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CNET)
When we last saw JVC's El Kameleon car audio receiver, we awarded it our Editors' Choice award for its innovative interface and expandability. However, we wished that the unit featured a touch screen instead of a touch pad.
With the new El Kameleon KD-AVX77, we get our wish. The new El Kameleon features a superwide touch screen that fills up its entire single-DIN faceplate. But is a bigger screen always better?
I like my wide-screen movies as much as the next guy, but the new El Kameleon's super Cinemascope screen means that most movies will be stretched wide but will only be about as tall as a business card, making it less than ideal for prolonged DVD viewing.
We'd need to see a much bigger screen before we could recommended the new El Kameleon as a standalone multimedia solution. However, the El Kameleon's plethora of inputs and outputs, as well as its customizable interface make it a great starting point for controlling more complex multimedia systems with rear seat entertainment and external amplifiers.
The Alpine iDA-X100 is so digital audio focused that it doesn't even have a CD slot.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CNET Networks)Whether on an iPod, a USB drive, or a cell phone that plays MP3s, more and more drivers are carrying an ever-increasing percentage of their audio on digital audio players.
These users don't want to go back to shuffling CDs when it's time to get behind the wheel, so car stereo manufacturers have responded to the market by including aux-inputs, USB ports, dock connectors, and Bluetooth connections in their stereos. We've compiled a list of some of the best car stereos for use with digital media.
The JVC KD-HDR50 includes HD radio, a single CD slot, and a USB port on the front panel that works with iPods. The unit includes an innovative song tagging feature that lets you save song information for downloading.
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JVC adds 7 CD receivers to its 2009 lineup
(Credit:
JVC Mobile Entertainment)
JVC rings in the New Year with not one, not two, but seven new CD receivers for its 2009 mobile entertainment product line.
JVC Mobile's new flagship KD-R900 In-Dash CD Receiver has two USB 2.0 ports (one front and one rear) for connection to an iPod, an iPhone, USB flash memory drives, digital audio players, portable HDD devices, or any two devices simultaneously. The ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
CES 2009 preview: Big turnout for automotive gear
Clarion shows off the ClarionMind at CES, a connected GPS device that gives much more than directions.
(Credit: Clarion)For the second year, CES devotes its North Hall to automotive technology, showing the growing interest in electronics for the car. As we would expect, stereo manufacturers such as Alpine and JVC will be showing new in-dash products, expanding the idea of what the traditional stereo head unit can do. GPS ...
Read the full post at CNET's CES 2009 blog.
Read the full JVC KW-NX7000 review.
(Credit: Corinne Schulze/CBS Interactive)The JVC KW-NX7000 isn't cleverly named like its sibling, the El Kameleon, but it is just as cleverly designed. With its smart features, such as the proximity-based interface or the flash-memory-based navigation data, we found the KW-NX7000 extremely easy to use. We didn't like the sluggish iPod navigation or the omission of Bluetooth technology. However, the solid performance and fun little touches, like the custom greeting messages, ultimately made us fall in love with this receiver.
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CNET Networks, Inc.)
The simple, blank faceplate of the JVC El Kameleon KD-AVX44 belies a plethora of features, including in-dash DVD/DivX playback, Bluetooth connectivity, and USB digital-audio playback, and that's just the beginning of this receiver's abilities.
Click the image to see our round-up
As carmakers continue to integrate HD Radio into their models at the factory level, an increasing number of car-stereo makers including JVC, Sony, Dual, and Alpine have brought out HD-compatible aftermarket products over the past few months. Check out our roundup of the latest options for getting HD Radio while on the road.
Click the image to read the full review
Alpine's CDA-9885 joins Sony's CDX-520 and JVC's KD-HDR1 in the category of HD Radio-compatible car stereos. The in-dash system combines attractive styling and a easy-to-use music search interface with great-sounding output and a host of expandability options, but those upgrading to HD Radio will have to deal with a clunky module and a hefty price tag.
Click on the image to read our full review.
Click the image to read the full review.
When we got the JVC KD-NX5000 in for review earlier this year, we were so impressed with the single-DIN navigation/multimedia device that we slapped a CNET Editors' Choice on it. Now JVC Mobile is following the release of this year's "hero" product with a couple of other in-dash devices that make use of the same design. With its bright, 3.5-inch color LCD display, the KD-AVX33 boasts many of the same multimedia capabilities as its navigation-enabled cousin. While it doesn't have a built-in hard drive a la the KD-NX5000, the KD-AVX33 comes with a range of media playback options including an as-standard USB port, support for Bluetooth audio streaming as well as the ability to play compressed audio codecs such as MP3, WMA, and WAV. Read our full review here.
