I hate to start a rant on such a strong company.. BUT WHAT HAPPEN Alpine.... I got the horrible job today of hooking up a new CDA or is it CDE ? 9852.. wow is all I can say.
1. This unit sounded like crap, I find last years entry level unit (9841) far surpasses this unit is almost every category.
2. Only a single PRE OUT !!!!! this is insane. (VVoltage seemed to be decent kicking out 2.5ish from what I could read.
3. Poor output in general, sounded worse then our $ 100 Venice Beach (Blaupunkt) entry unit.
4. This deck cost the guy $ 219 + tax at another shop..., while our entry level unit walks all over it...
5. The screen is the same size as a unit with an Organic or DOT MATRIX display, yet its a regular little LCD mono tone.....It feels like they invested money to making it look more then it is.
6. Features like 4v preouts, Time correction, bigger internal amp, multiple pre outs and a sub out, half decent EQ, Burr Brown DAC, WMA playback + a host of other basic features I could get in a JVC Asenal unit for the same price... I mean is it worth it ?
7. an "Ipod & Sat" radio ready feature comes in before other the things mentioned above ? WHY ?! Maybe this is a ploy made by other Companies in order to draw in the hoards @ Future Shop and what not... BUT does Alpine really want to become like any old Big Box store Wall deck ? I sure hope not, but it seems they are taking this direction.
8. EVEN the higher end models are becoming skimpy, the CDA 9857 being pathetic, and the DVA unit being so f*&%@&% propietary with V12 amps it isn't even funny.
9. TV Flip FLop units are still pumping strong though.. Components & Woofers are better then ever as well. Amps still falling back in terms of their propeitary nature "get the most out of it via this V12 tech.
9. Low end stuff is being phased out, such as Type E, and even the Type L stuff. (I havent seen either in Canada for years.)
-My point here is, WHY is Alpine taking another @!#$ dive ? The same thing happen when they came onto hard times in the early 90's, so why would they go this route again ? I MEAN, FROM 2001 TO 2004, their HU's were the stuff legends are made of, and most were at a decent price for what was being brought to the table. NOW it seems everything is coming apart in the HU section. Even styling is loosing its touch with this reverse setup they have going on. My final thoughts being on this whole fiasco is Alpine Top end units can be beat price and performance wise now, and the low end Units can be as well. SO who is going to bite ?
*YES I know Alpine has attempted to bring prices down, but this is a little harsh. Anyone else see this big picture here ?
-BY the way, I am a die hard CDA 9835 user, EASIEST navigation in the world, which alone is a major reason why I own it, and all the pretty little things, True 4v Preout, TC, 5 band EQ, Crossover, Burr Brown DAC, ect.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
1.
2. the CDE-9852 has a suggested retail of $200 US... meaning it's a fairly cheep deck, for Alpine anyways...
You want more preouts?? for another $30 from the $200 price the CDA-9856 could have been purchased with 3 preouts...
3. Poor out put?? You expect to get the best sound out of a deck??? buy a amp fhe speakers... stupid people believe in deck power... Sorry but keep in mind that a headunit would have an operating range of 10-14.6 volts DC with an on board circuit protection of 1 - 10a fues MEANING the max consumption is 146 Watts... So get an amp... chances are nothing is wrong with the deck.
4. Paid $219 ? then he should have shopped around since like I said... suggested retail is $200 (and like 339 Cdn). So unless you are counting taxes... I don't know. But still there are only TWO decks below the CDE-9852 and at least 6 ABOVE it. So for an ENTRY level deck... what do you expect?
5. Your mouthing about the screen??? You need a hobby.
6. Again ENTRY level deck and it's Alpine... it's call letting people who can't spent $500 or more on a deck STILL be able to have a decent deck from a top rated company such as Alpine.
7. Petty much all decks now no matter who makes them are iPod and Sat Radio ready... nothing to bitch about there.
8. CDA-9857 is a very nice deck... There is no way you have seen it...
9. What's TV have to do with that deck? nothing...
9. (again, you probably meant 10. though..) Type- L are still available just not in Canada.. Type E is still going strong for a starter system...
