Alpine CDA-9855 Vs. Eclipse CD-8445 Which one?

[nscamry]

Ok I have decided that there is no in between. So I am going to do the entire system on my car in phases. First thing I am going to get is a new Head Unit.

I have narrowed it down to two units: Alpine CDA-9855 Vs. Eclipse CD-8445

You can get Alpine 9855 for pretty cheap (around $300) compare to Eclipse 8445 (around 500 plus tax from Car-Toys). If I was willing to spend the money, is it worth getting the Eclipse? Why? I know Eclipse has 8v pre-amp output, vs. 4v for Alpine. I really don’t have knowledge though; how much does it matter.

[sq_camry]

i would go demo them at a shop and see which one you like better. when it comes down to the features, they are pretty close to the same.

[nscamry]

Is Warranty a big issue when buying online from a place that is not a authorized dealer?

[sq_camry]

if your going to shell out like 4-500 i would go to an auth dealer, i did...

[nscamry]

Car Toys is giving away free iPod adapter with Eclipse 8445. You can completely control your ipod from the HU. It even displays the playlist etc. It normally cost $100 for it separately. They say it is brand new. Does it make 8445 worth buying than?

[cam2Xrunner]

Do you plan on wiring active?

Have you thought about the Alpine DVA9860 and then adding the PXA-H701 Processor?

The DVA-9860 is about 350 shipped off ebay. It doesn't have much control by itself, but if you plan on adding the processor it's hard to beat it.

I'd say the 860MP if you don't want to spend too much money. If going with an Alpine CD deck with 3 way crossovers, I'd say a CDA9835 or a CDA-7998

[nscamry]

Originally Posted by nscamry

Car Toys is giving away free iPod adapter with Eclipse 8445. You can completely control your ipod from the HU. It even displays the playlist etc. It normally cost $100 for it separately. They say it is brand new. Does it make 8445 worth buying than?

Sorry that is wrong information, there is no such thing. I am seeing 860P on Ebay for about 300. Should I buy it. There is no warrant though. The seller claims it is a brand new unit never opend and the seller has 24K Reviews. I am not going to buy amp for atleast another 3-4 months.

[TakeABao]

Pioneer DEH-P860MP would probably be your best bet in that price range...

If you must go Alpine, look for the following models:

CDA... 7995 ('02), 7998 ('02), 9815 ('03), 9835 ('04)

The Eclipse units are great and VERY flexible, but apparently build quality is a bit suspect. Just ask Rob (Cam2XRunner) about his nightmares with his CD8053...

The CD8061 is another unit to consider, but it's rare and still fairly pricey used.

The 9855 is trash imo. GlideTouch is a VERY stupid design and feature-wise it's the same as a 9835, but pricier and more prone to failure.

[nscamry]

Do I need to be worried about getting no warranty on a brand new unit bought from a reputed Ebay seller?

[TakeABao]

Originally Posted by nscamry

Do I need to be worried about getting no warranty on a brand new unit bought from a reputed Ebay seller?

Yes.

It's not authorized.

Pioneer, Eclipse, Alpine won't honor ANYTHING you purchased online from an unauthorized dealer. What particular unit are you looking at??? I know a authorized dealer who might be able to help you...

[nscamry]

Originally Posted by TakeABao

Yes.

It's not authorized.

Pioneer, Eclipse, Alpine won't honor ANYTHING you purchased online from an unauthorized dealer. What particular unit are you looking at??? I know a authorized dealer who might be able to help you...

I am looking to get DEH-P860P (Pioneer)