Alpine Presents Its Award-Winning Digital Media Receiver iDA-X305S

Today’s digital consumers demand access to their digital entertainment sources 24/7 – at home, work, play and everywhere in-between. Alpine continues to innovate and expand the in-car digital experience with its newest iPod® and iPhone® Digital Media Receiver, the 1-DIN iDA-X305S.

Alpine iDA-X305S

The new iDA-X305S joins Alpine’s current range of Digital Media Receivers, which includes the 1-DIN iDA-X303, as well as the 2-DIN iXA-W407 and 2-DIN iXA-W404. These Digital Media Receivers are optimized for users who keep their music libraries on an iPod or iPhone and therefore have no disc mechanism. A high-speed USB connection allows for superior, pure digital sound from the iPod or iPhone, as well as connectivity for USB memory devices and MTP portable MP3 players. All Digital Media Receivers meet the specifications for “Made for iPod®” and “Works with iPhone™” compatibility, and are compatible with the fifth generation iPod, iPod classic, iPod nano, iPod touch as well as iPhone, iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS.

The new iDA-X305S is a winner of the 2010 CES Innovations Design and Engineering Award for the In-Vehicle Audio category. Its high-resolution 2.2-inch color TFT screen is used to display audio source information. If the connected iPod or iPhone shows song, album, artist information and album art, this information also will be displayed on the screen of the iDA-X305S. The unit has a double-action encoder knob that is used for volume control, plus iPod or iPhone music file access. Its audio features include a built-in 18W RMS x 4 amplifier (at CEA-2006 power ratings), 24-bit DAC and three pre-outs (2V).

”Alpine continually strives to create products that deliver the best iPod and iPhone music experience in the vehicle. Our robust 2010 digital media receiver line up offers a variety of options to fit consumer needs for bringing their iPod into the car,” said Mike Anderson, assistant vice president, sales and marketing, Alpine Electronics.

All Alpine Digital Media Receivers can handle large music libraries stored on iPods or iPhones using Alpine’s Quick Search™ file navigation architecture. A push of the Quick Search button allows the music library to be searched by Playlist, Artist, Album, Song, Genre, Podcasts, Audiobooks or Composer. At that point, users can choose Alphabet Search (to search by alphabetical order) or Percentage Search (which divides the music library into six equal sections and assigns them to the six preset buttons) to narrow down their search and quickly find their desired song. These features are accessed via the double-action encoder knob found on the iDA-X305S, iDA-X303 and iXA-W404, or from the touch screen of the iXA-W407.

Alpine Digital Media Receivers are built on Alpine’s proprietary Ai-NET platform, and can serve as the starting point for building a system that includes other digital media sources and playback formats. They can connect to expanded HD Radio™ content with the added benefit of multicasting and iTunes® Tagging (Alpine TUA-T550HD HD Radio Tuner required, sold separately). Additional add-on options include satellite radio, MP3/WMA players and Bluetooth® wireless technology connectivity for hands-free phone calling and streaming audio support. (Separate tuners/adapters and subscriptions required.)

Consumers who want uncompromising sound quality that is customized to their vehicles can easily upgrade their Digital Media Receiver with the Alpine PXA-H100 IMPRINT® Audio Processor (sold separately). The PXA-H100 creates a more dimensional soundstage and a rich, enveloping listening experience in every seat of the car. Additionally, tuning adjustments can be made directly from the receiver’s display. For an easy power upgrade, the Alpine KTP-445 Head Unit Power Pack (sold separately) can be added to any Digital Media Receiver, boosting each unit’s power to 45W x 4 RMS (at CEA-2006 power ratings).

The iDA-X303 1-DIN Digital Media Receiver features a three-color LCD display with two available lines of text, as well as three different screen view options with easy visibility, even in direct sunlight. It also boasts the double-action encoder knob and Quick Search with Alphabet and Percentage Search functions.

The iXA-W407 2-DIN Digital Media Receiver features a 7-inch QVGA color touch-screen display, as well as built-in Bluetooth wireless technology powered by Parrot. This convenient function provides users with seamless hands-free phone operation, extensive phone compatibility and optimal sound quality played through the vehicle’s sound system. Quick Search with Alphabet and Percentage Search functions are accessed through the touch screen.

The iXA-W404 2-DIN Digital Media Receiver lets consumers navigate and access their iPod or iPhone music and video content via the double-action encoder knob or through the 4.3-inch QVGA color touch-screen monitor. Users can customize the iXA-W404 by selecting one of seven included display widgets, including a clock, calculator and a calendar. Up to four widgets can be viewed on the screen at once.

The iXA-W407 and iXA-W404 can be transformed into a complete audio/video/navigation (AVN) system by adding the external Alpine NVE-M300 GPS Navigation Drive (sold separately), which comes with preloaded NAVTEQ® map data of the U.S. and Canada and 6 million unique Points of Interest. Voice-guided, text-to-speech directions and street names are played through the car’s sound system, while driving maps and maneuvers are displayed on the head unit’s touch screen.

Driver assist camera systems can also be added to the iXA-W407 and iXA-W404 for convenience and ease-of-mind. Standard rear-view camera systems are the HCE-C107D Direct Rear Camera System for the iXA-W407 and iXA-W404 and the HCE-C105 Universal Rear Camera System. Additional systems include the HCE-C200R Rear-view Camera System with Multi-view, which offers several types of rear-view angles, and the HCE-C200F Add-On Front-view Camera System with Multi-view, which offer several types of front-view angles.