Comparison Kenwood KMM-BT358 vs Kenwood DDX-42BT

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".

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.

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).

Touch screen similar to those used in smartphones and tablets. Operating through such a screen is often more convenient and gives more options than using buttons and other classic controls. On the other hand, touch displays are quite expensive, they must be large enough (otherwise normal use will be impossible), and for relatively simple radio tape recorders, this function is redundant, more traditional control is quite enough for them. As a result, touch screens are used exclusively in advanced models with an abundance of additional features.

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.