Okay I admit it I have spiraled into insanity. I sold my Empeg and went off to the local Store to get the New Alpine with the Ipod interface, then in a brief monument of clarity I looked at the interface, and after my horror wore off all I could think of was “its no empeg” So I have narrowed it down to 4 chooses.

It would be so much easier if the big stereo companies would just allow playback of mp3’s burned onto a DVD disk none of them offer this nor do they plan to offer it (I have e-mail tech supported and confirmed this fact) so I am limited to a crappy CDR/RW with mp3s, CDR/RW with mp3 changer none really have a search function and the Keg is not much better.
Looking for some unbiased opinions. All options have pros and cons (see below)

All I wanted was the ability to listen to high quality sound have a nice color touch screen and the ability to carry my MP3’s with me in one unit.
I have even considered mounting an Empeg and a Pioneer or Alpine head unit to get the best of both worlds but I would need to remold my dash to do it, all the ac/heater controls would need to be lowered down into the pocket and custom plates made (nearly 500 bucks worth of work) and it would be nice to have something with a warrantee again.


I am scaling way back now that I am getting older just 1 sub, 1 amp and 2 pairs of components. Going to use the following

Infinity Kappa Perfect 6.1 399.00 or Diamond Audio S600’s
Diamond Audio M6 10" Subwoofer Dual 2 ohm 300
Alpine MRV-F450 5 50 watts RMS x 4 + 200 watts RMS x 1 at 4 ohms

1.
Empeg 500
EQ 200
Mounting 200
Pros: Best interface in the known universe
Cons: No Sub out would need to use an external processor, no Nav, DVD playback and replacement parts getting harder to find Product had been EOL’ed no longer officially supported.



2.
CarPc
Screen 300
CPU 500
ITP and PS 200
Mounting 200

Pros: Most flexible, could add email, DVD, Nav, gps and a host of other things
Cons: Most complex, lower quality audio section. Expensive to custom mount the screen.

3.
Pioneer AVIC-N1
Will add an Ipod interface when it comes out second quarter 2005
Pros: built in DVD, NAV, GPS, Touch screen and MP3 Play back
Cons: MP3 playback from CDR only, Higher cost


4.
Alpine IVA-D901
With Crappy Ipod Interface
Pros: built in DVD, NAV, GPS, Touch screen and MP3 Play back
Cons: MP3 playback from CDR only, higher cost, crappy Ipod interface

Dension is the company to keep an eye on right now in mobile MP3. They're currently still making the best iPod adapter, and next to the empeg, arguably the best indash player as well. They also have plans to make iPod adapters for use with built-in nav screens of some cars. Send them an email to see if Pioneer or Alpine nav screens are on their list.

BTW, I said the Alpine interface was "the suck" in the thread on that subject a while back... But I guess I'm a little biased as I think everything from Alpine sucks. (and will always suck)

Don't look for any of the big car audio players to "get" MP3 or other current mobile audio technology any time soon. This is going to be the domain of the creative and daring smaller company. I see a lot more iPod integration coming as well.

Bruno

Keep in mind that any big-name head unit you buy now is probably only going to have a one year warranty. After that, you're going to have to pay to get it fixed, which will probably be more expensive than just getting the newer, better one. The empeg, while out of warranty and so on, is still supported by the community, and it seems that very few of us have had significant problems at all -- just the odd bad cable, bad fuse, bad header -- all fairly simple repairs. And since you can just pull the empeg out of the dash, there's no need to tear your dash apart every time something goes wrong.

Of course, the big-name head units I've had in the past were never too bad for needing to be fixed, either.

I checked out the Dension 100 Unit it seems ok but I get a 404 Error when I try to get the specs on it, anyone have one or seen one and can offer some input?

Would love to have real numbers to compair

THD
Signel to noise
Frequency responce.

I didn't get any 404s, but wow, this thing looks decent, for $650, it's the only thing that comes close to an empeg replacement I've seen yet. It's too bad it supports mp3 only, if it did flac/ogg, I might consider buying one, and retiring my empeg.

I can't seem to find any hands-on reviews on google yet.. are they actualy shiping this thing?

I can get to all the pages except the download manuel page (that would be the most likely page to list things like frequency responce and signel to noise ratio I send them an e-mail about it)

The Alpine iPod adapter has some real issues right now with it being slow browsing in all but it's an issue with the '04 head units and not the interface module. IMO it is the best stab at a solution so far. The Denison 'solution' (if thats what you want to call it) is okay but you still have to browse for everything off your iPod. It's basically just a changer on an aux input...you can do that with almost any generic adapter with your OEM HU and A/V outputs from an iPod.

Look for some big improvments with the alpines in '05 including faster browsing through your head unit and more tweaks to make it work the way it should.

