Are Alpine head units still the best? What works well with a full system upgrade?

[creisiger]

Hey folks,

I just bought a 2003 Chevy Avalanche and I want to upgrade the sound system. I used to have a jeep and upgraded everything when I bought it in 2004. I had a top of the line Alpine CDA Head Unit, Alpine type R door speakers all around, 2 12"s, and a 5 channel Alpine V12 amp. I loved the way that car sounded. I don't as much bass anymore, but I'd love to get that quality again.

Any suggestions for a head unit? I basically want something that I can plug my iphone into and I want good sound quality. I will be installing new speakers all around (probably type R again??) and a single 10" under the rear seat.

I have been out of the game for so long I don't really know what my best options are anymore. Any and all advice is appreciated.

Chris

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[C1500martin 10+ year member]

Pioneer 80 prs. Its what EVERYONE will recommend its a really nice SQ headunit

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

alpine is still the same quality it is back then, just stick to it if you really love em. 149 bt if you want a single din head unit.

They are by no means the best though.

 

[blazian87 10+ year member]

Hey folks, I just bought a 2003 Chevy Avalanche and I want to upgrade the sound system. I used to have a jeep and upgraded everything when I bought it in 2004. I had a top of the line Alpine CDA Head Unit, Alpine type R door speakers all around, 2 12"s, and a 5 channel Alpine V12 amp. I loved the way that car sounded. I don't as much bass anymore, but I'd love to get that quality again.

Any suggestions for a head unit? I basically want something that I can plug my iphone into and I want good sound quality. I will be installing new speakers all around (probably type R again??) and a single 10" under the rear seat.

I have been out of the game for so long I don't really know what my best options are anymore. Any and all advice is appreciated.

Chris

Are you looking for double din or single din? Budget? I personally have always been a fan of alpine headunits myself. They are definitely a good choice but it just depends on what you're looking for. Pioneer 80prs is a fantastic choice because it is the only headunit now that has built in 3 way crossover and has other tuning freebies like time alignment, EQ, and crossover slopes. Alpine made a similar headunit called the CDA-9887 that does the same thing but it does not charge the iphone though. I would say it mostly depends on how you're gonna set your speakers up. If you're gonna run active front stage only, then the 80prs is probably the best choice. If you planning on just getting new speakers all around and don't wanna spend time tweaking the sound, practically any headunit that has a 24 bit processor built in is good. Everything else is just luxury like bluetooth, dvd player, gps, touchscreen, etc.. Ask yourself what you're looking for in a unit, then we can narrow down the choices that fit your needs.

 

[tc300 10+ year member]

Really depends on what you're looking for op..

 

[creisiger]

Thanks for the response.

I am planning to replace all the speakers and really don't want to have to mess with tweaking the sound much. So I guess I'm looking for a 24 bit HU..

Single or double din, doesnt really matter. Probably just a single because I really don't need all the extras like dvd or navigation, though I'm open to the idea of a double din with more bells and wbistles if it doesnt break the bank.. Bluetooth would be cool though so I could wirelessly play music from my phone.

Budget? I could go up to $1250 or so. I noticed there are a lot of classifieds on this site. Would you advise for or against buying a used head unit? I got my favorite alpine a decade ago for $200 used and it worked great for years!

 

[blazian87 10+ year member]

Thanks for the response. I am planning to replace all the speakers and really don't want to have to mess with tweaking the sound much. So I guess I'm looking for a 24 bit HU..

Single or double din, doesnt really matter. Probably just a single because I really don't need all the extras like dvd or navigation, though I'm open to the idea of a double din with more bells and wbistles if it doesnt break the bank.. Bluetooth would be cool though so I could wirelessly play music from my phone.

Budget? I could go up to $1250 or so. I noticed there are a lot of classifieds on this site. Would you advise for or against buying a used head unit? I got my favorite alpine a decade ago for $200 used and it worked great for years!

damnn if your budget is $1250 then you can buy almost any headunit out there. It will depend if you actually want those extra bells and whistles or not. There's a big price difference from single dins and double dins. I think a double din will fit you quite nicely. Either one will be a good choice. The great thing about a DD is that it's easy to navigate through your music while driving. Since you don't want Navi, then that will cut out alot of cost already. Bluetooth streaming has already become standard in almost every headunit now so you don't have to worry about that.

These are nice alpine units that has nice features and won't break the bank!

Amazon.com : Alpine CDE-HD148BT CD Receiver with built-in Bluetooth & HD Radio : Vehicle Cd Player Receivers : Car Electronics

http://www.amazon.com/Alpine-Receiver-Bluetooth-Touchscreen-Display/dp/B008U9D4NS/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1415261274&sr=8-3&keywords=Alpine-IVE-W530

 

[thirdgen]

They are by no means the best though.

I thought Alpine did make some of the best head units though. Also, I heard they were good for SQ.

 

[blazian87 10+ year member]

I thought Alpine did make some of the best head units though. Also, I heard they were good for SQ.

I guess it's all subjective. They've always been good for SQ time and time again. That's what they're all about. Never been disappointed in that department from all the alpine headunits I've owned. They haven't changed much in their design though since the old days except when they have to, to keep up with the times. To many people, their aesthetics look outdated which is what sways them away from it.

