Rating of the best manufacturers of car audio systems in 2022

Bose

Bose Corporation was founded by Amar Bose in 1964. Bose produces both home and car speaker systems. The first car to be equipped with a Bose sound system was the Cadillac Seville in 1983. Currently, Chevrolet, Buick, GMC, Fiat, Audi, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan and Infiniti vehicles are equipped with Bose sound systems.

Alpine

For several years in a row, systems from this brand have taken confident leading positions in sound quality. Signal separation is quite good, bass sounds smooth. The devices slightly mixed American and Japanese schools of acoustics (enhanced high frequencies and mid-bass boost). Therefore, professional equipment is more for an amateur. The overall build quality of budget and premium models is consistently high. The purchased system will last for more than a year.

Advantages:

• reliability;
• stability of characteristics;
• ease of adjustment;

Flaws:

• professional systems for amateurs.

Lexicon

The American company Lexicon was founded in 1971 and, like Harman/Kardon, is a division of Harman International Industries. The company became famous for its very powerful sound system, specially designed for the Rolls-Royce Phantom. Genesis and Kia cars are also equipped with Lexicon acoustic systems.

Sony XS-FB1330

Type : coaxial speaker

Price : 1,690 rub.

Are you looking for a worthy replacement for standard speakers? We are sure that after you find out the advantages of Sony XS-FB1330 , you will choose this device. What's so special about these speakers? Firstly, there is bass, surround sound, which causes an immersive effect in the music. Secondly, the price justifies the quality.

The speakers can even be installed independently on the rear and front doors without any problems. The first impression may surprise you a little, but after you adjust the equalizer in the MMC 12 radio, you will experience excellent sound! You will hear new pleasant sounds that are not present in the standard speakers. Let's check?!

Editor's Choice

Alpine iLX-F903D (average price 68 thousand rubles)

Alpine iLX-F903D.
Photo: yandex.market.ru An expensive “head” from the Japanese car audio manufacturer Alpine for expensive cars. The main features of the radio are a huge 9-inch touch screen and support for working with the Apple CarPlay system. True, the first one, by the standards of 2022, has a tiny resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, but in the auto world this is still forgivable. The functionality of the iLX-F903D is highly dependent on the CAN adapter for a specific car model. In Russia, the choice is somewhat limited, so if you are looking closely at this solution, carefully study the issue of compatibility. The radio is designed for installation in standard size 1 DIN, which means that the external screen may look somewhat alien on the dashboard. The peak power that the iLX-F903D can deliver to speakers is 50 W. The radio supports many file formats; of course, it can connect to a smartphone via Bluetooth and become a screen for the rear view camera.

Brand, CarPlay support, large high-quality touch screen

Cost, full functionality depends on the CAN bus adapter, which is not so easy to get

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Pioneer MVH-S510BT (average price 8,000 rubles)

Pioneer MVH-S510BT.
Photo: yandex.market.ru MVH-S510BT belongs to the so-called class. "processor radios". If you don’t delve into the intricacies of car audio, then in practice this means the ability to fine-tune the sound, channel length, and so on. In other words, for such a “head” the acoustics should be better than the standard ones. Although the radio does not look modern, it actually supports everything that today's motorist needs. Want to take music control to your steering wheel? Please. Multiple USB ports? Yes, that's not a problem either. There is also work with smartphones via Bluetooth, and not only as a signal receiver. Thus, you can configure the radio from a device on Android and iOS; you just need to install a special application. The MVH-S510BT can play Hi-Res audio files such as flac. You can complain about the screen, which goes blind in sunny weather, and the rather weak FM tuner, which rustles even with a high-quality antenna.

Processor radio, all necessary functions for 2022

Faded screen

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ACV AD-7180 ​​(average price 15.2 thousand rubles)

ACV AD-7180.
Photo: yandex.market.ru This radio belongs to the class of multimedia combines running on a full-fledged operating system, in this case Android. In fact, the control and configuration device is not much different from a smartphone or tablet. The manufacturer claims the standard size is 2 DIN, but many users complain that in reality the radio is somewhat smaller, which means they have to come up with adapter frames. In addition to Bluetooth, there is Wi-Fi and GPS on board, which dramatically expands the functionality of the device. The radio has its own memory of 16 GB, but you can also connect flash drives. But for some reason there was no slot for a memory card in such a rather large case. The 7-inch touch screen with a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels has no redundant physical control buttons, only touch zones. Well, the sound that the radio produces cannot be called a reference sound.

