The Best Car Stereos For Any Budget 2023

Updated:

Your daily commute? Punch it with a killer car stereo.

The world’s first car stereo, circa 1930, only got AM radio and tended to catch on fire. Today, there are literally hundreds of car stereos on the market, and though they don’t catch fire anymore, there’s still a lot of junk out there. So how do you choose the best-possible car stereo for you, your car, your music, and your budget, short of getting a degree in audio engineering? You talk to the experts. We’ve been an award-winning mobile electronics dealer – and installer – since 1979. And our 2023 “Best Car Stereo” winners below cover every scenario we could think of. So dig in, and any questions along the way – pick up the phone and talk to our mobile technicians at 1.866.961.7781 or email us here. We’re happy to help!

Our Car Services:

Audio • Video • Radar • Remote Car Starter • Internet Streaming • Satellite Radio • iPad integration • iDevice Install (via Bluetooth, USB, or AUX patch) • Proximity Detectors • Dash/Backup Cameras • Crash Avoidance Detectors

Here Are Our Picks for the Best Car Stereo Head Units of 2023:

  1. The Best Fully-Loaded Touchscreen Car Stereo: Kenwood DNX997XR 6.8" CD/DVD Garmin Navigation Touchscreen Receiver w/ Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  2. The Best Value Android Auto Touchscreen Car Stereo: Sony Mobile XAV-AX5600 6.95" Media Receiver with CarPlay, Android Auto, and Weblink Cast
  3. The Best Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Touchscreen Car Stereo: Kenwood DDX9907XR 6.8" CD/DVD Receiver w/ Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
  4. The Best Over-Sized Touchscreen Car Stereo: Kenwood DNR1007XR eXcelon 10.1" High Definition Navigation Car Stereo Receiver with Capacitive Touch Panel

The Best Fully-Loaded Touchscreen Car Stereo

Product Image

Kenwood DNX997XR 6.8" CD/DVD Garmin Navigation Touchscreen Receiver w/ Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Regular price $1,199.00
Sale price $1,199.00 Regular price
$1,400.00 Save $201.00 (14%)
  • Screen Size: 6.8" HD
  • Touchscreen: Yes
  • DIN Size: Double
  • Shallow Mount: No
  • Android Auto/Apple CarPlay: Yes/Yes
SHOP NOW

We couldn’t think of a touchscreen more deserving of this honor than the Kenwood DNX997XR. This unit replaces the DNX996XR (which won last year’s top honors) and some mentionable improvements to the new model would be wired mirroring for your iPhone, four camera inputs, and support for Kenwood’s new high-definition backup camera, the CMOS-740HD. The DNX997XR still has the built-in Garmin navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Bluetooth, HD Radio, three sets of 5-volt pre-amp outputs for additional external amplification, and a whole lot more. Literally, a WHOLE. LOT. MORE. Like what?

How does an extensive sound tuning suite suit you? Or perhaps the touchscreen’s ability to read high-resolution music and help reproduce it in stunning clarity? Not quite sold yet? You also get three years of free Garmin map updates. Yup, we thought that might intrigue you!

To quickly circle back to a couple of features we rattled off, we wanted to let you know a little bit more about the wildly popular Apple CarPlay and Android Auto conveniences that a lot of folks are looking for nowadays. These software platforms connect your iPhone or Android either wired or wirelessly (phone-specific) to this Kenwood and allow you to use the on-board navigation apps (think Apple Maps, Google Maps, or Waze) to get you to your destination, control music streaming apps (Spotify, Tidal, Pandora, Apple Music, and more), and also allow you to connect with friends and family via text/phone through Siri/Google Assistant.

What are you waiting for? Click the “Add to Cart” button and let’s get you started down the path to audio zen. (Don’t need built-in Garmin navigation? Check out Kenwood’s DDX9907XR model).

