Ok, I may or may not be turning into an Alpine fanboy.

Question is, what do you think of this system.


Dual 6" SPX mids, 4" and tweet SPX front stage. Run off a MRV-420 for 4"/tweet and a MRV-540 for Mids.

Type X 12" sub. Off an MRD-1001.

CDA-9835 with the PXA701.

Thoughts? Is it overboard? This is for an SQ system primarily.

Im not too sure of the Type X stuff cos i aint heard it, would be am expensive setup though, nice to see and you might be able to get sponsorship for it?

who knows?

looks like a good system, except for the signal/processing.
you're limited by the 1bit DAC in the 9835, and the ADC in teh PXA is sub-standard too!
by the time the signal makes it to the good DAC in the PXA, it's already been destroyed by the ADC and HU DAC!

you can try to find a deck which has optical output

cheapest OZ delivered unit is the CDA7998, unless you opt for the DVA5210 add on.
or 2nd hand... cyberpunky has an old 7939 for sale which has optical output, (any alpine head unit with optica output AND Ai-Net is fine)

if you stick with the analogue outputs, you're wise to go for a deck with better DAC...

as far as analogue processors go, the PXA is overpriced (IMO) considering it's features.
Artkran's latest aquisition has more features and less limitations, along with better quality internals, and costs less!

IMO Alpine Aust have shot themselves in teh foot with the PXAH701, as the only items with a good DAC or optical output are:
DVA5210 (it's like a single DVD stacker)
CDA7990 (discontinued)
CHAS624 (discontinued)
CDA7998 (average transport, no detachable face, doesn't require RUX)

this is why i imported the DVA7996 from the USA, transport is better, has detachable face, optical output, has MDAC (not that i use it, but if i switch to another processor i will be glad of it), AND plays dvd's (now i gotta get a screen)

Hmmm... this may or may not be given to me under a sponsorship type of deal. So all products must be Aust delivered and current...

i'd probably stick (or start) with just the HU and do without the PXA. the 9835 will do virtually all the 701 will do; or at least provide all the SQ tuning you should need.

what the 701 will add is choice of graphic EQ instead of parametric (from what i can gather), more output channels (8 instead of 6), and dolby digital. (and the DAC as mentioned.)

i doubt you'd hear $1000+ worth of audible improvement with it. do you?

As said before Shiny, I may or may not be paying for it

then get one and send it to me.

But yeah, this is still a thought. May not even be more than a dream at the moment. But any idea's on if you had an Alpine catalogue, and had to use anything but F#1 status gear?

So this is why i saw your car at GCCS last week

Errr.... maybe... but my car's always at a car audio shop though

the main thing i'd change is the amplification. i'd go with a fully active front stage, so maybe a 2-channel for the door-woofers and a 4-channel for the midrange/tweeters.

i wouldn't necessarily go the PXA unless it wasn't an issue to 'have'.

but, not knowing what your car's like to work with, not sure if a 2-way front stage would be preferably for its simplicity and ease of tuning.

Well considering i'm going to be competing in Pro class, I want to make the best I can do with. I think the main problem would be trying to get 4" on the dash. Or maybe putting them on the doors, with tweets on dash.

I guess I'll be playing with placement for a long time...

well I have seen an even more odd install than a 4inch on dash before. What about 12" sub in the middle of the dash? this is a really remarkable work of a KIWI. I wish to have the same kind of install too

Well I don't think it's odd, because that was my initial thoughts. But I was told that the 4" wouldn't get a big enough enclosure behind it up there to sound nice.

I can't afford to hack into my dash, so the pod would have to be quite large...

I don't think it's overboard - planning a similar system for my car. I'd also just go with the CDA-9835 (unless you plan on 5.1 - which with no centre or rears planned - I guess your not ) - I have one at the minute and it affords a lot of adjustment with 3 way crossovers / parametric eq / etc etc.

