EDIT: Okay guys, I'm an idiot. I had a CDA-9835, not the 9885. It was their first unit with Bio Lite.
And I really did hate my 9885. The display was gorgeous, the buttons nice, but the sound was just terrible to my ears. Very harsh, brash with a emphasis on treble I could never dial out. Now, this could very well be due to me not knowing how to tune it right, but when I sold it and bought and Eclips 3434, I was in heaven.
So why am I considering an Alpine IDA-X001?
The price is right, and I want to have a large music library with me. The biggest things that scare me, though, are that I will hate the sound, and I won't be able to browse how I want.
My 9885 was in a small car that only had a pair of 6.5" components, my new car is bigger and has 8" and 6"x8" speakers in the doors, so I have the potential for more balanced sound now.
My second concern - I want to set my stereo to random, and just click around until I find something I like. The MIX on the 9885 sucked. Hard. Hit the next track button? It does not go to the next random track. And I swear, it would pick the same 20 songs, and ONLY shuffle those songs. It got to where I could predict what the next songs would be based on what was playing.
That would really ruin the whole idea of having 80 gigs of music on tap for me. The price is right, however. I think the unit looks good, so the bling factor is there too.
Next up for consideration is the Sony XAV-W1
The bling factor is strong with this one. CNET has a good video review here:
http://reviews.cnet.com/in-dash-car-stereos/sony-xav-w1/4505-6729_7-32557350.html?tag=prod.txt.2
Other than that review though, I can't find much information at all. The signal to noise ratio looks great, but what about sound quality? It is a Sony....
The navigation looks intuitive and easy to use. It doesn't have the capacity of the Alpine, but I could put my mp3s on a DL DVD. Unfortunately, nobody has this one in store! It looks great, but if I can't try before I buy...
Will I ever watch DVDs on it? No, probably not. The screen is good looking though, and yes that does count for something.
And our final choice, the Kenwood KDC-X991
The Kenwood looks like a solid choice. I had a DPX-701 in a past ride, and I thought it sounded great - although ultimately I could not dial in the exact sound I wanted.
The USB connector would be cool. I would add an 80 gig portable hard drive, and use that for most of my listening. Would it be easy to navigate? From everything I've read, I think so.
Sound quality should be good. I can't find out if they still use Burr Brown, Wolfsen or something else entirely.
I'm not sure if I would be disappointed in the small size/screen in my double din slot, although the four lines of text should help.
All three are about the same price after you add everything, because I would have to buy an ipod or an external hard drive with the Alpine and the Kenwood.
Is there one you would pick above the others? Would you just rule out the Alpine for me based on past experiences? Thanks guys!
And I really did hate my 9885. The display was gorgeous, the buttons nice, but the sound was just terrible to my ears. Very harsh, brash with a emphasis on treble I could never dial out. Now, this could very well be due to me not knowing how to tune it right, but when I sold it and bought and Eclips 3434, I was in heaven.
So why am I considering an Alpine IDA-X001?
The price is right, and I want to have a large music library with me. The biggest things that scare me, though, are that I will hate the sound, and I won't be able to browse how I want.
My 9885 was in a small car that only had a pair of 6.5" components, my new car is bigger and has 8" and 6"x8" speakers in the doors, so I have the potential for more balanced sound now.
My second concern - I want to set my stereo to random, and just click around until I find something I like. The MIX on the 9885 sucked. Hard. Hit the next track button? It does not go to the next random track. And I swear, it would pick the same 20 songs, and ONLY shuffle those songs. It got to where I could predict what the next songs would be based on what was playing.
That would really ruin the whole idea of having 80 gigs of music on tap for me. The price is right, however. I think the unit looks good, so the bling factor is there too.
Next up for consideration is the Sony XAV-W1
The bling factor is strong with this one. CNET has a good video review here:
http://reviews.cnet.com/in-dash-car-stereos/sony-xav-w1/4505-6729_7-32557350.html?tag=prod.txt.2
Other than that review though, I can't find much information at all. The signal to noise ratio looks great, but what about sound quality? It is a Sony....
The navigation looks intuitive and easy to use. It doesn't have the capacity of the Alpine, but I could put my mp3s on a DL DVD. Unfortunately, nobody has this one in store! It looks great, but if I can't try before I buy...
Will I ever watch DVDs on it? No, probably not. The screen is good looking though, and yes that does count for something.
And our final choice, the Kenwood KDC-X991
The Kenwood looks like a solid choice. I had a DPX-701 in a past ride, and I thought it sounded great - although ultimately I could not dial in the exact sound I wanted.
The USB connector would be cool. I would add an 80 gig portable hard drive, and use that for most of my listening. Would it be easy to navigate? From everything I've read, I think so.
Sound quality should be good. I can't find out if they still use Burr Brown, Wolfsen or something else entirely.
I'm not sure if I would be disappointed in the small size/screen in my double din slot, although the four lines of text should help.
All three are about the same price after you add everything, because I would have to buy an ipod or an external hard drive with the Alpine and the Kenwood.
Is there one you would pick above the others? Would you just rule out the Alpine for me based on past experiences? Thanks guys!
