Alpine CDA-9811
Written: Oct 24 '03
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Pros: Ergonomic controls, clean display, high-end features for expansion (adjustable crossover, 4-volt preouts)
Cons: No auto or manual dimming feature (should have it at this price point)
The Bottom Line: A good mid-range unit that can grow with the user. If you have more cash on hand go with the 9813 for the better display and dimmer feature.
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| toronto65's Full Review: Alpine CDA-9811 Car CD/ MP3 Player |
I originally wanted just a basic CD receiver to replace the stock tape unit in my Probe GT, and first got the Pioneer 3500. The Pioneer sounded great but the face had so much glare as to make it unreadable even on cloudy days (the dash is angled so that the head unit points up slightly, catching any and all light). There were also usability issues, with the tiny hard buttons and hard to use CD |>>| feature, so back went the 3500. After doing a little more research I decided a unit that played MP3s might be useful... this time I went with the Alpine 9811.
The 9811 is far more ergonomic than the Pioneer was, and the display is far more legible and useful. MP3 navigation is easy and fast. The unit looks great in my car's green trimmed black dash. The only problem is this particular model lacks the automatic display dimming when the headlights are in use (the Pioneer also lacked this). At night in the city it's OK, but on dark country roads the display is intolerably bright. However, you can shut off the display using the Blackout feature (but leaving the control buttons on, which is fine by me), which by the way Alpine also claims increases the sound quality by freeing up some power for the internal amp. Another option is to use the tilt angle feature to get the light out of your eyes. Funny how the model below this one, the 9807, has the dimmer feature (as do the models above, starting with the 9813), however the 9807s silver face did not match my cars' interior.
As for the sound, it is noticeably better and clearer than the Ford "Premium Sound" system. This option in the Probe GT fitted a separate amplifier with the stock head unit, but one of obviously low power (which I bypassed using an aftermarket wiring harness designed for this purpose, so the speakers are getting the Alpine's amplification). The only downside to doing this is that the stock subwoofer is no longer able to function, as it was tied to the stock amp.
I'm running the Alpine with aftermarket Kenwood 6" 3-way coaxials in the front, and JBL 5x7" 2-ways for the rear. With the 9811 teamed with these speakers, the sound is worlds better than the abysmal stock system with its "dual cone" speakers sub. Ford should be ashamed to have called it "Premium Sound," but that's another story.
If I can transfer the Alpine to my next car I may get additional outboard amplification. The 9811 allows you to turn off the internal amplifier, a nice feature to keep the sound as "clean" as possible before sending it to an external amp.
One other feature I like is Time Correction, which takes into account the fact that the driver is not positioned equidistant from each speaker. By applying a small delay to the closest speakers, it can sound as if you are exactly in the middle. This has a noticeable effect, and I would recommend the 9811 over the cheaper 9807 for this feature alone.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 330
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Epinions.com ID:
toronto65
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Reviews written: 12
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