One of the cool things about working at Crutchfield is the hands-on opportunities we get with the latest and greatest gear. If you're like me, you're always planning ahead for the next system, and getting a look at the newest products is a great advantage. Here's a little number that I've got my eyes on for my next car audio makeover.

Digital media receivers (DMR) are a fast-growing category in car audio. What are they? Simple — think car CD receiver, without the CD player. Digital media receivers instead usually feature a slew of inputs, built-in iPod controls, and plenty of expansion options for extra goodies.

Alpine’s IDA-X100 is one of the best expressions of what a DMR should be. It’s built from the ground up as a digital media receiver, and it shows when you look at it. There's a large control knob is smack dab in the middle of the receiver, flanked on the right by a 2-1/4" color screen, and on the left by a set of control buttons. No CD slot anywhere to be found.

Alpine worked in conjunction with Apple to build a control system that feels right to iPod® users, and the control knob is where the rubber hits the road. Just hook up your iPod to the IDA-X100 and you'll be browsing your playlists with a few easy twists of the knob. It worked like a charm for me. I was able to plug in an iPod and find what I was looking for without having to flip through the manual to figure out the controls. And the color screen on the right was perfect for displaying the album art associated with my tunes.

iPod control isn't all the receiver can do. Add an adapter, and it'll work with your Bluetooth cellphone, and you can add on peripherals like an HD Radio tuner or satellite radio as well. Don't have an iPod? No problem — just plug in a USB drive filled with music files. With the price of storage dropping, it'll probably cost you less than $20 to add an 8GB USB drive onto the receiver as your full-time in-car music library.

Who needs CDs anyway?