Sony Electronics tonight unveiled its newly relocated Mobile Electronics Technology Center (METC) at its corporate headquarters in San Diego. The METC is a preeminent, best-in-class installation facility used to test Sony’s in-car entertainment products, conduct installations for Sony’s show vehicles and provide support to all of its authorized dealers.

“The Mobile Electronics Technology Center allows Sony to stay in touch with the car audio market and helps us deliver real-time support to our Xplōd dealers across the United States,” says Andrew Sivori, general manager of Sony’s Mobile Electronics division. “With the METC, Sony can continually develop and evaluate products for our customer. The shop also provides the ideal space for completing top of the line vehicle customizations that showcase our Xplōd mobile audio and video products.”

The METC is 2,700 square feet and includes two installation bays and two hydraulic lifts that allow storage of four vehicles. Its full-service woodworking shop contains a state-of-the-art dust filtration system to keep the center as clean as possible during an installation. There is also a vehicle emissions evacuation system and a specially designed fiberglass filtration booth to remove all dust, fumes and contaminants that could compromise the quality of a vehicle during the customization process.

To celebrate the opening of the METC, Sony Xplōd assembled a dream team of installers, lead by Sony’s senior installation manager, Michael Bryceland, which “pimped out” a 2004 Range Rover owned by San Diego Chargers’ star running back LaDainian Tomlinson. The four-man team, which also included team Xplōd member Jason Syner, put in more than 400 man-hours over six days to complete the inaugural build of the San Diego METC. This build required the team to integrated Sony’s aftermarket product with existing Range Rover architecture. Sony Xplōd products used in this build included:

· Two pairs of XS-D170SI 6 1/2 inch- mid bass speakers with tweeters,
· Two XM-SD22X 2-channel amplifiers,
· Two XS-LD125P5 12-inch subwoofers,
· Two XM-SD61X Class D mono subwoofer amplifiers,
· One DVX-11A component DVD/CD player,
· Two LF-X1 12-inch Location-free touch screen TVs, and
· One XA-700C Rearview Camera