Cant find better
Written: Sep 23 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: great value and sound
Cons: pricey
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| KrYpToNiX's Full Review: Alpine CDA-7839 |
I paid $230 on a closeout sale from a stereo store which had a web page, the store said that $230 was their invoice price. You should easily find this unit for around $275 on the internet. Alpine does not allow authorized dealers to sell over the phone or the internet. Thus, if you buy from over the internet, chances are it is not from an "authorized" dealer meaning you have no factory warranty. So, if you are worried, make sure the store you buy it from carries their own warranty.
Anyway, concerning the head unit itself, it pulls in FM stations extremely well, and, of course, the CD comes through real clear. The buttons are logically placed and the rotary knob for volume is a great asset. I don't have any amps, CD shuttles, or anything like that hooked up to my unit, just four after market speakers.
The buttons are a little small, but the rotary control (knob) for volume is a good size. It is easy to control the basic controls (volume, skipping songs, fast forwarding / rewinding songs, going to a preset radio station, switching between CD and radio) quickly and without looking at the unit (keeping your eyes on the road).
The 20 disk titling feature is one of those features that is great if you have CD changer(s) hooked to this unit but not so useful if you don't (I prefer to have the clock or the track / elapsed time displayed). If you do have a changer hooked up, you can scan the list of titles you have entered and the unit will automatically search for the disc and play it. Another feature of this head unit is the "scanning programs", where it will play the first ten seconds of each track, useful if you are not too familiar with a particular CD. On the radio side of things, the Direct Access Preset (D.A.P.) Band is great if you listen to one or two AM radio stations in addition to the FM stations. With this, you can store AM and FM stations in the six presets, without having to press another button to switch between AM and FM. That is, you can have presets 1, 2, 4, & 5 (the left four) presets as FM stations and the right two (3 and 6) as AM, or however you want to arrange them.
In conclusion, the BBE is the reason why you should buy this model over the Alpine CDA 7838, the sound is just incredibly clear. The BBE and knob, as well as styling and overall quality of Alpine is why you should buy this model over other brands. Also, this unit comes with a remote control which is one of those neat features if you have a van or SUV (where people sitting in the back may want to control the head unit), in a small car it is just a curiosity.
Nota Bene: The CDA 7839 may be a part of a discontinued line. The 2000 models have a new look though the guts appear to be the same (based off of the features list). It appears as though the CDA 7863 is the closest to the CDA 7839, though the price is a little higher and it is a little more powerful (65w x 4). The look is different, of course, though it still has the knob for volume. You can learn more about this (and other Alpine products) at their web site, www.alpine1.com. If the CDA 7839 is a discontinued item it may show up at more discounted prices. Maybe.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
KrYpToNiX
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Location: Cali!
Reviews written: 52
Trusted by: 0 members
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