Alpine Electronics Expands Pandora Internet Radio Control In 2011

Alpine has fully integrated Pandora® into four head units, letting consumers easily control the free personalized internet radio service from the dashboard. Expanding upon the iDA-X305S, the first aftermarket source unit with integrated Pandora controls, Alpine will offer additional options tailored to different needs and budgets: the new INA-W910, CDE-123 and CDE-122.

Alpine iDA-X305S

Pandora gives people music they love through personalized stations, which are based on the input of a single “seed” - a favorite artist, song or genre. The free Pandora app is a popular way for consumers to enjoy their personalized radio stations on Pandora. The number of consumers enjoying Pandora on smartphones continues to grow; in fact, more than half of music streamed from Pandora is through a smartphone.

With the 2010 launch of the iDA-X305S, Alpine was the first to offer integrated Pandora control from a head unit, instead of merely streaming Pandora from an iPhone® to a car stereo. The experience gained from the success of the iDA-X305S shaped Alpine’s 2011 lineup of Pandora compatible head units, resulting in easy and intuitive Pandora integration. The Alpine head units transfer the control of the Pandora app from the iPhone to the head unit itself, for an integrated experience with the car’s audio system. The hallmark of the Pandora experience is the ability to rate songs with a thumbs up or down. Building on this, the new Alpine head units feature dedicated thumbs up/down buttons (these are represented as soft keys on the INA-W910). Also debuting is the ability to create a new Pandora station straight from the head unit. When listening to a song or artist they like, users can simply press a button and the Pandora app generates a new station with music based on the musical characteristics of the chosen song or artist.

Other Pandora features accessible from the head unit include bookmarking of songs for later purchase, station search, play/pause and song skip. The INA-W910 and iDA-X305S also display album art on their color LCD screens. “Our Pandora compatible head units are easy to use and offer seamless Pandora control,” said Steve Crawford, Vice President and General Manager, Aftermarket Business Unit, Alpine Electronics. “With Alpine’s renowned sound quality and expanded lineup for 2011, we are providing a great and comprehensive Pandora listening experience in the vehicle.”

“Alpine’s seamless integration of all the signature features of Pandora contributes mightily to the reinvention of radio, specifically, Pandora in the car,” said Tim Westergren, Founder and Chief Strategy Officer of Pandora. “We’re always delighted to see and be included in innovative initiatives such as the ones Alpine puts out in the market.”

Pandora Compatible Head Units

The double-DIN INA-W910 audio/video/navigation (AVN) system with Bluetooth® wireless technology provides direct Pandora control through a large 7” WVGA motorized display. When listening to Pandora, information such as artist name, song name, album name, station name and album art can be displayed on the INA-W910. Soft keys provide control for these Pandora commands: Thumbs Up, Thumbs Down, Play/Pause, Skip Forward, Station Listing, Bookmark, Create a Station, and Info (which toggles between various viewing modes). When using navigation on the INA-W910, drivers can select the GuideView Window™ for a picture-in-picture view of the next driving maneuver, while simultaneously displaying the Pandora source screen.

The two new single-DIN Pandora compatible head units are the CDE-123 and CDE-122 CD receivers. Both products have dedicated buttons for Thumbs Up/Thumbs Down ratings and use the rotary knob to search for Pandora stations. Bookmarking of Pandora songs and new station creation are also easily handled on either head unit. The CDE-123 CD receiver has a built-in amplifier with CEA-2006 power rating of 18W RMS x 4 (at CEA-2006 power ratings), a three-band parametric EQ, and three sets of preouts (4V). It’s equipped with a 3.5 mm audio input jack and front and rear USB ports, to connect additional external storage devices or to play music from two iPods or iPhones simultaneously. It is compatible with Bluetooth® wireless technology (separate module required). The CDE-122 CD receiver has a built-in amplifier with CEA-2006 power rating of 18W RMS x 4, a three-band parametric EQ, a front panel USB port and one preout.

Continuing for 2011 is the single-DIN iDA-X305S, which is devoted solely to digital media sources. This mech-less receiver uses a double-action rotary encoder knob for Pandora’s iconic thumbs up/down rating system. Pressing the exterior ring of the knob and turning it to the right activates the thumbs up command, while a turn to the left activates the thumbs down command. Thumbs up/down icons are displayed on the iDA-X305S’s high-resolution 2.2-inch color TFT LCD screen, which also shows artist name, song name, album name and album art. Songs can be bookmarked for later purchase through a simple press of the “Preset/Bookmark” button on the face of the iDA-X305S. The iDA-X305S can also be connected to other audio sources and a Bluetooth wireless technology module (separate modules and subscriptions may be required).

Alpine Electronics’ Pandora Compatible Head Units