Hey guys. I am ready to ditch the factory head unit and am in the middle of choosing its replacement. I have been looking at a lot of different units. I really like Alpine's, but have a few others in mind. Also, I have been looking at the iPod specific units.

Here is the dilema:
I am curious to buy the iPod "only" head unit that does not play CDs. The thing is that I love my CDs and don't know if I can live without them...
I was on crutchfield.com and I was looking at the Alpine iDA-X300, CDA-9884 and the Clarion FB275BT.

Could you guys guide me to a good solution? Is the iDA-X300 worth it?
How is the Clarion by comparison?
If I go the CD/iPod route which unit works best with the iPods?
Or lastly, should I keep the factory and buy a DICE?...too many choices...

Thank you all in advance.
Chris.

 

Whatever you decide, don't forget that you can load your CDs on your Ipod without any compression if you change the settings. The files are much larger, but you won't lose any quality. That was a huge factor for me.

 

iPod only would be no biggie, I think.

I've made my living in the music industry as a recording engineer for over 20 years, so sound quality is very important to me as well. I don't think I've played a CD in a car since 2006. I wouldn't live without my iPod in the car. I have all of my CDs ripped to my computers uncompressed, so when I want something on the iPod, I just transfer it over and it's just as though it's from the CD. The only difference is I don't have to fumble through trays of optical disks to hear what I want.

I currently have the OEM iPod interface but just bought the Dice. I definitely think Dice is the way to go if you have a newer HK (2005 on, I believe) that can display text.

Of the units you mentioned, I prefer the Alpines just from a sound quality standpoint, but I certainly have no issues with the stock head/Dice option.

 

Thanks for the reply guys

Just to give you guys a little more detail.
I have JBL 3 way 6.5"s in the front doors, JBL 3 way 6x9"s in the rear side panels, and two 10" Audiobahn subs on the Profile AP1200 amp. I am huge on sound quality and just want the best option...also if I go the iPod route I want to be able to control it completely...I guess I am now confused on which interfaces are better DICE or Alpine...

Can anyone help me compare the controls from the DICE to the Alpine?

Thanks again

 

what's the advantage of a head w/o a cd slot? think about when you get a brand new cd from a store, and you'll want to listen to it in your car on the way home

 

Alpine's iPod control is much more robust than Dice, IMO. Dice gives you access to all playlists, but interface leaves a little to be desired. Alpine has got it pretty-well nailed in that department. That said, it's easy to get used to Dice as long as you are judicious in the way you organize your playlists.

 

CDs?!?! What are those?

 

Thanks again for your advise

One more question...so is it a big difference between the
iDA-X300/X200/X001/X100? I can tell the difference between the price and spec that they list...but is a higher model worth spending the money?

Thanks to everyone one else as well...sorry if I seem like I am ignoring you...I take everyone's advise to heart...

 

IMO, no. Only major differences are features like iTunes tagging and some advanced EQ and mode-correction features. iTunes tagging is an interesting option (with an add-on, it allows you to "tag" songs off HD radio for later purchase at iTunes), but I don't think it's by any means necessary. Also, the higher-end units will display album art when playing back from iPod. Again, neat but not necessary, IMO.

If it were me, I'd buy the 200 or the 300. Sonically, those two are identical.

 

Thanks again I should be ordering one soon! I will post pics when it is finished(may be a while)...I am in the middle of finishing an A-Pillar pod, rollcage, and harnesses

 

Yeah, would love to see it. Am considering changing out decks myself in near future.

 

Once I buy it I will try and get it installed quickly and take some photos...head units install much quicker than cages and harnesses

 

I am in the same process of trying to decide ditch the HK head unit altogether or just add an i-Pod adapter.

I tried the HK Drive and Play a few years ago, it works great for a while, but died after a while and Circuit City uninstalled it (no charge) and refunded me for the unit and the additional equipment.

Has anyone tried the new Alpine Ex-10?

Thanks,

Bennettskis

 

Now, my buddy has talked me into going all out on this and doing a flip out 7" touch screen dvd player...Its gonna be a while until I buy it, but I can wait for the deal he is gonna get me

 

Man, you couldn't pay me to put a 7" DVD in a Mini, but I understand the appeal to a degree. I'd love to see pics when you are done.

I just found out an old buddy of mine is an Eclipse distributor here in SoCal, so a CD7200mkII is likely in my future.

 

I just replaced my stock head unit yesterday. Without alot of custom work you must stick with a single din unit. One of my top priorities was a good interface to work with my ipod. All my music is in iTunes and I have no interest in dealing with compact disks in my car. I think the pioneer avic-n4 is currently one of the best units available, but is a bit pricey. I decided to go for the Alpine X100. It has a nice color screen, shows artwork and the interface and control of my ipod is great. A much better setup that the Dice/factory, that I had been using. Never had any issues with the Dice, but with the larger screen on the Alpine, it is very easy to select an album, artist or shuffle thru playlists. Just my two cents...

 

cooper8168- That is cool that your buddy distributes Eclipse. So, I know that there are many reasons why not and to put a flip out in. But, I would appreciate knowing why you would not consider it...I may back out and still just do the head unit...
Enlighten me, I am very knowledgeable in the audio world, just learning the car audio portion now My biggest concern is how stiff our cars are...

mangotangoe- Sounds like you are going to have a nice set up

 

cooper8168- here are some pics from others...





https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...vd+flip+screen



Front day. also just not flowing the way i like.. but im working on it



Semi night shot



https://www.northamericanmotoring.co...vd+flip+screen

Attached Thumbnails

 

Tokayo (person with the same first name):

Caveat: my expertise is in audio, but not in mobile audio ergonomics, so anything I say with regards to mobile audio should be taken with a grain of salt. (I own a large recording studio and make records and movie soundtracks for a living. We also do digital audio editing and management. In other words, I'm firmly planted in one place!)

With any audio system, my concern first and foremost is sound quality, followed by ergonomics/features (though the line is becoming more blurred in pro audio). I'm sure these DVD units sound just fine, so my issue with them comes to ergonomics. Those DVD-player links you provided all look very nice, and I'm sure many others will tell you the benefits of having one. I find them to be huge distractions that provide little benefit in the end. However, I can see the benefit of the X100 or X001 in that they provide nuggets of pertinent information like artwork, allowing you to easily and quickly scroll through your library without reading. Anything that takes your eyes off the road for the least amount of time would be of supreme value to me. But again, that's just me. As ever, you have to ask yourself if you really see a benefit in adding the screen or if it's just for bling factor (which itself can also a justifiable benefit sometimes).

Like I said, sound quality is paramount for me, but I drive a convertible, which means I'm basically trying to design a system for a rolling bathtub. There is definitely a point of diminishing returns for me, but that doesn't mean good audio in a ragtop can't be found - that Levinson/Lexus system is superb (while Porsche's Beckers sucked). However, I'm still likely gonna do the 7200mkII plus amp and Rainbow speakers. Simple, unobtrusive, tunable, and all the info I need.

 

OK, so with my buddy talking me into researching flip outs...what do you guys know about the Pioneer AVH-P5000DVD? This is the one that I am most interested in, but if you have other suggestions let me know.

Also, cooper8168 thanks for your input...I was typing while you were
That is some credentials you have on your website