Best Double DIN Head Unit for Sound Quality – Product Review

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If you’re in the market for some new car audio products, you may have run into the need for a double DIN head unit. If you’re interested in getting the highest possible sound quality, this product review is for you. Below, we will check out the top five head units now on the market for people who prioritize sound quality. When it comes to your vehicle, it’s essential to consider the best products on the market. Most people spend quite a large portion of their lives sitting behind the wheel or in a vehicle in general. This means that your vehicle’s entertainment system is vital. It can not only enhance your experiences and your day-to-day life- it can also improve your car’s value and boost its resale numbers.

Let’s take a look at some of the things you need to know about purchasing a double DIN heady unit for sound quality, as well as the top products on the market and what they have to offer you.

Model

Product

JVC KW-V85BT

5/5

JVC KW-R920BTS

4.8/5

Pioneer AVH-X2800BS

5/5

Kenwood DDX-9703S

4.7/5

Eonon GA2175 Android Head Unit

4.8/5

What Exactly is Double DIN?

The first thing you should check out when you’re shopping for a new car audio system is the size. If you buy the wrong size, nothing else matters, since you won’t be able to install it in your vehicle. Luckily, since the late 1980s, car radio sizes have been standardized. This all started in Germany, where most car manufacturers were and still are located. These manufacturers worked together to decide on a standard radio size, now referred to as DIN. DIN stands for Deutsche Industri Normen, or German industry norm. DIN is 2” by 8”, and lately, some larger sizes have been getting more and more popular.

Double DIN is as simple as it sounds. Rather than 2” by 8”, it’s 4” by 8”. This allows for a lot of extra screen space, the opportunity to see graphics right on your dashboard, and connect to a number of different technologies. Many new vehicle models and especially SUVs feature double DIN radios rather than single DIN. Now, let’s check out what a head unit is- one of the most important terms in car audio.

What Is a Head Unit?

Before diving into the review, let’s get clear on what exactly we’re reviewing. A head unit is a key term when it comes to car audio, so it’s important to know exactly what it is. Sometimes, a head unit is also referred to as a deck. This is essentially just the technical term for what you might call a car receiver, dash stereo, or car stereo. It’s referred to as a head unit since it offers a single platform where all the buttons, options, and hardware are kept. It keeps all of your choice on one unified product. The head unit is aptly named since it is the most important part of your car’s audio system, heading up the whole thing. This is where you have control over any piece of media you’re playing, connections, Bluetooth, and even Wi-Fi. Clearly, the head unit is an important piece of technology. That’s why it’s crucial to really evaluate which one you’re buying. When you’re focusing on sound quality, the head unit is important, and its quality will define your audio’s quality. Let’s take a look at some of the details of what affects the sound quality in your vehicle.

What Affects Sound Quality?

Cars don’t usually come with the best speakers in the audio game. Evidently, stereos are not the highest priority for car manufacturers, and they may even feel like an afterthought for you. However, a lot of your life is spent inside a vehicle, so it’s certainly worth considering how your car’s audio quality is. The easiest way to quickly improve your vehicle’s sound quality is by making just a few switches and upgrades.

  • Upgrade your head unit. Using a head unit with a direct USB or Bluetooth connection quickly gets rid of audio distortion that may be present through an AUX connection. Old, factory head units and speakers are not as great of quality, and they often pose issues with distortion and echoing.
  • Amplifiers and equalizers. Upgrading your head unit to any other stereo likely won’t do the trick. If you’re on the hunt for some amazing, clear sound quality, it’s essential to keep an eye out for amplifiers and equalizers built into your car’s radio. The radio that your car comes with is likely oversimplified and stripped down to the bones. That’s why it’s a good idea to choose a new head unit that actually emphasizes audio quality and includes the tech to make it happen. Luckily, you don’t need to invest in all these separate pieces of technology. Many head units are highly advanced and have them all built-in to make it easy and seamless for consumers.

Car Audio Terms and Frequently Asked Questions

Before diving into the specifications of products on the market, let’s go over some of the most important car audio terms. Knowing what these things mean can help you make and informed decision and understand what it is exactly that each product has to offer.

  • Bluetooth: Bluetooth technology is the most important thing that you should be looking for when it comes to your car audio system. Most systems nowadays include Bluetooth connectivity since it is the best and most sure-fire way of connecting two devices. Once your phone is connected to your car, you can play music from your vehicle’s speakers, along with podcasts, other audio files, and even video files in some cases.
  • Mirror Linking: In the age of smartphones, mirror linking is one of the most impressive technological advancements. The reason that many people prefer the larger size of double DIN head units is because it offers more screen space and more to look at. With mirror linking, you can bring the screen of your smartphone directly onto your dash and look at all of your important apps hands-free. This is an important development in safety and attentive driving.
  • USB: USB is one of the most used forms of cable connection. It’s likely how you charge your phone, plug in your computer, and access a lot of your data. Having a USB port on your car’s head unit gives you a place to plug your phone in, as well as many other pieces of technology. You can even save media on a USB stick in order to spare storage space on your phone while still having access to your music and videos.
  • AUX: With the implementation of Bluetooth on most head units, AUX connections are far less important nowadays. However, auxiliary ports are still important for connection your older devices to your car’s stereos. Having the option for an AUX connection is an advantage that ensures anyone and everyone’s devices can play over your vehicle’s speakers.
  • Bass: Bass refers to the deeper tones in music. If your bass is set high on a speaker, you may feel the vibrations and rumbles of the deep sounds. Car stereos and head units use tone balance settings to control and change the levels of bass and treble that your audio is outputting.
  • Treble: On the other hand, treble refers to the higher tones in music. A balance between bass and treble is needed for optimal audio in your vehicle or on any stereo for that matter. If just one of these settings is off, you may find your music distorted or even sounding like it’s in the wrong key.
  • Subwoofers: Subwoofers are types of speakers specifically designed to amplify the bass sounds in your vehicle. Many people install subwoofers in order to have more control over the audio in their vehicles, as well as avoid some of the echoing sounds that may arise.
  • Amplifiers: Amplifiers are as simple as they sound. These devices make sound louder without compromising its quality. Some people choose to use them in their vehicles to allow for louder music. They are the same things that musicians use to amplify their music at concerts and other performances to avoid sound distortion.

