Alpine TDM-7580 Car Cassette Player
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- Player Type: Cassette
- Controlled Devices: CD Changer
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Alpine FM/AM Cassette Receiver, Quality Sound, Simple to Understand Controls
Pros
Easy to Use even while driving. Controls simple.
Cons
Display sometimes difficult to see in daytime.
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
The Alpine TDM-7580 is a high quality, simple to use unit that will satisfy anyone's auto receiver needs.
One of the most important pieces of equipment in a car or truck is the sound system. If you're going to be spending any length of time behind the wheel you'll want high quality sound coming from your dash board to make the trip more enjoyable. Right after purchasing my new truck, I went shopping for an FM/AM unit that could play cassette tapes as well as a CD. I didn't realize how many there were on the market. In the past I had only taken what came with the vehicle and been happy. This time I was determined to get something of quality. After several days of shopping I came to the Alpine TDM-7580.
Why Alpine
As I went from store to store I saw dozens of different electronic components but the name Alpine kept coming up. Some said it was the best buy for the money, some said it had the best sound, and some said it was the easiest to use. It at once seemed to me that Alpine was the best all-around receiver. My next task was to decide which model I was most interested in.
My Options
I could have paid up to $699 for some models but none could do all that I wanted. Originally I was looking for a unit that had cassette played, Cd player and AM/FM receiver all-in-one.
There were several models, not Alpine, that could satisfy my needs but none were really recommended by any of the salesmen. There were other alternatives.
1. I could get a FM modulator which plays a CD through your existing FM radio tuned to 88.2. The salesmen said that it was very close to great sound but a little fuzzy at times. These units only cost $179 and installation was another $60.
2. There was the FM/AM Cassette Receiver which could be hooked up to a CD Changer. The cost for this solution was quite a bit more that option #1 but it would deliver the best sound and reliability.
3. I could get a CD changer that could be hooked up to my existing cassette/AM-FM but it would require a special 'Y' splitter but the 'Y' splitter costs $169.
My Choice
My choice was option #2. I purchased the Alpine TDM-7580 FM/AM Cassette Receiver. With this I purchased the Alpine CHM-S620 Compact Disc Remote Changer (but that's another Epinion). The TDM-7580 was offered at a free installation and the unit cost only $139. This was cheaper than keeping my original and buying the splitter for $169.
Specifications
FM Tuning range is 87.7 to 107.9 MHz
AM tuning range is 530 to 1,710 kHz
Tape Speed 1-7/8 ips
Power requirements 14.4 V DC
Max power output 35 W x 4
Weight 1.4 kg (3 lbs. 1 oz.)
Chassis Size:
Width 178 mm (7 inches)
Height 50 mm (2 inches)
Depth 155 mm (6 1/8 inches)
I recommend that you have the unit installed by a professional but if you do it yourself you must remember to initialize the system. This is done by removing the face plate and using a pen or pencil to push the reset button.
The face plate of the unit is removable and comes complete with a carrying case for the detached face plate. It's always a good idea to remove the face plate and lock it up in your glove compartment or take it with you when leaving the vehicle parked. If a thief doesn't see something to steal they may not try. The face plate controls have no turn knobs. Everything is push button which took a little getting used to. Even the volume controls are push buttons. When my 23 year old son saw the unit he told me that I had made a good purchase and started playing with all the buttons like he always had one. He actually found some functions that I hadn't even tried yet including the button to turn loudness on and off. "The loudness button, when turned on, introduces a special low- and high-frequency emphasis at low listening levels to compensate for the ear's decreased sensitivity to bass and treble sound." (This right from the owners manual). Speaking of the owners manual it also contains complete installation instructions which seem very easy to follow.
Setting the time is simple as setting your watch. There is also a button that enables you to switch between station display and time display. All significant controls are light with a soft green light and they are easy to see. The only negative I've found so far is that the LCD display light is a little low and sometimes hard to see during daytime hours of operation.
The radio can have up to 24 channels preset in memory. Six stations for each band; FM1, FM2, AM, and D.A.P.. Once set, all you have to do is touch a button and your favorite station comes in clear and sharp. The cassette player is a good player with Dolby sound. One nice function is the Blank Skip (B.SKIP). Pressing this button will cause you to skip over blank sections of a tape which last 15 seconds or longer.
