I need some help, I'm looking forward to buy a new head unit and can't decide between Alpine CDA-9851 and Pioneer DEH-P7700MP, I presently have a Pioneer DEH-P9000R in my car, if fact, I hate it!! the ribbon cable has two line broken so that I can't change cd anymore, almost all the rubber covering the buttons peeled off after a year and the buttons themselves broke up soon after, it's in a really bad shape. I never liked it anyway. I've heard that alpine stuffs are much better. What do you think?
Alpine is known for making very good quality HUs... if you are looking to step away from pioneer then i would def recommend looking into alpine or eclipse... however, eclipse tends to run a little more expensive
Drawbacks to the Alpine (IMO) are the motorized face (higher potential trouble with those) where the Pioneer's weakness might be its control knob (takes getting used to the touch and if it breaks you have no control over 90% of your functions w/o the remote).
Both offer almost identical features, though I'm not sure the Alpine has the EQ and x-overs flexibility that the Pioneer has when you get into the deeper menus.
As for the display, the Pioneer has the "gimmick" screensaver stuff, but its display is very nice for the info you really use. I personally don't care for the LCD Alpine uses because the background grid shows under the LCD lights making for not as clean a look. The Pioneer is very clean with all the uniform blue light on the display and main controls (some smaller buttons have green lights).
I would say the Alpine gives you a more "traditional" control set and the Pioneer's control is more "innovative" once you get the feel and if it proves to hold up over time.
I also prefer the Pioneer's remote to the Alpine's, but that's a minor detail.
As for sound and quality and price, you can't go wrong with either unit.
My personal preference is toward the Pioneer (I just bought one on Thursday) but Alpine is a winner as well.
Ok I've had both! Alpine, totaly reliable, motor face has tons of tourqe. Alpine has a better x-over. Pioneer seems a little lite on build quality, x-over not as good but EQ is years a head of Alpine. Pioneer has something called Auto EQ that works really well and helps every cd to sound good. Alpine is cleaner but can often be hard on the ears! Pioneer not as clean but has a sweet smooth sound that will almost never offend the ears!
If you've got really high-end speakers and amps, the Alpine could really shine. If your running middle of the road speaks and amps(under $500.a peice), than its safer to go with Pioneer.
Goodluck.
PS. Alpine had a simple easy to read display(I liked it very much) In daylight, the Pioneer Totaly Blows!
the 2k5 Alpines have had some design issues and I guess they had some problems. If you want real clean signals go with eclipse (8v preouts) and even 5v on their lower models. Pioneer has 4v on their upper models. I would take the Pioneer over that Alpine though, imo. But if you want that extra edge i would go eclipse is the asthetics dont bother you.