Best Double DIN Head Units on the Market

Let’s dive into the review of the best double DIN head units on the market today, specifically focusing on how these head units do for sound quality. As you’ve learned, there are many things that go into creating good sound quality. That’s why there are so many options on the market, and it’s why each and every one of them have different features and specifications. Let’s take a look, comparing and contrasting the top five units.

Product # 1 – JVC KW-V85BT

Key Features

The first product we’re going to be reviewing is the JVC KW-V85BT. JVC is a frontrunner in the world of car audio and stereos. The large touch screen and easy connectivity to several apps make it easy to work with your smartphone and avoid setting up a whole new product.

When it comes to sound quality, this JVC model offers a 13-band equalizer, bass boost, high resolution audio, and adjustable subwoofer levels. This makes it incredibly easy to adjust your audio as you prefer. You can even change your sound settings depending on what kind of music or audio files you’re listening to.

The JVC model puts an emphasis on the customer’s experience. That is why there are so many different features designed to connect to any device that you may use and any format of media you may want to use in your vehicle. This model can connect to USB cables, offers high-voltage and quick phone charging, as well as the capability to connect to several other car accessories. This includes parking cameras, remote control apps, and even steering control.

Specifications

Pros
Cons

Product # 2 – JVC KW-R920BTS

Key Features

Another JVC model that is in our top five, the JVC KW-R920BTS is a great head unit for optimizing your car’s audio output. This model is compatible with many different formats of media and music apps like iHeart Radio and Sirius XM.

USB music playback avoids any distortion that you may have experienced in the past with AUX connections. Sound lift and 13-band graphic equalizers make the sound clear and crisp, avoiding any delays or distortions when it comes out of your speakers.

Specifications

Pros
Cons

Product # 3 – Pioneer AVH-X2800BS

Key Features

Pioneer is one of the foremost manufacturers of radios and other audio equipment. The Pioneer AVH-X2800BS has a sleek design that will and a tech-savvy allure to your vehicle’s dash.

There are so many different options for graphic customization that allow you to pick out the colors and designs that you want. The high resolution, aspect ratio, and LED backlighting makes the screen easy to read and easy on the eyes no matter when you’re in your car or what the lighting is like.

When it comes to sound quality, this Pioneer model is at the top of its game. Including an advanced sound equalizer and 13-band graphic equalizer, the Pioneer allows you to listen to your music in style. Not to mention, you have access to any format of media you want, even apps like Spotify or Pandora.

Specifications

Pros
Cons

Product # 4 – Kenwood DDX-9703S

Key Features

Kenwood’s DDX-9703S model is well-known for having a bunch of different ways to listen to music. With Bluetooth and HD radio built-in, as well as accessibility to most forms of audio and video, you can listen or watch whatever you want in high quality.

This model comes with a 13-band graphic equalizer that ensures your audio comes out of the right speakers and does not sound like it’s echoing. This Kenwood model is packed full of features that makes it particularly easy for customers to use. The clear resistive panel is sensitive to touch and compatible with Siri hands-free to make your driving experience as safe as possible.

Specifications

Pros
Cons

Key Features

The Eonon GA2175 Android Head Unit is one of the most modern and brand-new products in this review. Fresh on the market, this Eonon product is packed full of features and impressive specifications that make it particularly user friendly.

With 2GB of storage space, you can keep plenty of media downloaded directly on this head unit. When it comes to sound quality, the Eonon does not disappoint. With a built-in amplifier, adjustable subwoofer level, and several pre-set equalizer modes, the sound in your car will never be better. These options are exactly what you need to bring your vehicle’s sound to the next level.

Specifications

Pros
Cons

The Final Verdict

Just these five products have a lot to offer and a lot of different features or specifications. However, what you’re looking for is the absolute best double DIN head unit for sound quality out there on the market.

Based on what we have learned in this review; it may be difficult to make a decision. There are so many models that offer amazing sound quality- that’s the whole point of a stereo, so manufacturers emphasize it on many of their models. What it really comes down to is picking out the model that offers the easiest and most customizable sound settings. Not to mention, you need to consider the amount of other features you’re looking for.

When it comes to a balance between price and features, the final verdict has to lie with the Eonon GA2175 Android Head Unit. This unit’s only reported disadvantages are with certain models of car, and these issues are not widespread. Luckily, the Eonon unit is one of the most modern and brand-new of all the products reviewed here. The lack of disadvantages combined with the Eonon’s overwhelmingly positive customer reviews make it the best option of these five top products.

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