What Brand of Head Unit Do You Have ?

[Ridinhi 5,000+ posts]

Alpine 148bt currently. Had a Kenwood that I paid a ~100 for and while it was a good deck for what it was(eq, 4 volt,bluetooth,etc), night and day difference with this Alpine. Much cleaner and fuller sound!

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Fordco

 

[moffattdw]

Alpine CDA-9855

Sent from my LG-H900 using Tapatalk

 

[drei4runner]

Wife has the AVH-X3800BHS and I just recently purchased the AVH-X390BS to replace my old Pioneer FH-X520UI.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

JVC kw-m730bt

 

[dsw1204]

I am still very old school and I will only use a dead-head head unit. Currently using an Eclipse CD8051. Next one will be a CD8053 (have one waiting in the closet). Would love to get my hands on a CD8061 or CD8062.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

I am still very old school and I will only use a dead-head head unit. Currently using an Eclipse CD8051. Next one will be a CD8053 (have one waiting in the closet). Would love to get my hands on a CD8061 or CD8062.

Don't you miss all the new features? USB control is a must for me now. At least switch tracks in apps.

 

[dsw1204]

Don't you miss all the new features? USB control is a must for me now. At least switch tracks in apps.

Yeah, in a way I do. Biggest thing I dislike about my system is that I have to change out a CD every hour or so. But, SQ is my main concern and I still think CDs are best at that. I, recently, stopped at my local dealer and talked to my tech/installer guy. I got a little lucky in this visit. He had just finished working on another customer's install which included a Pioneer P99, 2-Mosconi AS200 amps and 2 Moscoi AS100 amps, Focal Utopia front stage, and a couple of 12" JL W7 (don't know the exact model of these), with a Mosconi 8to12 Aerospace DSP. Man, it was the best sounding system I have ever heard...but I have not heard very many systems of this caliber. Anyhow, he was demoing Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" off of an Ipod or some other similar device. I asked him if I could play my "Brothers In Arms" CD in this system and he agreed. There was a noticeable difference in SQ between the CD and the Ipod. CD was much more dynamic.

Yes, all the cool features in the new top-of-the-line heads (and all the integration with stock systems) is nice but I do not think their SQ (true SQ...don't add processig) is as good as the old school stuff (without processing).

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

2005 thread and someone still had RF head unit. Those were really excellent though and it's a shame they stopped making them.

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

Yeah, in a way I do. Biggest thing I dislike about my system is that I have to change out a CD every hour or so. But, SQ is my main concern and I still think CDs are best at that. I, recently, stopped at my local dealer and talked to my tech/installer guy. I got a little lucky in this visit. He was just finished working on another customer's install which included a Pioneer P99, 2-Mosconi AS200 amps and 2 Moscoi AS100 amps, Focal Utopia front stage, and a couple of 12" JL W7 (don't know the exact model of these), with a Mosconi 8to12 Aerospace DSP. Man, it was the best sounding system I have ever heard...but I have not heard very many systems of this caliber. Anyhow, he was demoing Dire Straits "Brothers In Arms" off of an Ipod or some other similar device. I asked him if I could play my "Brothers In Arms" CD in this system and he agreed. There was a noticeable difference in SQ between the CD and the Ipod. CD was much more dynamic.
Yes, all the cool features in the new top-of-the-line heads (and all the integration with stock systems) is nice but I do not think their SQ (true SQ...don't add processig) is as good as the old school stuff (without processing).

You will notice a low bit file. 320 to CD you won't.

Old stuff with no processing doesn't fix the one true issue. The car. Measure a speaker near feild on a baffle, may be fairly flat. Measure that same speaker near feild but mounted in the door. Will get a bit more chop. Now measure they same speaker in the door but with the mic at your head. It's a jagged all over the place mess. That's what processing does. Try's to get that mess back to the measurement from the near feild baffle.

