The iPod story seems to be that of a charmed life. If you haven't taken a look around there are all kinds of devices and accessories that are created in order to use right along with the wildly popular and successful iPod product offered by Apple. In fact, I can't think of a better coup for Apple to have pulled off against the giant PC industry, even Microsoft's new product the Zune is having a great deal of difficulty even catching up to the sales that iPod seems to have no trouble garnering. The success is something that may define explanation but could have a great deal to do with the equally popular accessories and adornments that are made for each and every iPod product.

You might be wondering exactly what this has to do with auto sound systems but those are just another of the many great iPod accessories that can be found in the market place of today. Seriously! Even some car manufacturers are having upgrades that include iPod adapters that allow drivers to play music from their iPods through the tuning device on their auto sound systems. It almost seems too good to be true when you consider that you will not have to risk life and limb by fiddling with your iPod device when looking for that one obscure song somewhere on your list. There are other car stereo makers that have devices and adapters that read and play music from the iPod but you must use the actual iPod to make your selections and any changes. At any rate, when carmakers and stereo manufacturers such as Pioneer and Alpine are creating stereos that have the iPod in mind you can rest assured that it is a cultural phenomenon and not some fluke to be taken lightly.

In addition to auto sound systems you will find iDogs, iPets, iPod covers, iPod players (speakers and docking stations that you plug your iPod into in order to play without the headphones), iPod alarm clocks, and my personal favorite iBaby (this is a stroller made by Kolcraft that has an iPod, speakers, and adapter built in so that baby can hear his or her favorite tunes while being strolled about the town), or the iCrib (another nifty iPod device designed to keep baby pacified-hopefully this nifty gadgets are drool proof). Needless to say there are times in life when it's all about the accessories and I have yet seen another maker of MP3 type devices hold a torch to iPod when it comes to offering options for buyers to personalize their music makers.

If you are in the market for an auto sound system, chances are that you either already have an iPod or are seriously not opposed to the idea of owning one. If you either or both are in your near future I highly recommend you consider purchasing an auto sound system that will be completely compatible with your iPod system or any other MP3 type player you choose to use. I do believe however, that you will find better options designed with the iPod in mind as none of the other brands (thus far) have nearly the buyer base and purchasing power of iPod owners. No matter how you feel about it, all indications are that iPods are here to stay and you may as well jump on board when it comes to your auto sound system as well.

How do you decide which auto sound system is best for you? This is a question that many consumers ask in the U. S. each and every day. The truth is that only you can decide what kind of sound you find enjoyable and what you are seeking in the sound system you will ultimately purchase. A good sound system will greatly improve how you feel about not only the vehicle you drive but also your disposition after your daily commute. It may seem like such a small thing, the changing of a sound system, but it does seem to have such a profound impact on how we start our days. Of course we all know that getting your day off to a good start sets the tone for the entire day and if that day is Monday it sets the tone for not only the day ahead but also the week to come.

Music affects almost every aspect of our lives. Most of us do not realize the impact that music has on our day-to-day lives and it is quite difficult because our world seems to be filled with it. It is much easier however, to explain the difference a good sound system makes. It's funny, I find myself in a hurry to get out of stores that have lousy sound systems and speakers that dribble out little more than static while I can shop for hours in a store that has tasteful music playing in the background over a good sound system. I prefer the volume lower and the music playing in the background rather than being the center of my attention.

Most of us find that soft music playing in the background is rather unobtrusive and allows us to get along with our thoughts and the mission at hand while loud music blaring over antiquated speakers does a great deal to disrupt our thought processes which will only serve to send us along to the next errand on our list. If you'll notice it seems that clerks in the stores where the loud music blares along are often not as even tempered as those in stores that play music at respectful volumes and have very well kept sound systems. I think I would be cranky too after listening to music in a manner that music wasn't meant to be heard.

