Has anyone installed a Sony DSX-GS80 media receiver head unit?

I'm replacing an aging Alpine IDA-X305 media receiver that's no longer happy direct connecting to the latest iPhones and does not include Bluetooth audio without an additional (now discontinued overpriced) adapter. It's wired into the standard harness without a direct connection to the battery. I don't have any other amplification in the car and don't intend to add any.

In reading the manual for the Sony DSX-GS80, it states that the unit can draw 15A and should be connected to ground and power with AWG14 wire. Does the the stock power source and wires meet these requirements? Or do I need to make a direct connection to the battery to ensure I'm providing the unit with adequate power? I have attached the a copy of the manual page that notes this.

 

It's a little mysterious why the DSX-GS80 Owners Manual says in one section "during full power operation
a current of more than 15 A will run through the system" and then in the specs it says the "rated current
consumption" is 10 amps. The Sony headunit's fuse in any event is 15 A, as is the car's fuse which supplies
the power to the headunit (# 22 in the under-dash fusebox), so it should work without a separate battery
connection.

 

I’m guessing it’s Average V Max power. It makes sense to run a direct connection of thicker gauge wire since likely you bought this unit because it can provide more than double the RMS to your speakers compared to other decks, let it work efficiently as possible. Let us know how it sounds.

 

That Sony is a nice looking unit.

 

@oth - Interesting observation regarding the conflicting information in the manual. Normally, the manuals from Sony I've received with other products are OK. This one not so much. I appreciate the opinion, because based upon what you noted the wiring going to the existing radio should in theory be sufficient.

@starchland - I'd prefer not to go to the trouble of wiring a direct connection (which is also something I've never done), but may go in that direction since I'd prefer not to find out after the fact that the unit is cranky without it. Based upon the radio's specification, it should in theory work fine without going with a direct connection. I'm pretty sure Sony is using very a efficient Class D amp to generate that much power and it's rated 100Wx4 is @ 2 ohms. I've read some reviews on Amazon where the purchaser wasn't able to use their existing power feed in their particular vehicle due to their circuit not delivering enough power. So it's definitely drawing a good amount of power, and when it comes to a power feed it's always safer/better to have more available than needed than cutting it too close.

More opinions are certainly welcome, of course!

I'll let everyone know how the install goes and how the unit performs in general. Single-din unit options are few and far between these days. The was the most interesting one I found that was produced fairly recently and didn't have a CD player.

 

If it comes down to it, you can connect your +12v wire to the "D" terminal in the under-dash fuse box rather than the battery -
it's supplied by a 40-amp circuit in the under-hood fuse box. Be sure to use a 15-amp inline fuse near the fusebox end of
your connection.

E - on with the headlights
D - on all the time
C - on with the ignition

 

@oth - I like that idea! I've wired into the switched circuit years ago for a radar detector. Seems like a much easier approach than having to run a wire from the battery and poke through the firewall given I'm not installing anything more than the head unit. Thanks for the tip!

 

I just received this unit for Christmas as a gift and was wondering if it would be compatible with all the dash controls including the mute button? Was going to get the modifry DCI but does that metra or axxess dash controls adapter also provide this functionality?

Thanks

 

This weekend I removed my Alpine IDA-X305S (along with it's external bluetooth interface module, an Axxess dash control interface + relay that was installed with it, plus a huge early XM radio module) and installed the new Sony DSX-GS80. I installed the Sony with a Modfry DCI plus SCV connection and a new XM radio module.

Even though I originally powered the unit from the factory harness to get things running, I disconnected the power and ground wires and then tapped the 40 amp constant connection at the fuse box to feed it power and made a new ground connection to a bolt located behind the small console cover on the passenger of the radio. I still wanted to ensure the head unit had all of the power it needed even if it was unnecessary / overkill. The gauge of wire feeding the power to the factory harness is pretty thin which was my final deciding factor in doing the extra work which may or may not be necessary. Many thanks to @oth for letting me know I could stay within the interior of the car to get the power I wanted because I did not relish tapping the battery for power and running a wire through the firewall.

Overall, the Sony installation went without a hitch. I was so relieved given I've never installed a head unit it a car before and had to excavate quite a lot of older stuff that worked just fine but its was a spaghetti fest of wires given the external bluetooth module and the old XM radio module all had their own power feeds from the old Axxess head unit harness. I was also relieved that the radio door closed perfectly, so rest-assured this particular head unit is a good fit.

The Sony fit into the dash nicely. To keep the wiring behind it to a minimum and provide easier access to the extra stuff without the need to ever have to remove the head unit, I installed the Modfry DCI, XM radio module, and the Sony's rear USB cable in the cavity behind the passenger lower dashboard cover. In case you're wondering, the Sony USB cable is attached to a USB extension cable that runs to the inside of the rear center console. I didn't want to run the Sony cable to the center console. I wondered if it would be long enough, but that didn't matter since I already had a good cable installed that had connected to the Alpine unit I removed.

At the time I purchased it, the Alpine unit was considered to be a great head unit. It served me well, until I could no longer get more recent iPhones to work with it. But the Sony completely blows it out of the water in every respect - the functionality is excellent, it has more power, and as you can see in the picture you can adjust the color of the illuminated display control and the display itself to be a perfect match with the rest of the dash. I was amazed that I could crank up the volume on the Sony with little to no distortion at the top end of its range. I'd say the only I'm not impressed with thus far is the Sony iPhone app that interfaces with the unit, but maybe I just need to spend more time learning it. I've attached two pics so you can see the unit and where I placed all of the "extra" stuff to ensure the head unit comfortably fit.

I'd highly recommend this mechless head unit as an option worth considering to anyone in the market for something that's about as modern as you can get in a single-din unit without a fancy display screen.

 

@wirebrat was eyeing this unit for its rms channel power. The dyno I have seen of the unit does not disappoint. What door speakers are you using? Would be nice to ditch my separate amp.