Again! The New Old Stock Sony CDX-S2010X

I am fully aware that recently my focus only changing the car audio head unit. The reason for this is because I still enjoying my current home audio setup and without any intention to have an upgrade on it. What I am doing right now is adding more collection in music album and enjoying music performance from my home audio system.

The car audio is my other way out to keep DIY project running. Recently I enjoy the Sony CDX-CA900 very much here. Then, the last post about my wife's car here installation with Kenwood DPX-5030 is also have a good result. But there is a problems. The skipping CD reading issue and the heavy Kenwood 2 DIN makes the whole dashboard shaking during driving the car. It get annoy me a lot. That is why I am still looking for the new HU for the Kenwood replacement.

My little story for this Kenwood problems bring's my memory back to almost 20 years ago. It is when I started enjoying DIY on car audio and got this problem makes me decide to stick on Pioneer car HU over the others brand. Pioneer very reputable for it's tough, very durable on CD mechanism, eye catching and sounds not so great. Yes, it is sound kinda dull even with my modification and upgrade in components inside compare to stock Kenwood and Sony HU sound quality right out of the box.

This is the current setup using Pioneer DEH-P8850MP. It is taken from my previous car installation here. It is sound wonderful on previous car because of using external amplifier and an after market speakers. But when relying on it's internal power amp with the OEM speakers like in this car, I only get disappointed in sound quality because of low power handling from the OEM speakers itself.

Then, last week, I got new offering this brand new, old stock Sony CDX-S2010X for cheap. It is a radio and CD player only. Can I live with that feature nowadays? Imagine that I am using this kind ancient head unit in this super modern era.

I will give it a try since I got this head unit for cheap only around US$15. All in perfect condition, never been opened and I wonder why there is a remote control in it since I did not find any documentation that this head unit support IR remote control. Well, let's continue then.

It is a jackpot for me to get another new old stock stuff like this. I know this Sony series is actually a low end series, but I will know how good is the sound. Anyway, I wonder if this guarantee card is still valid?

Converting the wiring harness from Pioneer to Sony is very straight forward. Less than 20 minute for clear all job.

I hope you also remember my post here about the Sony 1 DIN drawer. I bought several of them due to prepare of this kind application.

The IR remote control still brand new in package but it is not to use for this Sony CDX-S2010X.

When it finished on the installation, the look is a very simple presentation from low end head unit.

Without any changing to the EQ yet, it sound quite good and acceptable. The bass is loud enough. Can be loud enough as the Sony car audio promote the Xplod branding. The most important is this new head unit playing CD with no skipping issue at all. The drawback is still in the mid-high frequency audio section. I don't think the sound quality can keep up with the Kenwood or Pioneer I describe above. I could say, it is a cheap brand new Sony with acceptable sound.

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