What is this notorious SQ, about which car audio fans are breaking spears at specialized sites? This abbreviation is formed from two English words sound quality - "sound quality". Not to be confused with SPL (sound pressing level).
Just as it is impossible to harness a horse and a quivering doe into one cart, so it is impossible to give a volume that breaks the eardrums, and at the same time maintain the quality. Or vice versa. And even in car audio competitions, these two characteristics have their own categories. But let's leave the competition to the professionals. In our rating you will find out which manufacturers of SQ car radios are worthy of your attention.
10. Rockford Fosgate
The sound quality rating of SQ car radios manufacturers is opened by an unusual company. Rockford Fosgate are major suppliers to the all-weather in-car audio market.
Would you like to enjoy the full sound of some Bach fugue as the car makes its way through the snow? No problem, head units from Rockford Fosgate can do this. They can be used anywhere from buggies to open SUVs. These car radios are not afraid of dirt, water, snow or sand.
We advise you to pay attention to the PMX-2 - it has its own four-channel amplifier. If you wish, you can always disable it and add your own.
9. Jensen Electronics
This company has been manufacturing consumer electronics since 1915, and is not a newcomer to the car stereo market either. In fact, it is she who owns the laurels of creating the first car stereo system.
And although recently the company's products have begun to pass, however, these are still good, high-quality audio systems. A little outdated though.
8. Incar
In the world of car audio, Incar specializes in Android compatible head units.
We recommend that you pay attention to the AHR-9280 model, which, in addition to full smartphone compatibility, also has its own sound processor. Moreover, it also has a good Russian-language firmware, which is not so common in the world of audio devices.
7. JBL
It is part of the Harman concern, which includes numerous companies specializing in the production of audio equipment. In the seventies, they were considered a truly American folk brand, and their products were in almost every home.
And now JBL enjoys no less influence - rarely a rock concert is complete without their amplifiers and speakers. And electrodynamic heads from this company are used by default in many cars, including brands such as Mercedes-Benz, Subaru and the Korean KIA Motors, which is very popular in our country.
And although JBL began to produce head units quite recently (in 2016), it immediately took "right off the bat", creating the JBL Legend CP100. However, for some reason, the production of the model was stopped, much to the surprise of the fans.
6. Sony
This is one of the most respected and well-known brands in the consumer electronics market, and for good reason. The Japanese know very well what quality means. And car stereos made by Sony only confirm this rule.
The head units of this brand are stylish, minimalistic and designed according to the latest technological progress. Like many other major brands, the Japanese corporation has developed products in a wide variety of price ranges. It is well compatible with a wide variety of devices, and the sound is clear and crisp. And even the most budget models have well-developed functionality.
It was Sony who pioneered the market for devices with built-in amplifiers of a quality rarely found in individual amplifiers. For example, we are talking about the MEX-XB100BT.
5. Kenwood
One of the world leaders in the production of car radios, acoustic systems and their components. And no wonder, considering that Kenwood has been developing and selling radio equipment since the middle of the last century. And the car audio direction has been in the company's activities for over forty years.
However, popularity brings with it not only national recognition, but also problems. In neighboring China, they got into the habit of copying and selling car equipment under the Kenwood brand, which caused a series of lawsuits from the "original" company.
And although ten years ago, Kenwood and JVC merged, but they still produce products under different trademarks. At the same time, in terms of characteristics, it is very similar - the technical solutions are the same.
Of the interesting models, we advise you to pay attention to the recently released Kenwood KMM-304Y, which, at a low price, has a full-fledged built-in processor with a full range of features.
4. JVC
The Japanese old-timer in the audio market (the company was founded in 1927) is not going to give up its positions. It was he who first began to make speakers from such a capricious material as wood.
Hint: it turned out that it had to be soaked in the national Japanese rice vodka.
After the acquisition of JVC by Kendwood, audio recorders were added to the company's range. Quite interesting offers from JVC began to enter the market, for example, a processor-based per-channel audio device for an indecently low price.
We are talking about the recently launched JVC KD-X362BT. For just 4,500 rubles, you can get an excellent head unit capable of reproducing flac in high definition. And if you buy in addition component acoustics and a subwoofer, you can get an excellent audio system for little money.
3. Alpine
The company's strong point is stereos, compatible with smartphones and navigators. This feature is very popular with many car manufacturers. Many passenger cars come with Alpine car radios by default.
In addition to this equipment, Alpine offers a wide range of devices to make your head-mounted audio system sound clearer and louder. For example, coaxial speakers, amplifiers, receivers, and even car satellite equipment.
Alpine intelligently caters to customers with a variety of price points, so that everyone will find a device within their pocket in its lines. We suggest that you pay attention to the Alpine CDE-193BT. This is an old horse (the model was released three years ago), which will not spoil the grooves and will delight its owners with powerful and rich bass, decent middle and airy top notes.
2. Clarion
A subsidiary of the Hitachi concern began its activities with the production of radio stations for the Japanese army in the middle of the last century. Many years have passed since then, and both the geopolitical environment and the economic environment have changed, but Clarion continues to supply car audio products to the market.
The company's products have repeatedly received the "Best Product of the Year" award for the perfect combination of beauty and functionality.
Recently, another novelty from Clarion appeared on the market - the first multimedia head unit with optics and Hi-Res Audio support, and it not only reproduces this audio, but also outputs a signal with a sampling frequency of 96 kHz.
1. Pioneer
It is an international corporation headquartered in Tokyo, with production facilities scattered around the globe. Pioneer is one of the most iconic brands in the audio world.And, perhaps, the best manufacturer of SQ car radios in terms of sound quality at the moment.
Adding to the popularity of Pioneer is that it has long learned to make products that both sound great and are able to compete even with Chinese products in price.
Among the audio recorders from this company, we suggest you pay attention to the AVH-Z9100BT - this is one of the top-end multimedia audio recorders on the market, and the quality of its performance is appropriate. The only drawback of this top-end system is the lack of a Toslink output, but, probably, the world would not have endured such perfection. And it costs quite moderately (45,000 rubles) compared to competitors.