Comparison JVC KD-X165 vs Pioneer MVH-S100UB

Tape recorders with a shortened body.

In this case, shortened means a case that has a shallower depth than classic radio tape recorders equipped with CD drives. Due to this, such models are quite compact, which, in particular, simplifies installation and facilitates wiring. Of course, CD / DVD discs are not supported in principle by such radio tape recorders, but this is not a serious drawback — nowadays there are quite enough alternatives to such media. Also note that the shortened layout does not affect the mounting size (see above) — it can be 1 DIN or 2 DIN, and standard solutions are even larger.

The number of bands in the radio equalizer.

In this case, the band means a separate part of the frequency range, the volume of which can be adjusted using the equalizer independently of the other parts. The more bands the equalizer has, the more accurately it allows you to adjust the overall sound of the car radio acoustics. However, note that multi-band equalizers are quite difficult to set up, therefore they are recommended primarily for experienced users.

The number of fixed settings (presets) provided in the car radio equalizer.

The presence of such settings can greatly simplify the adjustment: choosing the right preset is easier than manually adjusting each EQ band. At the same time, presets are often selected by the manufacturer for certain genres of music and have the appropriate names — "Rock", "Pop", "Jazz", etc.; this simplifies the task even more. And the more fixed settings in the device, the wider the choice of the user. In some radio tape recorders, in addition to pre-flashed ones, user presets are also provided — they can be programmed in advance and turned on in the same way as the preset ones.

The ability to adjust the high cut without affecting other frequency ranges. Thanks to this, you can improve the overall timbre of the sound by completely removing the high frequencies, if necessary (for example, for a subwoofer). Moreover, this method of adjustment is much simpler than adjusting individual equalizer bands (see above). Typically, this function is combined with bass control (see below).

— Remote control. The radio has a remote control. This function will be convenient primarily for passengers behind the driver — from the rear seats you can’t reach the radio itself. In addition, remotes often have more keys than the stock control panel, which allows you to access various additional functions on the go without digging through the settings.

— Remote control on the steering wheel. Remote control (see above) with the ability to mount on the steering wheel. Such a remote control allows the driver to control the functions of the radio without removing his hands from the steering wheel and thus not being distracted from driving the machine.

— Control from regular steering wheel buttons. The ability to control the radio from standard buttons, originally provided on the steering wheel for this very purpose. This function is similar to the steering wheel remote control described above, with the adjustment that the "remote" in this case is built directly into the steering wheel. Before buying such a radio, you must definitely check its compatibility with a particular model of car.

— Smartphone control. The presence of software (application) that allows you to control the radio using a smartphone, tablet, etc. This is not just about switching songs on the phone, but a full adjustment of all device functions.
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— Voice control. The ability to control the radio using voice commands. The implementation of such control can be different: in some models, to activate it, you need to press a button, others constantly “listen” to the environment and immediately respond to code words. Anyway, this function allows the driver to control the radio without taking his eyes off the road, which has a positive effect on traffic safety. Note that in its pure form, voice control in modern radio tape recorders is becoming less and less common, being replaced by advanced technologies like CarPlay and Android Auto (see “Control Functions”), which also include voice functions.

— Apple CarPlay system. Support for car radio technology CarPlay. This technology is designed to connect portable devices from Apple to the radio, primarily the iPhone, although it is technically possible to work with any “apple” gadget that has iOS 7.1 or later firmware, as well as a proprietary 8-pin Lightning connector. Thanks to this technology, many smartphone functions (including the Siri voice assistant, navigation, call and message management, as well as music) are integrated into the radio; using them through on-board electronics can be much more convenient than holding the iPhone in your hands. At the same time, CarPlay puts special emphasis on safety: it is designed with the maximum use of voice control, so that the driver has to be distracted by the radio screen as little as possible. For example, the mentioned messages can be dictated by voice and listened to "performed" by Siri. The connection itself is carried out by wire, through the mentioned Lightning connector.

— Android Auto system. Car radio support for Android Auto technology. Similar to the CarPlay described above, this technology is designed to combine portable devices with on-board electronics of a car — only, as you might guess from the name, in this case we are talking about gadgets running the Android OS. When you connect such a gadget, the radio actually plays the role of an external display for a mobile device, with its optimized interface and related capabilities. Features available through Android Auto include navigation (including mobile device access to external GPS antennas and modules), music control, receiving and making calls, listening to and composing SMS, and searching the Internet. Android Auto is only available for Android 5.0 Lollipop and later; in addition, if the mobile device uses proprietary firmware, its compatibility with the radio needs to be specified separately.

— FM. This term refers to the part of the ultra-short wave (VHF) range ranging from 87.5 MHz to 108 MHz. It uses frequency modulation, which allows you to broadcast music in stereo with a fairly high sound quality, as well as transmit RDS signals (see RDS support). At the moment, most music radio stations in the CIS are broadcasting in this range. The disadvantage of FM is the limited reception area — a maximum of several tens of kilometers from the broadcasting station — so they can usually be listened to within the same city and surrounding areas.

— AM (English amplitude modulation — amplitude modulation) — broadcasting using amplitude modulation. It can be carried out in different bands, but most commercial broadcasts are carried out on medium waves in the range of 520-1610 kHz; most consumer AM receivers, including those in car radios, are designed for the same frequencies. AM broadcasting has a much longer reception range than FM (it can be hundreds of kilometers), but the sound quality is lower, so this format is broadcast mainly by “talk” and news radio stations.

— LW (English long wave) — broadcasting on long waves in the range of 148-408 kHz. Such broadcasting has a reception range of hundreds and even thousands of kilometers, and is almost independent of the time of day and atmospheric interference. It is used mainly at stations of national importance.

— MW (English medium wave) — broadcasting on medium waves in the range of 522-1...720 kHz, in fact — the same as AM (see above).

— SW (English short wave) — broadcasting on short waves, is carried out in a whole set of bands, the lower limit of which is at the level of 2.5 MHz, and the highest — 26.1 MHz. The features of the propagation of short waves are such that they can be received on the opposite side of the globe, but it is not always possible to hear within a few tens of kilometers from the transmitter. Therefore, shortwave broadcasting is mainly used for foreign broadcasts.

— VHF. In this case, not the entire VHF band is meant, but the sub-band 65.9-74 MHz, using the so-called OIRT modulation. In this format, VHF broadcasting was originally conducted in the countries of the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, but at the moment it is not very popular due to the development of FM. VHF OIRT is technically similar to FM (see above); the main differences are the bandwidth occupied and the inability to transmit RDS signals in OIRT (see RDS support).

The ability to choose the backlight colour for the control panel, and sometimes also for the radio display. The specific range of shades available can vary, whether it be a few colours or the entire RGB palette; see "Illumination colour" for details. Anyway, this feature does not play a functional role, however, it allows you to customize the appearance of the device so that it is in harmony with the appearance of the dashboard and matches the user's mood.

The colour of the backlight plays primarily an aesthetic role, allowing you to choose a radio for the design of the dashboard and user preferences. In addition, some colours have a practical meaning. So, the red backlight is extremely popular nowadays also because it is almost perfect for the dark time of the day: this shade does not knock down "night vision" and has a stimulating effect on the nervous system. And green, on the contrary, relieves excessive nervousness and promotes peace of mind. Other popular colours in modern times include white, blue, orange, yellow, purple ; they do not have such pronounced effects, here the main selection criterion is “like or dislike”.

Also note that in many models several backlight colours are indicated at once. This means that the device has a backlight with adjustable colour selection. At the same time, there are models with a choice of a full range of RGB colours.