Recently I’ve received a few emails asking what the best double din car stereo is. Without any further information, the best response to this is “What are your requirements?”. For every person looking for a new car stereo, the best head unit for them is one that fits their wants and needs.
The place that I usually start with in deciding what to buy, whether it’s a car stereo or any other item I’m looking at, is price. What is my budget for this? How much am I willing and able to spend on it to get what I want. This step can, literally, cut down the prospective buys from thousands to hundreds or even tens of options. Which makes the act of comparison that much easier. And besides why would I want to compare stereos that I couldn’t afford anyway?
Once I have a price range in mind, it’s time to focus on the features. The best way I’ve found to do this, is to put them in three categories. The first is the “must haves” that I really need (or want if the desire is enough). The second is the “maybes” that I would like but aren’t as important and I could live without if required. The third is the “don’t wants” which are made up of the features that I have no use for and don’t foresee needing at any time in the future.
Okay, so what are some of the features that should be put in these categories? Well, let’s start with one of the most common these days, iPhone/iPod/iPad connectivity. This is something that could be in the must haves, but if you don’t have one of these devices, it should go into one of the other categories. Will you get one in the future or are you sure you’ll never get one, at least for the lifetime of the new stereo (also brings up the question of how long you intend to keep this stereo/car). Along with this goes bluetooth connectivity which can be used for other phones.
Another thning that a lot of people are now looking at is remote controls. Is it something I’d like or is it more of a gimmick? Would I even use it if I had it, or would it be just as easy doing everything on the main unit?
Some other things that are relatively common these days, but need to be prioritised are dual zone operation, navigation systems (do you have another GPS that you can use and save money in not having it in the head unit?), real-time traffic via XM Satellite Radio, usb ports and rear view safety camera.
There’s probably more things that will come to mind later, but for now the above details should be able to put you on the right track in getting the best double din car stereo for you.