I bought this alpine unit to replace my sony MEX-1HD. I just was not that impressed with the sonys sound quality. It was good but, just not enough ways to tweak the system to my liking. This alpine unit definitely alleviates this problem.

PRO's

- The unit puts out 60watts per channel which is 23w RMS. Most radios only pump out 50w/ch. This may not sound like much but, you'll hear the difference, especially with aftermarket speakers.
- The display is great. Puts up lots of info on the screen so that your not having to flip through multiple displays to check say the artist and then the song name and then the folder/file number and track time.
- Allows you to hook up an iPOD and control it with the radio. Assuming you have an iPOD and the adapter to hook it up.
- XM satellite radio ready
- The settings... This could actually be considered a con for some but, its exactly what I was looking for. This radio has so many ways to fine tune and tweak the sound coming out. Unless you're just super clever, you'll definitely be needing the 42 page user manual to help you navigate through the menus and get it configured to your liking.

CON's

- The interface to the settings leaves alot to be desired. without the manual you would be totally in the dark trying to guess which buttons to press and how long to press them to get to whatever menu/setting.

Overall, I'm extremely pleased with the radio and would recommend it for anybody that is looking for great sound that packs a punch.