Alpine Electronics, Inc. Car audio

The Bottom Line: The Alpine CDE-102 is an excellent OEM replacement stereo, but serious audiophiles and system builders should look further up the product lineup.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player / USB flash player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-in, USB, Audio line-out

The Bottom Line: The Alpine iXA-W404 shows plenty of promise, but we'll wait to see if the touch-screen interface improves with the next generation.

The Bottom Line: For people who listen primarily to MP3/WMA/AAC audio, the Alpine iDA-X305 offers one of the easiest-to-use interfaces for in-car browsing of digital media.

Specs: Radio / digital player, Radio tuner, Audio line-out, USB, System components control bus

The Bottom Line: For users who spend much time listening to broadcast stations that offer HD Radio, the Alpine TUA-T550HD's increased sound quality and functionality make it a worthwhile addition to an Ai-Net compatible Alpine receiver.

Specs: HD radio tuner, HD radio

The Bottom Line: The Alpine iDA-X100 is a great receiver for people who transport all of their music on an iPod or MP3 player. The unit offers fantastic digital-audio integration without the need for a separate adapter, but should you ever want to just play a CD, you'll be out of luck.

Specs: Radio / digital player, Radio tuner, USB, Audio line-out, Audio line-in

The Bottom Line: The Alpine CDE-9874 is a good value entry-level car stereo, perfect for those looking to play homemade MP3 discs or iPod tracks. Audiophiles might want to look a bit higher up Alpine's lineup.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-out, Audio line-in

The Bottom Line: The Alpine CDA-9885 combines attractive styling and an easy-to-use music search interface with a host of expandability options, including HD Radio capability. However, those upgrading to HD Radio will have to deal with a clunky module and a hefty price tag.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-out, Subwoofer output, System components control bus

The Bottom Line: The made-for-iPod Alpine iDA-X001 is a useful interface for bringing a digital-music library on the road. We like its stylish design and breadth of functions, although its user interface falls behind that of the iPod itself.

Specs: Radio / digital player, Radio tuner, Audio line-out, USB

The Bottom Line: The Alpine CDA-9857 is a solid but unspectacular single-DIN car stereo. It really gets interesting when expanded through its convenient AI-Net port and dedicated iPod connection.

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player

Specs: Radio / CD / MP3 player, Radio tuner, CD / MP3 player, Audio line-out, System components control bus