checked out the new alpine HU's, so dissapointed

[MrSwiss 10+ year member]

i was at the bestbuy showcase(hear me out) to just physically feel and navigate the HU i was looking into buying, the alpine-CDA 9856. oh wow what a navigational nightmare. why does it take 3 buttons to get to the basic functions? i had a horrible time figuring it out, and i didnt see any advanced user options. So as of right now im severely dissapointed in this HU.

So now i must ask. can anyone recommend a nice HU in the $200 range? i was interested in the alpine 9856 because of the HD radio expandability, as well as the now standard mp3, wma playback.

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[chevy_man 10+ year member]

Check out the Pioneers. They have basically the same options in the same price range with flashier/cooler displays. Not that the displays are needed, but some people like that. I'm going to an 880 so no more color for me, and it doesn't bother me a bit.

 

[GrnEydDvl 10+ year member]

Yeh, the 880 is a sweet looking HU. I am about to pick one up.

They are more like $330 online, though. So, a little beyond your stated budget. I think it is more than worth it if you can swing it. It is a ton of HU for the $.

 

[saj21187 10+ year member]

eclipse cd 2000 or 3000(runs about 249) and i believe they are both hd radio ready

 

[DjiNN 10+ year member]

Or he could buy the lower end models of the Pioneers .. i think the 680MP is 200shipped .

 

[dleccord 5,000+ posts]

kdc-x890...which im replacing my 9831 soon

 

[MrSwiss 10+ year member]

i just ordered the kdc x790 got it for 200 shipped from ebay. almost opted for the 890 but i didnt really see any extra features i needed.

 

[dleccord 5,000+ posts]

790 has treble, mid, and bass. 890 has a better eq i think, iirc

 

[audiobahnuser18 5,000+ posts]

i got the pioneer 4800mp very nice Hu nice options very easy 2 navigate and has all capabilities mp3 cdr crws i love that Hu

 

[baseballer1100 5,000+ posts]

I didn't do the research and i got a 9856. I want to shoot it..at least you got lucky.

 

[MrSwiss 10+ year member]

790 has treble, mid, and bass. 890 has a better eq i think, iirc

hmm wish i wouldve noticed that. i must of overlooked that. i remember specifically looking for a model with better eq options in that price range.

 

[dleccord 5,000+ posts]

well thats what i was told from someone or i read it in the headunit section

 

[Chad T 10+ year member]

Do the 790 & 890 have time alignment?

 

[Ignatowski 5,000+ posts]

790 has treble, mid, and bass. 890 has a better eq i think, iirc

//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/blackeye.gif.66a1670f5aaf7f406e783a63e3387dc5.gif

WTF are you talking about

the 790 is the easiest I have ever used....

All Alpines made as of 2005 foward are garabge IMO....

the 9835 was the last good HU they made.....

 

[dleccord 5,000+ posts]

i never said anything about how hard it was to use. if anything i was refering how simple the eq was, in other words easy.

dont get me wrong, i stated that because someone said the eq was a little more "EQed" in the 890, but i didnt realized it was the x789 vs x890:

the 890 and the 789 are very different ...Tuning mainly,the 790 (which is easier to work) does have bass,mid and treble controls while the 890 is all EQ tuned and doesnt have those bass,mid and treble controls