Alpine is not taking a "dive"... they are rated NUMBER ONE in Canada right now..
And always if there is a problem with an audio product... the installer can possibly be to blame.. If not... send the deck back for warranty.
I have the 9857 and well currenlty i am not so happy with it.
THe only reason i dont love it is becuase there is no way of tuning it.
All i can change is trebel and bass, and I have a defeat mode (wtf is this @!#$) and BBE (again wtf is this @!#$).
I want to change midragne as well as tune for each individual speaker. Currently I have balance and fade, @!#$ me my base steroe had that. I want to tune each individual speaker.
Otherwise I love it becuase it plays mp3 cds, has decent sound *running on a polk momo amp*
SO if somoen knows how to do this, I would absolutly love this headunit and would change what i say 100%
If you want to tune individual speakers your going have to get either componets or an Equilizer.
Also, for the idoits who cant read the manual, Deft mode is so you dont go deaf. Nomatter who you configure it in deft mode, you wont promote hearing lose.
and BBE is like MX, aka media expander.
Eldon Smith Jr wrote:1.
2. the CDE-9852 has a suggested retail of $200 US... meaning it's a fairly cheep deck, for Alpine anyways...
You want more preouts?? for another $30 from the $200 price the CDA-9856 could have been purchased with 3 preouts...
-The 9856 is another $ 100 to $ 80 over the 52 here in Ontario.
3. Poor out put?? You expect to get the best sound out of a deck??? buy a amp fhe speakers... stupid people believe in deck power... Sorry but keep in mind that a headunit would have an operating range of 10-14.6 volts DC with an on board circuit protection of 1 - 10a fues MEANING the max consumption is 146 Watts... So get an amp... chances are nothing is wrong with the deck.
- I'm sorry, but I have heard a-many a system off the HU's internal amp, and the newer generation internal amplifiers are just plain bogus. For your average consumer this is all they want !! I always felt Alpine had something great going by offering fantastic qaulity all around, but they are cheaping out all of a sudden to be more competitive on the big box store yards. This is not a smart move.
4. Paid $219 ? then he should have shopped around since like I said... suggested retail is $200 (and like 339 Cdn). So unless you are counting taxes... I don't know. But still there are only TWO decks below the CDE-9852 and at least 6 ABOVE it. So for an ENTRY level deck... what do you expect?
-I expected more, as I said before the 9841 out performs this deck from what I remember. AND I also live in Canada, so the 219 he paid + tax was an AVERAGE price on that deck, he did his shopping, and for a new comer to car audio in general (kids first system) he did quite well on his decisions.
5. Your mouthing about the screen??? You need a hobby.
-THIS is a major buying point for MANY consumers, what is there to laugh about ? One of the biggest reasons I own a high end unit is for the display and navigation ease. This is a major issue, and you telling me to get a hobby about it just shows your inability to see the poor product which lies before you good sir. 
6. Again ENTRY level deck and it's Alpine... it's call letting people who can't spent $500 or more on a deck STILL be able to have a decent deck from a top rated company such as Alpine.
-JVC Arsenal offers superior units at the same price, and of superior qaulity as well. Nice try, you missed my point completely.
7. Petty much all decks now no matter who makes them are iPod and Sat Radio ready... nothing to bitch about there.
-I am not bitching about them being in their, they are great features, but it seems this feature comes in @ the expense of audio qaulity. Something Alpine known and bought for. EVEN the 9841 sounded fantastic last year.
8. CDA-9857 is a very nice deck... There is no way you have seen it...
-Played with one @ Sounder Light in Orangeville 2 weeks ago, I was not impressed by any length. Then I read the technical specs from the new brochure after getting to play and I was even more unimpressed. -2v preouts ! -V-Drive scrapped yet again ! - NO time correction ! 