 

[matt_bennett05 10+ year member]

I have no real complaints on my new 154BT. Only "wish" it was a full dot display like the CDA-117 in my other ride.

EDIT : It sounds good enough that my buddy who owned the 9600HDX (think that's the Mod, one of the top Pioneers) took it out and ordered the 154BT the day he heard it. Another local shop I'm friends with has put a few in lately and I haven't heard complaints out of it.

 

[mrpep]

This Pioneer 80 prs really is an eye catcher with all I keep hearing about it . Will it make a noticeable difference from my pioneer 3200dvd or 2300? what ever it is ....

 

[Jeffdachef 5,000+ posts]

I thought Alpine did make some of the best head units though. Also, I heard they were good for SQ.

Dont get me wrong, they are great but currently they dont necessarily have something on the level of 80 prs and pioneer's stage 4 99prs head units. The cda 9887 was the only thing that could go head to head with the 80 prs and its been awhile since they released an audiophile oriented head unit. Pretty sure they have something in store for the future though, just gotta wait.

 

[blazian87 10+ year member]

This Pioneer 80 prs really is an eye catcher with all I keep hearing about it . Will it make a noticeable difference from my pioneer 3200dvd or 2300? what ever it is ....

If you're looking for more processing power and more tunability in one unit, then yes. Or you can add a DSP processor to your existing headunit which will run you another couple hundred bux. If you're not into sound tweaking, then stick with what you got. It will save you a big headache.

 

[creisiger]

Blazain, sounds like you are quite the authority on car audio. Appreciate the help.

Again, this is going in a 2003 Chevy Avalanche.

I think I will go with the Alpine double din, Alpine-IVE-W530, head unit. Now I need to get the rest of the system put together. I think I will need a steering wheel control interface so I can control it with the wheel buttons.

I also have a lifetime satellite radio subscription in this truck- that's compatible with this HU, right?

Next, lets talk speakers. I had Alpine type r component speakers in my jeep and loved them, but don't really want to mess with modifying the dash again to mount the tweeters. So maybe just some regular 2-way type r speakers?? What rms wattage should I look for? In that jeep, I had to cut holes in the door panels because the speakers were so deep. Is there somewhere I can look up to see which speakers will fit in my doors without having to cut the plastic mesh out of the panels? Or any other suggestions? The 4 door speakers are 6.5".

And finally, the amp. I was thinking a 5 channel to power the doors and a sub (I will probably get to the sub after the holidays.) Any suggestions on which one to get that will work well with what I have described above?

This is my new truck. I want it to sound as good as it looks!

 

[blazian87 10+ year member]

Blazain, sounds like you are quite the authority on car audio. Appreciate the help.
Again, this is going in a 2003 Chevy Avalanche.

I think I will go with the Alpine double din, Alpine-IVE-W530, head unit. Now I need to get the rest of the system put together. I think I will need a steering wheel control interface so I can control it with the wheel buttons.

I also have a lifetime satellite radio subscription in this truck- that's compatible with this HU, right?

Next, lets talk speakers. I had Alpine type r component speakers in my jeep and loved them, but don't really want to mess with modifying the dash again to mount the tweeters. So maybe just some regular 2-way type r speakers?? What rms wattage should I look for? In that jeep, I had to cut holes in the door panels because the speakers were so deep. Is there somewhere I can look up to see which speakers will fit in my doors without having to cut the plastic mesh out of the panels? Or any other suggestions? The 4 door speakers are 6.5".

And finally, the amp. I was thinking a 5 channel to power the doors and a sub (I will probably get to the sub after the holidays.) Any suggestions on which one to get that will work well with what I have described above?

This is my new truck. I want it to sound as good as it looks!

Your ride sure does look sweet.. about the lifetime sirius, I could be wrong but I believe they are not compatible because it requires a special sirius module to integrate with alpine headunits. Sirius doesn't allow lifetime on newer devices anymore because they lost too much money from it. Maybe the account can be transferred from your original to the new module but I don't think they'll allow you to do that. I would call Sirius directly about that to get a real answer. Most likely they're gonna say no and want you to join their membership.. You can always just use your old Sirius device and connect a 3.5mm auxiliary if you wanna be cheap.

I'm sure 2 way coaxials all the way around would suit you fine. That would be the easiest install. If you're willing to take it a step further, going with a good front stage and adding rear fill coaxials would be awesome. Do you have room in your A-pillars to add tweeters? I know it's a little more work but it's worth it if you can get around to it.

About how deep the speakers can go in your doors, I can't really say. If you have the time, you can open it up and measure exactly how much depth you have to work with. Chances are though most 6.5" speakers can easily fit in factory locations without modifications. Make sure to get speaker adapters specific for your car so they fit in nice. Adding sound deadening to your doors would also make a huge difference as it'll keep outside noise from interfering with your music experience inside. It can also prevent the doors from rattling and the midbass from your doors would be improved as well.

5 channel amp would keep the install more clean but they are usually quite expensive. If you can find a good price on it, then go for it. Typically speaker sets are rated at 100w each side so get something like 100x4 @ 4 ohm if possible and the last channel atleast 500w rms to work with. How many sub(s) do you wanna add in the future? 1 12"? 2 10's maybe?