Sony XS F1620

Price Paid:  $70.00 from Rockhampton Car Soun

Year / Model Reviewed:
 2000 1610''s

Summary:
The speakers I have are the 1610''s, which ate the dual-cone version of this 2-way speaker. But, for all intents and purposes, they both sound almost identical. If you''re going out and expecting these speakers to provide great midbass and clear treble, you''ll be disappointed. The only reason I got these is for some rear fill, which they do well, providing you don''t crank them up too high. Overall, buy only if you''re into looks or value...if you''re after good sound on a budget, look to spend a little more and take a look at some other speakers, such as Blaupunkt''s Pro Component series, or JBL''s GTO MkII speakers. Not to take credit away from the Sony''s though...for what you pay, you get a reasonable speaker. Just don''t expect the earth of them.

Strengths:
Cheap. These speakers cost me AUD$70 (US$35 approx.) so they represent pretty good value for money. Also, I have given these speakers some hell since I''ve had them, and they have stood up rather well...so, in summary, they are cheap and they can take a beating. Oh yeah, the cones are red too, that''s gotta be good, hehe.

Weaknesses:
Unfortunately these speakers are just that: speakers. Don''t expect anything special from them, even if they are running at recommended wattage. About the only way I can see to make these speakers better is to box them...that should provide better bass response, but they suffer from a lot of cone-flex anyway, even before boxing. The dual-cone tweeter system isn''t too crash hot either, but acceptable as far as dual-cones go. A lot of clarity is lost when playing high detail music through them. Some tracks by "The Prodigy" and "Sash!" come to mind. Dual cones simply aren''t good enough to cope with demanding music, of any genre.

Similar Products Used:
None yet, hoping to replace them with Blaupunkt Overdrive 6"''s 6x9''s in the near future...a better speaker, by all accounts.