Review: Alpine INE-W925R

My latest toy is a new Alpine INE-W925R.

I bought it in August to replace my Pure Highway 300Di. Whilst there was nothing wrong with the Pure unit, the Bluetooth in my Mercedes Audio 20 head-unit was to an old standard and not compatible with the latest generation of Android phones. As a present to myself I thought I'd treat myself not only to a new head unit, but a top of the range one.



It features DAB (obviously), FM, LW, CD/DVD player, USB player and Bluetooth, where it can be used for calls and music streaming. It supports steering wheel controls and on compatible cars (sadly not my Mercedes) it will also enable the display of the station/track name in the instrument binnacle. You can also upgrade it with a Freeview tuner (although HD is not supported) and/or a reversing camera. 

Anyway, I made a YouTube review, hopefully this will be of interest!

Still here!

Hi everyone, sorry updates have been non-existent recently.

I got a new car radio, and wanted to do a video review. Unfortunately I'm not too quick with my editing skills. Hopefully updates will be a little more frequent once again.

Permanent, but hidden, add-on receivers

One of the complaints about some add-on receivers is that you can potentially clutter up your dashboard with a separate control unit. Hidden add-on receivers usually work with the DAB tuner hidden in a box behind the dashboard. The advantages of these units is that if you are happy with your existing head unit, you can keep it and still enjoy DAB!

AutoDAB

The box is connected to your existing FM/AM aerial, as well as a DAB aerial. The box is also connected to the vehicle's power supply and has an output to the FM/AM aerial input of your existing car radio. These systems pretend to be an FM radio station, you simply pick a spare FM frequency, store it as a preset and hear the DAB station like you would an FM one. Your existing car radio needs to have RDS because this is used to display the name of the DAB station, and any menu options.

Kinetic Digitizor

Some of the systems available, such as the AutoDAB system, also require a connection to your car's CAN bus. The CAN bus connection allows the DAB tuner to be controlled using the steering wheel controls when in DAB mode. Functionality depends on your car, but even if you only have an up/down button for station selection, you can control the DAB menus with a mixture of long and short button presses. Other systems, such as the Kinetic Digitiser use a remote control instead of steering wheel controls.

Disadvantages of these systems is that navigation can be slow, especially if you have a head unit that takes a couple of seconds to update the RDS display. Back seat drivers might also be annoyed that the driver can only control some units, by virtue of needing steering wheel controls to function (although that might be seen as an advantage to some drivers). These units all seam to tune alphabetically using a stored station list too, so going on long road trips will require frequent re-tunes, however this shouldn't be a problem for drivers that just drive around the same town.

Pioneer AVH-X3500DAB - Spec Check

Pioneer have had a following amongst in-car audio enthusiasts for some time, however it has taken them until Christmas last year to include DAB in their radios. Priced from £300 upwards, the AVH-X3500DAB is a double DIN touchscreen headunit.

Not just a DAB radio

The great thing about this particular head-unit is that it is very versatile. You get a DAB radio, but also a unit that also plays CDs, DVDs and has a rear USB input, which can be accessed via a USB socket routed inside your glove box (or wherever you prefer). It supports Bluetooth for calls and streaming audio, and if you have an iPhone it also supports AppRadio (via a separately sold cable), which allows you to use around 30 phone apps on your radio.

Power output is 4x50W. The display and button backlights can be changed. At first glance, this radio is a little busy with a display as busy as the Aurora Borealis, however this can be altered to a static screen in the settings. Finally, it is compatible with steering wheel controls.

A radio you can upgrade

It is possible to upgrade the AVH-X3500DAB too. It is possible to add GPS navigation with an add-on module (for around £400), as well as a reversing camera and DTT tuner (for Freeview). Whilst collectively the cost of these upgrades might be the same as just buying a head unit with all of the features in, if you have a limited budget it is a handy way to add extra functionality as and when you can afford it.

DAB features

When using the radio in DAB mode, you are presented with information about the genre, the multiplex name and station name. It's possible to browse stations alphabetically or by multiplex. There's no recording feature on this radio, but you can pause and rewind. Pioneer claim there enough memory on-board to pause up to five minutes of radio at 192kbps. As only BBC Radio 3 is the only station broadcast with such a high bitrate in the UK, in reality you'll actually get a little bit longer.

My usual disclaimer - I haven't seen this radio in the flesh, this is simply a look at the Pioneer AVH-X3500DAB on paper. 

