Alpine CDA-9830 Car CD / MP3 Player
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- MP3 / WMA Playback: MP3 Playback
- Anti-Theft Protection: Detachable Face Panel
- Player Type: CD
- Controlled Devices: CD Changer XM Ready
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dark display, wouldn't buy again
Pros
good sound, lots of chrome and buttons you MAY want
Cons
dim display, bad ergonomics, not-so-good radio reception
Recommended it?
No
The Bottom Line:
Maybe it's just my taste for simplicity, but against my stock HU, IN TERMS OF ERGONOMICS ONLY, I don't recommed it. Otherwise, lots of features, excellent sound.
I went with this because of the great price, $221 from a non-authorized online dealer, and because it's one of a few decks that has time delay - a function that I really wanted, plus it is "XM ready" - which it's really NOT - quite yet. Installed it in my 97 Accord, hooked to a Soundstream VGA 320.4 amp and Infinity speakers. Didn't listen to it in a store, just read a lot of reviews. And even if you do go listen in a store you most likely won't be able to listen thru your amp.
Just so you know my preference, I really wanted something SIMPLE, something stock looking, like the Nakamichi CD unit (which is what I'll get when I get rid of this) but I didn't want to spend close to $400 so I compromised. (note - Don't compromise - you've gotta live with this thing in your car.) I had an Alpine unit before this and it was alright. I wanted to get a no-frills HU, one without all the flashing lights, tiny buttons, chrome sci-fi displays and useless gizmos - just gimme a few knobs, that's all I need - and the closest I found was the CDA-9830.
Came with a remote. God knows why a car radio needs a remote, it's not like I'm gonna be surfing from the back seat, so my remote is untouched - but that's just me, maybe you wanna hold a remote in your hand as you're driving. Either way you have to look down at the display to see where you're at in the menus if you're trying anything more than selecting the next track.
This is another one of those HUs where you have to spend several hours reading the manual to really figure out all the features. Still haven't figured out how to set my own EQ - by the time you press the button you need, while reading the manual, the selection resets and you have to start over. I just use the EQ presets by pressing and then rotating and then press-holding, or something like that!
Went with the 9830 mainly because of the time-delay feature - and BOY - it took me HOURS to figure it out based on their manual. They give you a formula to calculate but if you fugure it out you really don't need to - just look at the table. The time-delay works, but it's not that noticeable. Could have lived without it. And in the manual, Time Delay is mixed into the same section as Bass Boost (I think that's what it's called) and I couldn't figure it out for the life of me (and I've got a Master's Degree!). If you're wondering just go download the manual in PDF format and have a read. Like a lot of the manuals you read, it's probably written by someone whose first language is NOT English.
As for the XM READY feature - technically it is - IF you can find the discontinued Alpine XM unit! ! ! I called Alpine and they said to ask TERK, which I did and TERK said maybe December 04. Here's their response to me:
[Thank you for your interest in Terk Technologies. The Alpine smart
adapter will be available by fourth quarter which is around christmas
time. I have not been given a specific release date as of yet. Please
check back from time to time to see when it will be available.]
Several posters have complained about the DARK READOUT - YUP ! ! Looks great at night - during the day it is barely passable. How could Alpine even sell this unit with such a defect and why didn't I listen to everybody? The tiltable faceplate doesn't remedy this and to me is useless.
Half of the display has icons that only come into play if you're playing MP3s - IMO, a complete waste of valuable display space.
The preset buttons are WAY too small and you can barely read the numbers on them day or night. The space is there for bigger buttons - why didn't they make them bigger? Who knows?
Mute button is a good feature. MX is a good feature too - brings out the vocals and boosts bass.
Takes a long while before you get used to the interface, you've gotta press this button down to get balance, then you have to hold it for 2 seconds to set it - pain in the butt as far as I'm concerned.
Prefer the ergonomics of the stock Honda HU over this Alpine.
I'm not sure if I was able to shut off the internal amp of the 9830 - the manual shows how to do it for the 9831 and on my unit the AMP OFF function is called something a little different so I'm not sure.
AM/FM reception was definitely BETTER on the stock Honda unit, especially AM! What's the dealio? (My antenna connection is fine.)
Prevolt out really is 4v - actually I measured 4.2v with volume all the way up. About 2/3s of the way up voltage was 2.4v.
Just so you know my preference, I really wanted something SIMPLE, something stock looking, like the Nakamichi CD unit (which is what I'll get when I get rid of this) but I didn't want to spend close to $400 so I compromised. (note - Don't compromise - you've gotta live with this thing in your car.) I had an Alpine unit before this and it was alright. I wanted to get a no-frills HU, one without all the flashing lights, tiny buttons, chrome sci-fi displays and useless gizmos - just gimme a few knobs, that's all I need - and the closest I found was the CDA-9830.
Came with a remote. God knows why a car radio needs a remote, it's not like I'm gonna be surfing from the back seat, so my remote is untouched - but that's just me, maybe you wanna hold a remote in your hand as you're driving. Either way you have to look down at the display to see where you're at in the menus if you're trying anything more than selecting the next track.
This is another one of those HUs where you have to spend several hours reading the manual to really figure out all the features. Still haven't figured out how to set my own EQ - by the time you press the button you need, while reading the manual, the selection resets and you have to start over. I just use the EQ presets by pressing and then rotating and then press-holding, or something like that!
Went with the 9830 mainly because of the time-delay feature - and BOY - it took me HOURS to figure it out based on their manual. They give you a formula to calculate but if you fugure it out you really don't need to - just look at the table. The time-delay works, but it's not that noticeable. Could have lived without it. And in the manual, Time Delay is mixed into the same section as Bass Boost (I think that's what it's called) and I couldn't figure it out for the life of me (and I've got a Master's Degree!). If you're wondering just go download the manual in PDF format and have a read. Like a lot of the manuals you read, it's probably written by someone whose first language is NOT English.
As for the XM READY feature - technically it is - IF you can find the discontinued Alpine XM unit! ! ! I called Alpine and they said to ask TERK, which I did and TERK said maybe December 04. Here's their response to me:
[Thank you for your interest in Terk Technologies. The Alpine smart
adapter will be available by fourth quarter which is around christmas
time. I have not been given a specific release date as of yet. Please
check back from time to time to see when it will be available.]
Several posters have complained about the DARK READOUT - YUP ! ! Looks great at night - during the day it is barely passable. How could Alpine even sell this unit with such a defect and why didn't I listen to everybody? The tiltable faceplate doesn't remedy this and to me is useless.
Half of the display has icons that only come into play if you're playing MP3s - IMO, a complete waste of valuable display space.
The preset buttons are WAY too small and you can barely read the numbers on them day or night. The space is there for bigger buttons - why didn't they make them bigger? Who knows?
Mute button is a good feature. MX is a good feature too - brings out the vocals and boosts bass.
Takes a long while before you get used to the interface, you've gotta press this button down to get balance, then you have to hold it for 2 seconds to set it - pain in the butt as far as I'm concerned.
Prefer the ergonomics of the stock Honda HU over this Alpine.
I'm not sure if I was able to shut off the internal amp of the 9830 - the manual shows how to do it for the 9831 and on my unit the AMP OFF function is called something a little different so I'm not sure.
AM/FM reception was definitely BETTER on the stock Honda unit, especially AM! What's the dealio? (My antenna connection is fine.)
Prevolt out really is 4v - actually I measured 4.2v with volume all the way up. About 2/3s of the way up voltage was 2.4v.
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