I'm not a music snob by any means; I simply enjoy listening to music for the sake of actually hearing the music. Loud music is good sometimes but not when I have other things on my mind. I prefer that music remain in the background when I'm running about taking care of errands, even in the car. The hallmark of a good auto sound system is that it sounds good even at low volumes. This means you can enjoy music in the background, hum along, or simply ignore the music in favor of the action taking place on the road.

The point I'm trying to make is that even though you may not realize the impact that a good auto sound system has on music immediately, you will definitely feel the difference it makes over time. The better the sound system, the better the sound and music is after all, sound.

If you are a true lover of music and spend a great deal of your week or even any given day in your vehicle, doesn't it make sense to invest heavily in your auto sound system? I know for me that particular decision is a no brainer. I love music and it is an important part of not only my life but also the lives of my children. As a result we spend a lot of time listening to the radio in our SUV and singing along. Even when we aren't listening to music, I enjoy listening talk radio and the news on NPR. These things are an important part of my day and I really enjoy all that each and every one adds to my life. Because of that, I find my investment in a good auto sound system to be a requirement rather than a luxury.

"Looking at the Garmin 550t (t standing for topographical maps), you would be forgiven for thinking someone had handed you the previous version. It's so alike, that at first we thought that Garmin had just sent us the wrong unit.

Why? Well it comes in virtually the same rugged casing, features the same 3-inch screen, and allows you to find geocaches with ease. It's powered by the same two AA batteries, features the same user interface and, well, is virtually the same in everyway possible.

It's not until you start to look closely that you can spot the differences. The first and most major of which are around the back of the device.

Rather than have to worry about carrying a digital camera with you to nab proof of your finds, Garmin has now added a 3.2-megapixel camera complete with digital zoom.

Accessed at the touch of a button, you can grab pictures of your geocache, or anything else for that matter, and store it to upload later. Images are geotagged as you would expect and rather like Navman's slow to take off NavPix service, you can choose to navigate to the picture directly via the included software on the unit. In real terms though, it means that the GPS location is saved to the EXIF information of the image, which in turn means that when you share images with services like Flickr or Panoramio you can find them on a map.

In use and the addition of a camera makes perfect sense: it's easy to use, and while the 4x digital zoom isn't that helpful (remember digital zooms only zoom in on the image, not the object you are taking a picture of) the fact that the camera is there is good enough.

As for the quality? It's what you would expect from a 3.2-megapixel camera and while most geocachers have mobile phones with cameras built-in, it saves that frustrating upload when you are back at your computer or downloading an image from your camera/phone to go with the "I've completed this cache" log.

But it's not just the camera that has been added to try and convince you to part with your cash. The screen, something that we complained about with the 400t, has also been improved. It's now brighter, which in turn means you can actually see it when out and about in the field.

When we say brighter, it's not mobile phone bright, but it's still an improvement and certainly makes a difference. Direct sunlight will still beat you (Garmin needs to talk to Olympus on making non-reflective screens) but you don't need to hide in your coat as much.

Other new features are even harder to notice, Waypoints get doubled from 1000 to 2000 and routes are increased from 50 to 200.

So that's the differences, but if you haven't played with the 400t, what's the 550t actually like?

Robust is probably the best way to describe the design. It's certainly good enough to be dropped (we know, we tried) with a hard, but rubberised casing protecting all the gubbins inside. Indented on the front is a 3-inch touchscreen display while the on/off button, USB socket and battery release catch are the only other elements that mark the flush design.

Lifting the battery release catch reveals two AA batteries. The inclusion of AA batteries rather than a purpose built lithium-ion offering is welcomed as it means you don't need to find a power supply - ideal for when you're far from home or civilization.

When it comes to controlling the Oregon 550t it's all via the touchscreen, not great if it’s cold as you'll have to loose the gloves, however the screen is responsive. Features are either listed six to a screen with the ability to scroll through them very much like the iPhone, or in a list format top to bottom.

Scrolling through the menu system is very easy thanks to the up/down buttons at the bottom of the screen.

