Time for a HU decision!

[bureau13 10+ year member]

Hi, first post here...as luck would have it, the demise of my factory CD player (Mazda RX-8) has coincided with the arrival of a new Metra faceplate adapter that retains the HVAC controls and doesn't cost 8 billion dollars. That's my cue to go shopping!

I have always been partial to Alpine, and the absolute most annoying thing about the factory HU has been the lack of so much as a jack into which to plug my iPod. I notice right off the bat that Alpine has two options for me to consider: The top end: IVA-W505 double-DIN touchscreen unit, and the cheaper alternative: IDA-x100.

I really like the look of the IDA-x100 to be honest, and by all reports the integration with the iPod is first rate. The lack of a CD player is annoying however...I like to have a CD player for those days I forget my iPod or just happen to buy a new CD. You can hook up a changer, but I don't know that I want to bother with that.

The IVA-W505 on the other hand has a CD/DVD player and can dock with the Nav system. Hmmm....

So I have a few basic questions, for those who have or are more familiar with these units:

- Is the iPod integration and UI on the W505 as good as that on the x100?

- Does the NVP-P1 "dockable nav drive" better the screen resolution and/or feature set of the PMD-200 portable Nav? I don't see anyone talking about it so it may not be out yet, but I have seen people say the PMD-200 isn't fantastic compared to other Nav units.

- Will the W505 work with the little inline amp (KTP-445)? This too may not be out yet, as its "backordered" everywhere and no one is talking about it either...its a 4x45W RMS amp that cna plug into the back of the x100 and other 2008 Alpine HU, but I'm not 100% sure it will work with the W505.

I guess I should also consider the CDA-9887 as an alternative, but for some reason I'm not as excited about that one...

jds

Click to read more...

 

[liljojo4711 10+ year member]

i just got the x100 but if i had the money i would definitely get the w505. that thing looks bad***!!! if u want to play cd's then u have to consider the extra money u spend on that. so $300 for the x100, another $150-200 for a changer your at about $500. not exactly sure how much the w505 is, but u get nav and a touch screen and other features. just my .02.

 

[bureau13 10+ year member]

Well, you get nav for an extra $300 to $400. I like the idea of having the option, but it would most likely come later. I'll probably be irritated at the lack of CD at some point, but most of the time will probably be spent w/ iPod. If the iPod support on the x100 is significantly better (I don't know that it is, so I'm just asking) then it would probably be worth it to go that route.

jds

i just got the x100 but if i had the money i would definitely get the w505. that thing looks bad***!!! if u want to play cd's then u have to consider the extra money u spend on that. so $300 for the x100, another $150-200 for a changer your at about $500. not exactly sure how much the w505 is, but u get nav and a touch screen and other features. just my .02.