Alpine Electronics, Inc. In-dash car stereos

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: 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 innovative in-dash Alpine IVA-W205 provides a decent range of media playback options as well as a useful navigation service and a good Bluetooth calling interface when connected to Alpine's portable Blackbird GPS device.

Specs: In-dash, LCD monitor, CD text, Built-in clock, iPod compatible, ID3 tags support, Rear-facing camera capability, 50 Watts x 4, In-dash unit integrated, Amplifier, DVD player, LCD display, Radio tuner, CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW, Video CD, DVD-Audio

The Bottom Line: The Alpine IVA-W200 is a stylish, all-in-one, in-car multimedia unit with some impressive audio and video compatibility and control options. However, DVD picture quality is not great, and the external Bluetooth module is more trouble than it's worth.

Specs: In-dash, LCD monitor, CD text, ID3 tags support, Rear-facing camera capability, 50 Watts x 4, Amplifier, DVD player, LCD display, Radio tuner, CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD+R, DVD-R, DVD+RW, DVD-RW

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: In-dash, LCD monitor, CD text, Built-in clock, iPod compatible, ID3 tags support, Rear-facing camera capability, 50 Watts x 4, In-dash unit integrated, Amplifier, DVD player, LCD display, Radio tuner, Digital player, CD, DVD, CD-R, CD-RW, DVD-R, DVD-RW, Video CD, DVD-Audio

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