Blaupunkt is one of the world's best-known manufacturers of car audio systems, having launched quite an extensive product line-up, targeting most consumer categories. And the company's latest announcement is related to a budget audio system, dubbed Melbourne SD27, which has been fitted just with an SD/MMC card slot to accommodate the "digital-savvy customer who wants to eliminate discs from their music diet", as the company puts it.

However, the device has quite a lot to offer, since, in addition to the SD/MMC card-slot, the radio's sleek front-panel features a convenient plug and play input for portable audio players as well as controls for the built-in 25-preset AM/FM radio. Moreover, the Melbourne SD27 radio supports both MP3 and WMA audio files at bitrates of 8 to 320 kilobits. The front panel display accommodates up to 127 directories of music, and displays ID3 tag information up to 30 characters in length. The 3.5 mm front-panel auxiliary input is compatible with the headphone or aux outputs of nearly any portable device, and an optional interface can be added to enable control of an iPod from the radio front panel.

The Melbourne is a full-fledged car audio centerpiece, including multiple options for expansion and integration into sophisticated car audio systems. It delivers 4 x 45 Watts of power, and includes four channel pre-outs to accommodate external power amplifiers. There is a TEL/NAVI input for integration of cell phone and navigation systems, and an optional Bluetooth/USB module enables the addition of Bluetooth or USB compatible devices including phones, MP3 players, and USB-based hard-drives for an entire library of MP3 files.

The Blaupunkt Melbourne SD27 includes adjustable bass, treble, and X-Bass EQ functions that let listeners dial-in sound for ideal performance. Additionally, there are selectable EQ presets designed to optimize playback of different program types, such as rock, pop, or classical music.

"For more and more people, compact discs have become obsolete," comments Blaupunkt USA General Manager Lutz Marschall. "They buy their music from the internet, download it to their hard-drive music server, and take it with them on their iPod. The last holdout for many of these consumers is their car radio, which still requires them to burn CD-R's with either audio or MP3 files. The Melbourne is a far better solution for these consumers - no CD required: they just plug in a memory card or portable MP3 player and they're on their way."

The Blaupunkt Melbourne SD27 car radio is available for around $159.95, which is actually quite an OK price to pay for this entry level/mid-range car audio system.

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