Single Din vs. Double Din sound decks: What are the major differences?

Car enthusiasts and audiophiles alike have very particular aesthetics when it comes to sound decks. They’re the control center of all the music and sound quality coming out from your speakers as you cruise down the highway.  And if you’re anything like us, you know the importance of continuity, design, and lastly, quality when it comes to the master control. Some people prefer for controls to be on the steering wheel, and others prefer it to be elsewhere. But there’s something that almost every audiophile on record has: a preference for DIN size. 

What’s a DIN?

DIN is an acronym for  “Deutsches Institut fur Normung” which essentially implies the standardization of the size that a radio can fit into. There are generally two types of DIN. There is the Single DIN, which measures exactly 2 inches by 8 inches. And then you have your Double DIN, which measures 4 inches by 8 inches. Preferences and uses vary, but when someone refers to DIN, they’re exclusively talking about the size of the opening. The differences range from capabilities to aesthetics, each have their own merits and their own faults, which will be discussed further in the article. 

Enter the Double DIN

Double DIN is the king of features. They may be a bit finicky with size, but they tend to fit pretty well in most vehicles. What people like from the Double DIN is the ability to see what you’re doing. Modern Double DIN radios tend to have a larger LCD screen that can tell you where the source of the source of the audio is, the artist, and the time on the song. And if you look into comprehensive manuscripts like The Double Din Guide, they say most appealing capability lies in their ability to integrate with smartphones. That’s not to say that a Single DIN cannot do that, but the chances are, you’re going to deal with an extra AUX cord instead of just syncing up with the system itself. 

The Single DIN

The Single DIN is sleek, compact, universal, and simple. It’s the minimalist approach to today’s control systems. People who choose single DIN radios are often more concerned with the continuity of the car’s look—especially if it’s an older or classic car, or the vehicle will not allow for a double din. Single DIN radios do not sacrifice sound quality at all. If you’re more concerned with the actual sound of your music, what’s more important is the pre-amp output that improves said quality, not whether it’s single or double DIN. So if you’re looking to keep the sleekness of a single without adding much of the bells and whistles, preferring to focus on quality instead of quantity, a single DIN may be your go-to. 

The choice is yours. The single vs. double DIN is not so much a debate as it is a guide to see what fits in your car and lifestyle. Yes, most modern cars are double DIN, and the industry leans more and more towards that look, but that doesn’t mean your options for a single DIN are dwindling. Truly, what you choose is up to you.