OK, so the DSX-S100 technically isn't mech-free, because the TuneTray features moving parts.
(Credit: Sony)LAS VEGAS--Sony is tossing its hat into the "mech-free" digital audio receiver ring along with Alpine and Pioneer, but it's the way Sony is going about connecting portable media players (PMPs) to its new receiver that's so interesting. Sony's new DSX-S100 has an odd feature that's called the TuneTray. I know what you're asking: "What the heck is a TuneTray?"
Besides its lack of a CD drive, the DSX-S100 has all of the same features as the rest of Sony's car stereos.
(Credit: Sony)The TuneTray is a storage mechanism for an iPod or other USB device that allows users to keep their PMP inside of the DSX-S100, rather than flopping around in the glovebox or a cupholder. Internal storage eliminates loose wires and allows for a cleaner appearance.
Simply open the S100s faceplate, attach the short USB cable to your PMP, and then close the faceplate to start listening. Of ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
The iDA-X305S is one of the first car stereos to interface with the Pandora iPhone app.
(Credit: Alpine)LAS VEGAS--Regular readers of the CNET Car Tech Blog will likely be familiar with the Alpine iDA-X305, one of our favorite car stereos for iPod users that distinguishes itself by completely omitting a CD drive. Besides adding an "S" to the end of its model name, the new iDA-X305S is a real evolution of the previous model, adding Pandora Internet Radio support to the mix.
The iDA-X305S is able to control the Pandora app on a connected iPhone 3G or 3GS, streaming your user-created radio stations over a 3G data connection and out of your vehicle's speakers. Users should be able to log in and access all of the Pandora app's functions using the X305S' 2.2-inch color display and double-action rotary encoder knob, including viewing album artwork and tracking metadata, changing stations, skipping tracks, giving a song the thumbs up and down, and bookmarking songs for later access.
Using the iPhone's 3G connection ... Read the full post at CNET's CES 2010 blog
(Credit:
Alpine USA)
Alpine has just released its DPR-RDS1, which allows users to add iPod and iPhone playback to any car stereo with an FM stereo.
At its core, the DPR-RDS1 is essentially an FM modulator hide-away box, which converts a line input into an FM signal. The box is hardwired to the stereo's antenna input to reduce interference from competing FM broadcast signals. FM modulators aren't exactly new tech; my first CD changer was installed using an FM modulator back in the early '90s. However, the DPR-RDS1 differs from your general purpose FM modulator in a few critical ways.
Firstly, it's made for iPod/iPhone; which means that it features a 30-pin dock connector, instead of generic RCA inputs. The dock connector supports 12-volt and 5-volt power, so the DPR-RDS1 will also charge your iPod/iPhone while in use.
The dock connection cable also pulls the currently playing song's metadata and converts it to an Radio Data System (RDS) signal. FM radios that support RDS for displaying text can show the song, artist, and album title on their car stereo's display. OEM car stereo manufacturers haven't exactly been consistent about implementing RDS support into their units--and even less consistent about documenting it when they do--so, double check that your radio supports the protocol before making a purchase.
Because the DPR-RDS1 relies on FM modulation to relay audio data to your car's stereo, you can expect sound quality to be about as good as a strong radio station, which is noticeably lower in quality than CD audio, but still better and more reliable than wireless FM transmitters. Also, FM modulation is a one-way interface and there is no way to control the media player from the headunit, so you'll have to make your song selections from the iPod itself. Try not to spend too much time staring down at your iPod's screen in a moving vehicle.
The DPR-RDS1 Factory Radio Interface for iPod and iPhone is listed at an MSRP of $100 in Alpine's press release and $120 on Alpine's website, so expect to pay something in that range.
Check out the video of the DPR-RDS1 in action after the jump.
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(Credit:
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.
Alpine Electronics broke from the pack a couple of years ago and launched a new series of in-dash radios designed specifically for the iPod user. The company's studies had shown that iPod listeners rarely listened to the CD format in their vehicles, and almost exclusively used their iPods for listening to their favorite artists.
Alpine reasoned that if it dispensed with the CD mechanism and focused on features that iPod users would appreciate, it would have a hit. It was only partially right, but momentum is gaining.
These "mechless" head units were a real break from tradition, and many of the Alpine dealers ran into a mental stumbling block selling radios that could not play the CD format. Their iPod customers didn't care, though, and soon the "IDAX" series of products were some of Alpine's best sellers. They keep getting better and better each year, and recently I had the opportunity to test drive the newest unit, the IXAW404.
(Credit:
Alpine)
The Alpine IXAW404 is the company's first double-DiN offering in the iPod lineup. Most cars built today use this size of radio, and it offers a lot of advantages over the aftermarket's standard single-DIN design. Besides looking more factory-like when installed, the double-DIN format provides more physical real estate for the designers to work with, so the consumer gets the benefit of a larger display screen, larger and easier-to-use knobs and buttons, and a generally less cluttered appearance.
... Read MoreIt's no secret that a lot of NFL players choose to customize the whips they drive. Apparently, one company that many NFL stars choose to pimp their rides is Unique Auto Sports, a custom car company that even has its own TV show called "Unique Whips". These guys have delivered tricked-out rides to NFL players such as Jericho Cotchery and Larry Johnson, as well as other pop culture icons such as 50 Cent.
This vid gives you a hint of the type of work they do, as this web video depicts the delivery of a custom GMC Yukon to Bob Sanders of the Indianapolis Colts. The wheels are slick, the interior is impeccable, and the quadruple woofer set in the back is breathtaking. I'd really to have a look under the hood, but I guess we'll just have to assume it's as hot as everything we see here. Keep up the good work, Unique!
First car built around an iPhone, Audi's TT grows some bigger ones, Cadillac's V cars are safe for now, and where to find Bluetooth that sounds great.
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Show notes
• Cadillac CTS-V review & video
• Audi TT RS debuts soon in Geneva
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.
(Credit:
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.
(Credit:
Dvice)
As many carmakers try to outdo each other with cutting-edge technologies, we may be seeing a the beginnings of a trend to take accessories back in time, at least where design is concerned.
That makes sense, especially for those of us who appreciate vintage cars but can't stand the jarring appearance of a new digital radio ruining the aesthetics of a '57 Chevy's dashboard. Companies such as RetroBelt have figure this out with products like its "Retro Sound" sound system, and now Becker has done them one better by adding GPS features to a retro stereo of its own.
In addition to the navigation, the classically pinstriped "Mexico 7948" (we're don't understand the name either) includes an MP3 player, iPod connection, voice recognition, and Internet access, according to Dvice. It's available in Europe now, though a U.S. version is planned for release this year. But at an estimated $2,300, it might better to just buy a new car.