 

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 PM ----------

 

2005 thread and someone still had RF head unit. Those were really excellent though and it's a shame they stopped making them.

Mean Denon with a rebadge. They sure have a history of rebranding, doubling cost, claiming inovation.

 

[dsw1204]

2005 thread and someone still had RF head unit. Those were really excellent though and it's a shame they stopped making them.

Wasn't those RF heads basically the same as those Denon DCT-Z1 head units? Great looking head units, also. Really liked how the Sony CDX-C90 aesthetics, as well.

 

[dsw1204]

You will notice a low bit file. 320 to CD you won't. Old stuff with no processing doesn't fix the one true issue. The car. Measure a speaker near feild on a baffle, may be fairly flat. Measure that same speaker near feild but mounted in the door. Will get a bit more chop. Now measure they same speaker in the door but with the mic at your head. It's a jagged all over the place mess. That's what processing does. Try's to get that mess back to the measurement from the near feild baffle.

 

 

I do not know what the bit file was of that Brothers in Arms recording. It must have been pretty low, I guess. But, why would someone record with such a low bit file if running with such high-end equipment? That does not make a whole lot of sense, does it?

 

You have me at a disadvantage, here. Your knowledge and expertise is far greater than mine. Not sure what you mean when you say "Measure a speaker near field". I am not running active, yet. But, when I do I guess I will learn all of this stuff.

 

But, getting back to "old school vs. new school head units", I am guessing that (everything else being equal...same speakers, same amps, same DSP, same car) old school edges out new school in SQ and even more so if new school is factory head unit. But, old school looses out by a lot with the conveniences of new school. And, I guess, I should start considering those conveniences in future builds.

 

[hispls 5,000+ posts]

Wasn't those RF heads basically the same as those Denon DCT-Z1 head units? Great looking head units, also. Really liked how the Sony CDX-C90 aesthetics, as well.

I never saw Denon in those days where I lived, but I was working at a shop briefly that sold RF. What was really different is that they were American made. I did own one and I really liked it and it lasted many years through my car and one of my brothers'

 

[LosIsATool 5,000+ posts]

You will notice a low bit file. 320 to CD you won't. Old stuff with no processing doesn't fix the one true issue. The car. Measure a speaker near feild on a baffle, may be fairly flat. Measure that same speaker near feild but mounted in the door. Will get a bit more chop. Now measure they same speaker in the door but with the mic at your head. It's a jagged all over the place mess. That's what processing does. Try's to get that mess back to the measurement from the near feild baffle.

 

 

I do not know what the bit file was of that Brothers in Arms recording. It must have been pretty low, I guess. But, why would someone record with such a low bit file if running with such high-end equipment? That does not make a whole lot of sense, does it?

 

You have me at a disadvantage, here. Your knowledge and expertise is far greater than mine. Not sure what you mean when you say "Measure a speaker near field". I am not running active, yet. But, when I do I guess I will learn all of this stuff.

 

But, getting back to "old school vs. new school head units", I am guessing that (everything else being equal...same speakers, same amps, same DSP, same car) old school edges out new school in SQ and even more so if new school is factory head unit. But, old school looses out by a lot with the conveniences of new school. And, I guess, I should start considering those conveniences in future builds.

 

Actually we have better DACs now. Burr brown is still burr brown. Nothing in that regard has changed.

 

[Papermaker85 5,000+ posts]

You will notice a low bit file. 320 to CD you won't. Old stuff with no processing doesn't fix the one true issue. The car. Measure a speaker near feild on a baffle, may be fairly flat. Measure that same speaker near feild but mounted in the door. Will get a bit more chop. Now measure they same speaker in the door but with the mic at your head. It's a jagged all over the place mess. That's what processing does. Try's to get that mess back to the measurement from the near feild baffle.

 

---------- Post added at 06:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 06:13 PM ----------

 

Mean Denon with a rebadge. They sure have a history of rebranding, doubling cost, claiming inovation.

You know nothing about speakers.