Help me build a system!

1996blackmax · February 2006

I've had the Pioneer DEH-P8600MP. It is the same thing as the DEH-P860MP minus a couple of volts and 3way active setup. I now have an Eclipse CD8455, one step above the CD8445 (if the CD8455 is used in the non-Pro Mode it is the same thing). If I had to choose between the Pioneer and the Eclipse I would go with the CD8445. The Pioneer is a nice unit, but I believe the Eclipse is a little easier to use. I love the ability to be able to pause a CD with one push of the button from the HU, as well as using the Attenuator function, again with one push of the button. You cannot do this from the Pioneer HU without doing a little navigating. I believe it is also easier to tune the system with the Eclipse unit. Pioneer's time alignment function seems to leave you with a very small soundstage, not an issue with the Eclipse units. Ofcourse, there will always be little thing with a HU that you may not like (wished the knobs had rubber on them like my previous Eclipse HU - CD8454), but for me, this is the happiest I have been with a HU in a very long time.

Why not try to go with the CD8455? It comes with a memory stick (not sure if the CD8445 does or not), as well as the microphone to take a snapshot of the frequency response in your car (pretty important as this will allow you to tackle problem areas in you vehicle). It will also give you more control over your crossover points and time alignment settings. I paid $450 dollars for mine from an Authorized dealer, and he only charged me $35 dollars for the installation (it was Christmass Eve so I guess that helped some with the pricing

). I highly recommend letting them do the installation as it will give you 3 years of warranty from Eclipse, instead of only one.

deepinya · February 2006

The ONLY reason I was thinking Pioneer was my future plans for a DVD player. Pioneer makes this model http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/pna/product/detail/0,,2076_4025_115454517,00.html which will work perfect with the deh-p860mp

If you guys can help me sort this out and work a way for the Eclipse 8445 to play with that DVD player then I will pick up the Eclipse unit tomorrow.

1996blackmax- They dont have the 8455 and they are no longer carrying Eclipse products. I believe it has a memory stick. Whats a good price to pay on the 8445? I have plenty of room to haggle on this.

If anyone wants to get in on a good deal LMK. I will be buying enough stuff to get some good pricing.

1996blackmax · February 2006

If you can get it in the low $400's that would be nice.

The Eclipse will not be able to control that unit, but can accept the audio signal from it.

deepinya · February 2006

Thanks blackmax thats all I needed to know. The unit is a standalone DVD player but doesnt have any sound so it outputs that to the h/u....at least thats how it was explained to me.

As long as the Eclipse has the proper inputs Im all set!!

exalted512 · February 2006

I keep hearing more and more of reliability issues with Pioneer, especially the 860 and 960. I have a friend back in Corpus thats gone through 3 860s, but he thinks it might be his amps. A guy I work with has the 860 and he says the face cuts in and out on him. Neo said hes had some reliability issues...I know a few problems that have problems with the 960 because of the double face(and the 860 is a better deck than the 960 in terms of sq anyway) Man I wish we were Eclipse dealers, I would love to pick up one of their decks. But my manager is friends with the install manager in another shop in town that carries eclipse, maybe I could get one for cheap through there.
-Cody

deepinya · February 2006

So I go to pick up the cd8445 and guess what I see? OMFG AV8533, this thing is perfect for me without me having to buy a seperate dvd player. I had to leave and think about this unit.

Go with AV8533 or do CD8445 and Pioneer DVD player?
Do they use the same 24-bit DACs?

I googled it and got as much info as I could but not everything I needed to know.

Anyone have opinions on this thing?

MacLeod · February 2006

Not me. Im old fashioned and due to the current trend of everyone having to have 325 video monitors Im strongly against any kind of video in a car.

1996blackmax · February 2006

Wait till you have little ones

.

deepinya · February 2006

Well the DVD player will eventually turn into a GPS unit but I wanted to build it slowly.

I AM A BRAND NEW OWNER OF A CD8445!

