So what do you all think? It has a removable harddrive. Here's the Japanese version: http://www.alpine.co.jp/alpine/audio03/lineup/2003/hu/hda-5460ms.html and the version the North America gets in puke green: http://ecominet2.alpine-usa.com/pls/admn/item_info?p_item_name=HDA-5460&p_category=10&p_subcategory=45&p_main=10

Personally, I think it would be cool to check out! Try to babelfish the japanese page to get more info about it. The american site never provides enough info.

Heres a pdf with lots a pix http://www.alpine.co.jp/alpine/audio03/degi/images/alpine.pdf

Can you belive this...it can even record the cd/radio to the HDD.

Apparently it does have visuals, plays sony magic gate memory sticks and a removable harddrive. In the pdf you can see that it has an ID3 info display mode thats scrolling.

I like it better ala blue but I wonder if the JDM 5460 is compatible with the (USDM) 9815? It's practically the same as the (JDM) 9815J.

Now, that seems a good one! I now wonder if there's any chance that the empeg goes back to production, since probably now there is some market for such devices. I am almost sure that software-wise the empeg is years ahead of this, and if there's market, the empeg would be the winner.

Still dreaming to see Mark 3...

That doesn't look bad at all...

Babelfish translation:
http://tinyurl.com/mqa6

It looks like you will get a kiss with it as well
The total price is $2200!

i still prefer the look of the empeg.

I still prefer the (theoretically) unlimited space of the empeg. But then I can't fathom encoding at 128kbps, anyway.

Looks good. I'm really shocked that they are only offering 16 gigs though. Anyone care to guess as to why?

And when you take the face off, do you have to take the hard drive out too so as not to leave it visible? That seems annoying...

I wonder if you could crack open the HDD unit and stick a bigger drive in there.

Well in USD126,000 yen is $1100.00. When the empeg was new it sold for double that and had just 10GB or so. I have a 60GB rio so I can see the step down to 16GB being a biatch but at least theres potential for drive swapping and what not. Perhaps they'll release a 30GB drive so one can have additional space. The empeg is great but that display slaughters the empeg's VFD. That Bio-Lite display can be read perfectly even in direct sunlight! I have a Sony Clie so the mp3s on memory sticks can get slapped right in there for immediate playback too!

Having the HDD exposed like that while the face is off is definatley a minus but so far that and the storage capacity are the only real beefs I can think of.

The biggest plus is that it's an Alpine IMO. I am Alpine's number one fan =)

Right now I have a friend in in Hong Kong and he's going to shop around getting prices next time he swings over to Japan. If he can find a deal good enough I just may own one soon. I am also going to get in touch with some people at Alpine and find out if there are plans for a bigger HDD.

EDIT: I just noticed that the USDM version has no memory stick slot!

In reply to:

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My DJ function
Gathering favorite genre, it can enjoy to the joke comfortable DJ play.

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Those crazy japanese!

I'm really shocked that they are only offering 16 gigs though. Anyone care to guess as to why?

Probably because the first automotive spec drives are 16GB.

Rob

Thing is, that "only" $1100 is just for the mp3 thing. It doesn't do squat without the Alpine headunit that also sells for $1100.

Actually you are wrong. It can be used on it's own without being piggy-backed onto another head unit. The heading on the HDA-5460 webpage is "In-Dash Add-On/Stand Alone HDD (Hard Disc Drive) Player"
The head unit it is pictured with is not "another $1100.00" either. The MSRP listed on the site for the CDA-9815 is $500.00 USD. I actually bought it for less at $600.00 CDN. It's all right there on the website in black and white boss...

The bad:
- It's fugly
- it's Alpine (see #1)
- its expensive (overpriced) (see #2)

The good:
- Continued adoption by major brands should give people something decent in the next 5 years
- D&M Holdings --> Denon/Rio possibilities for the future.

I wouldn't touch it based on any 1 of the first three bad items. Mass-market Japanese goods seem to have lost all touch with usable UI design.

Bruno

D&M Holdings --> Denon/Rio possibilities for the future.

To wax philosophical: I used to have a Denon head unit. 'Twas a fine piece of equipment which matched the performance of the (more expensive and more fragile) Nakamichi car gear back then.

don't ask me where I found the $1100 price tag for the head unit
Probably some out of date link somewhere, I'm good at finding those !

