William Gallagher
Launched at CES, the Alpine Halo are wireless CarPlay receivers that come in 9-inch or 11-inch versions, fit in a single-DIN car mount, have optional SiriusXM compatibility, and more.
Alpine Electronics was the first company to produce an aftermarket option for CarPlay, creating devices that worked with Apple's system and could be fitted into most cars. Now its 2022 models continue to be installable by users, and add a 1280x720 pixel display, high resolution FM, and more.
"The all new iLX-F511 11-inch Multimedia Receiver and the iLX-F509 9-inch Multimedia Receiver feature High-Resolution Audio Playback to bring out the full potential of music in the vehicle," says the company in a press release. "Features like Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and built-in Bluetooth hands-free calling with audio streaming allows access to music, messages, phone calls, and maps on a smartphone via either a wired USB connection or wirelessly."
Both new units are "floating" ones, but they continue to comply with the single-DIN standard. This means they should be able to fit most cars worldwide, depending on air vent location.
Alpine's high resolution includes support for FLAC audio, while the screen incorporates a photo viewer plus video playback in H.264, MP4, FLV, and more.
The two units come with an external microphone. They are "mech-less," meaning they have no drive such as a CD player. External devices can be attached via a HDMI port or USB.
Alongside the iLX-F509 and iLXF511, Alpine is selling a range of accessories. These include a new and separate SiriusXM 360L option, which lets subscribers listen to the digital station when installed in conjunction with the stereo head.
There's also a separate iDatalink Maestro Module which lets certain features be operated from controls on the car's steering wheel.
No details of the price of the iDatalink or SiriusXM modules have been announced. However, the iLX-F509 and iLXF511 will ship in February 2022, and will retail for $999.95 and $1,199.95 respectively.
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Andrew Orr
Marko Zivkovic
Christine McKee
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Amber Neely
2 Comments
The main thing is these new Alpine head units have a decent display resolution compared with Alpine’s previous offerings, which held Alpine back compared with similar head units from Kenwood and Pioneer. Good stuff.