40 replies to this topic

[Anonymous]

Hey everybody,

Been looking around for a new head unit for a while now, and i've come across the Alpine CDA-7990 F#1 Status. Its known as the worlds best head unit in alot of places but i want to know why.

Has anybody in here seen/heared/used one? or know of anybody who has??

Whats everybodys opinion of these? whether first hand or interpreted...

Also I cant find if this has any signal processing inside the unit, does it? or would i need to then purchase a speperate processor? what would warrant its expensive price if it has no processing??

How much would you estimate the street price to be on one of these units? and is there better sq available for the price?

What features does this unit have above other units? how would it compare to my current 7892?

i think thats enuff questions, lol, any help would be great

[JohnA]

It all boils down to the components used inside, they are of the highest grade.
It comes with its own external dc-dc convertor
and even uses custom-designed titanium insulated RCA cables

price is around $4000 and i doubt you will find too many people who have used one.

No built in processors and i don't think it even has remote control.
If you want a processor for it you would want to get the PXA-H900 but at around $6000 hmm you'd better love your music in your car.

Is there anythig better out there????
well unless you can do back to back comparisons it would be hard to say, but the denon DCT-Z1 also looks the goods
check it out here

[Anonymous]

wow that denon is nice also
although hasnt got the amazing signal to noise ratio that the alpine has, its still excellent but not as good :/
although im sure the denon is better than the alpine in the warmth of the sound :/

ohh so confusing and so much money considering theirs no equalisation on the head units themselves... if it had inbuilt ta and the features the other alpine head units have then i'd grab it in a flash, but i spose its not their market, they're targetting ppl with the full F#1 system who wouldnt dream of using an inbuild eq :/

[shiny_car]

one day.

[ROWDY]

i've had one for about a year now nearly feel free to ask me anything you need to know

[Anonymous]

Thanks, any help you can offer would be good

Do you think this unit offers good value for money? What (if anything) dont you like about this unit??

and a quick summary of what you think of it in general would be good. oh also does it run hot like other alpine units or not?

[poid]

All i can say is that if i could afford the $3000 that i could have got one for i would have it now

My opinion of it is that it is one of the very best SQ decks you can get. So basically if you want it for top SQ get it, it is not value for money not feature packed. Just sounds great

[shiny_car]

Quote

Originally posted by ROWDY:
i've had one for about a year now nearly feel free to ask me anything you need to know

wanna sell?

ah well.

but like any audiophile component, it should be matched with equallly good components to yield the best from it. that's where the whole stereo 'thing' become ridiculously expensive!

[Anonymous]

yeah i understand that things become very expensive and atm i dont exactly have what you sq boys would classify as overly good components. but i like what i have atm, it sounds the way i like my gear to sound (ie: very clear, very clean, extremely detailed but loud) and I feel the one thing letting me down is my deck.

not sure why, but i have a funny feeling about it, i just feel like its the thing thats letting my system down, and i am not wanting to make the mistake that i initially made with all of my gear, made compromises and got what i thought would tide me over only to find it didnt satisfy. If I buy a new head unit I will be wanting to have it for at least 5 years, which means top quality.

ALso does it have a detachable face by ny chance? im guessing not :/

[Anonymous]

that makes me very reluctant to buy a $3000 head unit then I'd have to like bolt it to the chasis in 4 different places to even feel moderately secure

what theif will turn down the possibility of stealing a head unit that they could resell for over 2 grand :/

[dasherhalo]

Another h/u in that category is the "replacement" to my unit (Clarion DRX-9255), the HX-D1 (by memory!?), which AUSMAC91 has/had for sale on the forums recently.

And, seeing that I bought the '9255 from him, I can nearly guarantee the unit is in top condition.

Wonder if it's still for sale?? ................'scuse me, i need to check something.......

[shiny_car]

Quote

Originally posted by mlaich:
It doesn't have a detachable face ... Bye bye $3k

umm, it does have a detachable face.

[mjjensen]

Looking at 'specs' side by side does not always tell the whole story. Ie 95dB SNR vs 100dB SNR does not equal a five percent better sounding deck due to noise constraints.

Not only will the measurement methods between companies be different, some will flat out lie.

4x150W Audiovox for $200 anyone?? Compare that to a 4x50 Zapco and tell me the specs are definitive.

[Soundwerks]

I had a very brief play with one in a customers car, and an even briefer listen to the F1 Status Merc when it was at Autosalon last year. Nice unit, but for $4k I personally would go for the sexy looks of the Denon DCT-Z1, or even a Nakamichi CD-700. At that level of car audio, I wouldnt really pay much attention to specs, and the inclusion of things such as inbuilt eq's and TA would be a step backward for this type of equipment - they are designed and built for one thing and one things only... supreme audio reproduction.

Paul