Better to go active with Eclipse CD8455 or with Clarion DRZ9255?

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

i don't know for sure but just from a logical stand point, you would not do any of the eq settings on the HU. do most of it from the EQ. that arc audio eq seems like it could be mounted near your HU or under the HU so you can actually control it from your driver seat. but i'm not quite sure myself.

 

[orangeblast 10+ year member]

yea the one i'm looking at is the XEQ....I dig the black look and blue light behind the knobs and also how the knobs can be pushed in to give a flush look.

Its says its a Din size and fits as a universal half din...so..its not quite a full din which means I could stick something underneat it as well...maybe Xovers....

So basically I'd be using the DRZ as the Source...20 bit dacs and stuff....Clean sound...then I'd have to have the HU on EQ and Xover Bypass and then it would send the signal to the EQ then the Xover then to the amps and then the speakers.

correct? thats a pretty advanced setup but I'd love to get into something like that...all that stuff would look way sleek under the DRZ eh? haha and should sound amazing if done right of course.

So that means I'd have to look into an EQ and a Xover.

So if i nee an EQ and Active Xover from Arc Audio....I'd have to be looking at the DXE EQ/Crossover.

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

yea the one i'm looking at is the XEQ....I dig the black look and blue light behind the knobs and also how the knobs can be pushed in to give a flush look.
Its says its a Din size and fits as a universal half din...so..its not quite a full din which means I could stick something underneat it as well...maybe Xovers....

So basically I'd be using the DRZ as the Source...20 bit dacs and stuff....Clean sound...then I'd have to have the HU on EQ and Xover Bypass and then it would send the signal to the EQ then the Xover then to the amps and then the speakers.

correct? thats a pretty advanced setup but I'd love to get into something like that...all that stuff would look way sleek under the DRZ eh? haha and should sound amazing if done right of course.

So that means I'd have to look into an EQ and a Xover.

So if i nee an EQ and Active Xover from Arc Audio....I'd have to be looking at the DXE EQ/Crossover.

If you are going to do all that, why bother with the DRZ? Wasting its xovers.

But logically the only way you can add enough EQ is to throw a separate Eq on each channel(all 8 of them..lol) The DRZ is for simple people, that live with its limitations. Trying to work with this deck as a transport w/ external processing is a $1300 waste.

The DXE will only give you 5bands total PEQ as well. But you have the option of course to run DUAL 31 band EQs onto it....think of all the space you need for these analog units tho...

The reason I dont have a DRZ is because off the mentioned scenarious. Its not flexible EQ wise, and its not worth the tag as just a transport if you try to build around it for flexibility.

 

[orangeblast 10+ year member]

okay...just exploring some ideas.

I'm still crossing my fingers that The new eclipse line in 2006 will deliever.

but like you said...the DRZ you want when you are going w/ a 3 way frontstage....but given my 2 way front stage.... Eclipse would be the best choice given its tunning.

Unless the DRZ for 2006 gives 10 band EQ and a 24 DB... hehe.

 

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

fyi the drz was the top of the line in 2004 and the top of the line clarion 2005 doesn't compare to the drz. so whos knows what clarion will have in store. hey if you want an old school look, like without all the flashiness and lights look at an eclipse 8454. basically the same thing as the 8455 but without the flashy look.

 

[DiamondFanatic 10+ year member]

The DRZ is the top of the line Clarion for 2005. According to my Clarion rep it will be current next year as well. Flagship recievers do not change annually, look at Alpine's and Pioneer's

Am I incorrect in thinking that the DRZ having a 5 band eq for the tweets, and a 5 band eq for the mids is equal to the Eclipse's 10 band total? (FYI the DRZ can be adjusted independently from left to right as well).

Also, they are not dual 20 bit DAC's, they're dual 24 bit //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

The DRX9255 had the 20 bit DAC's

 

[orangeblast 10+ year member]

What do you mean by the Top of the Line Clarion 2005...I thought that the DRZ has been the flagship top of the line model through 2004 and into 2005 and perhaps into 2006??

So....once again... having a 5 Band EQ and no 24 DB slope will affect me how bad? Its just hard to swollow given that it lacks only those 2 things and that it has everything else I could want. I just personally hate bottlenecks in systems.