I'm also sure Mr Bob has a lot of valid points above - but I'd like to know what the 'real world' difference is in a back to back listening comparison. With all the tuning ability - you'd be able to get something that sounded pretty damn good if you added a PXA-H701 to your system IMO. And also - the primary consideration of adding a PXA-H701 to your system is the addition of dolby digital 5.1 channel surround sound with independant time correction on each channel.

if you are going to run the pxa701 maybe the 7998r is the choice (due to optical output, however i prefer the look of the 9835.

spx mids are incredible you can not go wrong with them. Paper is still my fav choice for mids even though they will be easily destroyed by sunlight. The tweeter for the new spx range is based on the vifa XT19TD00-04. Unlike most people on this forum i do not like the XT25TG30-04 yes its great value for money but i would choose the scanspeak D2904/600000 (the old spx tweeter) or the D2905/990000 revelator due to their better off axis dispersion.

the new scanspeak D2904/710001 would definitely be a tweeter i really want to try. This thing looks like a tweeter that would easily work well in car audio and its 4ohms !!!!!

Is it installed on a new VW Beetle? B'cause I have read an article about a Beetle with a Focal sub installed on the dash.

Not sure which car he is taling about but one of the NZICEMAG forum members installed a 10inch into the dash/centre console of his celica.

Dual SPX 6" mids? Where's it gonna go Rich - one in the kick the other in the door? Or do you have some custom build outs in mind. Your 8454 eats an Alpine 9835 for breakfast, lunch, dinner and snacks so it'd be a shame to downgrade. Mind you if the system is to be sponsored...

A dual SPX midbass setup run fully active would be LUSH. Oh and that new sub in the boot. Off an M-1001.

~runs and gets a towel~

I have one with the phase plug (the 700000), sadly it doesn't fit in my car (dashboard too shallow, windscreen rake too low). Short of building a custom a pillar tweeter mount, looks like mine would go to a DIY home loudspeaker project.

Cheers,

Bon

Dual 6's will go in the door, with custom panel/pods.

As far as I see, the only thing the 8454 has over the 9835 is the DAC. And sure it could be a big thing, but untill anyone has done a back to back comparison with a 1bit against a 20, I find it hard to believe there is that much difference.

It's far from a downgrade, these were the two units I was choosing between a month or so ago, I only went for the Eclipse because it was cheaper... To be honest, the little things that annoy me in the 8454 have become quite large annoyancies...

Ha there probably isnt its just my bias `eclipsing` me here. I've grown ignorant of Alpine source units for some reason :?

if the products are coming "free" then i'd be going for a DVAD300 or DVAD900... they have optical output, and control the PXA directly (no need for RUXC701)

if you must have detachable face, then i'd go with a CDA9835 + Dva5210
but it's cheaper to go for a DVAD300

the 7998 is the cheapest "digital" option, as (along with the D300 and D900), it doens't require the RUXC701

(although this may (or maynot) be a sponsorship type deal, the costs are still a consideration for your sponsor)

at least the DVA5210, D300 and D900 give you the added benefit of better transport, and will play DVD audio and video.
(the new F1 status disc will be DVD Audio)

Are you talking about the IVAd300/IVAd900? Because I can't find this model you're talking about...

Why not just use the CHAS634 as it has a 20bitDAC... it is not discontinued

I'm pretty sure he is - as the other models don't exist

IVA-D300E is a killer unit - it's what I want in my car - unfortunately it's more a question of what I can afford rather than what I want at the minute

Agreed... Would love the IVA but beggars can't be choosers!

Mr Bobolina?

Anyways... Looks like I may have decided upon going with 2 MRV 540's to power the front stage semi active. I'm just deciding wether I want to cut up my dash to put the 4's up there or keep them in the doors or maybe kicks... Hmmm...

yeah sorry Rich, i meant IVA's.
(i wish thread subscription worked! )

the CHAS634 doesn't have optical out, so you're limited by the MDAC, if you're coupling it to the 701, it'll be restricted.. but should be ok.

there are a few S624's around 2nd hand... they'er only $150 or so, and they have optical out.

not sure if the Mdac is 20 bit or not...

why the type x off the 1001 why not go a r12 off a 501

Ummm... because the Xtype off the m1001 will go louder, and sound better!