The wheels of progress grind on at a rapid pace, particularly in the realm of mobile electronics. We at Truckin' try hard to keep you abreast of the latest and greatest audio/video entertainment technologies for your truck. Despite the fact that the mysteries of magazine production deem that this article for our May issue be written in December, weeks before manufacturers announce their 2004 products at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, we managed to get the scoop on some of 2004's coolest 12-volt products. Look for full coverage of CES in the next issue, but meanwhile, take a gander at these still-hot offerings from 2003 and a sprinkling of new stuff for 2004.
Alpha and OmegaIf you're looking for a long-term commitment, Alphasonik's PSW610 10-inch Alpha 600 Series subwoofer might be the one for you. Like most of its kind, this subwoofer is not the strong, silent type. Made with a Kevlar-reinforced, composite-balanced, reinforced cone and designed to handle 600 watts RMS, strong and loud is a better description. Its 33- to 500Hz frequency response, dual 2-inch 4-ohm voice coils, double-stacked 75-ounce magnet, and double-layer surround ensure deep and lively conversations, and the 8-gauge Sur-Lok I/O terminals will make sure you always stay connected. For more information, contact: Alphasonik, Dept. TR, 114 S. Berry St., Brea, CA 92821, (714) 988-0370, www.alphasonik.com.
See Me, Hear Me, Touch Me, Feel MeA head unit with a flat screen interface that doesn't feel flat - this is what the IVA-D300 Mobile Multimedia Station from Alpine is all about. It uses vibrations, pressure, and sound to simulate the sensation of buttons on the 7-inch touchscreen. This allows users to feel for the button they need without taking their eyes from the road. What's next? Scratch and sniff? But this head unit isn't all about the interface. It's the command center for your in-car multimedia system, controlling DVD, DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, AM/FM tuning, and plug-ins such as XM Satellite Radio, a TV tuner, sound processors, and DVD/CD/MP3 changers. For more information, contact: Alpine Electronics, Dept. TR, 19145 Gramercy Pl., Torrance, CA 90501, (800) 421-2284, www.alpine-usa.com
Dinosaur KillerWay back in prehistoric times, head units played either cassette or CD. More evolved species played both. Introducing, a higher life form, the ProAudio VRX745VD from Clarion. This is the latest of a new breed of head units that slices and dices all forms of digital media, serving up enough features to choke a Tyrannosaurus Rex. It sloughs off the vestigial cassette and plays DVDs, CDs, CD-R/RWs, VCDs, and MP3s. A motorized, flip-out, 7-inch touchscreen and a separate display panel provide the portal for all the functions and entertainment sources. Plus, an air-conditioner access mode tilts the monitor down to provide access to the vehicle's air-conditioner controls. All these features are packed into one DIN-sized in-dash unit. Now that's progress. For more information, contact: Clarion, Dept. TR, 661 W. Redondo Beach Blvd., Gardena, CA 90247-4201, (800) 347-8667, www.clarion.com.
I See Right Through YouBlaupunkt's Transparent Series 6.5-inch two-way coaxial speaker proves you can like what you can't see. It features a see-through polymer woofer cone and mylar tweeter that is reminiscent of the company's pale-blue namesake. A 3-inch magnet and black foam surround form a bulls-eye, an effect enabled by the transparent basket and grille complete the effect. A 1-inch dome tweeter rests over a 4.9-inch woofer for an overall frequency range of 60Hz to 20kHz. While the max rating is 150 watts RMS for this model is 50 watts. For more information, contact: Blaupunkt, Dept. TR, 2800 S. 25th Ave., Broadview, IL 60153, (800) 323-1943, www.blaupunktusa.com.