Car Audio Central - Ultimate Car Audio Forum and Community

I'm looking to upgrade from my Eclipse CD8445 because I am going to active.

Should I get a high end deck and an external crossover and processor, or should I get a deck with everything built in?

I want to have a 3-way crossover, time alignment (auto would be nice), a good equalizer (auto would be nice). Time alignment for each channel would be preferred so I can delay my midbass more than my tweeter and midrange.

Here are the decks I have considered.

Pioneer DEH-880PRS/800PRS
- I'm sure you all know it: 3-way, 16 band GEQ per L/R channel, Mic for Auto Tuning - internal amps can be turned OFF

Eclipse 7200 MKII
- Has the 3-way, 11 band PEQ, Time alignment, Mic for tuning, no internal amps
- Copper chassis, gold connections - this deck looks like a real attempt at an SQ deck

Alpine CDA-9887 paired with a KTX-100EQ - I don't think this has 3way

What is the advantage of having a GEQ or PEQ?

What is everyone's opinion of these decks? How about other SQ options?

I really want a deck that is not going to be hard to obtain.

88:sm29:

PEQ allows you to adjust slope along with your boost or cut, opening up a ton of EQ options. The down side is you really need a mic to set it. (which most new decks have)

GEQ only allows you to pick your freq and x amount of boost or cut. Its great for centering your sound stage (if you have separate left and right control), but doesn't offer enough control to flatten out your FS.

Oh and I would pick the pioneer first, and eclipse second. Mainly because the pioneer allows you to adjust phase on each speaker without swapping the wires. Thats a MAJOR plus when tweaking a 3 way front stage.

The 880 while having many SQ bells and whistles lacks the biggest thing of an SQ deck, the SQ.

Its not horrible. just picture a normal 24 bit resolution deck with the options of the 880. Thats all it is.

I still regret selling my McIntosh and one day I hope to find and afford another. There just isnt any comparison at all. The basis of the deck is pure. Add the bells and whistles later.

i just say the 880 mostly because i have one, but you can also find them on forums for less than $300 brand new or used..

I love my 880. Works awesome.

Oh yes it does work awesome. The 880 is an awesome piece.

Even with the bells and whistles it cant hold a candle to the McIntosh 4000 combo.

I think the JVC AR7000 I had actually sounded better.

Ryan from Ohio wrote:Oh yes it does work awesome. The 880 is an awesome piece.
Even with the bells and whistles it cant hold a candle to the McIntosh 4000 combo.
I think the JVC AR7000 I had actually sounded better.

I don't doubt it. The McIntosh should pwn everything :)

How does the JVC sound better to you? More clear? Less distortion?

lol... this thread is full of epic id bet you 500 bucks that you coudlnt tell the diffrence between a macintosh and the 880 if in the same vehicle.

Thats what many people will say Bill.

But then again 99.5% of the people have never heard a 4000 combo let alone owned one. Out of the remaining .5% most probably havent listened to one of long enough to understand or appreciate it.

I think out of everyone Mike got the longest listen to it, and that was a whole minute possibly. I got 2 hours a day for a few months :)

As for the JVC sounding better tha the pioneer... The music just seemed more vibrant overall.

Comparing the Mc to all others Ive owned, the Mc was the most vibrant, detailed, pronounced with the absolute least distortion. You could turn the dang thing to 90%+ before you got any audible issues.