Aerial options

An often overlooked aspect of in-car DAB set-ups is the correct aerial. If you want a decent experience you have to use a decent aerial, it's as basic as that. This page contains a run down of the different styles of aerial available. It is worth spending a few pounds more on a quality aerial and installation to ensure you get good quality reception.

Aerial splitters

One option to avoid unless there is absolutely no alternative is to split the signal from your existing FM aerial. Car manufacturers spend a lot of time on making sure that the FM aerials supplied are discrete and do a good job of FM reception. As a result, you'll find trying to split one will probably make your existing FM reception worse and will provide an unsatisfactory DAB experience.

Internal glass mounted aerials

These are a basic option, and are often found included with quick fit add-on devices and sometimes as a freebie with DAB head-units. If installed correctly, on non-heated windscreens, you'll find that DAB rece[tion is possible in strong signal areas. However, reception may be difficult on fringes and if you have a heated windscreen you'll need to consider a roof aerial.

External glass mounted aerials

A better option (and one I use) is to have an external glass mounted aerial. Mounted to your windscreen on the outside is the aerial itself, which feeds through to a plate on the inside of your windscreen and through a cable to your radio. The aerial is held in place with a strong adhesive, so it can be removed at a later date if needed with no damage to your windscreen. You'll get good reception in areas of official coverage, and also fringe coverage too.

Roof mounted aerials

The best option for any installation is to get a roof mounted aerial. You can go for a permanent aerial mounted to your roof, or a magnetic aerial. Some roof mounted aerials are also capable of GPS and/or FM reception, so it is worth while to shop around. If you have a heated windscreen, a roof mounted aerial is really your only option for decent DAB reception. You will find that with a roof mounted aerial, you'll have great reception in areas of official coverage and possibly beyond when outside of official coverage areas.

Pure Highway H240Di and H260Dbi - Spec Check

When I heard that Pure were launching a new DAB head unit I was quite excited as previous Pure in-car DAB products such as the original Pure Highway and the Pure Highway 300Di were both revolutionary at the time they were released.

A couple of weeks ago Pure launched not one, but two new DAB head units. They are single-DIN in size, so will fit nearly all cars out there. I suspect Pure will have success with these radios simply because they are a well liked brand, but does that mean they are the right choice for you?

Pure Highway H240Di

This is the most basic head unit available. It contains the basics you'd expect from a head unit, such as detachable fascia, CD player and line-in. It also has a front USB port, which is compatible with MP3 play back and can also be used for iPod/iPhone play back and charging as well as any future software updates. Power output is a modest 4x45W. It's only available at Halfords, and the head unit only is £129.99.

Pure Highway H260DBi

The second head unit from Pure, isn't that much more expensive than the H240Di at £149.99, however it does also boast Bluetooth for hands free calling and audio streaming, as well as a better 4x50W power output. You are also able to customise the colour of the backlight too from one of twelve options.

DAB operation
Both units sport a two line display. The top line always displays the name of the station being listened to, whilst the bottom line can be tabbed between multiplex name, programme genre, scrolling text and the time. Station selection is typically Pure, unlike many DAB car radios that allow tuning by multiplex, the Pure requires a full scan like it's other DAB radios. I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, if you only ever drive around one location this is possibly a good system as you'll be always covered by the same multiplexes. However, if you do regular journeys of any distance you may find constantly retuning your radio annoying compared to tuning by multiplex. 

Run of the mill
I was first excited when I heard Pure were launching a new DAB head unit, however there is nothing that makes this radio special compared to anything else you can buy for your car for similar money. A real let-down with these units is that unlike other comparably priced car radios steering wheel control is not supported. 

I haven't had the chance to have a play with either of these radios yet, this blog is simply a look at them on paper. I reckon that these radios will sell very well for Pure, but it's a shame there's nothing about them that makes them anything special like the previous two Pure Highway devices were.

Review: Pure Highway 300Di

Over a year ago I bought a car which had a fairly decent head-unit, but with no FM. So rather than replace it I purchased a Pure Highway 300Di. At the time I put a review of it on YouTube, which you can view below.

The Pure Highway 300Di is more expensive than it's predecessor, the original Pure Highway, however it also has a few more features and comes with a much better aerial. This device is a permanent add-on, it needs to be wired directly to your vehicle's battery supply and the aerial is an external glass mount type. Unless you are confident with car electrical systems, it is best left to a professional to install. Halfords offer a fitting servce, but I don't trust them with my car, so I got mine installed for a modest fee by an independent car audio garage.