I just want my "empeg of the future" to include the amp and radio, you know, nothing much.

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The bad:
- It's fugly

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I agree. Why does their stuff (the CD headunits anyway) have to look like a drum machine?

Stu

In reply to:

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don't ask me where I found the $1100 price tag for the head unit
Probably some out of date link somewhere, I'm good at finding those !

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Yep, out of date. Their US site says $1000. See here.

Stu

when will the new empeg mark 3 make an apperance? 2004?

when will the new empeg mark 3 make an apperance? 2004?

http://people.kldp.org/~eunjea/jargon/?idx=vaporware.html

How can a product which has never been announced be vaporware? There is no Mk.3 and plans to make one.

Rob

<cough> <cough> Camelot <cough>

What was Camelot? Was that not the proposed Mk3 ?

Yes. It was (is?) the Mark3, but really a visteon prototype that has shown up in a few spots. "It's only a model." "Ssshhh..."

I think Visteon made it pretty clear that wasn't going into production any time soon - and it's certainly outside of our control.

Rob

I know. Perhaps someday...

Saw this press release today:

November 20, 2003, Thursday 4:43 AM Eastern Time

HEADLINE: New Alpine MP3/WMA Hard Disk Drive Player for the Car Is Ultimate Gift for Digital Music Enthusiasts

DATELINE: TORRANCE, Calif., Nov. 20

BODY:
For the really serious MP3 music fan, burning tracks to CDs is passe. Why fumble around with all those CDs when you can fit thousands of tracks on one small hard disk drive?
Alpine Electronics' new in-dash HDA-5460 player with a 16GB removable hard disk drive enables people to take upwards of 3,000 of their favorite MP3/WMA/.WAV music files on the road with them. The Alpine HDA-5460, available nationwide at Alpine authorized dealers in early December (target retail price $1,000), is the quintessential holiday gift for any MP3/WMA music enthusiast.
"With up to one million paid music downloads taking place weekly, it's clear that people are building massive MP3/WMA libraries," said Steve Witt, Alpine's vice president of Brand Marketing. "Alpine's HDA-5460 defines compressed media playback in the car with industry-leading functionality that addresses the particular challenges online music enthusiasts face, including the need to more intuitively navigate through large libraries to easily find the music they're looking for."
With Alpine's HDA-5460, enjoying large MP3/WMA music collections in the car is easy. The HDA-5460 is designed for in-dash installation, putting all the system controls in front of the user. The tricky task of managing large music libraries is made much easier with Alpine's exclusive Quick Search(TM), which enables people to search for tracks by genre, artist, album, song or playlist using a simple "paddle switch" on the front panel.
The HDA-5460 features a selectable DJ function that personalizes 10 genre selections with different DJ voices and sound effects. Alpine's Music Visualizer(TM) even provides cool accompanying graphics on the display.
Transferring music files from the desktop to the hard disk drive is fast. Users simply plug a cable from the computer directly to the removable disk drive's USB port. The system comes with Alpine's Mobile Multimedia Driver computer software, providing powerful desktop tools for burning, downloading and managing music collections. An "auto-synch" function enables people to quickly update their drive with the latest music and playlists on their desktop.

SOURCE Alpine Electronics

Wow! If only the empeg guys had built something like that. Wait a minute, they did, 4 frickin' years ago!

That's part of the problem - the empeg was just too far ahead of its time.

Alpine Electronics' new in-dash HDA-5460 player with a 16GB removable hard disk drive enables people to take upwards of 3,000 of their favorite MP3/WMA/.WAV music files on the road with them. The Alpine HDA-5460, available nationwide at Alpine authorized dealers in early December (target retail price $1,000), is the quintessential holiday gift for any MP3/WMA music enthusiast.

quintessential - a. Of the nature of a quintessence; purest.

quintessence - n.
1. The pure, highly concentrated essence of a thing.
2. The purest or most typical instance: the quintessence of evil.
3. In ancient and medieval philosophy, the fifth and highest essence after the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water, thought to be the substance of the heavenly bodies and latent in all things.


Sorry, but I'm an MP3 enthusiast and I think that they're lying.

It looks like they slammed a digital camera into the front of it...