-NO fully adjustable 5 band EQ ! -NO massive crossover for my tuning pleasure ! -NO burrbrown DAC ! -NO more Bass focus ! & a host of other features which are not coming to mind which were offered by the 9855 last year and the CDA 9835 the year before, yet cease to exist this year ? Do you really know what is going on ? This decrease is RIGHT in front of your eyes and you refuse to accept it !. For a top of the line $ 499 unit you expect a hell of a lot more from it. It just can't deliver. I am sorry to say.. BUT there is better, and I am a long time Alpine fanatic.
9. What's TV have to do with that deck? nothing...
-Again you fail to counter my main point, I was stating their Flip flop Units are still of fantastic qaulity. and then you FAIL to mention anything about my comment on the propietary nature of the new V-12 series amplifiers. You missed my point and really made no ground with your comment.
9. (again, you probably meant 10. though..) Type- L are still available just not in Canada.. Type E is still going strong for a starter system...
-Yes I meant 10. a slight brain laspe on my part, but nothing major, Yes Type L is not availible in Canada, and Type E is next to impossible to find.
Alpine is not taking a "dive"... they are rated NUMBER ONE in Canada right now..
And always if there is a problem with an audio product... the installer can possibly be to blame.. If not... send the deck back for warranty.
-OUT of all the things you said, I really took offence to this one, my installing capabilitys are perfectly fine. 
, and just becasue they are rated the #1 does not mean they are the best. Times are changing and Alpine may no longer be the King it has been for so long.. I do not like getting into heated arguments over the forum, so I try to keep my responses as polite and civilized as I can.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
DayUSeX (ws6+04cav= FTW) wrote:I have the 9857 and well currenlty i am not so happy with it.
THe only reason i dont love it is becuase there is no way of tuning it.
All i can change is trebel and bass, and I have a defeat mode (wtf is this @!#$) and BBE (again wtf is this @!#$).
I want to change midragne as well as tune for each individual speaker. Currently I have balance and fade, @!#$ me my base steroe had that. I want to tune each individual speaker.
Otherwise I love it becuase it plays mp3 cds, has decent sound *running on a polk momo amp*
SO if somoen knows how to do this, I would absolutly love this headunit and would change what i say 100%
again more Proof of the downgrade Eldon. Need I say more ?
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
I'm not even going to bother anymore...
JVC is junk...
Prices are set by Alpine, dealers are NOT to sell for MORE than their suggested retail, I have seen the papers.
Authorized Alpine dealers have access to all the Type-E's you want... Just ask.
The POINT is if you spend a little DON'T expect A LOT... It's amazing how many people fail to see that...
People shop are Wal Mart and the stuff breaks and they wonder why... $30 for a sub... that's why.
You get what you paid for.
I'm also sure if he bought it from an Autorized dealer they could set up the deck for him just fine. They are taught how to work with the products they sell so they can make the customer happy, if they buy it and leave the store (for one if it's not installed by an authorized dealer, they DO NOT have to warranty the product in Canada... read the fine print)
Anyways... he gets what he paid for.
Eldon Smith Jr wrote:I'm not even going to bother anymore...
JVC is junk...
Someone has never used the Arsenal series HU's.....
Prices are set by Alpine, dealers are NOT to sell for MORE than their suggested retail, I have seen the papers.
The price did not EXCEED the suggested retail price my good freind. So what are you talking about ? he got the unit at a regular price !!
Authorized Alpine dealers have access to all the Type-E's you want... Just ask.
Most shops just don't carry it here in Ontario, and 95 % never have it in stock. Even if they do carry the line 95 % of the time they never have anything ready in stock to purchase.
The POINT is if you spend a little DON'T expect A LOT... It's amazing how many people fail to see that...
People shop are Wal Mart and the stuff breaks and they wonder why... $30 for a sub... that's why.
I have never spent bought a single thing car audio related from Walmart, and this guy never bought a single thing from Walmart either. THIS makes have no relevance WHAT so ever to what we are taslking about, I thought we were trying to discuss a bottum to mid level HU from an Authorized Alpine dealer.
