After doing more research and thinking about the options, etc, I've decided that it's going to be one of these three models. I'm not sure that I've made any progress in ultimately making a decision, however, which sucks...

Here are the three I'm now considering:
Alpine CDA-9813 ($285 @ etronics.com)
or
Eclipse 3413 (~$250?)
or
Clarion ProAudio DXZ835MP ($260 @ etronics.com)

Right now I'm leaning towards the Alpine, but the feature set of the
Clarion is making me hesitate (in particular: Full Dot-Matrix Display with 728 colors, 24-bit Burr Brown D/A Converter, and the 20-second anti-skip memory).

I understand that Eclipse makes great
decks, but, I think I'll be dissapointed in the feature set just to
get a little bit better sound quality, if any.

Thanks for all your opinions!


PS: I moved to a new thread from this old one so I could do a new Poll...
http://forums.maxima.org/showthread.php?t=266063

 

I have the Eclipse 3413 and love it. But the Alpine is also a very good unit.

 

Does the Eclipse 3413 read ID3 tags? Do you like the display quality/visibility?
Thanks.

 

Yes, it reads the id tags. The display quality/visiblity is great. Just simple and straight forward - no special effects or flashy colors - just easy to read and to the point.

 

Sorry, I should have asked this before, but I have a follow-up since I know it reads ID3 tags...

Can it use Play Groups when playing MP3s? If I chose a top directory of "techno" or whatever, will it play songs in sub directories?

I obviously haven't found the information on the Eclipse website to be very informative.

 

You know what, i've actually never tried that. Ill have to and let you know.

 

Thanks, that'd be great. Having the ability to read play lists and play music from subdirectories is ideal...

 

My sisters boyfriend just bought this one: http://www.crutchfield.com/cgi-bin/S...=1&cc=01&avf=Y

Alpine CDA-7998
Its NICE!!!

 

You should go with 3413. Its maybe less function like other hus but the sound quality is great. U also got mp3.This hu is all about sound quality, so if ur looking for something flash then you will be disapointed. Its also come with ESN theft, within a year if ur hu got stolent, eclipse will send u a new one. And whoever stole it, that person won't be able to play. In the end, i think its a good hu for the price also.

 

However...I've heard from someone that purchased the 3413 that it was seriously lacking in power and features. So, he returned it after installing it and bought the Alpine 9815 and never looked back. His feeling was that the Alpine sounded awesome and that it is possible that the Eclipse might be a little bit better sounding, but that he didn't care because his system sounds great, he can play it loud, and he's got a nice big display and great features...

I went in to Circuit City and played around with the Alpine and was pretty impressed. I didn't have an MP3 disc to mess with, but liked what I saw. I haven't been able to make it to an Eclipse dealer yet since their hours aren't as nice...

 

One thing to consider is whether you are going to run an external amp. If you are not, then the Alpine has definate advantages since it has much more power than the other 2. The 9813 requires a 10 ga wire straing to the battery to power it's internal amp. If you plan on running an external amp, this doesn't matter.

 

As I initially stated, I plan on leaving my speakers stock initially. The next step would be adding a sub/amp and then I'd replace the speakers, then I'd add an amp for the speakers. Chances are, however, I'll never make it to the end and I'd probably stop at putting in new speakers and not add a amp, except for the one for the subwoofer, of course.

With regards to the 10ga connection directly to the battery...I talked with an installer (albeit at Circuit City) and they don't bother hooking it directly up to the battery. Others in groups online have also said they didn't bother. I guess since I'm not running an amp that's definitely something to consider doing...

Can anyone not hooking a 9813/9815 directly up to their battery and not using an external amp speak on the performance of the system?

I've heard several people say it was just a gimick...

 

I have the 9813 and ts a solid HU. (dedicated power to battery and ground) Good power output and lots of features.

Good luck with your decision!

 

So, how hard is it to hook up a 10 gauge kit directly to the battery? Do I have to drill through the firewall or is there an easy way to do it? Anyone have instructions on the best way to do it in a 2k1 max?

Thanks.

 

This is what I did in my 2k3 :
- remove the front left wheel
- remove the fender liner (the plastic rockguard that protect the inside of the fender) ; you'll see where the hood release cable goes through the firewall : by a big rubber plug. I used the same way by carefully slitting in the plug to pass a 4 gauge power cable. I slit just enough to pass the cable to ensure a tight fit and ''waterproofness''.

Denis

 

what's the difference between the 9813 and 9815?

 

For $100 more, the Alpine CDA-9815
• i-Personalize (customized Bass Engine setups and text greetings)
• blue buttons

 

-^ matrix display

 

I have the 9813 and the only gripe I have is the volume ****. It has a very low profile so that the CD will clear it when face folds down to insert/eject CDs. When you are playing at the store you don't think about it, but when driving down the road it is kind of hard to use, impossilbe if you have gloves on. Other than that, I love it.

Ted

 

Well, I thought I'd take the time to let everyone know what I ended up doing...I went with the 2004 Eclipse CD-3434. Quite a nice unit, I gotta say. I was concerned about the Eclipse 3413's lower power rating and it also was missing a few features that I wanted and am happy to report that it was worth the wait.

The Eclipse unit looks really nice, is easy to use, and sounds much better than the OEM stereo. (Which I guess they all would, probably). It has a full-face display that is motorized, it displays the station frequencies next to the preset buttons, which is pretty cool, it has a 50W MOSFET amp, which I believe is identical to the one in the higher-end models, has speaker crossover frequency setting capabilities, and 3 pre-outs (1 is non-fader).

The only things that I'm missing that I would have got had I gone with a more expensive Alpine is: better MP3 tag display options, MP3 search options, and Playlist capabilities (I don't remember seeing in the manual that it was supported, but honestly I haven't tested it yet...). Given that I spent less than I would have to get an Alpine and I likely have a higher-quality system (with a longer warranty), I think my decision was a good one. Sure I would have liked the extra bells/whistles that I would have gotten in the Alpine, but I'm glad I didn't spend the extra money for them and so is my wife.

You can see Eclipse's new line-up here if you want to check it out:
http://www.eclipse-web.com/index_cd.html

Another thing I need to mention is that the Scosche Install kit that I got SUCKED! (I didn't buy that from Don, though...) The pocket was warped and it didn't even really fit together right at all. I'm very dissapointed with it and am going to get a Metra kit to install it with instead!

And, BTW, I bought the equipment from Don and was really happy with his expertise and communications before and after the sale. I'd recommend buying stuff from him to anyone!

 

Nice to see you at least went with an Eclipse- great unit-good luck!

Yes ,Don is the man!

 

You are right about the 7998. I had one for almost 2 years. I missed the sound that my previous setup produced so I went back to those components.

 

i'm surprised nobody has mentioned the clarion. I suggested it to a friend and he got it, i like it and am very impressed. I run a 2001 model clarion but it's broken and i'll be upgrading to the 835 as soon as i can find a new one on ebay.

Awesome units and awesome price