Why You Can Trust CNET Alpine iXA-W407 Digital Media Station review: Alpine iXA-W407 Digital Media Station
Alpine iXA-W407 Digital Media Station
- North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year (NACTOY) Awards Juror
Last year, we took a look at the Alpine iXA-W404 and found that though the double-DIN receiver showed promise with its swipe-based interface, the OS just wasn't ready for prime time, so we decided to wait for the next iteration. Well, the next iteration is here and it's called the iXA-W407.
The Good
The Bad
The Bottom Line
Design
Compared with the iXA-W404, the Alpine iXA-W407 is a good example of a "less is more" approach. For starters, the physical controls have largely been removed. There's no double-action encoder knob--only a row of buttons along the bottom edge of the touch screen for volume control, slide left and right (which we'll discuss in a moment), source selection, and two setup buttons, labeled visual and setup.
Having fewer physical controls frees up real estate on the double-DIN-sized face for a bigger color touch screen. The iXA-W407's big 7-inch QVGA screen dwarfs the 4.3-inch display in the previous unit, which makes the W407 an ideal receiver for in-dash video playback. Alpine also seems to have increased the touch screen's (or GUI's) responsiveness, as touch inputs and screen swipes are registered almost immediately with none of the stutter that plagued the previous generation iXA.
In addition to ditching the physical controls, the iXA-W407 continues Alpine's trend of dropping physical media from the in-car audio equation. This media station lacks an optical CD/DVD drive, so you will have to transport your audio on an iPod, digital media player, or USB storage device. Many people already carry most of their music in this fashion, so we don't see the lack of a disk drive as a con.
Because it has no optical drive hiding out behind its screen, the iXA-W407 has no need for a motorized faceplate. As a result it, the screen isn't adjustable for viewing angle. We're grateful for one less moving part to break, but if your vehicle's mounting location is low in the cabin, this may create a visibility issue.
The iXA-W407's user interface carries over the card metaphor of the previous iXA model. Tapping the Source button brings up the card-select screen, from which the user can swipe a finger left or right across the touch screen (or tap the Left or Right buttons) to select either Multi Info screen, Telephone, or, if so equipped, Navigation and Rearview Camera. There's also an Audio/Visual source select card, from which users can swipe up and down to choose radio, iPod/USB, Bluetooth Audio, and the two AV inputs. As optional modules are added--for example, an HD radio tuner--new cards will appear in the source select list.
Features
Bluetooth wireless connectivity is included in this member of the iXA family out of the box, so there's no need for an add-on module. After pairing a phone using a four-digit PIN, you are able to make calls using the iXA's microphone and your vehicle's speakers. If your paired phone (or other Bluetooth device) supports A2DP, then you'll also be able to wirelessly stream stereo audio. The Alpine's Bluetooth system is powered by Parrot.
Once paired, the system will attempt to download your phone's address book and call history for easy retrieval using the touch-screen interface. A voice command option is available, but it depends on your phone's voice engine to operate.
Other audio sources include USB playback of AAC, MP3, and WMA file types. When connected to an iPod or iPhone via the included dock connector, the iXA is able to play back any media that the device is capable of rendering, including video content. Of course, the vehicle must be parked in order to play back videos. You can also listen to AM/FM radio and pipe in audio and video through the W407's two auxiliary inputs.
The iXA-W407 is also expandable, via modules, to support HD radio, satellite radio, navigation, and a rear camera. Users can also add a rear seat entertainment system by connecting to the W407's single set of RCA AV output connections.
The Multi Info screen is home to four customizable widgets that display information such as the date, time, audio source info, audio controls, sound controls, etc. It's a neat feature to have, but we can't really see many situations in which we wouldn't want to be viewing our audio source or navigation map.
Performance
As mentioned earlier, the iXA-W407's touch-screen responsiveness has been greatly improved. Jumping between sources and functions is quick and smooth. However, that smoothness doesn't translate over to the media search function. Instead of using a smooth scroll and flicks of the finger, you must move through your libraries five entries at a time using scroll buttons, which can be time consuming for devices with thousands of songs. Alpine's single-DIN car stereos offer multiple browsing modes (percent, alphabet, and standard search) and zippy scrolling, so why is this up-market device not similarly equipped?
With the W407 connected to an iPod or a USB storage device, playback starts almost immediately and music is organized based on playlist, artist, album, and genre. In the case of the iPod, podcasts and audiobooks are separated into their own categories. USB mass storage devices must be indexed in order to provide this level of organization, but a quick index of a USB drive with over 200 songs took only a few seconds.
Video quality was OK, but it was a bit grainy because of the display's relatively low resolution for its size. While the screen's wide viewing angle makes it easy to read the large onscreen text, the lack of angle adjustment will make prolonged viewing of videos awkward in vehicles with low installation points.
One point of contention we have with the device is the rather complicated installation process, which requires you to tap both the brake light and the parking brake, as opposed to just the parking brake like most other systems we've tested require. If the brake system isn't tapped correctly during the install, the Alpine iXA-W407 will not only lock you out of video playback, but also all of the setup menus. This means that even if you're not interested in video, you won't be able to pair a phone or edit your sound settings until the proper connection is made. We understand the need for safe and distraction-free driving, but it is our opinion that this is one level of security too much.
In sum
There are places where the W407 seems over simplified and areas where it is still too complex. For example, the removal of Alpine's control knob frees up screen real estate, but we miss being able to quickly whiz through media libraries with the twist of a wrist. Behind the scenes, the Alpine's installation is still considerably more involved than competing units' installation processes, requiring two layers of security be met before even simple menus can be accessed. Thankfully, installation is usually a one-time deal, so we didn't ding the iXA-W407's score too badly for it.
Overall, we're pleased with the Alpine iXA-W407's approach to in-car entertainment. The interface is less cluttered, more responsive, and easier to navigate than the previous version's. The lack of an optical drive shouldn't be a turn off to people who carry most of their media on an iPod or USB mass storage device.