1996blackmax · February 2006

The AV8533 has the same DAC's

Congratulations

! Hopefully you got a nice deal on it

. Either way, the Eclipse units are well worth the money.

deepinya · February 2006

The screen on the 8533 is absolutely beautiful and DVD playback on it was amazing without a hint of blur! I hope I dont regret the 8445 down the road when I want to get a screen.....compatibility and such.

So anyway I went down to Tweeter to listen to the speakers and I must say I loved the sound of the 6500 over anything (focal, boston etc) other than the SR series. That SR series is something special. They didnt have any Polk sub hooked up properly so I couldnt listen to that but I did hear the MOMO 6x9 for the rear which didnt sound too bad.

Ive been making my rounds trying to hear as man subs as possible and I think I want a 10" sub from all that I heard. I tried some 12" JL and a few 12" Alpines and the Alpine 10" type R was very punchy and seems like it will fit my musical tastes. Do you guys think a 300.2 will push that sub or should I go with the 10" MOMO? (even though I havent heard it)

deepinya · February 2006

Oh yeah one more thing. If I end up going with 6X9's AND a sub will I need to get another amp just for them?

400.4- Powering the front components
300.2- Powering the sub
?????- for the rears

Or I can go 300.2 x 3?

1996blackmax · February 2006

If you want to have the rears going, then you will need another amp. I have known people to use the HU's built in amp for this, but I do not think it's a good idea. Why not just go with a nice set of components up front, and a sub? I myself use rear speakers because of my kids. When I am by myself they are off.

1996blackmax · February 2006

That sub can handle 500 watts RMS. You could go with the Polk/MOMO C500.1 .

deepinya · February 2006

Well I tried to play my current system without the rears and it sounds like Im missing something. Maybe cause I am currently without a sub? I wish there was a way just to "try" things and pick what I like. hehe

1996blackmax · February 2006

Some people like having a little rear fill, some do not. I've used it before, and still do when I have someone in the front passenger's seat. The beauty of having time alingnment and the ability to save all this into presets on my HU

. Actually your HU does not allow for individual speaker T.A. control. It has preset settings. Once you get those settings right though, you can put them in your presets. You could still get nice sound though for both passengers up front by also using the rear speakers. I have done this with my unit in the Non-Promode (becomes identical to your HU), as well as in Promode. I just turn the gain on the rear speakers to a lower setting than my front. You could also just use the SRS Ciricle Surround II (have to use the fours speakers for it to work). The thing with rear fill is adjusting it to the point that you can't really tell that the rear speakers are on (trust me at this point if you totally turn them off you would still be able to tell). Sounds weird, but this way you still get your soundstage up front.

1996blackmax · February 2006

If I had the choice between my previous Pioneer unit with T.A. that would allow for individual speaker delay, and the CD8445, I would pick the CD8445 everytime. My HU configured like the CD8445 (Promode off) gave me better sound than the Pioneer did

.

F1nut · February 2006

deepinya wrote:

Im getting all tingly inside!

Hmmmmm....must be a little light in the loafers.

neomagus00 · February 2006

as an update on the p860mp's TA ability, i recently tried mine again after months of tuning without it, and it works spectacularly... i think the key was getting the imaging as close to perfect as i could with driver placement and aiming, THEN doing custom TA (set left speaker to 12 inches, play with the right speaker)...

those of you with this unit may wish to try the same, see if you can corroborate...

MacLeod · February 2006

I think Ive found the head unit Ill be getting. The Alpine 9855 is last years model and it not only has 6 channel time alignment that you adjust by miliseconds and not inches but it also has a very good crossover AND parametric EQ! Theyve got em at Tweeter for $450.

Thats the ONLY head unit on the market to my knowledge with those features at that price. The nearest one would be the $600 Eclipse CD7000.

deepinya · February 2006

MacLeod I was in BB tonight and figured Id stop in their car audio cause you mentioned the Alpine h/u. They also have it for 450 and they install it free which Im sure you you are not interested in.

Help me build a system!

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