And the Headunit of the Month is… the Alpine UTE-72BT
Alpine have always been world renowned for their vision, superior sound engineering and uber high-end quality, but now they get to add another string to their proverbial bow – almost unbelievable value for money. Just check out this fresh offering for 2013. A full-on multimedia headunit for under the magical hundred quid? From Alpine? Yes please!
CONNECTIVITY
The first thing you’ll notice about this particular work of art is the lack of CD mechanism but then, these days, is that really an issue? I mean, those shiny metal discs aren’t quite as popular as they used to be right? Instead the UTE-72BT utilises front USB and AUX ports for MP3, WMA and AAC playback via your iPhone, Nokia or just about any other device out there. It also has their ever-important Bluetooth BT Plus system which is set up not just for calls but for live music streaming too. Impressive.
APP DIRECT
Here’s a novel feature for all you iAddicts out there. Unlike most other systems Alpine’s APP Direct software keeps your iPhone fully operational when connected meaning you can still use your APPS like internet radio, YouTube and whatever else you happen to be rocking. With that in mind all those lovely App sounds will be played straight through the car’s system. Great for a 140dB game of Angry Birds!
THE OTHER STUFF
Although Alpine is a brand not normally associated with the budget end of the market, they haven’t skimped to bring the prices down, and their famous quality is more than apparent in the design of this little beauty. In fact, it stands up to units at two or three times the price with relative ease. It’s not short on power either, with a usable 4x50Watt internal amp and, if that’s not enough, there are two cheeky pre-outs ready and waiting to help expand your system.
QUALITY SOUNDS
Yes, this is a unit designed to play compressed music files but, that doesn’t mean the sound quality will be destroyed. For a start they’ve incorporated their revolutionary MediaXpander technology. This system is designed to detect and replace the high and low frequencies lost in the compression process to get the most out of any media. Add a built-in EQ, along with high and low pass filters, and you’ve got a lot of tweakability in a reasonably-priced package.
Price £99.99
For more info see Alpine
