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New member Username: SouthahfSeattle, WA United States Post Number: 2 Registered: May-04 | I am choosing a head unit for my system and i am at a troubling spot. Its now between the Kenwood Excelon X979 and the Eclipse CD8053 (the 2004 model). I went and demoed the two and found the Kenwood a lot easier to navigate and it seemed to have more features. I am not concerned at all about looks or price. The only reason i am keeping the Eclipse in teh running is because i have heard such good things about it. Here are my questions: 1. Why is the eclipse so good? 2. Which head unit should i go for? |
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Soundbitez Unregistered guest | Whaaaaa?? You can't compare Excelon and Eclipse mate. If Glasswolf sees this post, he'd strangle you! I asked the same questions about Eclipse. But ask any real audiophile and they'll tell you to go for Eclipse. Now if you were to compare Eclipse and Alpine, Eclipse would still be better, marginally. And the cool thing about Eclipse is that if a friend of yours was to ask you what HU you're using, and you say Eclipse, they would know that you've done your research. That is, if they are into car audio in the first place. It ain't just the sound...it's da respect! |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3253 Registered: Dec-03 | The eclipse is much more reliable, and offers better pre-out line voltages for amplifiers. Eclipe's anti-skip mech is nearly flawless as well. I'd suggest you look at the Eclipse CD8454 however, if price isn't really an issue, and you want a good head unit. The cd8454 offers native MP3 and WMA support, and some amazing features like the iSERV deal Eclipse has that lets you tweak your sound curve to your exact car environment by connecting the unit's memory stick to your computer. check it out on www.eclipse-web.com street price is about $500-$600 |
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Bronze Member Username: Jonathan_fGA USA Post Number: 90 Registered: May-04 | Eclipse has everything you would want, especially the 8454. 13 band Graphic and parametric eq, 24 bit d/a converter, 8 volt preouts at 55 ohms, time correction, crossovers, etc. You just can't beat the quality of this unit. They are renowned for their sound quality. Kenwood head units tend to be very unreliable. The sound quality isn't nearly as good, either. The only head units I'd consider other than Eclipse are Alpines, Pioneer Premier, and Becker (<- who doesn't make head units anymore) |
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Bronze Member Username: SouthahfSeattle, WA United States Post Number: 12 Registered: May-04 | Is the 8454 better than the 8053? Cuase i was under the impression that the 2004 model of the 8053 was the best, and with no internal amp, you get a cleaner better sound to you speakers. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3275 Registered: Dec-03 | the 8053 was last year's model, and has no native mp3/wma support the CD8454 is the current flagship model |
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New member Username: Kazino21Post Number: 1 Registered: Jul-04 | Why do they put amps in it, without amps there will be less interferance and they could have put that extra money of making those mosfet amps into better circuitary in the rest of the unit? How do these units compare in sq to say a sony c90r with an xdp4000 processor which would come to about 700$. Also where is the cheapest place to get the 8454 my local is doing it for $600 but I've heard you can get it for much less from a good dealer. |
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New member Username: Kazino21Post Number: 3 Registered: Jul-04 | Why do they put amps in it, without amps there will be less interferance and they could have put that extra money of making those mosfet amps into better circuitary in the rest of the unit? How do these units compare in sq to say a sony c90r with an xdp4000 processor which would come to about 700$. Also where is the cheapest place to get the 8454 my local is doing it for $600 but I've heard you can get it for much less from a good dealer. |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3748 Registered: Dec-03 | would you please stop posting everything twice? or in this case, four times? |
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New member Username: JeremycKunsan AfbSouth Korea Post Number: 2 Registered: Jun-04 | Hay has anyone had any experience with the eclipse 8533. I am especially interested in the dsp functions. I am overseas serving in the air force and planning to blow every cent I make on my next stereo. The bad thing about this, is I am a very hands on person. In my 12 years of installing, I have never purchased a stereo with out listening and playing with it my self. However this time due to my deployment. I will have to purchase it, and have a local shop install it. So I need you to play around (like I need to ask) and let me know what you think. FYI rest of system (going in a 2005 honda accord coupe) Eclipse ch 3083 audio control dqx 1 JL 12w7 focal utopia 165w focal 690 cv 2 jl 300/2 1 jl 1000/1 |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3752 Registered: Dec-03 | I don't monkey much with DSP settings. the more you mess with the original signal, the more processed it ends up sounding, and the more you introduce other problems. |
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Anonymous | I will go with eclipse cd8454. I currently using Eclipse 8443, and it is the best unit I have used. I have tried everything from pioneer,kenwood,alpine,etc. One cannot compare Eclipse to Kenwood. I have used couple units of Kenwood and I will give them a F+ quality sucks also. They are not reliable at all. Eclipse all the way the best you can buy unless you compare it with Alpine Flagship that cost somewhere in the 1999+ good luck |
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Gold Member Username: GlasswolfNorthWest, Michigan USA Post Number: 3849 Registered: Dec-03 | three grand retail for the top alpine, yeah. the 8443 is a really nice unit by the way. |