Alpine iLX-W650 is a popular car head unit with a built-in amplifier. But to find out whether this car stereo is really worth going after, I bought this unit to test myself.
Now I’m going to share my review for you. In this Alpine iLX-W650 Review, you’ll learn about all of its pros and cons based on my experience, other expert opinions and much more.
If you are in hurry, here’s a quick overview of our review!
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Key Specs
Phone Integration: Android Auto, Apple CarPlay | Touch Screen: NO| Radio: Yes | Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB | Hands-Free calling: Yes| Speaker: Yes | Back Camera: Yes| Music Streaming: Pandora, SiriusXM, Internet Radio, Spotify | Voice Assistant: Alexa
Our Verdict
This is a fantastic head unit with a built-in amplifier that boasts a responsive 7-inch capacitive screen and impressive specs. Equipped with built-in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the unit delivers outstanding sound quality thanks to its Class-D built-in amplifier, customizable crossovers, and equalizers. Although Bluetooth calls quality may vary depending on your device, the Alpine iLX w650 dimensions and reasonable price make it an excellent choice for car enthusiasts.
Pros
- 7-inch capacitive touchscreen
- Camera support with front- and rear-view cameras
- The display automatically dims at night to reduce eye strain.
- Intuitive User interface.
- Easy to install
Cons
- There is no built-in CD or DVD player.
- The bluetooth may not work so well for phone calls.
What Other Experts Say?
Ry The Car Guy
“All in all, I’m definitely impressed with this unit. I think it’s got a lot of bang for your buck – it’s under $300 and has excellent sound quality, especially if you have factory amplifiers. I definitely recommend this radio if you’re looking for a mid to low price point with a ton of options.”
Detailed Breakdown of Alpine iLX-W650 Review
Sound Quality
The sound quality of the Alpine iLX-W650 7 is really amazing. I tested it on high and low volumes and found it to be crisp, clear, and loud enough to move my car. But I felt that the bass wasn’t coming out as well as I wanted it to.
But guess what? It was my own fault. I’d messed up the sound settings, because of which the bass wasn’t coming out well. But, after setting the sound settings, I could easily fix the bass and make it sound the way I wanted.
The best thing about this head unit is that it has a Class-D amplifier, which provides enough power to the head unit and makes it sound so much clearer and louder.
Moreover, the DIN has a 13-band equalizer, which allows me to set the frequency of my sound up to 13 times, which is more than enough to satisfy the audiophile hidden inside of me.
Not forgetting to mention the High Pass and Low Pass crossovers and the time correction feature that this head unit has, which enhances the sound quality even more.
- Equalizer:13-band Graphic EQ
- Built-in Amplifier: Yes Class-D amplifier
- RMS Wattage: 50 wattage
- Crossovers: High pass Crossover and Low pass crossover:
- Time Correction Feature: 6 channel time correction
- Pre-amps output: 64-volt preamp outputs
Design & Display
The Alpine iLX-W650 comes with a beautiful 7-inch capacitive screen. What impressed me the most was how responsive and easy to use the touch screen was—I didn’t experience any lag whatsoever!
The display looks massive, thanks to the super-thin bezels surrounding the screen, and I could see everything on it clearly, even in broad daylight.
What’s more, the display automatically dims at night, so you won’t have to worry about straining your eyes. Also, the display has quite a good brightness for you to see even in the daylight, which is quite helpful.
- Touch Screen: Available
- Color illumination: Not Available
- Materials: Combination of metal, plastic, and other materials.
- Screen Type: Capacitive Screen
- High Brightness: Yes
Smartphone Integration
The Alpine iLX-W650 comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, which I found to be quite helpful. I didn’t find it difficult to use them, and they worked not only fast but flawlessly for me.
If I talk about other smartphone integration features of this head unit, then it has Bluetooth-free calling and screen mirroring.
To be really honest, the Bluetooth of this head unit didn’t work so well for me. Bluetooth is my preferred method for taking calls while driving, but the Bluetooth in this head unit kept disconnecting. That was quite annoying to connect the bluetooth to the head unit over and over again.
But, I guess, the connectivity of the Bluetooth depends on what device it’s connected with. So, it doesn’t mean that you’ll have the same issues as I’ve had with Bluetooth. The rest of the smartphone integration is good.
- Smart Phone: Android Auto, APPle CarPlay
- Bluetooth/ Handsfree calling: Available
- Wifi: Not Available
- Voice control: Google Assistant
- Wireless: Bluetooth
- Streaming Services: Pandora and Spotify
- Screen Mirroring: Available
- USB Ports For iPhone: Not Available
- Backup Memory: Available
Expandability
One of the standout features for me was the USB input; it’s incredibly convenient for playing music directly from my phone or USB drive without having to mess with any CDs or tapes.
Another great feature is the camera support, with front- and rear-view cameras. This makes parking and backing up so much easier and safer, especially in tight spaces or busy parking lots.
The pre-amp outputs are also impressive, with 6 channels and 4 volts for the front, rear, and subwoofer. This ensures that you can achieve optimal sound quality and power for your speakers, and the built-in crossover options make it easy to fine-tune the audio to your preferences.
Lastly, the AV inputs via RCA are a nice bonus, giving you the option to connect external devices for even more entertainment options.
- USB Input: Available
- Camera support: Front- and rear-view
- Pre-amps output: 6-channel preamp outputs (4-volt front, rear, subwoofer)
- AV Inputs: RCA
Playback Features
Having used the Alpine iLX-W650 7” Mech-Less Receiver, I have to say that the radio support is top-notch, with clear sound and reliable reception. The head unit doesn’t have any DVD support, though, but that’s alright for me. I don’t have any use for DVDs, and I guess others in this advanced century feel the same.
The auxiliary port and USB music playback add convenience and versatility, while music file playback supports a range of formats with consistently high sound quality. Overall, I highly recommend this head unit for anyone seeking a feature-packed car stereo.
- Radio Support: SiriusXM-ready
- DVD Support: Not Available
- Auxiliary (Aux) Port: Front panel auxiliary input
- USB Music: Available
- Music File Playback: MP3,WMA, AAC,FLAC, WAV, AIFF
Ease of Use
I have to say that I’m really impressed with the user interface. It’s so intuitive and easy to use, even for someone like me who isn’t particularly tech-savvy. The menus are well laid out, and everything is easy to find.
Plus, the touch screen is super responsive, so I never have to wait around for anything to load.
Installation was also a breeze. I was able to install it myself with no issues, even though I don’t have a lot of experience with car audio systems. The instructions were clear, and everything was labelled clearly, which made the whole process much less intimidating.
- User Interface: The functions are quite big and easy to read.
- Easy to install: It’s very easy to install and doesn’t require you to be an expert.
