Never let it be said the digital media revolution is bypassing the car audio industry: Blaupunkt has just taken the wraps off its new Melbourne SD27 car stereo system. Instead of offering a traditional CD player/changer or even a dock for those iPod things all the kids are carrying, the Melbourne SD27 opts for a front-panel auxilliary input, and an SD/MMC card slot so owners can use a PC to load up removable media with their tunes, then and pop them directly into their consoles. No muss no fuss.
“For more and more people, compact discs have become obsolete,” said Blaupunkt USA General Manager Lutz Marschall. “The last holdout for many of these consumers is their car radio, which still requires them to burn CD-R’s with either audio or MP3 files. The Melbourne is a far better solution for these consumers‐no CD required: they just plug in a memory card or portable MP3 player and they’re on their way.”
The SD27 supports media cards loaded with MP3 and WMA audio files at bit rates of 8 to 320 Kbps, while the unit’s front panel display will handle up to 127 directories of music, enabling users to organize their media collections a bit on the media cards; the system will also display ID3 tag information on te front panel. The SD27 also offers a front panel auxiliary input for connecting portable media players like iPods using the headphone or aux outputs on the devices. Blaupunkt says it will offer an optional interface for controlling an iPod from the radio’s front panel…but, alas, charging will still have to be done using another accessory that, inevitably, will end up tangled up in a mess on the floor.
As an audio system, the SD27 pushes four 45-watt channels, offers adjustable bass and EQ functions, along with EQ presets adjusted for different types of music. The system also offers a TEL/NAVI input for integrating cell phones and navigation systems, and an optional Bluetooth/USB module lets the unit connect to phones and other media player with music libraries.
The Melbourne SD27 is available now at a suggested price of $159.99—although that doesn’t include any SD/MMC media, or that ever-so-tricky installation.
