Alpine CDA-117 vs other high end decks
 

Hey guys, just wondering what exactly dictates the prices on these decks and how they relate to performance.

I was offered a good price at visions for a Alpine CDA-117 and started looking up its features. I noticed that compared to other decks such as kenwood excelons, they don't really come with that many features,(ie. no bluetooth or hd tuners) yet still hold a high pricepoint

The RMS outputs are still lower than the kenwoods, which as I understand is important to sound quality, however discussions on other boards seem to favor the sound in the Alpine.

Anyone have some insight into this deck or what other factors I should consider first?

Thanks!:concentrate:

I have found that Alpine has over-priced their decks and at the same time, have not provided much value in the last few years. For any extras you have to pay (ie: Bluetooth) and even then their bluetooth module is buggy and unreliable. I am hoping that they will be a lot more competitive in the new year. As far as value goes, there are a lot of other decks out there that do a better job. The Kenwood 995 is actually the same SQ-wise as the JVC KD-925 but I find that the JVC is more user-friendly and less expensive. Plus, it comes with pretty much everything!

In the New Year Pioneer is coming out with a sweet SQ deck that is similar to the PRS-99 but much more affordable - also with bluetooth and Ipod functions included. We will be getting a first-hand look at all the 2012 products at CES in two weeks so we can do a small review on what we find there. Looks to be an exciting year for new products!

Ah thanks for the info. I ended up picking up the CDA-117 today for 225$ at visions, I think it's still returnable. Although what I liked about the deck was how the menus were easy to see and navigate compared to the kenwood. Do you think the features at that price is reasonable?

Compared to some other decks? No, not really. The price is fine for Alpine but features-wise, you can do much better! Just saying. :)

Le waiting game it is then

I've recommended & installed dozens of CDA-117's, and have found them
to be reliable, good-sounding and pretty good value for the dollar.
(here in HK)
Not what I'd call a high-end deck, but pretty decent.
No problems to date with BT interface, regardless of the phone.
(iPhone, Android, Blackberry, Nokia etc......)
Don't bother with the Imprint system. It takes a lot of time to do a
detailed setup (mic placement in several locations) and I've always been
able to achieve better sounding results using ears, RTA or both.

So any interesting finds at CES this year?

i have a mcintosh mx406 retails for $1500 and its top of the line. warm, clear, detailed sound,20 bit DAC,no hiss and the unit is even shielded but has no bt or nav. :(

for $225 their isnt much to complain as long as the features work for the alpine.

once you get into the 1k headunit you can go with tons of features or better sounding. i opted for better sound since im a hi fi freak :D

damnn, yea looking at that mcintosh I wouldn't be able to tell the price or understand it either.

If anyone is interested, JVC put out news of their new 2012 decks.
JVC Mobile Introduces New State-Of-The-Art CD Receivers In 2012 | JVC Consumer Press Releases

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6...1f760dbe27.jpg

Their KD-A95BT looks pretty nice.

Kenwood new gear:
http://kenwoodusa.com/UserFiles/File...Exelon2012.pdf
http://kenwoodusa.com/UserFiles/File...enwood2012.pdf

*edit looks like crutchfield has started listing out some new products on preorder

[QUOTE=pawdregry4g;7764037]If anyone is interested, JVC put out news of their new 2012 decks.
JVC Mobile Introduces New State-Of-The-Art CD Receivers In 2012 | JVC Consumer Press Releases

http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7142/6...1f760dbe27.jpg

Their KD-A95BT looks pretty nice.
*Edit upon further inspection, this new one only has 3 preouts?

I was at CES to see the new JVC products. It feels like a quality build. it acts like one should. It has all of the qualities that you'd expect from a top-of-the-line head unit these days. It has 3 sets of 5 volt outputs, with total control over each. It's made by Kenwood without their crazy navigation screens. To me it was very intuitive, which is exactly what I want when I'm driving! :))

ah nice, did you happen to get a look at any new alpine single din decks? I still like the look of the CDA117 but was hoping for an update to that this year.