So this weekend I am perusing the local car audio place while I am getting my XM receiver installed in the Bronc, when I come across this gem...

http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i53/sdosborn/My%20Bronco/StereoFaceplate2.jpg
http://i69.photobucket.com/albums/i53/sdosborn/My%20Bronco/StereoFaceplate.jpg

Just sitting there on the discount rack. It's last year's model that they just came across in inventory, and they were dumping it for 1/2 price.

I had what I thought to be a pretty good all-around setup...100W X 4Ch MTX amp powering Polk components up front and Polk 2-ways in the back, all connected with Monster Cable and hooked up to a "base model" Pioneer Head Unit. Since I installed all this, I have been thoroughly dissapointed in the sound quality & volume.:banghead

After reading alot of stereo stuff on this site, and the excellent reviews of high-end Alpine decks (esp. w/ 4V pre-amp outs) I decided to snatch this thing up and install it.

Let me just say HOLY CRAP!!!:shocked

I swear that my ears were bleeding from the trumpets on the "Reel Big Fish" CD that I was playing.:rockon Sound quality is incredible. Not knocking Pioneer, and I am sure that their Premiere series is comparable to this Alpine, but damn, what a difference! I can't wait til I get the sealed 10's hooked up!!!

Moral of the story, don't build a good stereo around an "economy" head unit.

I agree that Alpine has the best sounding units. But their features suck. Perhaps they improved over the last year or so but they just did not put much thought into their units.

I agree that Alpine has the best sounding units. But their features suck. Perhaps they improved over the last year or so but they just did not put much thought into their units.

That's what I always thought, and what has always turned me off about them. Til I found this one. It has that kewl slide bar on the front (white bar in the pic) that you can scroll through the options with (kinda like touch screen). It also has one of those "Pioneer-Esque" bio displays. Also, if I get an Alpine amp for my subs, I can link to it via some network thing installed in the head unit and adjust gain etc. and even monitor amp temperature from up front.

This one has it all...too bad you have to hop WAY up in the price range to get any of that...good thing I got it 1/2 off....

I have an Alpine and I absolutely hate all those little perks ya'll flock to so I'm very happy with it just sounding great.
Congrats on the deal!

alpine all the way... spund great... plus nice and understated... the green lighting matches our gauges.... and i don't have to look at some gay dolphin swimming around while my radio plays

I have an alpine 9813 and it rocks.

I always run my speakers off amps so deck power dosent do much.

I always run my speakers off amps so deck power dosent do much.

Preamp out voltage does though.

[URL="http://www.crutchfield.com/S-xjZJYeVvZ4k/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&id=morephotos&i=158Rww.crutchfield.com/S-xjZJYeVvZ4k/cgi-bin/ProdView.asp?g=300&id=morephotos&i=158RA700&pi=2&display=XL#Tab[/URL]
This is the one i bought last week.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f311/BT93/newcdplayer.jpg

Preamp out voltage does though.

yes and thats why I run only pioneer premier that run 6.5v

yes and thats why I run only pioneer premier that run 6.5v

Good lord, I thought my new 4V setup was hot.

alpine all the way. i have a 9835 that is almost 2 years old and i love it. my DD has 300ft of speaker wire and 9 speakers total... no way was i going to go cheap on the deck.

now if i could just find a deck with awesome internals AND navigation...

so, how much did it run you?

two fowty

240 half price? Fawk that.

I don't like how it will only remember 30 disc names and you can't scroll through the discs in the changer to find the one you want. I have to guess and many times I have to start all six before I get the one I want.

Output voltage in the higher numbers is great and all but you also have to find out if your amp can accept that much input voltage.
Believe it or not it does make a difference.

The thing I really hate about Pioneer is that they sell 6.5 volt pre-out decks but not an amp that accepts a 6.5 input. Even their premier line accepts up to 4.5 volts.
I called pioneer to ask this and they tried coming up with a slew of redundant answers not nswering the question. its stupid.

So moral of the story, if your deck puts out 4 volts , make sure for 1 that is rated for each set of rca outputs, not combined. Sony tried to trick peope with that, "4 volt output", but in all reality it was 1.333 volts per set of rca outputs.

4 volts needs to be 4 volts per each set, not shared, and you need to make sure the input voltage of your amps can accept this or its just a waste of time.

Oh and btw, I am only going to buy Eclipse, Kenwood Excelon, and Alpine for now on. Every Pioneer deck I have owned has been sent in for repairs.

So moral of the story, if your deck puts out 4 volts , make sure for 1 that is rated for each set of rca outputs, not combined. Sony tried to trick peope with that, "4 volt output", but in all reality it was 1.333 volts per set of rca outputs.
holy crap, i didn't know that jer. i think i got ripped off!!!

Not necesarily (SP?) they could have a tried and true output voltage, just check your specifications in your book.
Another thing I should add to the whole topic of things, is that people a lot of times buy decks for all the features they come with, when in reality they should just buy a deck with features they need. 4-5-6-7-volt outputs dont do anyone any good if you are never going to add external amplifiers to the whole AV system.
If its just a daily driver and you dont need it to sound like a rock concert all the time, just buy a deck thats CIA compliant, shows true RMS per channel value, and is MOSFET supplied.
22 or more watts is plenty sutable for an average sized vehicle.
Then just make sure you have a good set of coaxials to hear the sound the deck puts out. For easy and simple speakers Infinity has always appealed to me, but another point I should make is not to take anyones word on speakers either. Go to a store and listen to several sets. Bring one of your own CD's to listen too so that you know what you are lstening to. Buy the speakers that both fit your budget and sound best for your final result.

Sign me up for Beerman Stereo Basics 101. I just learned more in the last few posts than I could ever have listening to those dumbasses at Best Buy.

why did you have to return your old pioneer headunit.......?

Thanks, Car audio & Video was my first real "car" love you could say, I got MECP certified and became an installer but quit after realizing that you make 8 bucks an hour the rest of your life unless you move to Cali and can do crazy shit with body filler, glass, actuators, and all that other bling sh!t. Its just isnt about good sound anymore, most guys that have the money spend $20,000 on parts, and $60,000 on labor. Its disgusting.

My Pioneer head Unit was the Premier model
http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pio/pe/vgn/images/portal/cit_3442/34979DEH-P840MP_big_20024291727135170.gif

The part that motorized down to quit working. Then the cd would hit the back of the face and chip the edge of the cd.
Pioneer happily fixed it twice and IIRC they discontinued that model. I just went the pioners web site a moment ago to get that gif image and didnt see it.

I wish that for every CD I have ever bought I would have just bought Eclipse to begin with. Their disc transfer technology alone is impecable.

Oh and fwiw, The dick heads at Best Buy dont know shit about electronics, they sell you what they read in a magazine, or what the boss tells them to sell. Car Audio and Video is a legitamate business but its something that if you are serious enough into, should go to a specialist for. Just like hi end home AV equipment, you wouldnt go to walmart to buy B&W speakers now would you???:histerica
http://www.bwspeakers.com/gfx/globa_gfx/example_image.jpg

Just think a pair of these puppies is like $500,000. Probably 5 times more than the average mans house cost. Imagine having 7 of them for a THX 7.1 system.