Features - VDO Press release

DVD, DAB, COMPACT DISC, CASSETTE RADIO AND CD CHANGERS

Experience a new world of outstanding design, fantastic sound and spectacular options. The new VDO Dayton audio range can transform your car into your own personal club in a matter of seconds. Your friends will rave about the awesome power (4 x 55 watts), the MP3 player that comes with their top model, the CD 4802, and the three-dimensional display that can be configured to suit your personal preferences.

VDO DAYTON RANGE

Sparkling sound quality, stunning looks, lots of features – the new VDO Dayton range turns car radios into infotainment centres (from 8th October 2001)

This autumn sees the launch of VDO Dayton’s new in-car audio range – the first to feature an MP3-compatible CD Player. Combining distinctive styling with superlative sound quality, the new units boast a multitude of intelligent additional functions ranging from an on-board computer to a radar-assisted parking aid. The high-tech, design-oriented brand will be offering a total of seven CD Tuners and five Cassette Tuners for discerning motorists which will set new standards in design and technology. Unique fascias with chrome or silver control elements, a VFD display – in some cases dual-layer – with three-dimensional graphics and a host of ultra-modern features transform the new audio systems into multimedia infotainment centres.

At the premium line of the VDO Dayton range, driver information is provided by an on-board computer which is integrated in the audio system and performs far more functions than many vehicles. As well as distance travelled, average speed, battery voltage and current journey time (CD 4802, CD 4502, CR 4402) it displays the time of day and out-side temperature, lets drivers know when they have exceeded their selected maximum speed or spent too long at the wheel and warns about icy roads. For the first time ever, the radio can even help drivers to park: VDO Dayton is the only manufacturer to offer Park Distance Control as an optional extra for some of its units. Radar sensors, a distance indicator on the radio display panel and warning bleeps make for damage-free bumpers – a feature which until now was reserved for luxury and executive class vehicles.

Although brilliant solo performers, the new audio systems from VDO Dayton were designed to be networked with other units and, in some cases, used for multimedia applications. For example, some models come with interfaces for displaying directions from a navigation system, while all premium line and exclusive line models (CD/CR2502, CD/CR 2302, CD 2252, CD/CR 2202, CD/CR 2102) offer the perfect mobile phone interface – a particularly important feature given the recent tightening of legislation. When using a Handsfree Phone Kit, customers can simply switch the radio to mute during a phone call or, for vastly improved sound quality, listen to the call via the audio system. The tuner combination can be upgraded to a fully functional, perfectly compatible and very competitively priced plug and play Handsfree Phone Kit with microphone and charging station using the Handsfree Phone Kit from the VDO Dayton accessories range, which is suitable for all standard mobile phones.

To guarantee perfect in-car entertainment, the sound system is all-digital, from the data source – CD, MP3 or DAB signal (DAB control on the CD 4802 and CD 4502) – to the Preamp Out, the intelligent Auto Equalizer, the well-designed Digital Sound Processors and the amplifier, which features pioneering MOSFET technology and, with an output of 4 x 55 watts, packs a more than adequate punch. The “Automatic Station List” automatically – and inaudibly – stores all radio stations received during the journey in alphabetical order, but only if an audio source other than the radio is switched on. Featuring premium line Cassette Decks and one of the first CD Players on the market to process MP3 data on CD ROM (the top of the range CD 4802), the new audio range is guaranteed to offer mind-blowing sound quality.

For the ultimate in customised sound, some models come with an Auto Equalizer which enables drivers to carry out a personal sound check. Using a microphone supplied with the unit, the Auto Equalizer checks out the acoustics inside the cabin while the car is taken for a short drive and automatically adjusts the sound performance of the VDO Dayton units to the vehicle’s acoustic strengths and weaknesses. This means that, with the added help of the Digital Sound Processor, each customer can create their own, unique audio experience. Drivers can choose from five sound presets which simulate the acoustics of, for example, a pop concert hall or a jazz club. Two of the exclusive line models (CD/CR 2502) feature an effective Bass Boost and 3-D Surround Sound for enhanced sound reproduction.

VDO Dayton’s developers were also keen to ensure that the new radio combinations fitted in perfectly with a vehicle’s overall audio structure. This is why, depending on the model, the units come with one, two or 4-channel 4 V Preamp Outs which pump out a full 4 volts rather than the usual 0.7 volts, making for a better performance. The pre-mium line models also have interfaces for subwoofers or auxiliary amplifiers, both of which can be controlled directly via the tuner combination.