Digital media is quickly becoming the new industry standard for car audio, and the ability to quickly navigate, organize and play your music and video is a must for any audiophile today. Have you ever been driving down the road and you have to ask your passenger to find your favorite album out of a bulky CD wallet? With today’s innovative receivers, there is no need to keep those cluttering CD’s around any longer. iPod’s, flash drives and SD cards can store hundreds of songs that are conveniently accessible, while the average CD-R will only hold 74 minutes of music. Naturally there are some media receivers that rise above the rest in terms of quality and ease of use, and here we will highlight the top three digital media receivers for 2011 that should be considered when shopping for your new car stereo.

Pioneer MVH-P7300

To start off, we are introducing a head-unit that has the ability to play streaming music from your iPhone, or even tag your favorite songs on the radio to later view and download in your iTunes. The Pioneer MVH-P7300 seamlessly integrates all of your digital media into your vehicle with style and quality. The Advanced Sound Retrieval system restores frequencies that are typically lost with digital music compression. With the optional Pioneer CD-MC20 Auto-EQ microphone that detects and adjusts playback you won’t ever have to adjust your music levels again.

• Advanced Sound Retrieval Technology
• Pioneer CD-MC20 Auto-EQ Microphone

Alpine iDA-X305S

Next on our list is the Alpine iDA-X305S. This receiver is packed full of bells and whistles that will take you days to explore. The optional IMPRINT Audio Processor enhances audio reproduction by improving sound stage and overcoming vehicle acoustics by calculating the optimal playback frequencies for your listening area. The Power IC Off function will power down the built-in amplifier when you are using external amps to eliminate extra induced noises from the high powered speaker outputs. This function also reduces heat production, and lowers power consumption.

• IMPRINT Audio Processor
• Power IC Disabling

Kenwood KIV-BT901

Finally, one of the more impressive digital media receivers of the year 2011 is the Kenwood KIV-BT901. One of the great features of this stereo is the internal 512mb flash drive that is used to store your music or other media. The dual zone functionality allows for simultaneous playback of different media sources in your vehicle so the backseat passengers can enjoy their music or movie while you listen to yours. The Sound Excellence Digital Sound Processor (DSP) offers smooth digital time alignment and the ability to change your iPod’s equalizer settings.

• Internal 512mb Flash Drive
• Dual Zone Source Control
• Sound Excellence DSP

These digital media receivers are all worth every penny, and you won’t go wrong with any of them. For more information on any of these stereos you may follow the links to our product pages. We hope this guide helps you understand the convenience of having a digital media receiver in your vehicle. Happy listening!