I just bought a ram pickup and not having the empeg/mp3's in there just plain sucks. My empeg is just in my accord along with an alpine 9835. The ram has just a 1.5 din and I don't want to use the empeg as a stand-alone; I prefer having the Apline as the main HU.

Now that the 60GB iPod photo is out I can't wait to see how it performs with next years alpines!

I couldn't find the manual either. I posted a message on the BBS then found another thread with a link to it.

Link

You're incorrect about the Dension adapter. You can browse from the HU or from your steering wheel controls (if your car is so equipped). I've read about it and I've seen it demonstrated in person.

Similar to the BMW adapter that Apple and BMW released. You can stuff the iPod in your glove box if you wanted to.

Bruno

There's a review of the Dension HU here on the forum. It was posted a long while back... Try a search in subject only for Dension.

Also, you might want to look at http://densionusa.com instead of http://dension.com

Bruno

Here's the review by one of the board's own (much more detail than the one just linked externally):

http://empegbbs.com/ubbthreads/showflat.php/Cat/0/Number/177251/page//fpart/1/vc/1

Dension have since upgraded some items on the player. The new models now feature "ix" in their names and apparently come with a new face (as seen on Dension's site - I don't recall the older one looking different though). Also note that the models on the DensionUSA site all come with a hard drive. The UK review mentions their units come empty.

Bruno

Yeah I didn't post that as a review - just to show that its for sale

From reading their forum it sounds like the problem with the face was the buttons sticking and he ix model fixes this problem.

I think this unit sounds pretty cool actually but I need AM radio.

Yeah I'm considering making the switch. Having to sell the Empeg and tuner so it looks like the next best thing.

I wasn't suggesting anyone switch. I wouldn't. While the hardware is certinly very appealing (in a judging a book by its coveer sort of way) the empeg (all great products) are all about the software. There's a trade-off in a lot of cases of course.

The Dension unit is what I would have liked to see as the basis of an MK3. Going forward and with DIN mounting becoming more problematic (there's practically always "a way") I believe the key will be in integration. Many vehicles are coming equipped with displays that, for all intents and purposes, should/could be rather general purpose. If you know the magic to interfacing with them. We're already at the tethered CPU stage with LCD products from the likes of Alpine (my brother is installing one along with his empeg in his new Acura TL). Next will be high speed wireless links - though I suppose that might be a far-off "next" (but we'll see...)

Bruno

See, I'm the opposite. I don't care about radio at all. Not AM, not FM not XM. It's all crap. There's absolutely no place for AM on any dial in my world anyway. Quality for music stinks and if I want to listen to some joker talking, I'll open the window in my car and listen to my own voice as I yell at other drivers. I'm glad companies are starting to drop AM on their product line-ups. I hope this trend continues to FM being phased out, similar to how LPs and Cassettes are all but forgotten for the majority of markets.

Bruno

Sorry, but I disagree.

AM is going to be the last bastion of free speech on the airwaves. I rarely listen to the radio, beyond traffic/weather news during roadtrips or to the occasional sporting event (and I mean 'occasional'). Once every couple of months I turn on to the local rock sations just to remind myself how much radio generally sucks. But beyond that I remember that setting up satellite radio is a non-starter for anyone that isn't a MegaCorp, and obtaining an FM license is prohibitively expensive and restricted for anyone that isn't a BigCorp. At least with AM the small guy stands a chance.

They can print a book. Or start an internet radio program. I'm not arguing it's not the best format for the small guy to get into radio. I'm just saying that I believe radio to be a dead-end medium that isn't worth getting into. At least not from a consumer perspective.

Bruno

In Minneapolis the only station that is any good is the local college station (www.radiok.org) and it's on AM.

Don't forget how cool are public radio and college radio! (yes, butchered grammar, but if I had my way, that's how the sentence would be constructed). Public radio is largely free of corporate nonsense and can play some really interesting stuff. College radio, on the other hand, is 98% awesome because it's (generally) not *allowed* to play stuff that's on the big stations! Guaranteed fresh music (almost) all the time. And commercials? Not when 10,000 students are fitting the bill there aren't. I bought and worked in my Alpine to my install just so I could listen to two college radio stations and two public radio stations, and I listen to them half the time that I drive (morning commute).

Ok, that was a ramble....

Well, I have an empeg. So I listen to it all the time. There's simply not an extra minute in any day that I can possibly set aside for listening to the radio (in the car). I do wake up to the radio in the morning. But that's when radio personalities are their most annoying (bad thing) so it helps get me up (good thing). If I didn't use the empeg as much, I'd probably have what most other people use. A CD head unit.

I had a CD HU in my last car. Never used the radio. Only used the CD a few times for when I needed (wanted) to listen to a brand new CD I hadn't had the chance to rip yet. I also used it for volume control - I'll have to get used to the empeg knob now.

Bruno