Guys, I am going to get a new headunit to replace my Clarion HX-D2. My options are Alpine F#1 Status or Eclipse Sound Monitor DTA500X. Some people said that Sound Monitor sounds more natural than F#1 and some people also said that Sound Monitor has the best processor in the world. Anyone who has any ideas in regards to these head units, would you please help me to decide which headunit should I choose.

BTW, here is my current audio specification in 2004 Honda New Odyssey
Clarion HX-D2 headunit
ScanSpeak D2904 Tweeter
ScanSpeak Revelator Mid Range
Audio Technology C-Quenze Mid Bass
Zelos Full Tube 4 channels (to run tweeter and mid-range)
Zelos Verdi 2 channels (to run midbass)
IDMAX 12" subwoofer
Abyss CT2000
Flux Engineering MC Series Speaker Cables and RCAs

Cheers

Henry,

I hope you are aware that Sound Monitor head units are for JDM only, therefore officially no one outside Japan will be able to tell you how they stack up against the F#1 Status (unless there are few individuals here in Australia who already own and currently using Sound Monitor units in their cars, if so then please make a comment or two). Oh, for the benefit of others Sound Monitor head units are the high end units made by Fujitsu-Ten (the guys who also make Eclipse head units). They are positioned above the Eclipse units, but unfortunately they are for JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) consumption only.

I guess it's a well known secret that Japan retains most of the really good stuff while releasing all the lesser ones worldwide...

Ditto for the Zelos amps...are they Korean, by any chance? The name sounds familiar...

Cheers,

Bon

I believe Zelos are remarkably similar to Tru amps? Much like Abyss is?

Personally I don't like the look of that Sound Monitor, but then we're comparing sound not looks
Tough choice, good luck with it.

bodapa,
You right. Sound Monitor is JDM only. And it is funny because Eclipse doesn't want to sell it outside Japan (if bought directly from Eclipse Japan). The reason being is because the radio frequency...

I am going to purchase it from www.kakaku.com

Zelos and Abyss are Korean. Any chances to distribute it to Australia?

Well i believe people in here still have their mindset on US and Japanese (slightly) product. Just send a sample over here .

clarion has terrible x-overs and its horrible to navigate and use. THis unit is the biggest dissapointment.

i dont know why anyone would get one.....such limited stupid x-overs.... 10/10 for looks 0/10 for usability, 1/10 for x-over setup, 9/10 for 4 way x-over.

be different get the fijitsu 10

BTW im going to use F#1

still waiting for the PXE, waiting for the PXE.

bout time alpine make the F#1 status stuff affordable to. in 12 months time (hopefully) mkost ppl who want F1 will be able to afford F1

You wouldn't have an idea of how much the F1 will be would you?

unfortunately no. from what i can gather tho the PXE will be a fair bit cheaper than the F1 processors. go to alpines web site and they have a limited amount of information available (the US site)

here is the link guys

http://www.alpine-usa.com/en/products/prod...?model=PXE-H650

doesnt tell u much but from what i've heard on the grapevine its going to be something a little special. nothing i've seen thats easily available

http://www.twice.com/article/CA6296942.html

heres an article about the PXE, but from what i've heard these guys are way way off. unless alpine has gone completely batty.

If you want to import from Japan, get the Pioneer ODR system
it's dear, but IMHO by far the best

jas,
I think it is not fair to compare build in processor and independent processor such as Alpine and Pioneer... Honestly, Clarion is on of the best headunit available on the market considering the quality and the price wise... it is not that hard to tune Clarion... it takes me less then a week to learn how to use HX-D2... the crossover tuning isn't really that bad except for setting up the EQ...

jas,
btw I heard that the new F#1 is kinda picky when it is playing the CD... not all CDs no matter genuine or copy...

The Tick,
Not too sure how much F#1 in Japan but please visit www.kakaku.com to get the idea how much F#1 is... but i'm pretty sure that it is alot cheaper than in Australia even in Indonesia...

Pulse-R,
ODR is Extremely Expensive my friend... LOL

hehehe
it is that, but nice DACs

Pulse-R:
how is ODR compare to the RS D7X III (Carrozzeria)? any differences in their specification? hard to compare when it is written in Jap... all I can tell is the RS D7X III has seperate Processor unlike the ODR that is available in most countries with all in one amplifier + DAC + Processor (fully digital system)...

would be nice to put them 2 and the p90 against each other..

