Alpine 9855 vs. 9857

[GreatGreen]

okay, i'm trying to decide between these two head units, but i'm not sure which one to pick.

comparring the two, these are the main things i know:

the 9855 has better eq tweakability, but it has that glidetouch feature which everybody hates

the 9857 has a better ipod interface (which is a big issue.. i plan to use my ipod with the HU more than CD's or the radio), but it doesn't have the tweakability in the eq like the 9855.

here are my main questions...

1. is the 9855's ipod interface just "not as fast" as the 9857's but still very useable and practical? or is the 9855's interface really slow and annoying, with a different feel than the 9857's?

2. the 9855 has a graphic and parametric eq. the 9857 doesn't have those things. how much flexibility is lost when going from the 9855's eq to the 9857's eq system? (btw, i'm not an audiophile, so i'm not demanding the most flexible and complex eq system ever made, but i do appreciate being able to tweak when i feel like it)

mainly, i'd like an HU that i can use my ipod with, but SQ is still the main priority. so it all boils down to this... i'm wondering if the 9855's ipod interface is bad/frustrating enough to warrant sacrificing its eq tweakability for the much better and more fluid ipod interface of the 9857...

btw, sorry if i was redundant or confusing... //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

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[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

I was wondering how the two compare myself but I just bought the 9855 because I need the active Xover and tuning more than an Ipod...

 

[GreatGreen]

I was wondering how the two compare myself but I just bought the 9855 because I need the active Xover and tuning more than an Ipod...

how do you feel about the GlideTouch feature? is it really as bad and annoying as many people say it is?

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

i have a 9855 with the perepheral interface for my ipod that charges it too. i love it. the glidetouch is awesome. i also have a 9853 in the boat, and i like that one too.

 

[GreatGreen]

i have another question about the 9855...

as well as having in-depth graphic and parametric eq's, does it also have plain old, quick access treble, middle and bass controls? i mean, sometimes i just want to boost or cut the treble, but i don't want to have to navigate menus or graphs. can the 9855 do that? super in-depth controls are fine when you want to fine-tune your car, but i'd also like more simple and basic controls as well for when i'm driving down the highway and dealing with traffic.

 

[AcidicDreams 10+ year member]

how do you feel about the GlideTouch feature? is it really as bad and annoying as many people say it is?

I don't have it yet...

 

[GreatGreen]

i have a 9855 with the perepheral interface for my ipod that charges it too. i love it. the glidetouch is awesome. i also have a 9853 in the boat, and i like that one too.

so, if you don't mind me asking, what do you think about the 9855's ipod interface? do you think it's slow or cumbersome, or you you like it?

 

[cyantist 10+ year member]

I had a 9855 and the iPod interface was pretty much unusable on that deck with the glidetouch unless you just hit random.. Searching for a song is nearly impossible.. I haven't tried the 9857, so I can't comment on that.. Honestly, if you're looking mainly for iPod useablity, then DON'T get the 9855, trust me.. You will regret it.. I did.. Give the 9857 a try.. And don't worry about the EQs.. The '57 has bass and treble controls, and if you need more than that, there are many outboard options available.. Good luck..

 

[cyantist 10+ year member]

i have another question about the 9855...
as well as having in-depth graphic and parametric eq's, does it also have plain old, quick access treble, middle and bass controls? i mean, sometimes i just want to boost or cut the treble, but i don't want to have to navigate menus or graphs. can the 9855 do that? super in-depth controls are fine when you want to fine-tune your car, but i'd also like more simple and basic controls as well for when i'm driving down the highway and dealing with traffic.

No quick controls, just menu after menu.. Making any quick adjustment is laughable on this deck.. I'd go back to simple bass and treble (a la my trusty 7894) again in a second than deal with what you have to to make a simple boost or cut.. Nothing is quick on that deck, including the iPod interface, which is yes both slow and cumbersome.. Not recommended.. If you are even asking these questions, then stay away.. Take my advice and don't be dissapointed like I was.. And I got rid of my 7998 to get it.. I'd take that back ANYDAY..

