Alpine 9855 vs Kenwood 25th anniversary HU

[Mike75 10+ year member]

I can't decide which one I like more or is better, so if you could give me your thoughts I would really appreciate it...Pro's Con's ? Thank you.....Also, if there is an Alpine HU that you think is better than the Kenwood please let me know..

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[chadillac3 10+ year member]

I've owned both the XXV-01D and the 9855...processing on the 9855 is better, as is iPod compatibility, but I like the XXV-01D more.

 

[suleman36 10+ year member]

I whould go for the Kenwood XXV-01D on this on anyway. One of the best build quality HU's out right now and it has HD radio ready and 5V preouts and alot more...

 

[joetama 5,000+ posts]

I've owned both the XXV-01D and the 9855...processing on the 9855 is better, as is iPod compatibility, but I like the XXV-01D more.

Why did you like the Kenwood more, SQ or Options or what???

 

[Mike75 10+ year member]

Please provide more information to backup your responses, thank you for the replies...Keep them coming

 

[Ignatowski 5,000+ posts]

I owned a 9833 which is almost a 9835 with a few less features

and I own a 889 Excelon which is pretty much the same as the 25th anny deck with a few less features - the Excelon walked all over my 9833 in SQ,output and clarity

 

[suleman36 10+ year member]

The Kenwood offers a 4 band eq and the pioneer offers a 13 band eq

That is the main reason i prefer the pioneer premier 860 overall.

They both have 2 year warranty

The Kenwood is HD radio ready which is really cool cause it will auto display the radio station name and title of the song playing and get great reception.

They are both ipod ready

Both have internal amps

Both are XM/Sirius READY

Pioneer has 6.5v preouts while the Kenwood has 5v preouts

Both have time alignment features but the Pioneer has a feature called AUTO EQ / TimeAlignment which is an amazing tool to use.

It automatically fine tunes your cars system for phenominal SQ and really gives the driver a front stage that they will appreciate.

BOth units never skipped once on me

Both are detachable faceplates

Overall you cant go wrong with either but if you like more control over the EQ 13 band vs. 4 band then i whould stick with the Pioneer Premier but if your not in need of that many bands then I whould go with the Kenwood XXV-01D

I like the looks of the Kenwood alittle better then the Pioneer altought they both look nice in the day time and night. Both being very clear in all conditions. The build quality is nicer on the Kenwood XXV-01D since its there 25th Anniversary model so they made sure of this. BOth are winners in my book

HOpe that helps

 

[RamThis436 10+ year member]

I just bought the Alpine 9855 a couple days ago and so far it's amazing. It's got so many functions that I would never use. The biolight display is pretty tight and it took about half an hour to get used to the glidetouch so I dunno what the complaints are on that. It's got 3 really cool visualizations and all kinds of stuff. Overall, I'm a pretty happy camper.

 

[VoTran24 10+ year member]

Before I had my 9815(currently in my truck) I had a kenwood excelon revolving faceplate deck. I forgot the model number but it was really great. It was a lot easier to use than the alpine. If I get a different car in a few months, I will definately go back to kenwood excelon. I cant really tell the difference between sq but for some reason I just liked the excelon more.

 

[DiamondFanatic 10+ year member]

^ not sure how this has anything to do with two decks that are two years newer...

I have had a 9855 in my truck for the past few months, running a few different types of systems, (2-way active fronts, passive fronts and sub) and it takes everything in stride. I like the way the volume knob feels more then the xxv-01d (which I also sell where I work) and the processing features are better. SQ is great. GlideTouch is great for using MP3 CD's and the iPod interface.

Only advantage of the Kenwood is a two year warranty and an extra volt on the pre out.

On both you can turn the internal amp off, and also you can bypass the internal processing.

As you might guess from the fact that I own a 9855 rather then an XXV-01D, I'm going to sugguest that you get the 9855. I'm not just saying that because mine needs a new home either, but if you are interested in a lightly used unit in PERFECT condition PM me. I'm not getting rid of it because of any shortcomings, but rather because I need to change out my gear for '06 as it becomes available. I also have the KCA-420i for it if you have an iPod.

 

[yacob.naif 10+ year member]

I don't think you can go wrong with either deck.

I've owned kenwoods and alpines in the past, and loved them both. I just got a xxv-01d that i haven't installed yet, but it's pretty much a re-creation of last years excellon 979, which was one of the best heads i've ever listened to, and, is actually the deck i'm replacing because it got stolen.

I went to my local alpine dealer, and listened to what they had to offer, and it finally just came down to which deck i could get a better deal on, and the fact that 'limited edition' sounds so cool!