You get what you paid for.
He didn't get what he paid for, At $ 219 I expect at least a sub out and WMA playback capabilities.
I'm also sure if he bought it from an Autorized dealer they could set up the deck for him just fine. They are taught how to work with the products they sell so they can make the customer happy, if they buy it and leave the store (for one if it's not installed by an authorized dealer, they DO NOT have to warranty the product in Canada... read the fine print)
This is just another low blow. We have more then enough competence to install and tune a HU. Even another local shop ((again Sounder Light) is calling this latest generation of decks a steaming pile, AND before you go and take a chop at their reputation LET ME tell you this S/L has been open since 1970s, and was the first car Audio shop in Canada, and the 2nd in North America, The owner Lou has been an AUTHORIZED ALPINE DEALER since the early 1980's !!!!, and he has said himself, that this is the weakest generation of decks to come out in years. !!
Anyways... he gets what he paid for.
According to you..... this unit is of high qaulity at one point, then it becomes a low end unit @ another point.. I find it myslef to be a sub par deck for its price range by a long shot. He gets what he paid for ? I thought Alpine was rated the #1 good sir ? [/b
-Don't get me wrong, Alpine is still kicking out gret products in other Areas, and their decks still outperform most on the market, but they need to keep that level of qaulity they had. Which I feel is slowly slipping away again. + What is up with the abolishment of motorized face plates ? everything seems to be mechanical now....
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
alpine....pfftt
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You want to fine tune at a decent price check out the CDA-9853 got it a few months ago and it is awesome, took me almost 2 weeks to figure out how to tune it perfectly. This thing rocks i hooked up my v12 amp and can adjust it from the deck. i think it has been discontinued, though some places still have it.
http://www.cardomain.com/id/lo02z24
reading the manual wtf is that @!#$??
Have you even LOOKED at the alpine 9857 manual?? NO becuase if you did it is full of about 0 informaiton
I have it sitting next to my crapper. Sure it looks big but that is becuase they cover the install about 50 languages.
It tells you only the obvious.
For example on BBE
It says it makes your music sound more clear
How does it sound more clear??
Does it spawn midgets in my car that can play covers of evey song I have?
Does it punch me in the nuts while cruising on the highway to make it sound louder??
Does a small gate to hell open and a choir of demonic angels start to sing to me every time Arch Enemy comes on??
All I know is that there are 3 modes, and none of them sound "good". Sure they sound better than just adjusting the trebel or bass, but I could do alot better myself with a damn EQ. Why the @!#$ does this thing not have an EQ.
HOW IS THERE NO EQ?!?!!?!?!
Also deft mode, wtf is that for. Who goes out and buys a crazy audio system then sits tehre and goes, well lets not have it go to loud now, my ears cant handle it.
Well actually this has had its moments.
Every now and then I have to give co workers a ride to and from work becuase im a "nice" guy. Well most of them cant handle getting kicked in the face by the guitar assualts of Arch Enemy, Empror, Bathory, The Haunted, or Soilwork.
So being the nice guy I am i tell them to bring a mix cd. Unfortunatly their "I wish I was still in Highschool where I think I was cool" burnt them a CD full of bands like sum41, and queens of the stone age (queen in a bands name only works if you have amazing vocal and musical theory abilities like QUEEN and even then they were gay, which makes you wonder if the guys from QOTSA are gay or not), or if on that day in a previous life I started kicking ass and killing whole villages of women and children they will have some rap on there.
With a few magic button pushses while I knock their coffee off their hand onto them deft mode comes on and I no longer have to listen to their music at exremely loud levels.
