Hello all,
I'm about to drop some cash on a new Alpine CDA-9857 for my MCS.

Can somebody who owns this unit tell me (or show me) if the colors of the face can be set similar to mini's orange?

Question #2: will this antenna adaptor work? http://www.crutchfield.com/S-Emfmjlv...EU10&s=0&cc=01

Question #3:Do I need a "facia adaptor"? or will it look good with the supplied face hardware?

 

#1 - no idea; probably not

#2 - looks like it

#3 - always; 1 DIN radios are smaller than the stock MINI one; the adaptor fills in the space around the new units bezel

 

The buttons and display colors on the 9857 are not changable. Buttons are techno blue. The displaly is a bright, easy to read, inoffensive white block type on a black background.

When I clicked on your Crutchfield adaptor link, it said X this item will not fit my 2005 Cooper. Crutchfield techs should be able to tell you why not and what you need to do.

I hope you enjoy your 9857 as much as I do mine. It has improved the stock speakers to where I have put off upgrading them. Do get the 422i ipod cable. It's way better than an aux adaptor. My iPod tunes sound as good as original factory cds. I find the unit's internal amplifier to be more than adequate, but if you choose to amp down the line, the 9857 is a great first step.

Search this Navigation forum for Alpine 9857 and read the 9857 reviews, 72 of them, on Crutch.

 

Got the setup with the antenna adapter, can't change the color and fit right in... good luck.

 

Anyone out there opened up a faceplate to a 9857 to see if swapping out the green leds and blue back lighting for amber counterparts might be a possibility?

I like this units features over my Alpine 9833 but I'm not really willing to part with the matching illumination. Look is everything sometimes .

-Randy

 

Loosing the orange on my radio caused a slight bit of separation anxiety , but the improved sound was adequate compenstaion for me

 

some older Alpine units you could change the rubbers on the LEDs. Most newer designs have colored LED's, so it's not as easy. :(

I've been putting off the CDA-9857, trying to decide if the iPod integration is worth it over buying an OEM looking Nakamichi.

 

No aftermarket head unit looks more oem then the Nakamichi.

But if iPod interface, MP3 and MFSW capabilities are important considerations, make sure you check them out on the model you want to buy. I'd also be concerned about the availability of warranty centers compared to Alpine and the other majors.

 

yeah...that's the dilemma. I'm trying to decide which is more important.....even consdiering the Nak CD-700II, which is nucking futs.

 

How about a nice 8 track? I saw one on EBay...contact Al Bundy.

 

?? CD-700II goes for $2k. I don't get the joke.

 

My mistake...somehow I confused it with their cassette player.



$2000 !!! I guess it depends on how much time you spend in your car.

 

not enough to justify it according to my wife

 

Did she also point out to you that it doesn't even look very oem !!!

 

I just installed the 9857 in my car last night, it fits no problem. I also installed the PAC SWI-ALP for the steering wheel controls. Took a minute to figure out what how to program it, but dam its nice to have them back!

 

Hope you like yours as much as I do. They make the stock speakers sound like a speaker upgrade, don't they? I cannot decide whether or not to replace them with Alpine top of the line SPX 177r. I wish I knew if they'd sound THAT much better than the stocks.

Anyone else have 9857/177r in their Mini?

 

I love it, but the factory speakers and amplification have been long gone for a while. I just replaced 9830 that I loved, that is until I heard how much better the 9857 sounded!

 

https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...d.php?p=895346

check post #103

 

I just put a CDA-9856 in my car and I'm not pleased. I have the HK speakers, but now they sound like crap. I don't know if I should blame the stereo or the wiring. I didn't do the job myself, but something has to change. I'm not a stereo guy, but I was told by the installer that they had to bypass the amp to the rear speakers, so that might explain why they sound bad, but the tweeters just sound tinny. any advice?

 

That's TERRIBLE news!
You cannot bypass the HK amp and drive HK speakers direct - your installers don't know what they're doing :(

The HK speakers are specific to the amp - only 2 ohm which most HUs can't drive, and no crossovers so I've no idea how they are driving the speakers without destroying the speakers.
The rear speakers are two x 2 ohm coils each side - again no idea how they've wired them but it can't be good.


Awful news. They've probably cut all the wiring at the HK amp and linked all over the place. You must DEMAND that they restore your car to how it was before they started.
Get the original stock factory HU re-installed and working properly.

Then, take at look at my HKenabler - it allows an aftermarket HU to drive through the HK amp to the speakers and is the only sensible way to do an aftermarket install on an HK MINI.
You can buy this part from NAM sponsor NewMINIstuff

Sorry to hear this news; some stereo install companies deserve not to be in business :(

 

Thanks much for the help. I'll try to get back to the shop tomorrow and set them straight. All I really cared about getting was ipod functionality, so now that I've done more research its looking more and more that something like DICE is the route I want to go.

 

Good luck

 

Good luck getting this installer to correct his errors. I had an installer once insist that I had an amplifier in my Mini, even though I have a non-HK system. I had an installer at Tweeter tell me that if I wanted to maintain the mfsw controls with a 9857, I HAD to install the PAC SWI...when I asked him about the PAC ALP, his face went blank. I was not about to let these incompetents anywhere near my car.

Any idiot can hang out a shingle and call himself a car stereo expert. Your dealer should be able to refer you to an aftermarket shop that knows Minis. I found one here on NAM. Don't trust the installer unless they can assure you they've worked on Minis before and are willing to refer you to their satisfied customers.

 

That is what is being used on mine.

I didn't like the look of the AC module's top showing with the standard Alpine coverplate but my installer says that they have another that they are going to replace to take up the larger amount of space that the original HK unit occupied.

Sidenote: Why o why do mfg's do these non standard things which makes life unnecessarily difficult?

To make use of my HK amp, the installer had to order a special adapter rather than rewire the setup and attempt to use the Alpine's amp.

While I am not excited about the color changes, the integration of the iPod was the driving force for me.

 

Well ...
To be nice to the manufacturers, most customers don't change anything so making the product fit well into the car and work well is a benefit to most. The taller MINI stereo looks nicer than a skinny 1DIN would have, and the HK upgrade is a good value package for someone that isn't going to change anything.

Less nice, you could argue that the manufacturer wants to lock in their customers, minimize "tampering".
Look at the '07 MINI - there is no stereo to remove/replace any more; it's now part of the speedometer!