Just to clarify...when talking about a 24 DB we are speaking of a volume boost right? 24 decibles? and the 5 band eq is good for both the mid and the hi? of course a 10 EQ band would give me better control and tunning and all...but by much more?? The good news i'm hearing about the DRZ is that is has good Xover capability right? and that if I were to get an external EQ I would have to get one for each channel?? 8...?? 1 EQ for my highs...1 EQ for my mids...I don't see why I need one for my sub....the sub should be a bit easy to setup... I always cross it around 80hz.

???

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

Am I incorrect in thinking that the DRZ having a 5 band eq for the tweets, and a 5 band eq for the mids is equal to the Eclipse's 10 band total?

No. The DRZ has 5 bands TOTAL of PEQ for the whole audio spectrum. Just like your Alpine.

The Eclipse has INDEPENDENT 5bands for tweets, INDEPENDENT 5band for the mids. You can also chose to not run pro mode and have a 7 band total.

(FYI the DRZ can be adjusted independently from left to right as well).

So can the Eclipse. Individual L/R level adjustments, up to 30db in 1db increments. Even the Sub has L/R level control should you have 2 of them wired in stereo, so you can control each individual sub as you like. Its great, sometimes I cut one off completly for soft SQ listening /auditioning.

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

What do you mean by the Top of the Line Clarion 2005...I thought that the DRZ has been the flagship top of the line model through 2004 and into 2005 and perhaps into 2006??
So....once again... having a 5 Band EQ and no 24 DB slope will affect me how bad? Its just hard to swollow given that it lacks only those 2 things and that it has everything else I could want. I just personally hate bottlenecks in systems.

Just to clarify...when talking about a 24 DB we are speaking of a volume boost right? 24 decibles? and the 5 band eq is good for both the mid and the hi? of course a 10 EQ band would give me better control and tunning and all...but by much more?? The good news i'm hearing about the DRZ is that is has good Xover capability right? and that if I were to get an external EQ I would have to get one for each channel?? 8...?? 1 EQ for my highs...1 EQ for my mids...I don't see why I need one for my sub....the sub should be a bit easy to setup... I always cross it around 80hz.

???

Orangeblast....The DRZ is a great deck, dont get me wrong. It could be the deck for you if you are a novice , just not enough for most with active needs. Dont get sold too much on the DAC's, plenty of people are running lower grade dac Alpine combos just for the flexibility. I have a buddy that just sold hids DRZ for an Alpine combo.

In the active world tuning> all

Its just very disappointing that the only deck in the market with 4way xovers, an active dream....in on the same token an active disapointment as far as EQ.

Isn't the reason to get a DRZ is to go active?

Simply put the eclipse has greater flexibility in 3way active, but obviously does not support 4way. Just letting you know the facts.

The beauty of going active, is that once you have a system to support it (amps), one tries all kinds of different speakers from time to time. Not all speakers perform the same, specially in a car...in your desired locations. EQ is your only friend at that point.

Also steeper slopes help integrate speakers better. For example I have dome midranges with a resonating frequency of 380hz. Rule of thumb is that normally close to double that frequency is to be used as a xover point to avoid bottoming out, resonances out of the driver while used IB. But because I have up to 24 db slopes I'm able to play them down to 500hz with

24db slopes and be able to pile on the volume better. Change the slope to 18db, or 12db...and I cant get the same volume out of them without distortion. Steeper slopes allow for smoother rolloff onto the other speakers. Dont let your HU, decide what speakers you can or cant use because it limits your ability to use them to their fullest in your car.

 

[orangeblast 10+ year member]

Well..truth is truth. and well if the clarion just can't pull its own weight...then...Time to move on to the best thing. I'm gonna have to wait to make a decision come 2006....I need to see what eclipse will have come out. Hopefully its cosmetics. I just don't dig the look at all right now but....its all about the SQ right?

 

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

like i said earlier did you consider the eclipse 8454?

 

[orangeblast 10+ year member]

I was trying to find pics but couldn't.....???

 

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

yea i couldn't find one myself but this deck http://cgi.ebay.com/ECLIPSE-CD-MP3-PLAYER-CD3434-CAR-STEREO-IN-DASH_W0QQitemZ7568768515QQcategoryZ18798QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem basically looks like the 8454. actually it looks exactly like that.

 

[orangeblast 10+ year member]

what year was it released?

 

[orangeblast 10+ year member]

interesting. That Alpine DVI-9990 HU looks amazing. But i'm almost positive the reason why i havent seen anyone mention this unit on the forum here is that the price is crazy and for the price you could get something as good if not better.

am I correct on this?