A real “harvester” with a full-fledged OS, GPS navigation

Installation requires “finishing with a file”, sound

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Bowers & Wilkins

The acoustic systems of this British company, founded in 1966, first appeared in Jaguar cars, and this happened in 2007. Nowadays, Bowers & Wilkins acoustic systems are mainly equipped in Maserati and McLaren cars, but sometimes they can be found in BMW and Volvo cars. It is noteworthy that budget Bowers & Wilkins speaker systems are manufactured in China, and expensive ones exclusively in the UK.

Burmester

A German company that is distinguished by its manual approach to the assembly of audio systems, as well as careful quality control.

The founder of the company, at the age of 15, became seriously interested in rock music and was delighted with electric guitars. But he could not come to terms with how badly the audio recordings conveyed the sound of such a wonderful instrument.

In 1960, Dieter Burmester created the tube amplifier. Now it is a world-famous brand that produces the best audio systems.

All components are produced in Germany, not far from Berlin. In total, 35 specialists work in production. Exemplary procedures and quality control leave no question as to how good the audio system will be.

Finished audio system elements must undergo about 300 tests and operate non-stop for a week. Only after this the systems are sent for sale.

It is not surprising that the products of this brand are chosen by leading auto companies. So audio systems from Burmester can be seen on Mercedes S-Class, Bugatti Veyron, Porsche Panamera, etc.

But the price of audio systems is appropriate. To get such an option in your car, you will have to pay at least 100-150 thousand rubles. And that's the best case scenario.

Harman/Kardon

An American company founded in 1953 by Sidney Harman and Bernard Cardon. It is currently a division of Harman International Industries, which in turn is an independent division of the South Korean company Samsung Electronics. Harman/Kardon speaker systems are perhaps the most common. They can be found in cars from Audi, BMW, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Buick, Kia, Mini, Chrysler, Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Jeep, Ram, Toyota, Honda, Jaguar, Suzuki, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Subaru and others.

Art Sound

The company itself is registered in the USA, but all systems are assembled in Asia. The range is represented by speakers (component and coaxial), subwoofers, amplifiers. Installation accessories are also included in a separate category. The build quality is high, and the brand often pleases consumers with non-standard solutions. There are shortcomings, but quite rare. Prices are above average, it’s difficult to call them budget. The manufacturer pays special attention to design.

Advantages:

• breakthrough solutions in assembly;
• stable quality of systems;
• attractive appearance.

Flaws:

• high cost;
• no own head units.

JVC

In the rating from experts, the brand won a confident third place, but among ordinary consumers the situation is completely different. The head units of this company are the undisputed bestsellers. The prices are quite comfortable for any budget. At the same time, the reliability of the radios does not cause any complaints. Speakers and subwoofers, on the contrary, do not enjoy such high interest. They sound mediocre, quite suitable for background playback, but nothing more.

Advantages:

• reliability of radio assembly;
• stable quality;
• attractive prices.

Flaws:

• speakers are for background only.

Rating of the best car speakers

What other car radios are worth paying attention to?

DIGMA DCR-420B (average price 1500 rubles)

DIGMA DCR-420B.
Photo: yandex.market.ru A very affordable option for those who need at least some music in the car. However, even in this price segment, options such as USB, 3.5 mm audio jack and memory card have long since made their way into this price segment. The “head” is designed for standard size 1 DIN. The maximum power that the radio can output to four speakers is 45 W. It’s interesting, but judging by the reviews, the sound here is not bad, and the tuner confidently picks up FM stations (at least in large cities). There are complaints about the glare screen, but such a simple radio is easy to operate blindly.

Very accessible, necessary connectors

Low-blind display

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KENWOOD DMX7018BTS (average price 24 thousand rubles)

KENWOOD DMX7018BTS.
Photo: yandex.market.ru This model is built on the Android Auto system - a version of the “green robot” for the car, stripped down for the sake of usability. The seven-inch screen has a small resolution of 800 x 480 pixels, but it works quickly and clearly. Due to the same Android Auto, “smart” functions only work when the smartphone is connected via Bluetooth. The possibilities for fine-tuning the sound have been developed here - 13 equalizer bands and adjustable time delays. There is also support for playing music in Hi-Res. The radio is designed for 2 DIN size, but it may have to be adjusted to a specific location. The only issues with this model can be the lack of a volume control knob (touch buttons only) and a USB port on the back. However, the latter can even be interpreted as a plus - with the help of an extension cord it can be taken to any place in the cabin.