But all kidding aside, the decks are so close, you may as well choose one based on the 'fresh from the box' smell you prefer. I think i chose the kenwood because i already had experience with last year's excellon, and because it seems like everyone and their brother has alpine, and i wanted something different.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

I've owned both the XXV-01D and the 9855...processing on the 9855 is better, as is iPod compatibility, but I like the XXV-01D more.

Look what deck you're currently using though //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif. Also, what are you using to control your H701?

NG

 

[chadillac3 10+ year member]

I have the PXA-C701 as well. I also have a Kicker Resolution set for my rear fill, and will have an SX600.2 installed shortly in addition to the SX700.4 and SX650.1. I just don't list everything. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

For me, take away Glide Touch, and I like the 9855 more than the XXV-01D. I simply HATED it. I actually had quite the saga last year. Got a 9855. Hated it and got the XXV-01D. However, I needed more EQ bands (didn't have the H701 yet) and wanted a better iPod interface. Put the 9855 back in. Hated the Glide Touch so much I went back to a 9835 and have been happy as hell since.

I'd say wait till the CDA-9857 comes out, but Alpine has stripped Bass Engine Pro for all decks but the 9965 ($1500).

As for sound...well, if you know how to set gains properly, you won't have an issue getting either deck to sound fantastic. Neither has any inherent noise, and both feature strong preouts.

As for the person who said the Pio has a 13 band EQ and the Kenwood only has a four, you must not understand the different between a PEQ and GEQ. I'd take a 4 band PEQ any day over a 13 band GEQ.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

Yup, I love my 9835 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif...

NG

 

[trd_camry 10+ year member]

There are pros and cons when considering which units to buy.

Here's my experiences,

I have had both brand b4, the alpine 9855 and kenwood KDC-MP828 (lower model then the anniersary but still have simlar features)

Alpine 9855

Pros:

-- MP3s files are easy and faster to search using the glidestrip,

-- Also loading Mp3 files are a snap,

-- SQ is pefect with a cleaner bass (MX Expender),

-- Sound good with either stock or aftermarket speaker

-- has two different band of EQ (5 band Parametic or 7 band graphic) for best sound shape

-- can be set as a 2-way or 3 way crossover.

-- Control up to 12 alpine amps through the HU instead of wiring

Cons:

-- GUI is too hard to operate while drive, have to go to several steps to get to what you want..for example if you want to turn on/off you sub..you have to go through menu..setup..audio..sub..then off/on.

-- Take too long for MP3 name to show up on the screen (about 5 sec),

-- Broke easy if u aren't lucky so buy a warrentty. (I bought my at BestBuy and a couple month later, it wont edject my cd and the glide strip doesn't work, lucky i bought a 4yrs services plan and went to exchange for a new one),

-- Screen are Boilite "BLACK/WHITE"..visiable at night but at direct sunlight it ****.

-- Preamp and watts outputs are lower "18RMS & 4V",

-- Not as low as i thought it would be, the loudest the volume goes to is 23 once you pass 23 it stays the same all the way to 35 max.

Kenwood Anniversary..

Pros:

-- Color and great graphic..duh

-- you can custom make your own graphic

-- HD ready for better FM reception

-- Has buit in Graphic Motion that meassure the proformance of your car.

-- Louder, SQ is also OK, You can use the 4 band Parametric EQ to adjust either front or rear speakers, while on the 9855 it aplies all speakers.

-- Higher RMS and preamp output "22RMS/channel and 5V preamp".

-- Sub control is easier to adjust and turn off/on

Cons:

-- Has only one EQ type (4 band Parametric), While the 9855 has two.."parametric and Graphic,

-- the Voice Manager the came with the HU **** and it wont read you text correctly which is very annoying. In order to search for MP3 songs..you have to use the software to burn your cds..once its burn..its only complatiable with the Kenwoord deck and it can't be play in any other different HU or cd player

-- Tend to skiped when you go over bumpy roads.."need 5 sec to resume playback, MP3 load slow.

For a quick summary..if you are into cool graphic, listen to radio, more power, then go with the kenwood. OR on the other hand..if you are an expert audio person, perfer SQ and not fantasy graphic then go with Alpine. The only problem with alpine is that if you want a very loud system you have to use a separate amp to power your interior speakers since the deck isnt that powerfull.

Thats my experiences..if you want to compare both of them..go to crutchfield's website and read the specs of each..also there you can read the reviews from past buyer and their thoughts about each unit

As for me..iam not into either brands now..thinking of selling my 9855 and buying an eclipse CD8445

i still have the 9855 with a sirius satelite radio attena and its 5 months old and still in great shape, Like i say b4 i bought a 4 yrs service plan and its good through 2008. IF you or anyone is interested i can sell both for $350 shipped

hope this help