1-din and 2-din radio - what is it and what are the differences?

Drivers who are faced with the need to purchase a car radio often wonder if the radio should comply with the 1 din or 2 din standard? Although the question may seem complicated at first glance, it is actually simple to check. Which radio to choose?

What is the din standard for car radio?

Almost all of us love to use the radio while driving. Many modern car radios also allow you to play music, podcasts or other broadcasts from the Internet, for example via a Bluetooth connection to your smartphone. Paradoxically, when thinking about buying a radio, we usually do not take into account one basic parameter, because of which it may turn out that the product of our dreams will not fit our car. This means din standard, shorter than the size of the radio.

The din standard is a German standard that determines the size of a niche in a car cabin designed to install a walkie-talkie. The car radio 1 din is placed in a niche 180×50 mm. 2 din is 180×100mm. As you can see, the 2-din radio bay is twice as high.

Car radio 1 din vs radio 2 din - differences

Car radios with different din standards differ from each other in size. In most older cars, we will find 1 din car radios, but there are exceptions - for example, premium cars that are more than a few years old. In new and older cars, 2 din car radios are much more common, but still very often in basic configuration versions (mainly models from segments A, B and C) we can find 1 din radios. In many cases, in modern budget cars, manufacturers install a small radio in a place suitable for installing a larger one. Less equipped models get a special frame with a smaller radio, and the empty space is filled, for example, by an additional compartment. In a more expensive version of the same car, a larger 2 din radio is available, most often with a larger touch screen.

When can I install a 2 din car radio?

As we already mentioned, the presence in the car of a small walkie-talkie placed in a cavity measuring 180 × 100 mm does not always exclude the possibility of installing a larger walkie-talkie. Therefore, it is worth making sure that our car has a recess in which the frame of the 2 din radio will fit. This is usually visible at a glance (a plug or an additional compartment under the radio panel), but you should check the car manufacturer's instructions.

If we have the opportunity to replace the factory radio 1 din with 2 din, then we first need to disassemble the old one. To do this, we must have special keys for disassembling the radio. They are often added to the package with a new radio. An effective solution would also be a visit to the workshop, where such a tool is likely to be on the list of equipment. Place the keys in the appropriate places on the radio (sometimes you have to remove the panel first) and pull vigorously. When we manage to pull out the radio, we have to disconnect it from the antenna and the wires connecting it to the speakers.

The next step in the case of replacing the din 1 radio with din 2 is to dismantle the frame and replace it with a new one that is compatible with a larger radio. In some cases, this will not be necessary, since after disassembling the 1 din radio and the plug or glove box, the factory frame is suitable for mounting a larger device.

Radio with screen and Android - what to choose?

Nowadays, many drivers are replacing their old walkie-talkies with devices equipped with the Android operating system, which allows you to connect the walkie-talkie to a smartphone and display some smartphone applications on its screen. Interestingly, even if our car only has a small pocket for the radio, we can install a 1 din radio with a large display. There are devices with a retractable screen on the market. Thus, we have a 1 din radio with a 2 din display and, as a rule, a whole range of functions thanks to the Android system.

 Unfortunately, in some car models, the installation of such a radio will not be possible. This is the case if the factory radio is in a recess that prevents the display from sliding under or over the radio. In some vehicles, such a panel can also be inconvenient to use, as it will cover, for example, the deflector control panel. However, even in this case, we do not need to immediately abandon the radio with an integrated screen. There are 1 din radios with a touch screen that do not go beyond their surface. Although it is usually small, its functionality is similar to that of larger devices.

Which 2 din radio to choose?

Drivers who are considering buying a 2 din radio usually turn to Pioneer, JVC or Peiying. These are well-known and proven brands that guarantee good product quality and no warranty issues. However, you should also not cancel the goods of budget brands such as Vordon, Xblitz, Manta or Blow, which are trying to provide customers with a favorable price-quality ratio.

Having a 2 din pocket in the car, we can actually buy both a traditional radio and a real multimedia station that will allow not only to connect to other devices via Bluetooth or USB, but also, for example, use the built-in GPS. navigation or reception TV stations in the DVBT standard. Some devices also allow you to connect a rear view camera to them or connect to the car's central computer to display information about driving parameters (distance traveled, average fuel consumption, etc.). When looking for unusual features that 2 din car radios can have, we can mostly be limited only by our own imagination and the budget we have.

in the Auto section.