The car stereo is perhaps the most overlooked of all the car accessories. It’s also the last to be updated, which makes sense because cars are manufactured rapidly and their cycles for ownership are fairly long, so stereos don’t stay up-to-date.
If you find yourself with an outdated car radio, what are your options? Are you stuck with it forever? Can you do something about it?
Fortunately, there’s a solution – double din stereos. These are basically like smartphones for your car. They have apps, bluetooth, wireless capabilities and are connected to your smartphone.
Whether you’re looking for the best double din stereo or the best double din head unit with navigation, we’ve found the best 7 on the market.
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Before we get into the list, let’s take a look at exactly what a double din car stereo is and it’s functionality.
What is a Double Din stereo?
First of all, din is an acronym for a German – Deutsches Institiut für Normung. This is the German standards organization. Din is a measurement, specifically, the standard size for a car radio.
That means that double din is twice the size of single din radio. The double din stereos are more powerful, faster, and have more features than a single din radio.
So, we have the Germans to thank for standardizing the size of car radios despite hundreds of different cars and manufacturers. Interestingly, while the width and height of the radios are well established, there’s some leeway for depth.
A double din radio is fairly recognizable by its features. The touchscreen is the easiest one to spot, as most double din radios will have a digital screen.
Double Din Stereo Features
Double Din stereos are a long way from the dial-turning, static-laden car stereos of decades past. They have several advanced features to choose from. The number of features depends on how much money you’re willing to spend.
Features include internet access, apps, games, DVD Players, Apple CarPlay or Android compatibility.
Here are some of the most important features to look for:
- Music file compatibility. This is important for people who have their own music collection