Core to the product of course is the mapping system that allows you multiple views of your location down to 20ft. If the top down approach isn't for you, the 550t also offers a 3D view as well as other features like Elevation Plot, the ability to find nearby Points Of Interest, and set waypoints to name but a few.

Mapping is 3D worldwide, but you can also buy add-ons as microSD cards for street mapping (£79.99), marine mapping and topographic maps.

For those who like geocaching, there is a geocaching.com app included so you can send geocache locations straight to your handset. You'll need to download a plug-in from Garmin (listed in the manual) but once that's done all that is left for you to do is connect the 550t to the computer.

Yes the download is Mac, PC and Linux compatible and once installed the app then allows you to manage your caches. It's incredibly easy, incredibly lazy, but best of all ditches the need to carry around scraps of paper, or learning how to type in a lat/long coordinate into the thing (you can do that as well). Those looking to go old school also get a digital compass as well.

Besides the GPS functionalities of the handset the Oregon 550t also offers an image viewer, (randomly) a calendar, calculator, sun and moon times, alarm clock, stopwatch and best times to fish and hunt on any given day - love it.

Verdict

Recommending that you upgrade from your previous 400t would be a hard thing for us to do. Yes you get the camera and a better screen, but the core functionality here is the same and both units are fairly expensive.

If, however, you've been put off from signing up because of worries of the screen on the 400t then this is a good time to jump in.

The addition of the camera is a logical one rather than a must have and the new improved waypoint and route counts are likely to only appeal to a hardcore set (you know who you are).

The only gripe we would have is the cost. Like the 400t, the 550t is expensive, £468 ($600) expensive, meaning this is one for the regular geocacher rather than someone who would do it on a "I'm bored this weekend", kind of moment. That said, for the price you do reduce your hassle and need to understand technology to a minimum.

In our 400t review we winged that the screen was too dull. Garmin have fixed that so it only seem far for us to up the score from an 8 to a 9 for this model."

Deal Finder:

Garmin Oregon 400t GPS Touchscreen Handheld Preloaded    US $299.99

GARMIN OREGON 450 HANDHELD GPS TOUCH SCREEN NAVIGATOR    US $344.49

New Garmin Oregon 450 Handheld GPS with World Wide Map    US $349.00

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"Closer Look
The Supertuner IIID+ Enhanced Performance Tuner’s enhanced design improves the cancellation of FM multi-path noise and AM noise. You can store up to 18 FM or 6 AM stations or let the DEH-P7700MP pick the stations with the BSM feature. The Pioneer DEH-P7700MP is rated to deliver a maximum power of 50 watts per channel (22 watts, continuous) on the front and rear speaker outputs. The DEH-P7700MP also has front, rear, and subwoofer RCA outputs rated to deliver 2.2 Vrms to power external amplifiers. To control that power, the DEH-P7700MP has a built in high-pass and low-pass subwoofer crossover that work on both the RCA and speaker outputs. Nice feature. To finish the unit off, Pioneer includes a full-function, 23-button remote that allows you to control all of the basic functions of the DEH-P7700MP.

Want more? The Pioneer DEH-P7700MP is XM Satellite Radio-ready and can have either Sirius Satellite Radio or an iPod added to the unit. Being this flexible is great. Using a CB-IB100 (a $140 dollar option), you can connect an iPod to the DEH-P7700MP, or you can connect an auxiliary input to the unit if you have a different MP3 player or source unit. For maximizing the sound quality of compressed files, the DEH-P7700MP uses BMX (BitMedia eXpander) digital enhancement. When MP3 or WMA files are compressed, the sound can be thin, dull, or can even lack depth in the soundstage. The BMX technology takes the audio file and recreates the sound, restoring depth and width to a soundstage as well as increasing the lively ness of the program material.

