Help me decide which HU to get

[rbenz27 10+ year member]

Looking for a good SQ HU. I'm still a novice so I don't know much about all the features that's available out there so I need some advice. I've always liked the look of Alpine's and Nak's, nothing fancy. Budget is around 3 to 7 bills. DRZ9255, Denon, and McInto's of course are nice but out of my reach at the moment.

So far I have narrowed it down to the following HU's:

- Alpine 7998

- Alpine 9833

- Alpine 9835

- Nak 500

I've looked at the Eclipse 8455 and Kenwood 25th. They are both good HU's but I just don't like the look and feel of them while I was auditioning them.

I can get a BNIB 9835 and I'm leaning towards getting that one. I just don't want to get it and then regret that I should have went with something else. I've noticed that most Alpines use 1-bit DAC's compared to 24-bit on other top end HU's.

I don't mean to start a 1-bit vs. 24-bit flame war but how good is Alpine's 1-bit DAC in the 9835? Does it sound just as good as the 24-bit DAC's on the other HU's? To my untrained ears, I probably won't hear a difference but I haven't had a chance to do A/B comparisons on them. Any comments will be appreciated.

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[Ignatowski 5,000+ posts]

SEARCH.............

NAK500,hmm never heard of it,sounds high end

Personally i prefer the new 889 excelon over those listed Alpines,one of which I owned(9833)

 

[VOA_NIGHTMARE 10+ year member]

wanna do rock paper scissors? I dont think you can go wrong with either one

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

i dont think you'll find a cd500

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

I don't mean to start a 1-bit vs. 24-bit flame war but how good is Alpine's 1-bit DAC in the 9835? Does it sound just as good as the 24-bit DAC's on the other HU's? To my untrained ears, I probably won't hear a difference but I haven't had a chance to do A/B comparisons on them. Any comments will be appreciated.

I believe Alpine uses 6 1bit dac's....for what it matters, you'll have to let yoiur ears decide for you. I always found them to be their top end to be sound a lil' harsh and unfocused with good volume...

 

[Hook Me Up 10+ year member]

I have lost my interest personally in regular headunits. I think that the flip out touchscreen, pulse sensitive, DVD. IF you are into that kind of stuff get the alpine iva-d310 or d300

 

[Fosgate Forever 10+ year member]

get the 7998 you wont be disappointed

 

[rbenz27 10+ year member]

i dont think you'll find a cd500

There are 2 shops here that are authorized Nakamichi distributors. One shop dropped them back in the 90's due to reliability problems and bad customer support. But now according to this shop, the company has turned around and will be backing up their product 100%. They haven't sold any CD500's yet so they can't say if the unit is plagued with the same qc problems but they were throwing everything they had on their demo unit including scratched cd's and its still playing pretty good. They did assure me however that if I buy it and if something goes wrong they will find a way to resolve any issue by replacing the unit or by some other means.

get the 7998 you wont be disappointed

What is the difference between the 7998 and 9835? I might have missed something but from looking at their specs, they're pretty much the same HU?

 

[Speedyd718 10+ year member]

of those i can only say i've heard the 9835. so that's my pick. but don't be taken back the looks of the eclipse 8455. it's an about business look. performance is what matters.

 

[Darth Audio 10+ year member]

Well I own a 9835 and it's OK. I even worked at a shop for a few years that sold Alpine and I would still recommend the Nakamichi. I've not met anyone who has had all the reliability issues you hear about with the Nak's. Not to say it hasn't happened but I've never seen it.

 

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

I haven't heard a Nak myself but i've heard many stories that the Naks are notorious for skipping cds. Many stories i might add. But thats just from reading from forums and what not and from other people.

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

but don't be taken back the looks of the eclipse 8455. it's an about business look. performance is what matters.

In my opinion the 8455 looks like a billboard when the power is off and a Xmas decoration when its powered up. But yeah, performance matters most. Thats why some of the best decks have a simple yet elegant look to them.//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

 

[Ayrton 10+ year member]

So far I have narrowed it down to the following HU's:

- Alpine 7998

- Alpine 9833

- Alpine 9835

- Nak 500

Out of these go with the 7998...

Nakamichi offers great SQ, but terriable reliabilty. (yes I have owned them).

 

[DiamondFanatic 10+ year member]

I would buy a 9835 out of the Alpines you have mentioned, But I would rather run the Kenwood 25th anniversary or perhaps even a Clarion 955MC if you had the money. I would not want to go with the Nakamichi due to their history, and I also do not like their cosmetics.

 

[bikejunkie223 10+ year member]

don't buy anything yet! CES is only a few weeks away and everybody will be showing thier new gear, so there may be someti\hing better you haven't seen yet, or at the least prices on current units should fall as they will no longer be "current models" That said, what features do you need (EQ,crossover, time alignment) if the answer is none, the Nak is the way to go as it is a superior CD player. If you need anything else, the Alpine is likely your better choice. The Naks sound terrific, but have no features whatsoever. I would wait and see my friend, you won't lose anything but may gain a lot..