Looks great open and closed, also sounds AMAZING !
Disadvantages:
No face off feature, Radio code can only be entered using remote, battery life on remote is rubbish and some features can only be accessed using this remote .
Recommend to potential buyers:
yes
Full review
GLOSSARY: ISO CONNECTOR – A connector which conforms to International Standards Organisation guidelines in order to make all head units a standard electrical fit regardless of connector configuration on the unit. DIN FORM FACTOR – The industry standard for anti theft cages that allows all head units to fit the same space on your car (W: 18.2cm x H: 5.3cm) HEAD UNIT – Another name for an in-car radio/cassette/CD/minidisc player. SWITCHED POWER SUPPLY – A positive electrical supply that only gets to the unit when the ignition/accessories is turned on with the key. This turns on the unit itself and illuminates the display. CONSTANT POWER SUPPLY – The constant supply from the battery of your car, which keeps the memory of the unit for such things as settings, radio activation code, channels, etc…. CD-R (W) – Compact Discs recorded using a CD burner/copier. SUB (WOOFER) – A bass unit that sits in the boot and produces low frequently vibrations from the head unit to provide a much richer and sound you can feel. +ve – Positive supply from the battery. MP3 – A format for encoding music so that the file size is smaller but sounds the same – hence, fit more onto a CD than normal CDA format (CD Audio)
Okay so I admit when I purchased my car I bought this head unit to replace the standard factory fit tape/radio included with it. At the time I really didn’t know what I wanted – all I knew is that I wanted a decent CD player and after looking on the internet for a few days I finally decided on the Sony CDX-M630 with its Active Black fascia. I have categorised this op for ease of reading so, please, read on!
WHAT’S INCLUDED? Sony M630 Head Unit Credit card sized remote control ISO connector Instruction manual Installation chart Warranty certificate Stereo release keys
ON THE BACK? As well as the standard vehicle wiring connector/aerial-in there are auxiliary left and right stereo input plugs for connecting, say an MP3 player, and playing the audio tracks through the vehicle’s speakers… pretty good idea!
There is also has an external remote interface for adding a steering column remote or upgrading your existing steering remote… if the latter option is your choice you may need to again purchase an extra lead to convert the existing wiring, it, however, is just an option, not a necessity.
Finally, there is a subwoofer output for the real power!
PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE… As stereos go it is relatively easy to install in your car (installation instructions are included). It has a standard DIN (aluminium cage) housing which fits into most cars audio housing – watch out if your car has irregular shaped housing, such as a ’98 Ford Mondeo or Renault Megané, you may have to buy a conversion kit (available from most car audio stores such as Halfords, Charlie Browns or off the net) this will convert the large ‘hole’ to the standard fitting. It is then a case of bending a few tabs on the bracket into place to hold the cage in.
Next attach the included ISO connector to the back of the unit and then to the existing vehicle wiring (Incidentally, should the vehicle wiring be non standard then an additional ISO cable is required – if you call into your local car-audio retailer store you can find out exactly what you need for your make/model). Finally, slide the unit into the cage until you hear the click! Now install the battery into the remote and away you go…
IS IT MISS WORLD OR A TOTAL MISS? I own a Renault Megané with a black interior and, as in-car looks go, this thing is the dog’s dangly bits, it looks great and matches the black trim perfect, the smooth active black fascia panel shows virtually everything you need. The time in 24-hour format to an animated graphic equaliser and CD/radio text. Pressing the red illuminated small button on the top right of the panel activates the motorised rotating front panel, which flips around to display the buttons on the back and allow you to insert/remove a CD- really cool! The LCD on the back shows everything that the active black front panel does but with a blue/red circular theme…
I really like the way this head unit looks and feels. The flip down panel feels really sturdy and very well built and does not give or move when you press any of the buttons when the panel is down.
The only minor gripe I have with the looks is that the viewing angle, being and LCD, is that when you view from any angle, other than straight on, the visual crispness and contrast tends to blur slightly.
