Group test: Budget car stereo systems

In-car stereo systems have been making a fair few advances recently, now offering impressive support for popular digital media formats. Built-in colour displays allow you to play back DVDs and compressed video on the move to keep passengers happy and those who like to carry music collections around on portable players now have far more options for hooking them up to a stereo to listen to on the road. Typically you'll find more advanced devices are quite expensive when first released, but if you're happy to wait a few months you can make some massive savings. We took a look at four of the more impressive head units around today, offering both innovative features and massive savings so you can bring your motor up to scratch without breaking the bank. Overview Price comparison: Alpine CDE-9881R More info: Alpine Power output: 4x50W Format support: MP3, WMA, AAC (non DRM) Platform support: CD-R/CD-RW Display: 5x9in twin line dot matrix Front-mounted aux port: No Alpine CDE-9881R Alpine enjoys a bit of an elitist reputation in the in-car audio market, but is still capable of churning out a few bargains here and there. The 9881R is a bit of a no-nonsense entry aimed towards those who want to take advantage of digitally encoded audio playback without shelling out a fortune for extra features. Primarily you can burn MP3, WMA or AAC files to disc and play them through the built-in CD player behind the removable front panel. The two-line dot matrix display is typically old-school but does a decent job of handling media information, partly due to the effectiveness of the control layout and dial switch. You'll also find a 'Percentage Switch' feature that allows you to jump through track collections and playlists, which adds a bit more versatility to larger collections. There's also additional support for an iPod or generic MP3 player when bought with an appropriate adaptor cable. In the case of iPods you'll gain full control over your player through the controls on the head unit, so you can browse your collection and select tracks without needing the player to hand. It's available as low as £140 if you shop around, and you'll pay around £15 for the iPod attachment, making this a capable solution for handling modern audio formats. Verdict Plus points Decent audio format support, effective control layout Minus points Display could be better for managing MP3 player collections, relatively expensive for the features on offer

Overview Price comparison: JVC KD-AVX2 More info: JVC Power output: 4x50W Format support: DivX, DVD Audio, WAV, MP3, WMA, Jpeg and MPEG1/MPEG2 Platform support: DVD Video, DVD-R/-RW, DVD+R/+RW, CD/CD-R/CD-RW Display: 3.5in colour TFT display Front-mounted aux port: No JVC KD-AVX2 If you're interested in adding visual media support to your in-car set-up but shy away from the added bulk (and higher price) of fold-out screen operation, the KD-AVX2 is an impressive alternative. It sports a 3.5in display fixed to the removable front panel which slides smoothly away to reveal a DVD/CD player beneath. This is the primary source for your media content, able to play back either region 2 DVDs or content burned onto your own DVD+/-R. The display is impressive and offers a large and manageable interface through which to browse and select media content or radio stations. The range of media support includes DivX, DVD Audio, MP3, JPEG and MPEG1/MPEG2, and with an appropriate adaptor it'll also control your iPod or pick up DAB radio. Audio is very impressive too, and at 4x50-watt RMS output should be powerful enough for most. You'll also find 5.1 surround sound and headphone surround options, and shock-proof memory prevents skipping on the move. Given that the AVX2 originally retailed for £600 and you can pick it up online for less than half this price now it's a bit of a bargain. It offers superb support for your media and while the operation isn't as convenient as it would be if it had a built-in hard drive for instance, this is an excellent combination of features for the price.

Verdict Plus points Wide range of media and format support, impressive display, reasonably priced Minus points No front-mounted auxiliary for additional source connection

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