Overall
I have owned and operated the Alpine TDM-7580 FM/AM Cassette Receiver for over 2 weeks now and have been very pleasantly surprised on the quality of sound this little unit provides. I didn't change my speakers from the factory speakers and currently see no reason to do so. If you are shopping for a auto receiver I recommend that you go to several different stores because they each have specials from time to time and you can save some serious money. Like I said earlier $60 to install at one store and free at another. $60 can buy a lot of new CD's or cassettes.
Why Alpine
As I went from store to store I saw dozens of different electronic components but the name Alpine kept coming up. Some said it was the best buy for the money, some said it had the best sound, and some said it was the easiest to use. It at once seemed to me that Alpine was the best all-around receiver. My next task was to decide which model I was most interested in.
My Options
I could have paid up to $699 for some models but none could do all that I wanted. Originally I was looking for a unit that had cassette played, Cd player and AM/FM receiver all-in-one.
There were several models, not Alpine, that could satisfy my needs but none were really recommended by any of the salesmen. There were other alternatives.
1. I could get a FM modulator which plays a CD through your existing FM radio tuned to 88.2. The salesmen said that it was very close to great sound but a little fuzzy at times. These units only cost $179 and installation was another $60.
2. There was the FM/AM Cassette Receiver which could be hooked up to a CD Changer. The cost for this solution was quite a bit more that option #1 but it would deliver the best sound and reliability.
3. I could get a CD changer that could be hooked up to my existing cassette/AM-FM but it would require a special 'Y' splitter but the 'Y' splitter costs $169.
My Choice
My choice was option #2. I purchased the Alpine TDM-7580 FM/AM Cassette Receiver. With this I purchased the Alpine CHM-S620 Compact Disc Remote Changer (but that's another Epinion). The TDM-7580 was offered at a free installation and the unit cost only $139. This was cheaper than keeping my original and buying the splitter for $169.
Specifications
FM Tuning range is 87.7 to 107.9 MHz
AM tuning range is 530 to 1,710 kHz
Tape Speed 1-7/8 ips
Power requirements 14.4 V DC
Max power output 35 W x 4
Weight 1.4 kg (3 lbs. 1 oz.)
Chassis Size:
Width 178 mm (7 inches)
Height 50 mm (2 inches)
Depth 155 mm (6 1/8 inches)
I recommend that you have the unit installed by a professional but if you do it yourself you must remember to initialize the system. This is done by removing the face plate and using a pen or pencil to push the reset button.
The face plate of the unit is removable and comes complete with a carrying case for the detached face plate. It's always a good idea to remove the face plate and lock it up in your glove compartment or take it with you when leaving the vehicle parked. If a thief doesn't see something to steal they may not try. The face plate controls have no turn knobs. Everything is push button which took a little getting used to. Even the volume controls are push buttons. When my 23 year old son saw the unit he told me that I had made a good purchase and started playing with all the buttons like he always had one. He actually found some functions that I hadn't even tried yet including the button to turn loudness on and off. "The loudness button, when turned on, introduces a special low- and high-frequency emphasis at low listening levels to compensate for the ear's decreased sensitivity to bass and treble sound." (This right from the owners manual). Speaking of the owners manual it also contains complete installation instructions which seem very easy to follow.
Setting the time is simple as setting your watch. There is also a button that enables you to switch between station display and time display. All significant controls are light with a soft green light and they are easy to see. The only negative I've found so far is that the LCD display light is a little low and sometimes hard to see during daytime hours of operation.
The radio can have up to 24 channels preset in memory. Six stations for each band; FM1, FM2, AM, and D.A.P.. Once set, all you have to do is touch a button and your favorite station comes in clear and sharp. The cassette player is a good player with Dolby sound. One nice function is the Blank Skip (B.SKIP). Pressing this button will cause you to skip over blank sections of a tape which last 15 seconds or longer.
Overall
I have owned and operated the Alpine TDM-7580 FM/AM Cassette Receiver for over 2 weeks now and have been very pleasantly surprised on the quality of sound this little unit provides. I didn't change my speakers from the factory speakers and currently see no reason to do so. If you are shopping for a auto receiver I recommend that you go to several different stores because they each have specials from time to time and you can save some serious money. Like I said earlier $60 to install at one store and free at another. $60 can buy a lot of new CD's or cassettes.
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