Carl Gore wrote:You want to fine tune at a decent price check out the CDA-9853 got it a few months ago and it is awesome, took me almost 2 weeks to figure out how to tune it perfectly. This thing rocks i hooked up my v12 amp and can adjust it from the deck. i think it has been discontinued, though some places still have it.
a many of my good freinds have that unit, a pleasure to work with, my only beef with it is the non 4v preouts. Glidebar is a thing prone to the user, some people love it, some hate it.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
DayUSeX (ws6+04cav= FTW) wrote:I have the 9857 and well currenlty i am not so happy with it.
THe only reason i dont love it is becuase there is no way of tuning it.
All i can change is trebel and bass, and I have a defeat mode (wtf is this @!#$) and BBE (again wtf is this @!#$).
i have the 9856 and i can change defeat mode on/off (what ever that does?) and BBE is an option somewhere on mine but idk if you go in it and change stuff of what? want to explain that too? anyway my lower modle has it so maybe look in the manual. good luck.
FOR SALE: (5) '95-'99 Z24 Rims
I love my JVC, muahahaha!
I have bought 2 alpine decks in the last year. A 9853 or something like that......the garbage ass sliding touch pad.I thought it would be cool to use but it wasnt.....hard as hell to single in a item at speed on highway.
Without all the long text and type as above I traded that in for a lower deck because this one skipped like a mofo. They tried everything to make it stop and it wouldnt so I traded down in series to get rid of that pad and to stop the skiping.
Results: pulled out of their shop and on the first track it skipped, I took it back and havent bought an alpine deck since.
I have to chime in on this one because I love my ALPINE decks and wouldn't use anything else is someone tried to pay me...unless it was just a temporary deck until I get the money to replace it with an ALPINE.
First, I have to say one thing about the decks that were skipping. If both your ALPINE decks skipped as soon as you pulled out, you have one of a few problems. 1) Your installer sucked. 2) You shouldn't have lowered your vehicle with a torch 3) You have 1500 horsepower and the rumble of the enigine is doing it 4) You have eight 15's scrunched into your car and the spl is causing it 5) You have hydros and it skips every time the front end lands...
Ok, so I was trying to be funny with that. Honestly, it sounds like your installer didn't properly mount your deck because I have had five ALPINE units and an ALPINE cd changer in four different vehicles self-installed and none of them were prone to skipping.
Slidetouch, slidebar, guidetouch, or whatever the crap it's called DOES SUCK! That is the one thing ALPINE did that I don't understand. My solution...I avoid it. I always buy standards and the functions would prolly change every time I change gears from barely touching it.
Defeat is actually just a precautionary measure. It allows the user to turn off the tone adjustments on their deck in the event that they are using an equalizer. It sets the bass and treble to a flat setting so that all the adjustment is made through the equalizer. So, in essence, it dummy-proofs it.
MX (Music Expander) is similar to BBE and loudness. There are three different levels on my current deck along with the off setting. It does allow you to boost the level of the sound like loudness will. Also, if you will listen in a quiet area such as your garage or an empty parking lot late at night, you will hear what appears to be a broadened sound field as you increase the level.
If you only have one set of RCA outs, and they aren't marked "subwoofer" , The deck was made to be used along with at least five channels of amplified power four the doors, rear deck and (subs) and an equalizer...OR deck power and at least one subwoofer amplifier channel with a remote sub level control.
Ever notice that a couple vehicles in stereo magazines had the ALPINE decks released around 2002 and 2003 in them without an eq? They were running the subwoofer level control for the low frequencies, the bass for the mids, and the treble adjustment for the highs. With those ALPINE decks, you had the ability to run full range or hp/lp on the appropriate channels, you could choose which bass/treble frequencies were boosted most, they had time alignment, and MX. My deck is from this era and I wouldn't trade a brand new deck of another brand to it.
I'm not trying to start an arguement. I'm not saying ALPINE is God or anything. I am just saying I love ALPINE and stand firmly behind it. And the only reason I always capitalize the entire name is because the company always does.
