Short body
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.
Screen size
Diagonal display size of car radio. The larger the screen, the larger the image on it and the better, usually, information is perceived; in addition, large size is important if
the screen is touch-sensitive (see Touch screen). On the other hand, in car radios, the display size is limited by mounting dimensions and almost never exceeds seven inches.
Resolution
Display size in dots (pixels) horizontally and vertically. The higher the resolution, the more detailed and smoothed the image is capable of producing the screen. High resolution is especially important for large diagonal displays; on the other hand, it significantly affects the cost of the device, and for a small screen it may even turn out to be superfluous (since the image will turn out to be too small).
Number of bands
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.
Low Pass Filter (LPF)
The ability to adjust the low cut without affecting other frequency ranges. Thanks to this, you can completely remove low frequencies (for example, for salon acoustics, when the subwoofer is “responsible” for the bass), without affecting other frequencies. This way of adjusting is much easier than adjusting individual EQ bands (see above).
Bass Boost function
A function that enhances the bass sound. In some way similar to the equalizer, however, unlike it, when using BassBoost, the bass boost is turned on and off with literally one touch of a button — this is more convenient and safer than fiddling with the equalizer settings.
Line out
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).
Subwoofer output
A separate output for connecting a low-frequency speaker — a subwoofer. Ordinary speakers tend to have low quality bass reproduction; a subwoofer is used to “overlap” this range, as a result, the sound becomes much more powerful and rich. However, connecting to a regular audio output would require the use of frequency filters — so that only low frequencies enter the subwoofer. A separate
output for the subwoofer eliminates the need for such devices — this connector is already filtered signal. However note that usually this interface is designed to connect an active subwoofer; passive will need a separate amplifier.
Backlight
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.
