Number of fixed settings
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.
Volume control
The type of volume control provided in the radio.
Rotary knobs,
sensors or
mechanical buttons are most often used in this role; Here is a more detailed description of each of these options.
— Rotary regulator. The traditional regulator in the form of a round knob, which does not lose popularity nowadays — in fact, it is he who is installed in most modern car radios. Such prevalence, among other things, is due to the fact that the rotary knob is compatible with both digital and analogue volume control circuits — which means that it can be used in devices of any level, from top-end to the most simple and inexpensive. In addition, such a regulator stands out noticeably on the radio panel, so you can even find and turn it by touch, without being distracted once again from the road. The disadvantages of rotary knobs include perhaps some bulkiness compared to buttons and sensors, but this moment is extremely rarely significant.
— Mechanical buttons. Traditional mechanical buttons — more precisely, most often one double-sided rocker button, vertical or horizontal. Unlike the rotary knobs described above, they can only be used with digital volume control circuits; therefore, most radio tape recorders with buttons are advanced devices with extensive functionality and a size of at least 2DIN (or a screen of at least 5 ", for standard models). In such cases, the advant
...age of buttons over rotary controls is that the rocker can be made very narrow and install even on a very thin screen frame, while the handle requires a fairly wide additional panel. And if you compare this option with sensors, then mechanical buttons are somewhat cheaper, and you can control them blindly without taking your eyes off the road to the radio panel. On the other hand, the mechanics tend to wear out with use, making it less reliable, and many users simply don't like buttons more than sensors, and for these reasons, and a few others, this option is relatively rare.
— Touch buttons. Controls in the form of sensors that are triggered not by pressing, but by touch. Like mechanical buttons (see above), this control is only compatible with digital volume control and is mainly used in advanced radios with large screens. At the same time, the sensors give the device the most advanced and “technological” appearance, attractive to many users from a purely aesthetic side. The main disadvantage of this option is that the touch buttons usually do not protrude from the panel — so it is almost impossible to find the right sensor blindly, and when controlling the radio, you inevitably have to be distracted from the road. However, with more or less decent driving skills and due care, this moment is not a serious drawback, so this type of control in high-end radio tape recorders is used much more often than traditional buttons.Illumination colour selection
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.
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.