Ease Of Use
I found the Pioneer DEH-P7700MP extremely easy to use. The 7-way rotary commander control knob works like a combination joystick and dial and can access nearly all of the functions of the DEH-P7700MP. With it, I was able to access track selection, audio functions, display functions, and Track navigation when using a disc of MP3-encoded files. By incorporating so many functions via the rotary commander knob, the rest of the unit was very clean and uncluttered, a must for good ergonomics. With a little practice, you can control the functions without looking at the unit. Great job!

Installation
The installation of the Pioneer DEH-P7700MP went well. Installation is typical from what you would expect from a source unit. There were no external boxes required to install for the unit to function. The RCA jacks are located on an external pigtail on the back of the unit. Hidden by the power connector is a 10-amp fuse. With all head units, proper installation will yield maximum performance. For the best results, it’s recommended to have an authorized Pioneer dealer perform the installation.

Manuals/Web Support
There are two manuals for the Pioneer DEH-P7700MP. The installation manual covers all of the basic information needed to install and wire the unit. It’s simple and easy-to-read. The operation manual covers the functionality of the unit. It covers all of the basic functions of the DEH-P7700MP as well as the not so common. It’s necessary to read the manual to learn how to control the non-common functions of the Pioneer unit.

The company’s Web site, www.pioneerelectronics.com, is well laid out and easy to navigate. I was able to quickly find information on the DEH-P7700MP — I found basic information, specifications, and accessories for the unit. I was also able to download a PDF of the installation manual and the operation manual. Well done.

Sound Q & Performance
The performance of the Pioneer DEH-P7700MP is good. With the tone controls set flat, the RCA produced a maximum unclipped output of 1.89 Vrms at 61 on the volume control. At the maximum volume setting of 62, the DEH-P7700MP delivered a slightly clipped 2.32 Vrms.

On the speaker outputs, results were similar. At 49 on the volume, the DEH-P7700MP produced a clean 18.5 watts into 4 ohms. Raising the volume to 50, the output increased to 21.6 near 1% THD + Noise. Setting the volume to maximum produced a square wave output generating 39.9 watts per channel.

The sound quality was above average. The sound was open and detailed. Noise floor specs on the unit match my test: undetectable. On my test speakers, the speaker outputs were a little bright. However, a quick adjustment of the tone controls fixed that. In fact, the adjustability of the tone controls allowed me to really fine tune my system, yielding awesome sound — a very useful feature.

Summary
The Pioneer DEH-P7700MP is a very good head unit for mid- or entry-level systems. The DEH-P7700MP is extremely capable, allowing the control of nearly all types of media, including iPod encoding. With the extremely flexible controls, cool display, and ease of use, the Pioneer DEH-P7700MP would make a fine addition to your system. "

Deal Finder:

Pioneer DEH P7700MP same deh p770mp face plate only    US $80.00

Pioneer DEH P7700MP same deh p770mp without face plate    US $75.00

Pioneer DEH P770MP DEH P7700MP Faceplate Guaranteed    US $98.98

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"This deck is awesome and by far the best for iPod integration. The navigation is very smooth, and easy to control. If you use your iPod exclusively then this is the deck for you. It also accepts USB sticks to play songs off of which is a nice feature.

The radio controls, especially for presets are pretty bad. You have to press the preset button, then scroll through the 6 presets and hit enter. This means you may have to press up to 8 buttons to get to your preset.

I also bought the HD Radio receiver. The deck's controls for multicasting are pretty bad. You need to select the channel. then press search, and scroll through the multicast channels, then press enter. You can't use the seek button to get to the different channels. You also can't save multicast channels as presets. It will default to the -1 station which is a huge pain. The same is true when you shut off the car, it will go back to the -1.

That is my only complaint, normally i wouldn't care, but we get some good multicast stations in my city, and I just wish it were easy to get to these stations. I have not used another HD Radio so this may be the norm. I bought this for the iPod integration, so I still give this 4 stars, and am very happy with my purchase."

ALPINE IDA X001 IN DASH RADIO DIGITAL UNIT EXCELLENT    US $200.00

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