DSX-S310BTX
4.2
5
5
5
Great But Not Perfect
Just like most other Sony receiver models past and present, this one is very customizable in regards to pretty much everything i.e. sound quality/distribution, digital graphics, etc. The Blue Tooth function has the fastest connection time with a cell phone I've ever seen, and the Blue Tooth Streaming audio has excellent quality. However, this model does have one flaw. Despite what Sony's website says, it is NOT fully compatible with iPhones. I've tried an iPhone 4 and and iPhone 5 via the USB port and neither are recognized as media devices, so you either have to have a playlist already set up on your iPhone, you have to choose your songs manually from your phone and not a directory that shows up on the receiver. So, to play the songs on your iPhone you have to use the Blue Tooth Audio function. Other than that, this is a great digital media receiver and well worth your money.
January 5, 2013
OUTSTANDING!!! Everything i have come to expect.
I love this receiver, just wish it didn't have that knob on it. I use slacker and not pandora, but works flawlessly on the bluetooth audio source. haven't figured out the sens, thing yet but i couldn't imagine buying any other brand stereo equipment. I have 4 sony p5 12's in a custom box with 2 sony 1400 class d mono blocks pushing them with two sony 6 1/2 component sets running on a sony 900 watt highs amp that i go to speaker competitions with and i pulled a 144.0 db in outlaw slp class, people can't beleive there eyes when they see those old red sonys from walmart lol i recently got four more 12's and two more 1400's i'll keep you posted on what i pull with all 8 12's
July 22, 2012
Great Unit
I'm not quite sure why the one reviewer has so much trouble with Pandora. It performs flawlessly for me. Perhaps it's an issue with the phone bandwidth. Perhaps he needs to upgrade his Pandora App. But no matter, the screen is easily readable and choosing a new station only takes a second.
I'm kinda with the other reviewer on the buttons chosen for the front. However, other Sony units are 10x worse with even less useful functions assigned to them. So in that light, the button selection is fine. My main issue is with the floppy knob. Since it's actually a useful joystick, it's somewhat understandable. But the Center push function is a little stiff and therefore sometimes a source of frustration to me. Hanging up a call or making a selection can sometime lead to something else happening altogether. But that's the price we pay I guess. I'd rather have the joystick than not.
As far as performance is concerned, Sony really hit it out of the park. Pandora, MP3, and BT audio sounds top notch. Certainly better than any FM station. I don't miss CDs one bit with this unit.
Speaking of FM performance. For a Sony, it's definitely lacking.
The amplifier in this unit is sufficient. But don't expect to win any bass contest. It really falls off when it comes to playing lows with distortion reaching the heights set by, many old units from long ago. Fortunately it comes with F/R/S RCAs, a fully functional EQ, adjustable time delay, and descent crossover. The only thing that would have mad it better would have been auto EQ/delay function built it.
Bluetooth phone works well, but I don't really like or use the phonebook function. The other issue is getting into the car while on the phone. The stereo takes over and so there is a second where you'll hear nothing nor can you talk. It should not engage if the phone is already on. Of course you don't have to use the BT when you are on the phone.
If Sony would make a competition level unit like this, I'd be all over it.
June 22, 2012
Flaky. Not what I expected for this type of money
This is a LOT of money for a single-DIN unit. This is a lot of money for a Sony unit. Those two things being said, I had pretty high expectations for this thing. Overall, it's a solid stereo for your car. There are gobs of adjustments for the sound and the parametric EQ is great. I also like the rear bass enhancement functions, all of the I/O selections and the "feel" of the unit is top notch.
Unfortunately, there are some significant issues. I am pretty confident that they can be addressed via a firmware update, so let's hope Sony has their ears on.
1. The internal USB/iPod connection is VERY flaky. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When I say "doesn't", I mean it will sit there and try to read from the iPod until it eventually throws in the towel and says "no data". Hooking the exact same iPod to the front USB works flawlessly, but that's not why I bought this receiver!
The fix? God knows, but it appears to either be a "remove the unit and disconnect the power" (losing all your settings) sort of thing, or the "will of the universe" fix. A power-cycle seems to do the trick, but there are other times when it just wakes up and decides to play nice for no apparent reason.
2. The Pandora app is really cool and useful - when it works. It too is a crapshoot. Sometimes the unit will link right up with my phone and we're streaming down the road, and sometimes it doesn't. Without fail, however, it takes at least 3 minutes to establish the connection and start streaming. Deakliller? No. Annoyance? Absolutely.
3. Having to push the "input" button repeatedly until your desired input comes up on the screen is the epitome of "designed by engineers". Few things are more infuriating than wasting my time (and attention from the road) to repeatedly mash a darn button to go from "USB" to "tuner".
Were this interface designed by someone that knows nothing about the unit, they'd quickly see the err of their ways. Here's a hint: push the button ONCE to access the selection menu. Then use the KNOB to scroll through your available choices until your desired input is selected. Push the KNOB OR THE BUTTON to confirm your selection.
4. The two colors - red and blue - are very bright, even when hooked up to the dimmer function of the car. It would be nice to be able to dim them even more. I have found that while I like the blue color more, the red is easier on my eyes at night.
February 20, 2012