Android Auto, decent sound and its fine tuning

Expensive, without connecting a smartphone, it loses a number of functions

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Sony DSX-A210UI (average price 4,000 rubles)

Sony DSX-A210UI.
Photo: yandex.market.ru Once upon a time, “heads” from Sony were one of the most popular radio tape recorders among Russian motorists. Times have changed, and the supply of such equipment from the Japanese brand has greatly decreased. DSX-A210UI is a classic representative of radio tape recorders, but with some features. For example, it does an excellent job of playing music when connected via USB. Yes, there is no Bluetooth support here, which means you won’t be able to use the device for handsfree. But there is a 10-band equalizer and even options with the powerful name EXTRA BASS. The latter, however, is a marketing ploy, adding an unnatural amount of low frequencies to the composition. And it will appeal to those who obviously don’t listen to flac music, although there is such an opportunity here. Also, the DSX-A210UI can be paired with steering wheel switches.

Works wired with smartphones, relatively wide settings for an inexpensive radio

The sound may seem simple to some, no handsfree

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7.Prology Retro ONE (average price 7,500 rubles)

Prology Retro ONE.
Photo: yandex.market.ru An interestingly stylized 1 DIN radio, the front panel of which should evoke associations with radios from the middle of the last century. Probably, such a thing would look good in the interior of some restomod, such as the 21st Volga with modern filling. The peak power of the amplifier reaches 55 W. There is AUX, USB, and a slot for a memory card. What is really surprising by the standards of the early 20s is the presence of a disk drive - now music on CD looks almost as retro as the time to which the radio tape recorder is an homage.

A truly memorable design, if you have a collection of CDs, you will have something to listen to them on

The appearance is also a drawback - it will look alien in a more or less modern car

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JVC KW-R520 (average price 6100 rubles)

JVC KW-R520.
Photo: yandex.market.ru But this car radio already looks like an alien from the beginning of the 21st century - its appearance is very reminiscent of music centers of that era. Moreover, this is a 2 DIN format, not with the already familiar large touch screen, but a monochrome display. Next, there is a CD drive. But there was no place for Bluetooth. There is a USB connector, but don’t expect full synchronization with your smartphone. But you can play music in flac from a flash drive - music lovers will appreciate it. The sound this radio produces is quite high quality. But, of course, it also depends on the acoustics.

Available in 2 DIN sizes, Hi-Res support

The functionality is somewhat outdated

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Mystery MMD-4304 (average price 5300 rubles)

Mystery MMD-4304.
Photo: yandex.market.ru How to combine a usable touch screen and 1 DIN size? One solution is the Mystery MMD-4304 with a motorized display panel. Moreover, there are many physical buttons. This radio has a place for a disk drive that reads not only CDs, but also DVDs (although who needs disks in 2022?) There is no Bluetooth, but there is a memory card and a USB port. From a completely exotic point of view, the MMD-4304 has an infrared control panel, the usefulness of which in a car, where everything is at hand, is doubtful. The sound here is not widely customizable, and users note the thoughtfulness of the interface. But you can connect the car radio to the rear view camera.

Medium sized 1 DIN touch screen, infrared remote if you need it

Interface lags, sound quality is average

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Yandex.Auto (average price 30 thousand rubles)

Yandex.Auto.
Photo: yandex.market.ru The Russian Internet giant, in order to keep up with its Western colleagues, has been promoting the Yandex.Auto multimedia system since 2022. It can be found not only in rich configurations of some models, but you can also buy such a head unit separately. Yandex.Auto is based on Android, but the shell and many features of the radio are unique. There is an 8-inch touch screen, USB, blue tooth, and support for memory cards. There are also many options such as navigation or reading messages in instant messengers. But, as often happens, the “first pancake” came out lumpy. While users can still forgive mediocre sound, slow operation, shell glitches, issues with the Internet and many other shortcomings frustrate people. Of course, something (maybe) will be corrected with updates, but why would they release a frankly crude product for sale for such and such money?

Good idea, deep integration with Yandex services

Overpriced, too many flaws

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Bang & Olufsen

The Danish company Bang & Olufsen was founded by Peter Bang and Sven Olufsen in 1925. Initially, the company produced radios, and later televisions and even electric shavers. In 2003, the company began collaborating with Audi to produce car audio systems. Now Bang & Olufsen sound systems can be found in Aston Martin, Lamborghini, Bentley, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Ford cars.

Morel TEMPO ULTRA 502

Type : coaxial speaker

Price : 8,059 rub.

The coaxial acoustics Morel TEMPO ULTRA 502 are equipped with 2-3 speakers, and each of them emits sound in an individual range, which eliminates the intersection of frequencies. According to reviews from motorists, the sound surprised them with its quality: they had not heard “this” from a standard size of 13 cm for a long time.

If you dream of a live orchestra in your car with crystal clear sound, pay attention to the Morel TEMPO ULTRA 502. They can hear every instrument without distortion, even at high volumes. It's amazing to hear the solo gain momentum (with an amplifier like the Alpine PDX-V9). If good sound at a reasonable price is what you are looking for, take it - you won’t regret it!