 

[GreatGreen]

No quick controls, just menu after menu.. Making any quick adjustment is laughable on this deck.. I'd go back to simple bass and treble (a la my trusty 7894) again in a second than deal with what you have to to make a simple boost or cut.. Nothing is quick on that deck, including the iPod interface, which is yes both slow and cumbersome.. Not recommended.. If you are even asking these questions, then stay away.. Take my advice and don't be dissapointed like I was.. And I got rid of my 7998 to get it.. I'd take that back ANYDAY..

so are you recommending the 9857 to me because of its ipod interface or because you genuinely like the unit? to put it another way, would you put a 9857 in your car?

 

[cyantist 10+ year member]

No, I'm recommending the 9857 because it couldn't be worse than the 9855 with the glidetouch for controlling your iPod.. I have not seen the 9857 in person.. My advice to you is to go check one out.. Bring your iPod if possible and try out the features.. I have no doubt that the 9855 may be a better deck, but the usablity is for shit.. And I would put it in my car if I was in the market since it's the best deck Alpine has in that price range..

 

[PepsiFiend69 10+ year member]

No quick controls, just menu after menu.. Making any quick adjustment is laughable on this deck.. I'd go back to simple bass and treble (a la my trusty 7894) again in a second than deal with what you have to to make a simple boost or cut.. Nothing is quick on that deck, including the iPod interface, which is yes both slow and cumbersome.. Not recommended.. If you are even asking these questions, then stay away.. Take my advice and don't be dissapointed like I was.. And I got rid of my 7998 to get it.. I'd take that back ANYDAY..

ughh that's what i hated about mine, it took forever to make a change, i got really fed up with it because i ususally make changes depending on the song, so it jsut got really old... i also hated how you had to save the presets, which ment holding that stupid glide touch button down for 5 seconds between each change, otherwise it wouldn't save you change and just go back

Alpine's decks are annyong also by the fact that you can't change the volume while you're in any of the menus, you have to exit all of them an go back to the main screen before you change volumes, i found that more irksome than anything.

i have used the ipod interface for both of these units, the 9855 was just rediculously slow, it honestly took about 5 minutes to get to an artist at the lower half of the alphabet, and was jut retardedly slow

the 9857's was quite a bit quicker, but still not as fast as it could be

 

[SuperBlack350z 10+ year member]

As has been said, compared to the 9857 and other ipod compatible decks, the 9855 is pretty bad in regards to straight ipod functionality. Hassle doesn't begin to describe the glidetouch when searching for a song. It's incredibly frustrating to navigate through half your library just to hit a bump and make the wrong selection, so you have to start all over again because you can't back out of the @#$**** menu. The 9857 is better in this regard, since they got rid of the glidetouch so you're less prone to accidentally selecting something you don't want since you use the knob. The scrolling through the songs is MUCH faster on the '57 as well. If you're only between these two choices, I'd say the '57. If you're looking in this PRICE RANGE, I'd say go for the Pioneer 880PRS. Beats the crap out of both of these Alpines with its hands behind its back. Sound quality is top notch, ipod functionality is great (you can back out of any menu if you change your mind or select the wrong thing) and can adjust volume while you're making any adjustments (what a novel concept). Just my .02, but the 880 has gained an enourmous following.

 

[vpkb1998 10+ year member]

[quote name=

i have used the ipod interface for both of these units, the 9855 was just rediculously slow, it honestly took about 5 minutes to get to an artist at the lower half of the alphabet, and was jut retardedly slow

[/quote]

9855 is great, only the glide touch is a pain in the wahoo...ipod control is somewhat cumbersome...as previously stated, it takes forever to get to the artist or album you want..if only alpine would let you skip through the letters A - B - C etc...

 

[bri487 5,000+ posts]

9855 is great, only the glide touch is a pain in the wahoo...ipod control is somewhat cumbersome...as previously stated, it takes forever to get to the artist or album you want..if only alpine would let you skip through the letters A - B - C etc...

i love the glide touch. i think it works great, as long as you are willing to get used to it. as for the ipod interface, i love mine. it charges it and plays through the aux in, so i can still control the music from the pod. volume is defeated, so that is cool too.