Comparison JVC KW-X850BT vs JVC KD-X272BT

The size of the car radio in width and height, which determines the possibility of installing it in a car. To successfully install the radio, it is necessary that the corresponding socket in the car is the same size as the radio itself, or larger.

The universal unit of measurement for installation dimensions is DIN: 1 DIN corresponds to a width of 178 mm and a height of 50 mm. In this case, devices of different standard sizes have the same width and differ only in height:

- 1 DIN. The most common size of modern car radios (see dimensions above).

- 2 DIN. This standard size corresponds to a radio height of 100 mm and a width of 178 mm. Typically, 2 DIN size devices have quite powerful devices with a large number of additional functions - for example, they are often equipped with large color screens, suitable even for watching videos.

A separate variety is the so-called. standard radios. These are devices that were originally manufactured for a specific brand of car and, as a rule, are supplied immediately with them in one of the complete sets. Such radios have their own unique mounting dimensions, often not related to the DIN standard, as a result of which they cannot be installed in any car models other than tech for which they were originally intended. In addition, installation and dismantling of standard radios is usually much more diffi...cult than that of universal ones. For additional information, see paragraph “Original radio for”.

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.

Features of the design of the front panel installed in the radio. One device can combine several features at once - for example, the removable panel may well be folding.

— Removable panel. Possibility to remove the front panel of the car radio and take it with you when leaving the car. The meaning of this function is to protect against theft: firstly, the front panel is the most accessible and attractive part of the radio for thieves; secondly, this reduces the likelihood of the theft of the radio itself, because a device without a control panel is of rather little value.

— Retractable screen. A retractable screen is usually the preserve of premium radios. When folded, such a screen is hidden in the mounting socket of the radio in a horizontal position, and when working, it moves out and becomes vertical. Thus, with the relatively small dimensions of the radio itself (see Mounting size), it can be equipped with a fairly large screen, allowing you to even watch videos comfortably.

— Motorized. This feature means that the display of the radio is equipped with a motor drive, due to which you can change the angle of the screen. This function is especially important in light of the fact that in relatively inexpensive types of matrices the image is normally visible only from a certain angle. However, the ability to adjust the tilt of the screen may be usef...ul in any case.

- Tesla Style. The front panel is made in the style of the on-board computer of Tesla cars. The main feature of this design is a huge touch screen by the standards of a car radio (about 12"), from which you can control not only the radio, but also various functions of the car itself - for example, climate control. Accordingly, such radios have extensive capabilities. They They are usually standard (see “Original radio for”), and are produced not only for Tesla, but also for other car brands.

Media types supported by the car radio.

— CDs. Support for optical discs usually assumes at least compatibility with CD, the ability to work with DVD is somewhat less common . For more information about these types, see "Disk Types". Here we note that nowadays, disks are gradually being replaced by more compact and functional media — in particular, memory cards and USB devices; so many modern radio tape recorders, including high-end ones, do not have optical drives at all.

— Memory cards. Ability to work with removable memory cards, usually SD or microSD; the module for reading them is called a card reader. This feature is convenient primarily because such cards are supported by many other devices — in particular, laptops and photo / video cameras. The card reader facilitates the exchange of data between these devices: for example, a selection of music from a laptop can be written to a memory card. Note that the specific type of supported cards needs to be specified separately — the (micro)SD format includes several varieties that are not quite compatible with each other.

— USB drive (front). The ability of the radio to work with external USB-drives — " flash drives ", hard drives, MP3 players, etc. — to pla...y content directly from them. In this case, it means connecting such media to the USB connector located on the front panel of the radio — it is convenient because the connector is in close proximity, right at hand.

— USB drive (rear). Connecting USB drives (see above) through the rear panel. However, the external device is connected not directly to the rear panel, but to an external USB connector, which, in turn, is connected to the rear panel with a cable. Such a connector does not take up space on the front panel, but you can place it on a shelf under the dashboard — and the connected drive will not stick out of the radio, but lie neatly on the shelf. But in standard radios (see above), the “rear” connection can be carried out a little differently — there the cable from the rear panel can be connected to the standard USB socket on the instrument panel using a special connector.

— Connecting an iPod/iPhone. The ability to connect portable devices from Apple to the radio — primarily iPods and iPhone smartphones — through a special docking connector. Even the simplest options for such a connection, in addition to playing music, provide a number of additional features — in particular, control of the player's functions (for example, switching a track) from the control panel or remote control of the radio itself. And the most advanced models have a proprietary CarPlay system; for more information about it, see "Control functions".

— Android connection. The ability to connect smartphones and other devices based on the Android operating system to the radio. Connection methods may vary: for example, some radio models support only a wired connection, others can use Bluetooth (see "Multimedia"). The same applies to the set of functions available in each case, this point should be clarified according to the manufacturer's official data. Specific features include direct playback of music from the phone (with control through the radio), working with the contents of its drive, watching videos, using the radio as a car kit for receiving calls, etc. And in high-end models, there is support for Android Auto smartphone integration technology; for more information about it, see "Control functions".

The presence in the radio built-in DSP — digital sound processor.

Such a processor improves the overall sound quality and provides additional options for its adjustment. One of the most important DSP functions is time correction: it allows you to adjust the acoustics so that the sound from speakers located at different distances from the user reaches it at the same time. Such coordination significantly improves the impression of the sound. In addition, radios with DSP necessarily have a digital crossover (frequency separation) and an equalizer with a fairly large number of bands.

The presence of a processor significantly affects the price of the radio, but in most cases this is a justified payment for the sound quality. But the unequivocal disadvantage of "processor" models is the difficulty in installation and configuration, for this it is best to contact a specialist.

— 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.

The number of line outputs (see above) provided in the design of the radio. It should be noted that usually these outputs use RCA connectors (“tulip”), and the analog format allows only one audio channel to be transmitted through one such. Therefore, to work with a stereo signal, two RCA connectors are required, and just a pair of such jacks is considered to be one line output - a set designed for one set of stereo speakers. The main difference between this interface and the same RCA used to connect speakers (see above) is that the line output receives a signal from a preamplifier that is unsuitable for feeding to passive acoustics. Such a signal must be sent to active speakers or an external amplifier (whereas the speaker is connected to the output of a power amplifier designed for passive speakers).

— 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.