If someone were to call you two-faced, you might be insulted. But sometimes this can be a very good thing, as in the case of Sony's new CDX-M800.
This in-dash CD receiver has a split personality. It looks like just a black surface with two tiny buttons as controls and as it receives power, a high-resolution (139x39) fluorescent display springs to life with animated wallpaper. Press the open button and the faceplate reverses to reveal a silver control surface that is reminiscent of the dash in a modern sports car, complete with ovals that contain the buttons and a miniature sub-display in the center. When closed, with no display, you might not even realize that it's there.
The style options are plentiful. When the face is open, you can adjust the contrast of the sub-display for any viewing angle. Both displays have scrolling text for long file names, and dim for night driving. The main display gives you many choices for the background, including two wallpapers, five spectrum analyzers, and three animated movies. These backgrounds can be selected directly by using the image button (the only other button that appears on the outside when the faceplate is closed). You can also select an Auto-Image mode that will shuffle through the backgrounds continuously. The text information display can be set up to disappear after a few seconds once you have made a change so that your animated backgrounds don't look cluttered. A Blackout mode, where the display changes to black and reappearswhen you touch a control is more discreet.
The provided remote, the RM-X110, is about the thickness of a Hershey bar and about 2/3 the length. It has all of the same controls that are found on the inside faceplate, plus six direct access buttons for selecting radio station presets. I preferred using the deck with the face closed-you get the feedback of the detailed display-but when driving, it is nice to have the buttons in a known location so you don't have to take your eyes off the road. The layout of the buttons on the remote is pretty intuitive, although I kept pressing the Source button (in the center of the navigation arrows) when I wanted to press Enter. I had no problem finding my way through all of the functions. You can also get the optional RM-X6S wireless remote that is ergonomically designed and mounts to a convenient surface near your shifting hand.
The internal CD player will handle normal CDs and CD-R/RW disks as well. If you want to play MP3 files, you can get an optional 10-disc changer, and the deck provides full support for track/folder names and ID3 tags. Sony's optional MiniDisc changer and Memory Stick players are also supported. Repeat and random playback is available for both the internal player and outboard units. Disc naming is provided for changers, and you can select the discs by name from a list on the display. To prevent skipping, the internal mechanism has active feedback on the rotational speed as well as the focus and tracking servos that move the laser. This also helps read through imperfections (like scratches) on the disk.
The tuner has five bands, three FM and two AM, with six presets on each band. Best Tuning Memory scans and memorizes the strongest signals in the area, and can be used separately on each band. Station naming (up to eight characters) is provided. You can opt to see your station names in a list and easily select them. There are settings for local/distance, mono/stereo, and wide/narrow IF band to reduce bleed from stations on a frequency near to the one which you are listening.