any other decent iPod solutions coming out soon? (v. Alpine iDA-X001)

[DemonNite]

its supposed to come out within about a months time..some taking preorders here for early march release (£260). Im thinking of picking one up to finally move away from the stock radio i have. I was looking at the pioneers (P9800BT) but thats like £150 more and probably wont be as good for ipod connections...i think holding out for over a year for a perfect ipod solution has NEARLY come...almost. The thing doesnt have a CD player but its a step closer to what i want. Its mainly for 5th gen ipods if u want it digital+album art etc... but older gens work fine with the standard Full Speed cables.

http://www.alpine-usa.com/US-en/prod...model=iDA-X001

If you’ve been waiting for an Alpine head unit that you can control just like your iPod, this is it. Menus that are navigable exactly like the iPod. All search options just like the iPod, ability to view album art as you would on the iPod and fast song selection as quick as the iPod.

The Best In-Vehicle iPod Experience

• As a “Made for iPod” Apple member, Alpine brings you the best in-vehicle iPod experience. Designed with the iPod lover in mind, the iDA-X001 exceeds all expectations combining the trusted sound you deserve, and easy control and access to all your music through a brand-new interface.

Fast Music Access with USB Connection

• Super-fast access, plus ultimate portable player convenience. The new Full Speed USB connection instantly makes your iPod ready for the road and even lets you play your USB thumb drives.
• Connect your iPod* to the iDA-X001 via a dedicated USB input, for the quickest access to your iPod. Why bother with individual CD’s when you can easily browse through your entire iPod collection? iPod USB adapter and USB cable included.
• USB connection is compatible with fifth-generation iPods.

Amazing Sound Quality

• Your iPod never sounded so good. With crystal-clear digital connection using a 24-Bit DAC and dynamic MediaXpander™ processing, your compact music collection will sound anything BUT compact. The iDA-X001 uses iPod’s USB connection not only for fast music access, but it also receives pure digital music information right from the iPod and sends it through the iDA-X001’s built-in 24-Bit digital sound converter. This ensures you get your music playback in its best sound and purist form. Hear the difference playing iTunes® lossless AAC files.

Bring Life Back Into Your MP3 Files

• There is no “onefix” solution for in-vehicle sound quality problems. That’s why Alpine engineered the MediaXpander approach that makes vocals or instruments sound distinct regardless of the music source. Compressed audio formats whether it’s radio, CD or MP3, can sometimes eliminate some of the “life” from the music, but MediaXpander restores the harmonic structure across the full bandwidth, adding clarity to give your music life again.

Simple, Seamless Operation

• You’ve always wanted a head unit that works just like your iPod! You can search by all iPod search methods: Playlist, Artist, Album, Song, Genre, Podcast, Audiobooks,and Composer. No matter how many songs you’ve got on your iPod, it’s not a problem thanks to a fast connection speed and improved Quick Search featuring alphabet search.

High-Resolution TFT color display

• The bright 2.2” high-resolution screen provides clear text and crisp, full color images and menus. The display uses the same TFT (Thin-Film Transistor) technology as do most LCD screens generally found on laptop computers. This makes text cleaner, reliable and easier to read.

Color Display Viewing Modes

• Easy to see even in daylight, the display also features three different viewing modes to meet your preferences:
  1. Album art, song name, artist, album, volume bar, date, time.
  2. Album art (zoomed in to 200 x 200 pixel), song name.
  3. Song name, artist, album, volume bar, date, time.
• Just hit the “view” switch on the iDA-X001 to toggle from one view to another.

Customized Wallpaper

• You can personalize your wallpaper, visit iPersonalize, select a wallpaper of your choice to display on your unit.

Bluetooth Phone Connection

• Keep your hands on the wheel and still stay in touch. The iDA-X001 is Bluetooth ready. As long as your cell phone is Bluetooth compatible, simply add the Alpine Bluetooth adapter (KCE-300BT) and you’re set. You’ll get a wireless connection, convenient hands-free operation, plus caller ID, phone book access, and on-screen call info.

NB. IPOD READY + RADIO ONLY (No CD/MP3 playback built-in)

i think the pioneers also have their IB headunits (P4900IB/P6900IB) out soon which work like alpines fullspeed...but i havent really read up on those. This one seemed to do well at the recent CES show.

Discuss

[princess0fdiabl0]

proprietary interfaces FTL

[jojor512]

I'm waiting for that alpine, but I read somewhere that the knob in the middle doesn't rotate around, you either press and hold it up or down, which would suck if true.

the no cd player isn't a huge issue for me if this thing as an aux-in besides the usb port.

[DemonNite]

Originally Posted by jojor512

I'm waiting for that alpine, but I read somewhere that the knob in the middle doesn't rotate around, you either press and hold it up or down, which would suck if true.

the no cd player isn't a huge issue for me if this thing as an aux-in besides the usb port.

yea i read that too...but imagine having a 80gb (which i do) and wanting to scroll thru a large playlist. I actually think the solution they ended up with is actually better while driving, instead of rotating rotating rotating

[jojor512]

Originally Posted by DemonNite

yea i read that too...but imagine having a 80gb (which i do) and wanting to scroll thru a large playlist. I actually think the solution they ended up with is actually better while driving, instead of rotating rotating rotating

I'm just worried about the durability of such a control knob. alpines quality has dropped as of late, but hopefully they get this one right. playlists will definitely be a must. I was actually suprised at the MSRP being so low at $450 US, thought it would be at least 500. well worth it if the interface really is full speed.

[NleahciM]

I have one of those Pioneer Ipod interfaces - and honestly I haven't been impressed with it. There is a substantial amount of lag when scrolling between tracks/artists/generes/albums/etc.

That alpine one looks money though.

[loanshark214]

I have the Harman Kardon Drive+Play and it is awesome. The control knob is machined metal and works just like an Ipod clickwheel. It has it's own screen and will work with virtually any radio. I installed it in my driveway with nothing but a screwdriver in 30 minutes. Awesome product and can be had for $150 or less.

[FragMastahFlem]

No cd player?

[lopoetve]

Are there any good things like this that HAVE a cd player?

[OMGTOUAREGLOL]

I've got a JVC KD-G320 in my car...it works great with iPod interface.

[Shiki]

Originally Posted by FragMastahFlem

No cd player?

i haven't used the cd player in my car since i hooked up an ipod and also have sirius

[acride]

Originally Posted by FragMastahFlem

No cd player?

I don't know if your joking or not but it is behind the unit face.

[Tuanies]

Originally Posted by acride

I don't know if your joking or not but it is behind the unit face.

I don't know if you can read or not but its an iPod head unit only, there is no CD player, the face plate comes off because its removable only. It will only interact with iPods.

[acride]

Originally Posted by Tuanies

I don't know if you can read or not but its an iPod head unit only, there is no CD player, the face plate comes off because its removable only. It will only interact with iPods.

Heh, I didn't read that. It doesnt make sence to me why they wouldnt integrate a cd player into this and make it a fully functional headunit.

[jojor512]

fuck it, i bought a pioneer premier 780mp w/ ipod adapter instead for $350. it will be interesting to see how this alpine works, if it really is great maybe I'll still pick it up.