SD, USB, AUX – a stereo comparison

With the hundreds of stereos on the market these days, it is hard to know what features are important. Common features are SD slots, USB ports and AUX jacks but what does this mean? What do they do? And how necessary are they? Here, we look to answer all your questions on these important features. SD Starting with SD cards, they range in size from 500 MB up to 64 GB. This means that you can put 40 songs on a SD card or 40,000 songs – it is up to you! Another advantage is that they are so small you can keep lots of them in your car and use them like CDs. With advanced technology it is not just about the music though. Some stereos also have a DVD player and an SD card will let you store TV shows and movies along with your music. Your chosen stereo must have an SD card slot to allow these storage options to be used. USB Similarly to SD cards, the USB memory stick is another type of storage device but this time can range from 250 MB to 500 GB, allowing you to store up to 250,000 songs. Unlike the SD card, the USB is slightly bigger and therefore harder to lose. Most of them will also be able to attach to your key ring so you can keep your music with you while another benefit is that any USB stick will be compatible with any computer so that you can share your music and movies with friends or download new tunes from your computer to enjoy in your car. AUX The AUX lead, or auxiliary lead to use the technical term, is a cable that connects to any device as long as it has a headphone socket. From your mobile phone to your iPod or MP3 player, this cable allows you to play music from the device through your stereo. An AUX lead isn’t just for music either. If your mobile receives a call the cable will transfer that call to the stereo so that you can chat away hands free. Stereos that support AUX inputs are therefore incredibly popular – not to mention versatile!