No stereo company can be rated it's highest by it's lowest price entry level equipment. ALPINE is no different. If you buy a Wal-mart priced deck, you may as well go to Wal-mart. Every company charges for the logo on the deck. If I was gonna buy something cheap, I would worry more about what was inside the deck than what brand was on the outside...especially when you know it is a brand that generally carries a higher price tag.
Jack Blackburn Jr wrote:I have to chime in on this one because I love my ALPINE decks and wouldn't use anything else is someone tried to pay me...unless it was just a temporary deck until I get the money to replace it with an ALPINE.
I love Alpine toooo. 
First, I have to say one thing about the decks that were skipping. If both your ALPINE decks skipped as soon as you pulled out, you have one of a few problems. 1) Your installer sucked. 2) You shouldn't have lowered your vehicle with a torch 3) You have 1500 horsepower and the rumble of the enigine is doing it 4) You have eight 15's scrunched into your car and the spl is causing it 5) You have hydros and it skips every time the front end lands...
Who knows what his problem can be, but lets not take a bite at the Installer, we do not really know what the problem could be.
Ok, so I was trying to be funny with that. Honestly, it sounds like your installer didn't properly mount your deck because I have had five ALPINE units and an ALPINE cd changer in four different vehicles self-installed and none of them were prone to skipping.
I never said anything about skipping , Never had a single skip (except for these railroad tracks once...* I also have no idea what could be A 51's problem.
Slidetouch, slidebar, guidetouch, or whatever the crap it's called DOES SUCK! That is the one thing ALPINE did that I don't understand. My solution...I avoid it. I always buy standards and the functions would prolly change every time I change gears from barely touching it.
I am not a glidebar fan, but some people seem to be.. and for some reason Alpine still features this in high end DVA units. MY only beef with it being that it makes it impossible to scroll threw songs @ times for my handi fingers. ( I enjoy my volume scroll feature on my 9835)
Defeat is actually just a precautionary measure. It allows the user to turn off the tone adjustments on their deck in the event that they are using an equalizer. It sets the bass and treble to a flat setting so that all the adjustment is made through the equalizer. So, in essence, it dummy-proofs it.
A feature I love myself, I use it on a monthly basis when i get the finnicky urge to tune.
MX (Music Expander) is similar to BBE and loudness. There are three different levels on my current deck along with the off setting. It does allow you to boost the level of the sound like loudness will. Also, if you will listen in a quiet area such as your garage or an empty parking lot late at night, you will hear what appears to be a broadened sound field as you increase the level.
I have no problem with MX feature, I never use it, but I have no problem with it.
Ever notice that a couple vehicles in stereo magazines had the ALPINE decks released around 2002 and 2003 in them without an eq? They were running the subwoofer level control for the low frequencies, the bass for the mids, and the treble adjustment for the highs. With those ALPINE decks, you had the ability to run full range or hp/lp on the appropriate channels, you could choose which bass/treble frequencies were boosted most, they had time alignment, and MX. My deck is from this era and I wouldn't trade a brand new deck of another brand to it.
CDA 7995 ? Only one of the best units ever made period. I love that deck with a passion, THE easiest deck to tune.( I alos love the 9813/15's as well.)
I'm not trying to start an arguement. I'm not saying ALPINE is God or anything. I am just saying I love ALPINE and stand firmly behind it. And the only reason I always capitalize the entire name is because the company always does.
I still love Alpine product, just not the HU line for this year. I beleive they have scanted out in order to try and grab a larger market share in this sector.
No stereo company can be rated it's highest by it's lowest price entry level equipment. ALPINE is no different. If you buy a Wal-mart priced deck, you may as well go to Wal-mart. Every company charges for the logo on the deck. If I was gonna buy something cheap, I would worry more about what was inside the deck than what brand was on the outside...especially when you know it is a brand that generally carries a higher price tag.
Again ******* as I said before, even last years bottum barrel unit (The 9841) was a fantastic unit untouchable in its price range. So in reality you can judge a company by its lowest level of product.
My Cav
I give up...
i'm buying a VW those people love trees, so they should love eachother too... "Andy"