CLASSIC SOUND OR CROONER’S NIGHTMARE? The sound output described in two words – crisp, wholesome. First the media: The unit does indeed playback CD-R and CD-RW and doesn’t complain one bit, just as well as normal commercially produced CDs. It unfortunately does not play back MP3 disks or disks with MP3 files on… oh well, can’t have everything. It does give flawless reproduction of all CDs required to play.
The downside is that should your CD have several minor scratches the unit may jump and skip like crazy, it isn’t very forgiving…. Just keep those CDs clean!
WHAT’S IT GOT? All the standard features of a basic in-car CD player but including the following:
DYNAMIC SOUNDSTAGE ORGANISER (DSO): It gives the illusion of all around sound even if you only have two speakers in the car – a really cool effect that really works! SOUND MODES: Xplod, Rock, Pop, Classical, Off, Voice and Custom for that perfect balance of treble and bass. Incidentally, Xplod should not be used with a cheap subwoofer – it really will overload it – but without a sub it really beefs up the music! CD TEXT: If the CD you are playing contains a feature called CD Text it will display it on the LCD front and rear whilst the CD is inserted – generally track name and artist. CD PLAYBACK CONTROLS – Random, repeat one, repeat all COMPLETE SUB CONTROL
MMM… INITIAL OUTLAY? I paid £169 from www.incardiscount.co.uk roughly a year ago for the M630 and a few months later the price has dropped significantly to around £130 so a very good price for a Sony unit of this calibre. You can buy it direct from your local Halfords, Motorworld, Charlie Browns and other leading car audio stores so the choice is up to you in the long run. Just seek advice as to whether you need an additional wiring adaptor or car stereo conversion kit prior to purchase. I believe Halfords’ price includes fitting but check with them first…
HOWEVER, IT’S NOT ALL SWEETNESS AND LIGHT… 1. No face off feature is included with this model so when you leave your car you have to leave the stereo where it is. Don’t worry, it is coded so if the permanent +ve supply is removed the unit resets and will not work until the correct code is entered via the remote. If you feel you need the face off function purchase the next model up – the Sony CDX M830 – for a couple more quid. 2. When I purchased the unit from www.incardiscount.co.uk I also bought an adaptor lead at the same time to allow my steering-column-mounted remote control to work the unit. Unfortunately, what I didn’t know was that you need the included remote to access additional functions such as storing favourite radio stations, manually adjusting graphic equaliser settings, etc… Also should the unit lose power from the battery the remote is required to enter the code, quite annoying sometimes… unlike other head units what you aren’t told is that the remote is very much part of the unit and not an accessory (now you know!) 3. To complement this, the battery life is very, very poor on the included remote itself! It requires a CR2025 button cell battery (included) - which lasts for about 2 days… in storage! My advice? Enter the code and all your settings then take the battery out, easily solved… but keep the remote in a safe place.
SO… IS IT WORTH IT? In one word… definitely! An aesthetically pleasing in-car audio unit with all the power and quality you would expect from a Sony. It’s crammed with features and is easier to use than a child’s toy and has all the functionality of a high-end unit.
However, please bear in mind the lack of face off features and the remote control shortcomings in making a purchase decision – the lack of face-off in particular. Should your car be broken into and the thief skilful (but stupid) enough to steal a coded radio you will still be out of pocket… or have an insurance claim on your hands. Generally face off stereos will come with an anti-theft warranty, which if you retain the face and the unit is stolen, the company will replace it free of charge… something to bear in mind!
For more information about installing this, or any head units please leave a message in my guest book and I will get back to you ASAP. Finally, thanks for reading and I hope to hear your comments!
ANY QUESTIONS? Should you need to know more please consult any of the following websites below for more information:
www.sony.com www.incardiscount.co.uk www.halfords.co.uk www.caraudio.co.uk www.motorworld.co.uk www.yahoo.co.uk (keyword search: Sony CDX-M630)
More details
Instructions
Helpful / Easy to Follow
Security Measures
Satisfactory
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