The Best Value Android Auto Touchscreen Car Stereo

Product Image

Sony Mobile XAV-AX5600 6.95" Media Receiver with CarPlay, Android Auto, and Weblink Cast

Regular price $348.00
Sale price $348.00 Regular price
$449.99 Save $101.99 (23%)
  • Screen Size: 6.95" HD
  • Touchscreen: Yes
  • DIN Size: Double
  • Shallow Mount: No
  • Android Auto/Apple CarPlay: Yes/Yes
  • Bluetooth: Yes
SHOP NOW

The XAV-AX5600 double-DIN touchscreen from Sony checks all the boxes for most Android users. For example, it has Android Auto connectivity through one of its two USB inputs, so when you plug in an applicable Android smartphone that has Android Auto downloaded onto it, Sony’s 7” capacitive touchscreen offers Google Maps or Waze for navigation, control over popular music-streaming apps such as Spotify, Pandora, Tidal, Amazon Music, etc., makes phone calls or composes texts via your voice, and more. Android Auto is the best way to make your experience with your Android as seamless as possible while driving, making it safe and convenient for you. It should be mentioned that the XAV-AX5600 does have Apple CarPlay built into it, too, for those of you who use iPhones.

Sony is betting on your smartphone being the primary source of music, so they did not build a CD player into the XAV-AX5600. However, it does still have an AM/FM tuner in addition to Bluetooth. If you opt to purchase the optional tuner and sign up for the service, SiriusXM satellite radio can be added into the mix too. The onboard amplifier has robust power output with 20 watts of continuous output (and peaking at 50 watts) per channel. If you decide to add amplifiers for speakers and/or subwoofers in the future, the Sony touchscreen has 5-volt preamp outputs for these additions. A 10-band equalizer lets you sculpt the sound to your listening preferences, so you’re all-but-guaranteed exceptional sound quality.

You can add a backup camera, too! The Sony has a dedicated video input just for that purpose. The XAV-AX5600 also features an HDMI input, so you can add a DVD player or screen mirror any applicable smartphone. Sony even includes a compact wireless remote so you can hand off control of the unit to a passenger if you’re willing to do so. I am not, so that remote would stay in the box or get “lost.” To round it all out, a 3-year warranty comes standard with this touchscreen. That should offer some peace of mind to you since Sony expects these units to last a long time.

The Best Apple CarPlay/Android Auto Touchscreen Car Stereo

Product Image

Kenwood DDX9907XR 6.8" CD/DVD Receiver w/ Apple CarPlay and Android Auto

Regular price $849.00
Sale price $849.00 Regular price
$1,000.00 Save $151.00 (15%)
  • Screen Size: 6.8" HD
  • Touchscreen: Yes
  • DIN Size: Double
  • Shallow Mount: No
  • Android Auto/Apple CarPlay: Yes/Yes
SHOP NOW

The DDX9907XR from Kenwood eXcelon’s series took the gold in this category due to its unparalleled sound quality, easy-to-use touchscreen interface, expansive audio tuning suite, and a whole lot more. Let’s tackle the sound quality bullet point first, shall we? Kenwood decided to use top-shelf components (think transistors, capacitors, etc.) in the making of this model. All these components come together to help you achieve some truly impressive sound quality. No joke – it’s awesome. Sure, it sounds good, but is it easy to use? Heck yeah, it is.

The slick capacitive touchscreen that Kenwood sourced for this model is marvelous. It can be seen day or night in your car (some touchscreens have issues being seen in bright environments) and the interface is fluid and you’ll grasp the gist of it in minutes. If you’re an audio aficionado and love to tweak the audio settings, you’ll be thrilled with the built-in 13-band EQ, digital time alignment, crossover settings, etc. Get the perfect sound – and from any seat!

We saved the best for last here: Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are built into this unit (and it can be used wirelessly with select smartphones), so you can remain connected throughout your journeys via text or cell. You can use Apple Maps (iPhone), Google Maps/Waze (iPhone and Android) for navigation purposes, listen to your favorite playlists from Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Pandora (and more!), and even enjoy some audiobooks. The DDX9907XR is a fantastic option for you to consider. (Need built-in Garmin navigation, check out Kenwood’s DNX997XR model)

The Best Over-Sized Touchscreen Car Stereo

Product Image

Kenwood DNR1007XR eXcelon 10.1" High Definition Navigation Car Stereo Receiver with Capacitive Touch Panel

Regular price $1,399.00
Sale price $1,399.00 Regular price
$1,600.00 Save $201.00 (13%)
  • Screen Size: 10.1" HD
  • Touchscreen: Yes
  • DIN Size: Double
  • Shallow Mount: No
  • Android Auto/Apple CarPlay: Yes/Yes
SHOP NOW

Kenwood’s DNX1007XR 10.1” high-definition car touchscreen is truly a marvel to behold. Not only does it offer that slick “floating tablet” design, it’s also packed with features and conveniences such as Garmin navigation, wired or wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, HD Radio, Bluetooth for hands-free calling as well as music streaming, high-resolution music playback via USB input, and a whole lot more. This thing literally has everything but the kitchen sink built into it!

