Hi

New to the forum so hello everyone. I came across this forum while doing the a search on Alpine vs Pioneer . But now im stuck between Alpine and Sony. I am actually kicking myself for this. I was really happy with Alpine until i found out that the Noise-to-Signal Ratio of a sony is 120 db while with Alpine it is 105 db. You can safely assume that i am a on beginner on a path to being a audiophile (if that is the correct spelling ). For the last 3 days i have been comparing Alpine, Pioneer and Sony. I like Alpine for the bass options it gives me becoz i create and listen to dance music so it is good to have a good bass. I liked Pioneer for the other EQ options it gave me but not as good S/N ratio. And then there is Sony with what seems like the best S/N ratio i have seen yet, nice EQ option and over all easy on the eyes. The two specific models im talking about are

Alpine CDA-9847 and Sony CDX-GT300 ( since this is all i can get in my shitty budget )

So my question is, How much does S/N matters?

 

Welcome to NAM. I'm not a true audiophile but had a Sony CDX-F550 (I think thats the model) in my previous vehicle and loved it, that said I haven't moved it to my MINI nor do I plan to. I liked the EQ on the sony and found the controls to be very intuitive. I'm sure there are more NAMers who can give you more info on the S/N ratio, also you probably wan't to do a search to see what peoples experiances have been with MINIs in other areas of aftermarket HU, such as MFSW control and H/K compadability

 

I haven't done much research myself, but I've been talking to various car auto dealers, trying to figure out what I'll be putting in my MINI once it arrives, and to sum up what I've been hearing from them: Don't get Sony, stick with Alpine or Pioneer. I don't remember much of the technical reasons behind that, but I think it basically comes down to the fact that Alpine and Pioneer put a lot more money into their stereo technology than competing brands in that market, and therefore have superior products. I've owned one Alpine head unit myself that I bought about 4 years ago and still works like new (as of a few days ago when I sold my car). I totally loved the "Media Xpander" technology, which makes compressed audio (like MP3's on an iPod) sound like CD-quality. The only reason I'm not keeping it for the MINI is because I want the stereo in my MINI to work with the MFSW, and the last one didn't have an input for that.

 

I cannot tell you much about the noise-to-signal ration either, but for myself, the EQ and other adjustment options are far more important. For example, if you are planning on having a sub, you need to make sure that the head unit has a sub output control, which you can then use in conjunction with the bass level settings. Just having the bass control gives you less fine tuning control. I have always been a fan of Alpine and its sound, but I would try something else if I was impressed by its EQ and other controls, as well as its sound. I am currently looking for a DVD player, and this is still the deciding factor.

 

See http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/IS.../glossary.html

In general, the higher the number the better. However, above 90 - 100 db you might not be able to hear the difference. Can you compare them together in a store?

 

Hello everyone

( I just noticed the 'Neutral' title i have looll. That is nice. )

Ok back to the topic, I just dont know how important is S/N ratio. I know it comes into play when we turn up the volume. But the thing is, Alpine has been in the business longer than Sony ( in terms of car audio ) and i just find it hard to believe that Alpine is letting Sony get away with a bigger S/N ratio. Im thinking, if it matter that much, wouldnt Alpine do something about it? Coz up to CDA-9855, the S/N in Alpine is 105. Doesnt it matter at all to Alpine that Sony has a better S/N ratio? I mean if it was in the radio, then yea i can understand that Alpine dont give monkeys about that. But this is CD audio. Why wouldnt Alpine kick Sony out of the leauge??

 

Cause if your gonna run with the Big Dogs, you gotta be prepared to be bruised?

 

Hi

Well i hope Sony gets that bruising soon. Alpine is the best company out there and i has got to be a bit embarassing for them that a company like Sony has a better S/N ratio than them. Doesnt S/N matter?

 

I have been involved in the Audio Business for years. Signal to Noise ratio is a very big deal if you listen to many CDs or MP3s. I would go into all kinds of technical terms, but they are very confusing. You will just have to trust me.

After saying that, I would still personally go with Alpine or Pioneer in a second over Sony. Sony is spread to thin. They make too many things. If you are going to buy a camera you would be smart to buy one from a camera company not a company that makes everything under the sun.

If you are looking for one of the best TVs on the market Sony is your brand. As for car audio...Alpine or Pioneer will almost always beat out Sony in all other features, customer service, and durability.

If you plan to listen to MP3 go with an Alpine that has MediaXpander. It will improve the sound of you MP3 playback tremendously.

Also, because of their AI-Net you can normally hook up many things together without a bunch of adapters.

Don’t ask me how I know if you want blunt honest feedback.

 

Alpine head units are top class, best you can buy.

for everything else, Infinity.

 

Hello Callinsky

I really appreciate your input in this matter. I do have 2 questions. 1 is for you and 1 is general question which has got me stumped .

1] You said that S/N ratio is a big deal. The sole reason i am deciding to buy a new HU is becoz currently my present HU is so bad that i would give it away for free looooooll. Yes i swear it is that bad. It only plays cassetts . I have tons of cds and songs on my compute which i would love to listen in my car. for example, i got the new Craig David album which i would just love to blast down the street with full volume. So, we know that Sony's model has a higher S/N ratio (120 in CDX-GT300s) and Alpine has a Lower (105 in CDA-9847). I guess, im soo stuck on Alpine that i want to be really sure that choosing Alpine over Sony, even tho Sony has a better S/N ratio, will not be a mistake when it comes to my mp3s. Plus, my budget is seriously shitty (£130 ) So at the moment, i cannot afford the 'MediaXpander'. I will buy either of the above in the next 2 days, so i will really appreciate a quick response.

2] What the hell if the difference between CDX-GT300 and CDX-GT300s . It is seriouly eluding my grasp