Sony's Bluetooth Car Stereo Makes Road Trips High-Fidelity and Hands-Free

Sony's Bluetooth Car Stereo Makes Road Trips High-Fidelity and Hands-Free

New Head Unit Streams Music and Phone Calls From Portable Devices

NEW YORK, July 18 /PRNewswire/ -- Sony is planning to do its part to help drivers enjoy safe hands-free conversations and crystal clear, streaming music on the road.

The Sony MEX-BT5000 car stereo is the company's first audio-streaming AM/FM CD receiver with wireless Bluetooth(R) technology. The car stereo automatically connects with cellular phones and other devices, including portable music players that have Bluetooth connectivity.

Hands-free Operation

Placing calls from the MEX-BT5000 car stereo is effortless. Bluetooth technology transfers up to 50 phonebook contacts and six speed-dial entries from your phone to the stereo. The contact information appears on the receiver's high-resolution screen so drivers can easily call friends even when the phone is out of reach.

An integrated microphone on the faceplate detects voices and eliminates the need for additional wiring so the installation process is quick and easy. The integrated noise and echo reduction signal processing enhances phone call clarity.

"In three words, the car stereo is simple, safe and sleek. It's easy to use, has outstanding sound clarity and looks great in any car," said Brennan Mullin, general manager for mobile electronics at Sony Electronics. "By giving people a hassle-free, all-in-one audio solution, our intention is to help make drivers' lives easier while raising their expectations for car stereos."

Music Streaming Car Stereo

Whether streaming music from a mobile phone or digital music player, this car stereo brings new excitement to music. With the touch of a button, music aficionados can easily read key information including album, artist and track on the full motion florescent display. They can play, pause, skip, fast- forward or back up songs, and the BBE(TM) MP signal processing technology restores the much of the depth of sound frequently lost during MP3 compression.

The MEX-BT5000 car stereo supports multiple codecs, including MP3, WMA and ATRAC(R) as well as audio CDs.

Music phones with Bluetooth technology, including the Sony Ericsson Walkman(R) phones, work with the MEX-BT5000 car stereo to stream music from the phone throughout the vehicle's stereo system.

"It's genius, and it's the way things are headed. No more wires to deal with. When you step into your car, it just works," said Frances Britchford, vice president of marketing for Sony Ericsson. "Pretty soon, consumers aren't going to settle for anything less than hands-free everything in the car."

Clear and Crisp Sound

In addition to its wireless Bluetooth capability, the MEX-BT5000 head unit offers high sound quality and excellent functionality. With its DRIVE-S HX CD playback mechanism, the unit provides outstanding sound clarity and durability.

Its Dynamic Soundstage Organizer II shapes and raises the soundstage, filling the car with music while its three-band parametric equalization sculpts the tone. The 24-bit Digital-to-Analog conversion ensures optimum fidelity to all digital sources, and the S-MOSFET power stage delivers a massive 52W X 4 channels to help ensure loud, clear sound even during bumpy rides.

An included remote provides remote playback and phone operation controls. The White LED key illumination brightens and clarifies the screen display, and the screen flips down, making it easy to play CDs. The unit comes with a Sony Bus Control for CD changers and is satellite-radio ready.

Pricing and Availability

The MEX-BT5000 car stereo will be priced around $400. It will be available in August both online at www.sonystyle.com and at authorized retailers nationwide.

Source: Sony Electronics Inc.

CONTACT: Linda Barger of Sony Electronics Inc., +1-858-942-2986,
linda.barger@am.sony.com

Web site: http://sonystyle.com/

NOTE TO EDITORS: News releases and digital images with captions are available at www.sony.com/news. For information regarding the nearest Sony authorized dealer or service location, your readers can call 1-800-222-SONY.

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