Finally! Eclipse makes a good looking H/U

MacLeod

These are no Alpines but they do look sharp.

I like em!

I can buy one now! Ive always wanted one but just thought they were too fugly to have.

phuz

I think that thing just burned my retinas.

1 bit DAC and only a 3 band eq? Ew.

MacLeod

I didnt pick the one with the best features, just the one that looked best.

That one is actually one of their mid line models.

neomagus00

i dunno, i've always liked that 'eclipse' look... now it looks like someone pasted sony buttons onto an eclipse hu...

audiobliss

Originally posted by neomagus00
i dunno, i've always liked that 'eclipse' look... now it looks like someone pasted sony buttons onto an eclipse hu...

exactly.....though, it is growing on me.....

I wish I knew somewhere that sold 'em so I could see one in person and get a feel for the navigation. How much does an Eclipse HU usually cost?


phuz - A 1-bit DAC is pretty much TOTL stuff in car audio receivers. (At least.....I think it is........I've never seen anything nicer....)

audiobliss

CORRECTION: I just noticed that both the CD8445 and CD8455 have a 24-bit DAC; first time I've seen that on a CA HU! And 8V pre-outs!! I'm impressed!!! Though, how much would you hafta pay for an amp that'd work with 8V pre-outs? lol

exalted512

my 940 has a 24 bit burr brown dac.
i highly doubt its 1 bit though, it must be a typo or something. Pioneers $120 head unit has a 16 bit converter. As far as 8 volt preouts go, its nice but I like my 6.5V preouts because 99% of amps take them. But most of your mid-high end amps will take 8V preouts.
-Cody

spwuinmk67

I think the thing is f-in ugly honestly. But maybe it's just me...

audiobliss

Originally posted by exalted512
my 940 has a 24 bit burr brown dac.
i highly doubt its 1 bit though, it must be a typo or something. Pioneers $120 head unit has a 16 bit converter. As far as 8 volt preouts go, its nice but I like my 6.5V preouts because 99% of amps take them. But most of your mid-high end amps will take 8V preouts.
-Cody

Pioneer's website lists the DEH-P860MP (my HU) as having a Burr-Brown DAC, too (which is why I got it), but it also says it's 1-bit. That doesn't make much sense to me since the Burr-Brown DAC is high-quality, I would have though that it'd be more than 1-bit. Interesing.

exalted512

http://pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4039_147231288_tab=B,00.html?compName=PNA_ProductDetailComponent

well it has it listed funny, it says:
1-bit D/A Converter: 16-bit
-Cody

audiobliss

Yeah, I had forgotten exactly how they had it listed, but that's it. It sure doesn't make any sense....to me.

audiobliss

Though I just noticed that it has mine (and I'm sure yours, too) listed as 24-bit. That's awesome. I'm gonna do some braggin. LOL

http://pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4041_64496601_tab=B,00.html?compName=PNA_ProductDetailComponent



Nobody's answered my question yet, so I'll ask it again. Where can you buy Eclipse HUs, and how much do they usually cost?

exalted512

it says yours is 24 bits as well...they should have it listed as "D/A Converter" not "1-bit D/A Converter"
http://pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4041_64496601_tab=B,00.html?compName=PNA_ProductDetailComponent
-Cody

audiobliss

Yeah; that '1-bit convereter' part is confusing....it makes ya wonder if they know what they're doing...lol.

exalted512

i doubt you can get eclipse authorized online aside from *maybe* www.speedsound.com
i think www.onlinecarstereo.com would have em with a 1 year warranty, but im not sure. JoelsBass has one, not sure where he got it from. They have quite a hefty price tag but are well worth it.
-Cody

audiobliss

Oh, I didn't know he had one. I may hafta grill him about it. I may be interested in one....in about 30 years!! lol


And in case you forgot to notice....I just hit the 1300 mark!!!! Wow!!! lol I'm sitting here wondering if my 'title' will change form Polkhead....and if so.....to what......*holds breath*....

exalted512

i might reach 3500 tonite...and ive only had this s/n a year...
-Cody

audiobliss

Originally posted by exalted512
i might reach 3500 tonite...and ive only had this s/n a year...
-Cody

That's just.....sad.


