Let’s all agree, an all-round entertaining car stereo is a necessity today more than a luxury reserved for the fortunate few. If you still own an outdated stereo system, you are missing out on a ton of advanced technologies that could be a game changer for your upcoming driving experiences.
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The Alpine iLX 207 comes packed with plenty of user-friendly features and the modern functionalities to take your in-car audio experience several notches higher.
As a brand, Alpine makes some of the best sound equipment focused on automobiles. So, if you are looking at upgrading your old car stereo into a more fun, action-packed one, you are at the absolute right place.
What’s Included In Box
- Owners Card
- Warranty Card
- Installation Guide
- Manual
- GPS Antenna
- Microphone
- USB cable
- Dash Trim Bezel
- Aux input cable
What You’ll Need For Installation
- Factory Radio harness adapter – This allows your new aftermarket to properly adapt to your vehicle.
- Antenna Adapter – This adapter will plug into your factory antenna cord behind your stereo and then connect to your new radio.
- Dash Kit – This is an ABS plastic housing that allows your radio to physically mount to your dash.
- Steering wheel control module – (Optional) This module is only needed if you would like to retain your steering wheel control functionality. This is the module we use.
- Backup Camera – (optional) Alpine makes a backup camera specifically for this stereo and its AWESOME!
The Best In-Dash Car Infotainment System
Fueled by the latest in the mobile friendly technology, the Alpine iLX 207 blends the connectivity of smartphones with a traditional sound system.
Whether you are an iPhone or an Android user, once you connect your phone to the Alpine iLX 207, you automatically broaden its range of functionalities.
Connecting your devices is a breeze through a regular charging cable or Bluetooth, both of which give you full control over your smartphone features as well as your multimedia features built into the Alpine iLX 207.
To explore each of these features, let’s dive into the intimate details and find out what this double DIN unit from Alpine brings to the table and what it doesn’t.
Ease of Installation
The entire unit comes with all the hardware that you need to fit this system into your car. However, there are a few things youll need. It comes with an owner’s manual inside the box, but the unit is also pre-wired and ready to be installed in any Double DIN ready vehicle.
The engineers at Alpine are renowned in putting extra thought in making the installation process easier. Even if it is your first-time fitting in a double DIN unit, you’ll be done with the installation in about 60 minutes.
The prewired components and integrated wiring harness setup gives a major speed boost to the installation process.
Massive Touchscreen Display
At the end of the day, your stereo’s display becomes the face of your vehicle, and it has to be stunning. Luckily, Alpine iLX 207 flaunts a beautiful 7-inch capacitive touch screen upgraded with clickable buttons right below the display.
You can swipe, click, tap on the touch screen the same way you do for your smartphone which makes the learning curve in this unit almost non-existent.
Compatible With Both Apple & Android
The star feature of this car stereo unit is undoubtedly the tight integration with both Apple and Android through Android’s Auto and Apple’s CarPlay platforms.
Apple Carplay is the most loved automobile accessory on the market, for all the right reasons. You can work with your iPhone and iPad devices on the go through an uncluttered and easy to navigate interface that works similar to Apple devices’ interface.
Android auto has also come a long way in terms of features and usability. Through this seamless integration, you get access to all your favorite mobile applications right onto your car stereo.
The voice control option that you get through these integrations separates the ILX 207 from the rest. You can fully voice control all your apps, send texts or emails, make calls without ever getting your hands off the wheel or your eyes off the road.
Superior Sound Quality
The sound quality that the Alpine ILX 207 carries beats every single one of its counterparts, including other models from the Alpine brand itself.
The stock speakers are beautifully elevated by the on-board amplifier which will please even the most hardcore automobile audio enthusiast.
Helpful Resources
- How to install a stereo
- How to install a stereo without a wire harness
- How to bypass a factory amplifier
- Stereo Installation resource guide
Versatile Audio Streaming Options
Sitting behind the wheel for hours without music can surely be a solid bore. The Alpine ILX-207 ensures that you stay entertained throughout the whole ride.
With the above-mentioned integrations, you can connect your phone and play your favorite tracks. You can listen to books or podcasts while driving through Pandora, Spotify, and Audible.
Besides that, there are several more entertainment options like the built-in HD radio tuner, rear USB and AUX inputs, and Bluetooth connectivity which you can use to connect to your mp3 player.
The Alpine ILX-207 is also Sirius XM ready wherein you can add a tuner and enjoy music, sports and other entertainment options through satellite radio. Although, you would need a subscription to use this one.
Full GPS Navigation Support
The Alpine ILX-207 comes with all the wiring that is needed to use Alpine navigation, Google Maps, Apple Maps, or Waze.
Just launch one of these maps or simply tap the voice button to ask for directions. You can pinch to zoom on these maps to locate exactly where to go. The GPS display is wide enough, so you no more have to squint on smaller phone screens.
Alpine ILX-207 – The Downside
While this one is a much better upgrade to its previous version – the ILX-107, it is not without shortcomings.
For starters, the resolution on the touchscreen isn’t as high as we would like to see sitting at only 800X400 pixels.
Further, there is only one USB slot located at the back. There is also no CD/DVD player which means you will have to convert music from CDs into a USB pen drive.
Even then, due to one USB slot, you can either plug in your phone or your pen drive at a time.
The volume button has replaced the volume knob, so you have to keep pressing the volume down button to lower the sound.
What Users Are Saying About the Alpine ILX-207?
The Good
- The user interface is very snappy.
- Has the ability to add on pretty much all the newest features you’ll see on the market.
- Amazing Android Auto and Apple Car play experience.
- High quality sound. Standard with most Alpine receivers!
The Bad
- Screen resolution is only 480p. Some owners say they expected a higher resolution display.
- Audio tuning can be a bit overwhelming for a newb.
- Some have said there are too many options and the interface can be a bit confusing.
- No CD slot.
Alpine ILX-207 Review – Conclusion
Powered by the latest multimedia technology, top-notch engineering and a stunning display – all backed by the esteemed reputation that Alpine has earned over the years for being reliable, easily makes the Alpine iLX 207 one of the best car stereos in the market today.
Combine all of that with the relatively affordable price compared to its closest competitor and you have an easy decision to make.
If you are still dicey, throw in the seamless Apple and Android integration into the mix as well as the ease of installation and you won’t find anything better than this unit for your beloved vehicle.
