Hi Guys,
Well I have recently updated from my old Eclipse CD8455 HU to the new Eclipse CD7200 MKII deadhead unit.
First impressions of the unit have been great and I can't wait to spend some more time with it tuning to get the most from it. The unit itself is a Copper chassis'd dead head, meaning no internal amplifier is included. It will support 3-wayfull active set-up's and offers decent EQ, TA, x-over, level and phasing controls.
Asethetics :- I much prefer the CD7200 to my CD8455, I did reuse the black surround from the previous unit with the CD7200 though as the dark grey wouldn't have matched to my interior. The CD7200 offers the option of changing the button colours also which I found great, being able to set the whole display to amber rather then leaving the buttons blue (CD8455).
One point I make that I feel detracts from the units' aesthetic is the screen printing of SRS, USB, HD etc on the front face to me these look out of place, but I also understand why Eclipse has done this.
Connection :- The units was a simple drop in replacement for the CD8455 with the main harness plugs in directly and then just needing the 4-pairs of RCA's connected, Hi-Mid-Low-Aux.
Menus/Interface :- I have found it is easy to navigate through it's menus and appreciate the 'Screen' button allowing the screen to be flicked through displays backgrounds and even off with a single button. The menu layout seems straight forward and I was able to quickly get my head around it and find all the functions that I use with the previous unit.
I did find the single large rotary button with the joystick in the middle a little cumbersome to start with, managing to click the centre rather then the arrows on occassion but I think that I will get used to this and hope that it won't take too long to get the 'knack' to using it effectively.
BT Handsfree :- I by accident managed to use the BT handsfree with my HTC Touch when making a call after connecting it earlier in the drive. I was able to hear the person on the other end well enough and was told that I came through loud and clear also. I think I'll be using this function in the future.
BT Audio/USB/Ipod :- I'm yet to use the BT Audio or USB feature. I will try the USB connection when I get an external USB drive and set the folders as required. I don't suspect that I will be using this function to a large degree, but time will tell. I do not have an I-pod nor the I-pod interface so cannot comment on this function.
Features/Functions :- I'm more then impressed with the extra crossover frequency bands that are available when compared to the CD8455 and have taken advantage of this be crossing my midbass' lower (40hz) then the previous 63hz(limit). I am also very impressed with the single bad sub EQ, which has helped me flatten out the bass response to counteract the cabin gain of the vehicle. The unit offers a 5-band Paramatric EQ (L/R combined) for both Hi and Mid outputs and a single Parametric EQ for the Low output when in 3-way mode. You have phase and stereo/mono switching available on the Low output also. 5 presets for EQ are available which will store corresponding X-over settings.
Each of the 6-output channels has it's own, level and TA settings. I found that it was accurate with the delay added in ms's on the HU matching directly with shown delay when using Impulse Response. This made setting the TA very easy as I could just gate the delay I needed and punch it in to teh unit and get it right first go each driver.
The crossover I found very usefull also, right down to 20hz being available on the Low LP and Mid HP points. The Mid LP/Hi HP could be set down to 200hz and all the way up to 16k. Slopes available were, 6, 12, 18 and 24dB/octave
I will be trying to get the Frequency measurement to work on the unit over the up coming weeks, as my intial trial last night with the 8455's RCA microphone did not yeild any success. I suspect I'm approaching the measurement the wrong way so will consult the manual and try again.
Sound Quality :- The units is on-par if not a step above the CD8455. After more time critically listening I'll get an idea of how much better it actually is. I'm also seeing a reduced noise floor over the CD8455 and am fairly certain that a lot of the 'noise' I'm hearing is in the original recording and not being introduced by the unit. Again spending more time critically listening should re-enforce this initial impression.
Conclusion :- In all I am more then happy with the update and look foward to using the unit. I found it a step forward in the right direction, being a copper chassis'd dead head unit. If I could make one suggestion only, it would be to expand the unit to support a full 4-way active system, 3-way front with sub.
I would recommend the unit to other people based on the above, and for my money, it was the obvious choice for my update in this price point.
*EDIT* I have since used the USB interface and found it very easy to use, but the title's are very short with thier display, but I believe there is a spcail way around this, which I will trial is I ever decide to play with the USB again.