IPod Head Unit Test

June 2007

The car industry was slow to react to the iPod revolution. But with maker Apple selling more than 30 million of its MP3 players, the big names in the in-car entertainment business now realise that, as with cassettes, the CD's motoring days are numbered.

So, drivers wanting to play digital music through their stereo have lots of options. Budget buyers can choose from a range of FM transmitters (as tested in Issue 950), although signal interference is often a problem. A replacement head unit cures this, and some let you control your iPod.

The market is now so biased towards the iPod that one of the nine set-ups we tested has no cassette or CD player - just a radio tuner and MP3 capability. But which unit is the best?

AS sound quality on all the systems is comparable, it's their features that are key - and we were effectively looking for an iPod in the dash. So we preferred Apple-style rotary controls, plus all the functions and information the MP3 player usually displays.

All units charged the iPod and connected via flying lead, but we wanted this to be included - we've added the price if it's not. Decks that could play audio books and podcasts, on top of music files, scored points. Using a fifth-generation 30GB iPod Photo, we assessed sound and other features. Price was a factor, too.

Verdict

For the true iPod fan, the Alpine iDA-X001 is currently unbeatable, as it mimics the MP3 player's controls. With its three-line display and a host of extras, the Kenwood KDC-W7537U comes second, while if you can live without podcasts, the JVC KD-PDR31 is superbly priced in third.

1. Alpine iDA-X001
2. Kenwood KDC-W7537U
3. JVC KD-PDR31

Top 3

1. Alpine iDA-X001
2. Kenwood KDC-W7537U
3. JVC KD-PDR31

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