Alpine CDE-W296BT

Car audio systems are a key specialization of the German brand Alpine, without which not a single rating of top media receivers can do. Take, for example, the CDE-W296BT model — a charged car radio in a 2DIN layout from the category of processor head units.

Adjustments for everything

A number of important tasks for flexible sound settings are thrown onto the shoulders of the receiver's sound processor. So, the head unit can serve as the basis for building two-component systems with a subwoofer or three-component systems. Adjustments in these systems lend themselves to everything and everything for each speaker separately: time delays, frequency cuts, etc. The icing on the cake for avid music lovers is a 9-band equalizer.

Remote access

For greater convenience, the user has the right to "play" with the equalizer sliders through the Alpine Tunelt mobile application straight from the screen of the paired smartphone. Also, mobile devices serve as the main source of content for the radio. An alternative to them are USB flash drives, CDs and gadgets from the outside, connected via the AUX input on the front panel.

Out of competition

The image of the model is emphasized by multicolor customizable lighting. And it lacks a large screen with touch controls and an adequate selection of folders from a flash drive — they are all displayed on the same level, regardless of how they were loaded onto the drive. The media receiver is more expensive than peers with a traditional control panel, however, in terms of sound quality, coupled with first-class acoustics, you will have to look carefully for equals in the middle price category.