The manufacturers ****!

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

So, I've not even looked at HUs in the last 3 years cause I had an Alpine 9813 that worked great and did most everything I wanted or needed to. All was great until 3 days ago my 9813 went *POOF*! Not at all sure what caused it but a trace on the mainboard of the HU burned up and killed all the outputs.

Suddenly I find myself in the market for a HU again. All I wanted to do was replace it with another Alpine with the same features (crossover, time alignment, sub control, etc...). I wanted to stick with Alpine because I already had the XM setup for it. Long story short, the newer Alpines have FEWER features than my 3 year old model. WTF is up with that?!? I can't get time alignment or any kind of crossover without either getting an outboard processor or spending $1500 for the 9965.

I looked at other companies products and to get what I had with my $300 9813 I would have to spend over $500 and wouldn't be able to have XM. Total deal breaker on both levels.

I ended up with a 9856 Alpine. To it's credit, it has a very nice iPod interface and it has a sub output. What it totally lacks is a crossover on the sub output or the front/rear outputs. Why is it that what were basic features 3 years ago aren't even available today in anything other than the one top of the line model? Isn't the technology from the top models supposed to trickle down into the lower models as newer technology comes out? How is a sub output really a sub output without a crossover? I'm basically left with what I had 10 years ago as far as deck features. So much for progress.

Click to read more...

 

[davidfre21 5,000+ posts]

did u check ebay for your older model? //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[CapzNCoilz 10+ year member]

http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/products/product_details.asp?cat_id=1&series_id=49&family_id=50&item_id=106187&locale=en_US

Skip the cd player go right for this //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[3.5Max6spd 10+ year member]

It is indeed very sad the direction Alpine has taken with the current lineup.

 

[alphakenny1 10+ year member]

yea ever since best buy started carrying them, the quality went to the shitter.

 

[jrouter76 10+ year member]

I have 9815 that i got off ebay about2 years ago and it is still going strong,I would have tried ebay...and if you need new replacement parts check out pacific parts i think, they have a lot of older alpine replacement parts, I replaced a cd transport on one of my alpine cd-players and it works like new.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

I checked eBay and to no avail. Plus I didn't want to wait.

I opened it up to see if it was something simple like an op amp or capacitor that blew, but no such luck. A section of signal trace on the main PC board about a half inch long cooked.

And for more bad news, I found what caused the problem in the first place. Something on the MS-275 side of my Son of Frank shorted out. I can't find anything obviously burned up but it smells of fried electrics. It sat cooking with the car off. The short grounded something through the RCAs, they got hot enough I could feel where they ran along the side of the center console through the console. Fortunately I did get it all pulled before my new deck bit the big one. Now I have to send Frank off to get looked at. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/frown.gif.a3531fa0534503350665a1e957861287.gif

 

[Eugenics 5,000+ posts]

http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/products/product_details.asp?cat_id=1&series_id=49&family_id=50&item_id=106187&locale=en_US
Skip the cd player go right for this //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

i like the look of that alot better than the JL.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

http://www.rockfordfosgate.com/products/product_details.asp?cat_id=1&series_id=49&family_id=50&item_id=106187&locale=en_US
Skip the cd player go right for this //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

And that costs more thant the Alpine processor, still leaves me without a HU and requires me to buy a Palm to use it...no thanks.

 

[LittleCarp04 10+ year member]

whats the difference between the 3Sixty.2 and a AudioControl LC6 or LC8?

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

what about the 9855? its got all that

Too bad it's last year's model and no longer available locally. It's also 2x what I paid for the one I got. Price was a serious factor this time around. Sooner or later I'll get around to getting an Ai net cable and wiring up the PRA-H400 and it won't matter anymore.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

whats the difference between the 3Sixty.2 and a AudioControl LC6 or LC8?

Too much to list //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

The 360.2 features extensive built in features such as crossovers, equalization, time alignment, etc.

The LC8 is little more than a line-out convertor.

 

[squeak9798 5,000+ posts]

On topic;

I would have to agree with you Helo. I was quite appauled by Alpine's new headunit features, or lack thereof I should say.

 

[Chevyaudio 5,000+ posts]

Me too...I have a 9855, and Im happy. The 06 line is horendous.

 

[helotaxi 5,000+ posts]

i know 9855's are last years model, but theyre easy to come across here on the forum for a good price.

New with warranty and now were pretty much the order of the day. I've been without a system of any kind in the car for the better part of 3 months. This deck will keep me in music for the time being until I step up to a DVD deck in the near future and add on the 5.1 processor. Plus the Full Speed iPod interface is tits!