Tailored audio, to the millisecond.
Written: Jan 20 '03
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Pros: MP3 Support, bright display, solid sonic quality, multi band equalization
Cons: Potentially difficult to tune equalizer, limited visualization options, mp3 access is sloppy.
The Bottom Line: If you want high power, MP3 support, and the benefit of external inputs - while offering full multi-amplifier support, this is the deck.
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| MaasNeotek's Full Review: Alpine CDA-7894 Car CD/ MP3 Player |
The 7894 isn't a flagship product, however, you wouldn't know it by listening to it.
For the audiophile, the 7894 is a tuning dream. Offering extensive options for both bass and treble control in addition to independent subwoofer output controls, the deck is capable of 'time tuning'. In english? You can delay any speaker's output to ensure that all sounds arrive at the 'sweet spot' at the same time.
By tuning the timing of channels, you can ensure that the Front left signal (closest to the north american driver) is timed to match the incoming signal of the Front right (3 times farther away). Once tuned properly, one can tune the Rear Right signal, and work towards the driver balancing the arrival of sound signals from all 4 corners to acoustically meet at the drivers head.
The result - exceptional staging, and clarity. A millisecond or two of sound travel can affect the listenability of vocal tracks significantly, and frankly, you'd be hard pressed to describe the sensation until you took a few quiet moments tuning the deck. The closest approximation I can offer is the similarity to the feeling of putting on headphones and listening to an album you've listened to a 1000 times in your kitchen. You hear the staging in a new way, with a new clarity. That's what it is all about.
While the Alpine isn't the only pony to perform this timing trick, they have implemented the feature in true Alpine fashion. Easy to tune, real time responsiveness, with excellent build quality, and a history of quality product.
The one area that does provide a sneer on a daily basis, is the MP3 track access method. Directory based, and occasionally 'flaky' with respect to ID3 tags, it is common to burn a disc of MP3's only to find that the track names aren't all there. Also - if you use multiple directories for the MP3's - you may find that the order on the CD isn't quite what you expected, as the structure is organized by the appearance of the data on the disc, rather than the order in your burning software.
Overall, the deck is one of the best I've ever owned, with ample power, clean signal output, and accessory input for AV/DVD/VCR etc, with a good quality tuner, and XM Satellite support.
Lastly - I should add that my 7894 has been living a horrid existence, cruising in the dash of a lowered sportscar, with a rough race prepped suspension (with no skipping!) and doing it at -25C in a northern Alberta Canada winter.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 340.00
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Epinions.com ID:
MaasNeotek
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Member: Greg
Location: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
Reviews written: 6
Trusted by: 2 members
About Me:
Software engineer, auto enthusiast, fly fisher.
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