*sigh* I guess the 'titles' are changed based on knowledge instead of posts. In that case, I'll never move up!!! lol

exalted512

and i have 1817 posts on my last s/n, i still have 1.41 posts a day with that screen name and i havent used it for a while...
-Cody

AustinKP

I read a discussion on D/A converters once a while ago...
The gist was that there are two types of D/A converters. There is the Burr-Brown kind, and another type. Both are equally as good, and produce the same quality signal. I don't pay much attention to that as a result. Sorry I don't remember more.
-Austin

audiobliss

LOL Lemme read it again...I must have missed what you did remember.....lol


Sounds like an interesting read, though.

AustinKP

it might even have been on this forum. I'd do a search. If it wasn't here, it was at caraudioforum.com

VR3

That is the ugliest thing I have ever seen...cheap LED and SONY-LIKE buttons...YUCK

exalted512

macleod always has a sick sense of style, i like the older ones better
-Cody

audiobliss

Ahh, what would you know? You're just a kid; a home stereo one, at that!!


EDIT: That's to Sid......duh...

VR3

I'm all about plain looking, but the LED looks like something straight out of a 5 dollar phone at walmart... the buttons remind me of something I would find on a toilet that is 100 years old.

exalted512

Originally posted by Vr3MxStyler2k3
I'm all about plain looking, but the LED looks like something straight out of a 5 dollar phone at walmart... the buttons remind me of something I would find on a toilet that is 100 years old.

word, and now its off to the girlfriends house...you kids have fun and play nice
-Cody

audiobliss

Yeah, sure......w/e. YOU play nice!!....lol

neomagus00

the 2 different bit levels COULD be both a sampling rate and a resolution - 24 bit sampling rate, for a more accurate frequency, 1 bit resolution for volume, to get the dynamics. i don't know this for sure, just an idea.

and burr-brown is a label like premier... there's analog devices, too, that's a big one... they're known for different types of sound, but burr-brown tends to be the reference.

and i think you can call eclpse to get the location of the nearest dealer.

MacLeod

Tweeter used to carry Eclipse but I think they dropped it.

Check the websites dealer locator. They seem to have a dealer in every town regardless how small. They run the range from $200 to $600 or thereabouts.

I like the plain look too. Something like the Denon's used to have is great but the old Eclipses looked cheap and ugly. This new line looks much better.

1996blackmax

Originally posted by MacLeod


I like em!

I can buy one now! Ive always wanted one but just thought they were too fugly to have.

At first I thought that the new units were to flashy, but when I looked at them in person I chaned my mind, at least for the two top models. My friend just bought the Eclipse CD8445, he paid $500 dollars for it at the Good Guys (http://www.eclipse-web.com/cd/cd8445.html), it is a very nice head unit. I think the lower ones are too flashy. I still like the look of my 8454 better.

Originally posted by exalted512
i doubt you can get eclipse authorized online aside from *maybe* www.speedsound.com
i think www.onlinecarstereo.com would have em with a 1 year warranty, but im not sure. JoelsBass has one, not sure where he got it from. They have quite a hefty price tag but are well worth it.
-Cody

Unfortunately Eclipse does not authorize online sales. When purchased from an Authorized dealer they come with a 3 year manufacturer's warranty and a 1 year theft replacement warranty.

Originally posted by AustinKP
I read a discussion on D/A converters once a while ago...
The gist was that there are two types of D/A converters. There is the Burr-Brown kind, and another type. Both are equally as good, and produce the same quality signal. I don't pay much attention to that as a result. Sorry I don't remember more.
-Austin

The 24bit Digital to Analog converters in the higher end Eclipse models are Delta Sigma 24bit DAC's. It is the same DAC from their three top models from last year, the CD8454, CD 8444, and the CD Tuner CD8053 (this one did not have a built in amp, and could provide 16Volts to its preouts)

I had an Alpine setup that had four 20bit Burr Brown DAC's for the main channels and two of Alpine's Regulated 1bit DAC's for the subwoofer section. This setup was sweet. The sound from my current Eclipse HU reminds me of that sound.

There are some people that say that the DA converters do not make a big difference, but my ears can hear the difference. I was able to tell the difference when I changed the digital to analog conversion duties from the built in 1bit DAC's in my 7949, and the 20bit Burr Browns in the PXA-H600 (this was easily done through the head units menu). This was also true when I changed out my Alpine 7998 to the Eclipse CD8454. It is kind of hard to explain, but to put it simply, music has more detail. I can listen to the same songs and be able to hear more of the subtle parts in the song. To some this is not a big deal, but to me it matters. I tried to tweak my 7998's for a couple of years to sound like the multi bit dac units, but it was not possible. As soon as I added the other units I could tell the sound was more detailed.