I'm really confuse which headunit should I choose... HELPPPPPPP!!!!!!!

i dont know the specs but if it was down to aestetics...buy that one ^^^

wow that looks awesome

get that one....odr yummy

thats what i want, and the standard ODR RS-D7R one looks like a mixture of the P90R and Carrozzeria

afaik, the ODR and the Carrozeria are the same - different cosmetics/badging.

the 'processor' interfaces the inputs/outputs (digital) to the different amps, and allow the control of all system via the H/U.

the x-over, TA and EQ is all done in the amp, prior to the D/A conversion.
all digital amps have burr-brown 1704 DAC's (Sign Magnitude) which are still (after more than 10 years) considered the best DACs for under $5000 each.

but, alas, all too expensive for us mere mortals.

Pulse-R:
So, what do you reckon my friend? ODR?

Off the topic,

Henry, how do rate those IDMAX run by abyss ? Compared to run by tru tech hammer (I notcied that you had this before)?

By the way I'll go with the F#1 status

-cheers-

Henry did you end up getting a sound monitor in the end? If you did how do you find it?

I'm looking at it and it would really suit my vehicle interior.

Do you have friends or relatives in Japan? That'd be the easiest way...

I finally ended up with Alpine F#1 Status and I have to admit that the unit is sexy and freakin complicated... a lot of features...

daryanto:
the different between Abyss CT2000 and TRU H1 Hammer is on the power rating... CT2000 produce 667watts @ 4 ohm, 1000watts @ 2 ohm and 2000watts @ 1 ohm STABLE... whereas H1 produce less power than that and NOT 1ohm STABLE... in Abyss line, we offer 2 types of AB Monoblock amplifier CT2000 and CT1500... H1 is the exact product with CT1500 and we don't carry CT1500 because we want to be different with H1... if any of your friends in Australia own a lab with the tools like LMS and LEAP, you can bring H1 for test...

yeah the f1 unit looks ok


have you tried tuning it without a screen????

jas:
that is what i am doing right now... tuning without monitor or laptop... pain in the @$$

the H-1 makes 1500wrms @ 1ohm and it is stable im pretty sure.



the previous owner to mine wired a sub up (may have been an RE XXX not sure tho) @ 1ohm and ran a few spl runs (just for the hell of it)

It is not stable since the person that create H-1 forgot to add a capacitor... even the TRU distributor in my country admit that...

You can wired it into 1 ohm but try to run 1 ohm for a long run and crank it up... see how it goes

lol. im not even going to try to run it at 1 ohm. just that it has been run @ 1 ohm for a couple of SPL runs.



probably why there wasn't a problem. only short runs.

mmm sound monitor. i'd love to hear it!! henry, do you know how much they are?

how do you find the f#1 system compared to the hxd2?

d

I think 200,000 JPY, from the eclipse web site, but could be wrong.

hmmmm interesting! so it'd only be like... what $2500 aussie pesos???!!

150,000 yen for the DCU-500X (Processor)
210,000 yen for the DTA-500X (transport)

At todays rate thats a cool $4,008.09 which still makes it pretty expensive.

http://www.fujitsu-ten.co.jp/eclipse/smoni...500x/index.html

Probably because the competitors here (F1 status and DEX-P90) cost 2 - 3 times as much as the HX-D2, and not everyone can afford to blow ~$5,000 on a deck and processor.

Also the fact that as far as I know, no other unit available in australia offers anywhere near the features and facilities of the Clarion for the same or less money.

Please correct me if i'm wrong on anything, but they seem like pretty straight forward reasons to me...

*with tin opener in one hand, i reach for the can....*

i think the complex menu structure is something easily forgotten when you hear it. who cares how fiddly it is in setup if its easy to use on the fly (play stop track ff+rr and volume). i think my 9255 sounds better than the f#1 and pioneer, let alone the hxd2. i would love to do a proper blind abx between the three!... but in the f1 and p9 systems i've heard, i've always been left with the impression that the source could be improved with a liberal dose of clarion action. the f#1 system in particular....

they're packed beyond the brim with features and thats all well and lovely! - and certainly helps justify the price... but what about the s.o.u.n.d. ???

*runs and hides*