- Features: It has all of the essential features
- Expandability: Bluetooth, USB, Auxiliary
- Sound quality: It has a 10-band equaliser, an amplifier, and a lot of sound processing features