What makes the Pure Highway 300Di special compared to other in-car DAB systems is that it has twin DAB tuners. Whilst you can only listen to one channel at a time, the other tuner is always scanning in the background for new stations to add to the station list and deleting stations that become out of area. It isn't a perfect feature though, because if you drive through a tunnel with no DAB reception it can take a short while to repopulate the channel line-up when you do regain reception again. It'd be nice if there was a way for both tuners to scan for stations (to speed up the process) when all stations are lost, but this is likely to be an infrequent occurrence and to be blunt isn't really much of an issue for day to day use.

I've read that some people are put off by this device because it might look like a SatNav and attract potential thieves, but if you watch the video, you'll see that I have mine installed in a discrete location, so it is possible to hide the controller out of sight if I want too. If you aren't bothered about having the controller in a discrete location, you can also slide it out from it's cradle and hide it somewhere else. However, if it did get stolen the joke is on the thief as the controller doesn't do anything on it's own. The DAB receiver is actually contained within a black box which is placed behind the dashboard by the installer.

Finally, the Pure Highway 300Di does come with an external glass-mount aerial. It's pretty decent. It's powered and the whip detaches should you want to take your car through a car wash. Because it is an external glass mount aerial, it is possible to remove at a later date should you wish to. Whilst an external glass mount aerial isn't as good as a roof mounted aerial would be, you will not have any issue for day to day reception within officially served DAB areas, and some fringe reception will be possible too. 

Hang on a minute... the Alpine EZi-DAB looks a lot like this unit
You'd be right in thinking the Pure Highway 300Di and the Alpine EZi-DAB look similar, and that's because they are the same basic unit. Although made by Pure, the Apline unit also has the option to change the colour of the backlight, and it comes supplied with a different style of aerial.

Features

• Pause/rewind live radio
• USB input to play MP3 files
• audio output to head unit via line out or FM retransmission
• twin tuner - automatic station list updates
• stations are listed in alphabetical order
• external glass mounted aerial provided

Options available to convert your car

When in comes to in-car DAB digital radio, it may surprise you to learn that there are multiple options available to convert your car to DAB. In this post I'll summarise some of the options that are available to you. 

Quick fit add-on 

Original Pure Highway

The most basic way to add DAB to your vehicle is to go down the route of a product that is quick to fit, much the same way as a SatNav. The general principle of these products is that there is a stick-on or magnetic aerial connected to a control device. The control device is often stuck to the windscreen, which takes power from a cigarette lighter connection. The audio is either transmitted wirelessly to your existing FM car radio or through a cable to an aux input if your radio has one. An advantage of this option is that it isn't a permanent one, so you can move them between multiple vehicles. However, there are a few downsides to these products. The windscreen aerials are not the best for picking up signals, and there are likely to be wires trailing across your dashboard, which doesn't look too pretty. 

Permanent add-on 

Alpine EZi-DAB

OK, so perhaps I am telling a little fib here because if installed correctly and carefully any installation can be removed without trace it was ever there. For some people, you may be perfectly happy with the existing car radio you have, so why change it? There are some devices which have a totally discrete installation controlled using steering wheel controls, whilst others have separate control units. 

DAB head-unit 

Kenwood DNX5230DAB

The best option (if you can afford it) is to go for a proper DAB head-unit. You may think that it is not possible to replace the radio that came built-in to the dashboard of your car, but actually you'd be surprised because nearly all integrated car radios can be replaced. Further more, most DAB head-units are compatible with steering wheel controls, so there really isn't much for you to lose. These days there are some very versatile head units offering a range of extra features from USB playback to Bluetooth and even SatNav!

Another way?

If you have a particularly modern vehicle, it may be that your car manufacturer already sells a DAB module for your existing head unit. Although this is likely to be poor value for money compared to other DAB conversion options, for those who like to keep their vehicle with all original fittings it may be a consideration. For those with much older vehicles, I am aware that some owners have been happy with a hacksaw and soldering iron and had a go at their own installations using standard kitchen DAB radios.

Welcome

Hello there. Welcome to my blog. I've started this up because there doesn't seem to be place online that places information about in-car DAB digital radio options in one place. I've had DAB in that cars I've owned since 2007, and hope to impart the advice and lessons I've learned over the years to you.