From a installation standpoint, the DNX1007XR’s 10.1” touchscreen connects to a double-DIN-sized chassis. The positioning of the screen is adjustable before the final bits of the installation, so you can get the best-possible viewing angle.

If you’re into sound quality, this Kenwood is part of the eXcelon Reference series, so it receives top-shelf audio components to ensure superb sound quality. The built-in 13-band equalizer, digital time alignment, high-pass/low-pass filters, and more offer robust sound sculpting options so you can dial in the perfect sound for the driver’s seat.

With multiple camera inputs, you can exceed the traditional backup camera options and add a front camera to eliminate the possibility of your vehicle’s front bumper smacking into yet another parking block or maybe a Kenwood DRV-N520 dash camera records incidents you experience while driving (hopefully you don’t!).

Lastly, Kenwood’s eXcelon gear get their 2-year warranty, so you can have some peace-of-mind that the DNX1007XR is expected to last for a while.

One more thing…

Once you pick out your car stereo, a last word of advice: buy it from a trusted dealer, and the more experience / the longer the track record, the better. A good dealer will take care of you in the event anything happens. And if you still can’t decide, talk to us. We’ve been doing car stereo going on 40 years, and we can help. We’ll ask you: what kind of music do you like, what are your favorite bands and artists, and how loud do you like your music? From there, we want to know all about your car, what you’d like to spend, and so on. We’ll get you there!

Speaking of trusted dealers...

World Wide Stereo is home to some 90+ industry-leading audio/video professionals who love what they do, and talking about it, too. We opened our doors in 1979, gained a small yet diehard following, won a slew of national awards for everything from killer car audio installations to customer service, grew the business online… and today we enjoy a faithful following of like-minded, TV-watching, music-listening, gear-loving defenders of fun for the whole family. Our only rule: no one leaves unhappy. We’re brutally honest when it comes to this stuff. Want to know if something is as good as advertised - even if you're shopping somewhere else? Call us or stop by one of our showrooms — we’ll give it to you straight. We love what we do, and we love sharing that love.

Comments (2)

Please share your thoughts below.

LEAVE A COMMENT

2 Comments

I have been suffering from Herpes for the past 1 years and 8 months, and ever since then I have been taking series of treatment but there was no improvement until I came across testimonies of Dr. Silver on how he has been curing different people from different diseases all over the world, then I contacted him as well. After our conversation he sent me the medicine which I took according .to his instructions. When I was done taking the herbal medicine I went for a medical checkup and to my greatest surprise I was cured from Herpes. My heart is so filled with joy. If you are suffering from Herpes or any other disease you can contact Dr. Silver today on this Email address: drsilverhealingtemple@gmail.com or Whatsapp +2348120513902

I never thought I would be herpes negative again, after been diagnosed for 4 years, I have tried everything possible in life, from one medical doctor to another, one hospital to another, series of tests, different kinds of medication, I had already lost hope until I meet Great Dr. Riaria online testimonies, a specialist in herbal medication from Africa, I contacted him through his email and number I got from one of the many testifiers, and he prepared herpes herbal medication for me which I took for weeks and now I am completely cured. I have gone to different hospitals for check ups to be totally sure, and all my results are negative. I want to use this medium to express my gratitude to him for saving my life and curing me from herpes virus, for taking away all my pains and sorrows, I’m indeed grateful and I am so happy I’m now herpes negative. I will continue to tell the good news of your great works to everyone, if you have herpes virus or other disease contact him now via: drriaria@gmail.com or WhatsApp him on +234 701 062-7760

https://drriaria.wixsite.com/website

Leave a Comment

Related Articles