Total noob really, really appreciates your expert opinions/advice.....:)

[parsenpars 10+ year member]

Alright I will try to make this as clear as possible. I have a 96 jeep cherokee.

-The stock speakers were TOAST so I just got 2 pairs of Alpine SPS-13C2 put in front and rear, and I absolutely love them. These speakers are amazing.

-When I bought the car, it had an aftermarket deck in it, a Kenwood KDC-8017 mp3 cd player. From what I have gathered this was a good deck back in the day, but is now kind of old?

I do not understand the wattages, term RMS, peak wattages, 50x4, etc. Which of these specs are important to me?

The 8017 pumps out 47X4.

I want a deck with ipod compatibility (the 8017 is no compatible with Kenwood's adapter.) I also want something that would compliment an entry system (my Alpine speakers and a single 10 or 12 inch sub down the road.)

So far I am interested in the Alpine 9883. Is this a good upgrade over my current deck?

Do I need to upgrade my current deck?

Thank you for any and all opinions

Click to read more...

 

[parsenpars 10+ year member]

nothin?

 

[JonJT 10+ year member]

RMS stands for Root Means Square. Take it as the amount of power the manufacturer claims the amp in the headunit can make with acceptable distortion. Peak wattage is the maximum amount of watts the amp can "create". 50X4 means 50 watts into 4 channels. So 50 watts per speaker.

They are all important to creating a system. As you read through this forum and others, you will better understand what these and other terms mean.

 

[parsenpars 10+ year member]

after doing some research i understand that now.

My current unit says it has 22 rms, and 47 peak power.

The Alpine has 18rms, and 50 peak power.

Now I am completely confused as to what is more important and what will sound better. Which is going to sound better with my Alpine speakers?

If you were me and had the money would you upgrade from this kenwood or not?

 

[hemiscott 10+ year member]

You want to go by rms with everything, speakers,amps,hu etc.. A couple of watts here or there means nothing..

 

[parsenpars 10+ year member]

So then my years old kenwood will actually sound better at 22rms...?

Those alpine speakers are rated at 35 rms. Do I want to match a deck as close as possible to that?

 

[btnhfan 5,000+ posts]

I am pretty sure that that kenwood has an aux input.

You can run your ipod through that.

 

[Skatin Houston 10+ year member]

I am pretty sure that that kenwood has an aux input.
You can run your ipod through that.

Or he can buy a cable and plug it into the disc changer input. I like the newer kenwood head units.

 

[ngsm13 5,000+ posts]

So then my years old kenwood will actually sound better at 22rms...?

Those alpine speakers are rated at 35 rms. Do I want to match a deck as close as possible to that?

You're not going to find an HU that has a real 35x4 rms. HU's internal power amplifiers are quite small, and usuall range from 18-27rms per channel.

Get the HU you like, the 9883 is a nice one and has fullspeed iPod capability. Meaning, you just buy a $30 cable... hook it up... and you can stow your iPod in a glove box... and control it entirely through your HU. It also charges it.

Later on, you may want to look into a small 4channel amplifier to power your speakers. That is when you look for something near the RMS wattage of your speakers... something with a little more power is okay also.

nG

 

[parsenpars 10+ year member]

You're not going to find an HU that has a real 35x4 rms. HU's internal power amplifiers are quite small, and usuall range from 18-27rms per channel.
Get the HU you like, the 9883 is a nice one and has fullspeed iPod capability. Meaning, you just buy a $30 cable... hook it up... and you can stow your iPod in a glove box... and control it entirely through your HU. It also charges it.

Later on, you may want to look into a small 4channel amplifier to power your speakers. That is when you look for something near the RMS wattage of your speakers... something with a little more power is okay also.

nG

OKay thank you very much. My friend has an amp I can get for free but I think it is 2 channel so I will save it for a sub.

Still though is 200-300 bucks worth just an ipod input? Will I see any sound advantages with the Alpine? I'm really struggling to decide whether or not I should go with it.

 

[btnhfan 5,000+ posts]

Oh and right now, Alpine is having a deal with that cable.

Get a 9883 or higher and you get that full speed cable for free.

 

[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

OKay thank you very much. My friend has an amp I can get for free but I think it is 2 channel so I will save it for a sub.
Still though is 200-300 bucks worth just an ipod input? Will I see any sound advantages with the Alpine? I'm really struggling to decide whether or not I should go with it.

Based on what 2 channel amplifier it is, you can possibly power all 4 speakers from it, though some people here may not like that idea.

And yes, spending the extra money on a headunit is well worth it. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif It is the cornerstone to your audio system. It controls everything. No reason to cheap out and get a crappy headunit.

And by the way, I would like to congratulate you on being very professional and open minded on the way you started this thread. Lots of people say this site is unkind and unforgiving to n00bs, but all you have to do is ask the right questions, in the right way, and tons of help will be given. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

 

[parsenpars 10+ year member]

Based on what 2 channel amplifier it is, you can possibly power all 4 speakers from it, though some people here may not like that idea.
And yes, spending the extra money on a headunit is well worth it. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif It is the cornerstone to your audio system. It controls everything. No reason to cheap out and get a crappy headunit.

And by the way, I would like to congratulate you on being very professional and open minded on the way you started this thread. Lots of people say this site is unkind and unforgiving to n00bs, but all you have to do is ask the right questions, in the right way, and tons of help will be given. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif

I am a prominent member like yourself of 1-2 forums I care about and enjoy using all the time and I know how to approach things....it makes all the difference in the world.

Thank you for the advice.

My next decision is 9883 or 9885, searched found a little but still not convinced on either or.

 

[tommyk90 5,000+ posts]

I am a prominent member like yourself of 1-2 forums I care about and enjoy using all the time and I know how to approach things....it makes all the difference in the world.

Thank you for the advice.

My next decision is 9883 or 9885, searched found a little but still not convinced on either or.

The one thing I like the 9885 for over the 9883 is that it has 4 volt preouts. I've never been a big fan of alpine's new stuff since they started cheaping out on the preout voltages.

9885 seems like the better choice to me, especially when you decide to add on amplifiers to your speakers and subwoofer.

 

[parsenpars 10+ year member]

The one thing I like the 9885 for over the 9883 is that it has 4 volt preouts. I've never been a big fan of alpine's new stuff since they started cheaping out on the preout voltages.
9885 seems like the better choice to me, especially when you decide to add on amplifiers to your speakers and subwoofer.

Alright, 9885 it is.

So now my debate is this. 350-400 bucks installed with ipod cable at every single shop around town.

300 on crutchfield with free ipod cable/free shipping.

260 on ebay with free ipod cable/free shipping/ could buy crutchfield master sheets for like 20 bucks total.

I would love nothing more than to save 100-150 on install parts, but i am a jeep guy. My car experience is centered around fluid changes, suspension upgrades, etc. I have a friend who is great with electrical....and actually an electrical engineering student.

The labor on that ipod cable install is like 40 bucks and I know how ridiculous this is.

Do you think I could be competent enough to do this with my friend doing the electrical? How good are crutchfields master install sheets?

Should a car audio noob just have it get slapped in ?

once again thanks for all replys