the 9887 uses a 24 bit DAC while the 9886 is unlisted which means it's probably a regulated 1 bit DAC. i've got a 9855 and that's got almost all the features the 9887 has except it has a 1 bit regulated DAC. obviously, it's a little older and it doesn't support the imprint or calibration mic. it's got the 5 band parametric equalizer, 7 band graphic equalizer, 6 position digital crossovers, and 6 channel digital time correction, which at that time was bass engine pro. it's the same stuff the 9887 has and the 9886 lacks. if you want a bunch of control, 9887, 9855, 9853 (which i have in my truck), some of the 9830 series units also offer bass engine pro, but that's going back to 2004 so they're kinda old. or as previously stated, 9886 with imprint. also, check to make sure what you're looking at (from alpine) has 4 volt pre outs. alpine's 4 volt outputs compare to other brands higher voltage outputs, they're probably underrated. the 9853 is only 2.2 volts and i did at one point run an amp off that. it was alright, but i was much happier when i switched to the 9855 with 4 volt for my car.