Clarion CZ201E head unit
New stereo promises to be a media mogul, accepting music from multiple sources
Price: £129
No matter what media you use to store your music, the Clarion CZ201E can help you play it – and we’ve been testing the head unit for the past few weeks.
The first thing that strikes you is the premium feel of this single-height stereo, despite the competitive price. It looks sleek and modern, with a simple dial on the left, a CD slot at the top and a display with blue LEDs.
The front panel is detachable, too. We loaded a memory stick with a few music files, and slotted it into the front-mounted USB socket.
The unit gave us the choice of playing all the tracks, or particular folders – navigating through is simple with the dial, which mimics an Apple iPod control.
We connected an iPod, first using the 3.5mm auxiliary socket, then the USB port. The latter also charges the player, and we like the logical menus.
Our only criticisms are that there’s no pause switch (the only way to stop a song is to press the small ‘4’ button), and the fact that, despite claiming to be a digital guru, the Clarion doesn’t come with digital radio.
Verdict
Rating: ★★★★
What is it?
It's a fairly cheap single-height aftermarket head unit to play your digital music in the car
Problems?
Lack of play/pause button is annoying on the move, no digital radio.
Why buy?
Great value, easy to use, music can be relayed via USB, CD, MP3 and iPod.
