The car audio system has come a long way since the days of crackly FM radios and rickety cassette players. Today, it’s a vital part of driving as it offers high-quality sound, helpful features such as Bluetooth connectivity and GPS navigation, and multiple entertainment options. In fact, a good car audio system can prove the difference between an enjoyable, fatigue-free drive and a tiring one, especially in bumper-to-bumper traffic or long highway drives. Whether you’re a bass-thumping beats fan, a classical aficionado, or just love to sing along to your favourite tunes, we’ve shortlisted the 5 Best Aftermarket Car Audio Systems with Touchscreens in India that you can buy in 2023.
Before we proceed, please note this list covers only the music system/head units. While they should mostly be compatible with your car’s current speakers, you can also upgrade to/buy a new set of speakers, wiring harnesses, and dampers to make the most of the head unit’s capabilities.
Best Car Audio Systems Comparison
Audio System | Bassholic | JXL | Blaupunkt New York 750 | Pioneer DMH-220EX | Sony XAV AX7000 |
Touchscreen Size | 9-inch full HD | 9-inch full HD | 6.75-inch WVGA | 6.2-inch WVGA | 7-inch WVGA |
Audio Output | 180 W | 200 W | 200 W | 200 W | 400 W |
Price (approximate) | Rs 6,499 - 7,199 | Rs 7,500 | Rs 21,000 | Rs 28,000 | Rs 32,000 |
Android Auto & Apple CarPlay | No | No | Yes, wired | No | Yes, wired |
Bassoholic
Bassholic offers touchscreen car audio systems for a variety of models, allowing you to install them without cutting into any wires, and avoid messing with your car’s official warranty. However, should a Bassoholic system be unavailable for your car model, you can always go for their universal Android car audio system.
Running Android 10, the centrepiece of this car audio system is a 9-inch touchscreen display with 1080p resolution and Gorilla Glass protection. The high-resolution output is complemented well by the display’s IPS technology, leading to natural colour reproduction and wide viewing angles.
And while the RAM is standard at 2 GB, you can choose from 16 and 32 GB memory options. When combined with features such as steering wheel connectivity, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, voice commands, and 180 W audio output support, this makes the Bassoholic one of the best car audio systems you can buy for under Rs 10,000.
JXL
Jostling with the Bassoholic in the best budget car audio system category is the JXL with its 9-inch full-HD resolution unit. Although it runs Android 10.1, the storage option is limited to 16 GB only with RAM memory of 2 GB. That’s about the only con with the JXL as it offers all the usual features including Bluetooth and steering wheel connectivity, reverse camera feed, IPS with Gorilla Glass, Wi-Fi, and AUX/USB/MicroSD support.
The company also offers car audio systems with a larger screen, higher RAM (4/6 GB) and storage (32/64 GB) options too. These also feature more powerful quad- and octa-core processors, along with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. However, these units cost proportionally higher too, bringing them directly into the line of fire of more established car audio system brands in India.
Blaupunkt New York 750
The New York 750 is a good option if you want a car audio system from a reputed brand that comes with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support, albeit it’s of the wired variety only. The usual connectivity options of Bluetooth 4.1, reverse camera feed, and steering wheel inputs aside, the New York 750 features a 6.75-inch display with WVGA (800×480 pixels) resolution.
With an audio output of 200 W, the Blaupunkt New York 750 produces impressive sound quality for the price. Backed by Blaupunkt’s wide presence and a 2-year warranty, the New York 750 is easy to recommend because of its connectivity options and competent sound quality.
Pioneer DMH-220EX
The Pioneer DMH-220EX is a great choice if you’re looking for a proven touchscreen car audio system from a premium brand. The unit features a 6.2-inch touchscreen display and all the regular equipment such as Android OS, Bluetooth connectivity, reverse camera feed, 4-channel 200 W output, audio and video support via USB, and even an optional remote control unit.
However, being an affordable offering from a premium brand, you do have to make do with things such as WVGA (800×480 pixels) display resolution and a resistive touchscreen technology that isn’t as fluid and smooth as a capacitive unit. On the bright side, you get excellent sound quality and stable connectivity.
Sony XAV AX7000
One of the most popular touchscreen car audio systems in India, the Sony XAV AX7000 offers a 7-inch capacitive touchscreen unit whose responsiveness is complemented well by the tactile feeling offered by physical buttons in the bezel. There’s also wired Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to help reproduce your phone’s functionality on the touchscreen display.
The Sony’s USPs though are that it comes with a class-D inbuilt amplifier that can easily power even a subwoofer, 100 W x 4-channel power output, and support for voice commands. The latter is a big reason why several brands offer the AX7000 as a genuine accessory. And while it’s pricey, Sony’s overall quality and reliable 3-year warranty make it worth the moolah. But if you’re on a strict budget, you can go for the AX5000, which sits a step below the AX7000 and doesn’t require you to upgrade your car’s stock speakers either because of its lower power output.
Best Touchscreen Car Audio Systems Summary
That wraps up the best car audio systems with touchscreens that you can buy in India today. Comprising a mix of affordable new-age brands and more expensive but proven names, this list should help you strike the right balance between features, sound quality, and cost while pursuing audio nirvana within your car. As a pro tip, consider asking around in your car accessories market for these products as they’re often available cheaper offline.
