A good head unit is the alpha and omega of car sound. Not all car enthusiasts understand that a good speaker system is far from everything. In order to fully reveal the potential of high-quality speakers, an appropriate car radio is needed. There are many models on the market from a wide variety of manufacturers. But only a few deserve attention. It’s worth saying right away that things from companies such as Sony, JVC or Panasonic are unsuccessful options. In this segment, manufacturers such as Kenwood, Pioneer and Alpine have shown themselves to be the best. The latter company, by the way, is not so popular in our latitudes. But in vain. She makes quality goods. Take at least Alpine IVE-W530BT. An excellent multifunctional 2DIN device. But about him - a little later. In the meantime, let's talk about the manufacturer.
Alpine Milestones
The official founding date of the company is 1978. It was then that Alpin turned from an intra-Japanese brand into an international manufacturer of automotive sound components. However, the company itself appeared 10 years earlier. Here you can see purely Japanese solidity. First, she seized power in the Japanese market, and then went to conquer the United States and Europe. And she did it very well. Now Alpine technology is considered a sign of taste and consistency. It should be noted that even low-cost devices of the company have the highest build quality and advanced functionality. Just such is the Alpine IVE-W530BT receiver. Reviews about him make it clear that it is impossible to attribute this device to the budget category. Although the company itself calls it that.
Nowadays, the company's products are widely distributed around the world. Connoisseurs of high-quality car sound are buying speakers, subwoofers, amplifiers, receivers and head units from Alpine. And they can be understood. Although the equipment of this manufacturer is decent, but you have to pay for quality. And Alpine has it beyond praise. Now it's time to take a closer look at a product such as the Alpine IVE-W530BT car radio. What can this device offer us? Spoiler: in the arsenal of this radio there is a lot of "tasty". It can not even be called the banal word "radio". So, let's start with the basics.
Contents of delivery
The radio tape recorder is delivered in a box made of recycled cardboard, painted with Alpin brand colors: old and blue. On the front of the package, the car radio itself is artistically depicted. Now look inside. In the box are: a shaft for installation, wires for connecting, mounting keys, a microphone, a USB extension cable and the Alpine IVE-W530BT head unit itself. Also included is a special bag for the front panel part, which is removable. In the box is a whole heap of instructions. Russian is also present. There is nothing more in the package. Even the remote control. Although he is not needed here.
Appearance and design
Consider the look of the Alpine IVE-W530BT. Most of the body is touch screen. It is the main control body of the radio. Just below the screen is the volume control, which can also be used to switch music tracks. It is good that this same regulator has the usual round shape. There are also navigation keys on the left side that allow you to navigate through folders and categories. The rest of the control is via the touch screen. The response time is decent. Like on budget tablets. And the color rendition of the screen is also not inferior to the tablet. Above the screen, at the top, is the slot of the CD receiver. The USB connector is on the back. To use it, you will have to connect an extension cord.
Specifications
Car Alpine IVE-W530BT has a MOSFET amplifier with a capacity of 50 watts per channel. There are four channels in total. What can I say? These are standard features for all car radios. Much more curious is the 24-bit DAC, which provides high quality sound. However, it would be much better if the ability to "digest" the audio format without loss of quality was added to the radio tape recorder. The standard MP3 somehow does not give such a high-quality sound, which is capable of Lossless-format. Also, the radio is capable of playing DVD, displaying video on the built-in screen. A microphone is included with the head unit, which allows you to implement the speakerphone function when you connect your smartphone to the radio. There is also a connector for connecting a wired remote control and placing it on the steering wheel. Connectors for rear view cameras are located on the rear panel of the device. As well as the jack for connecting a proprietary navigation system from Alpin.
The convenience of use
But with this, the Alpine IVE-W530BT is not so smooth. The device has a completely ill-conceived system for searching and turning over songs. She is able to deliver a lot of trouble. Especially when driving a car. Also in the radio interface there is no Russian language. This is also a minus. The menu itself is organized, too, somehow incomprehensibly. The Japanese, of course, are great originals, but not to the same extent. In general, the ergonomics of the device did not like at all. And those who purchased this car radio think so.
Wireless features
We continue to consider Alpine IVE-W530BT. The review would not be complete without a description of the wireless capabilities of the car radio. The device has a built-in Parrot Bluetooth module. It allows you to work with profiles HFP, HSP, A2DP and AVRCP. The first implements "handsfree" - hands-free mode when using a smartphone on an "Android" or iOS. The second belongs to the category of "headphones" and can be used in conjunction with a wireless device mounted on the ear. The third is used when playing music from a mobile device through the car speaker system. And the fourth manages the video playback from the internal storage of the smartphone. Also, thanks to the wireless module, the radio can read contacts from a smartphone and can be controlled by voice. However, the external microphone has a rather weak sensitivity. But it was noticed only in a few instances. Otherwise, everything is fine.
User reviews about the head unit
What do those who managed to purchase the Alpine IVE-W530BT car radio say? Photos of the device give only information about the appearance. But how does the gadget behave in everyday use? That's what owners reviews are. And they are ambiguous. A roughly equal number of negative and positive statements. What did users like about this head unit? First of all, they noted good screen quality, excellent sound, an excellent sensor and good power for an entry-level device. I also liked the design of the device. This is the strength of the Alpine IVE-W530BT. The instruction in Russian in the delivery set is also a plus, since without it it would be rather problematic to understand navigation and control.
And what did consumers not like? The fattest minus is the lack of the Russian language in the Alpine IVE-W530BT interface. Firmware from the manufacturer with the latest updates, according to some reports, solves the problem. But not always. Also, many owners of this car radio are annoyed by the frankly miserable search and navigation system. This is not even the budget "Pioneers". People also don’t like the fact that the image from the rear camera is mirrored on the screen. Also, the device reads flash drives for a long time, no matter how large they are. All this can be said little things, but they leave an unpleasant aftertaste. Many believe that a manufacturer with such a reputation could make the device better. However, it is worth taking a look at the price. For a device of this level and with such options, this is really ridiculous money.
Conclusion
So, we examined the entry-level head unit Alpine IVE-W530BT. Only manufacturers themselves can call it budget. For ordinary car enthusiasts, this is a multifunctional, multimedia device with ample wireless capabilities for the right price. There are minor flaws in the interface area, but their sound quality easily overlaps. Therefore, it is definitely necessary to take.