racebum

x2

that is just a silly good deal

-=Jeff=-

I thought I saw that price at Best Buy yesterday.. but maybe not..

The UI seems quite clean on the Sony, I am sort of impressed, it will integrate with things better that my android radio

racebum

best sq deck is the one at the bottom. the rsx-gs9 is the real deal

you know how sony usually makes decent functional gear.....then one day the guys in the ES division get bored and think. let's make something amazing. this is what they did with that deck

i heard one of these running an audison thesis and morel supremos in a room, morel's were in enclosures. easily rivaled some of the better home audio gear i have heard. if you have high res music this deck won't get in the way. it's extremely transparent

carls2004

Good to hear Sony is working or getting better with their car audio...

02BlownZ06

I agree on the ES stuff. I have 5 90's vintage ES main amps for my home theater system, 3 of them bridged in mono for the front left, center, and front right in a 7.2 system. You would swear they were offerings from a much higher end company. Incredible sound for the money. Some of the ES stuff is REALLY good.

-=Jeff=-

Looking at the same price point, anyone have info on the DDX6903s? it is an Excelon unit, has a DVD drive (not needed for me) but also has a volume ****.

I also saw a nice youtube video on the Sony XAV-AX100 just wish I could find it for the $254 mentioned earlier

racebum

it's $298 at frys off and on if you catch a 1day sale

-=Jeff=-

Thanks.. it was $368 at Amazon and now back to $398 like most places.. they have been on eBay, one for $280 that was Refurbished.

I have been leaning to the Sony due to the clean and minimalist screens, I can add my wall paper behind it. I also like the ****

I don't like the volume issue on the Kenwood after getting to 1/2 you need to tap each step

I like the Alpine ILX-207, ( gives option for iPhone or Android) but I don't like the price..

TheProsecutor

I would do the Alpine ILX-207 for $500, if they come down that low.
That $254 cheap Sony went fast.
I am still researching for a head unit / dsp combo.
I sold enough JBL MS-8 dsp refurbs to upgrade a little.

-=Jeff=-

I dunno, more I think about it.. The HD radio/ SXM is all that is added to the Alpine..

While I really want HD Radio, I also really want a **** for Volume

racebum

it is and it isn't nice. it's a digital **** not an analog one which means you still have "steps" for volume.

a large volume something, **** or button i like. alpine also has a large volume surface as well as fat buttons for the gps and phone

pioneer and kenwood dropped the ball here with micro size volume controls

sony is a solid deck, so is the alpine 960. the ilx alpine i haven't gotten to play with but if you're leaning auto android and a clean layout that sony is hard to beat for the $$ it sounds decent and is very functional

-=Jeff=-

Racebum,

yes, even though it is stepped, it is still a **** control ( like my Daily driver) I have an iPhone so looking at it from the Carplay integration. I don't think the 960 has that. heck my Daily does not have car play, but I can do limited stuff with it. I can listen to incoming texts and I can voice a text if I need to.

The 960 adds quite a bit, has internal maps (which could be a good and bad thing)

I have to assume you are using the 960? I would really like to see screen captures of the different screens. I can go to best buy and mess with the Sony. I have not seen any alpines anywhere that I can try them yet.

I know the 960 is a solid piece and probably sonically(?) better than the Sony. but how old is it?

racebum

watch that video i posted on page 4 of this thread. you can see the screens and general function

960hdmi is a 2017 model. 960 was 2016. it's not an old deck. pros and cons over the sony

i really can't knock the sony. very decent deck for the $$. alpine may be a tad better SQ wise but the sony isn't that bad

-=Jeff=-

Okay watched the video of the 960HDMI.. the UI looks clean on it too, I must have not watched it before ( I thought I did)

anyway, on alpine's site it shows compatibility like this:
Compatibility for iPod®/iPhone®: Made for iPod touch 4th/3rd/2nd/1st Gen., iPod nano 6th/5th/4th/3rd/2nd/1st Gen., iPod classic 160GB/120GB/80GB, iPod with video, iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 3G and iPhone

maybe that is the iPod connection (I have a 80gb Classic, so I could keep all my music on it)

Decisions Decisions

TheProsecutor

Placed an offer on ebay for the Alpine ILX-207.

racebum

hard to go wrong either way

racebum

did you get a chance to demo one? alpine has a great SQ history but this specific deck i have not had a chance to hear

the sony rsx-gs9 would be the other to listen to. i think it's amazing personally but it's REALLY made just for music and high res files. it's not a features deck

-=Jeff=-

Sony recently announced the XAV-AX200.. it adds, 3 camera inputs (one being reverse), SXM capable, DVD player and ability to play FLAC off of USB.

Not sure I would wait for that one.

I was reading in the w960 manual this little blurb:

A separately sold USB iPod/iPhone AV cable (KCU-461iV) or a
separately sold Lightning to USB cable (KCU-471i) is required
depending on the type of iPod/iPhone.
When the INE-W960/INE-NAV-60/INE-W960S is connected by the
above cable, the controls on the iPod are disabled.
• An iPod/iPhone with the Lightning connector does not support iPod
video playback on the unit.
• Internet or telephone functions, etc., of the iPhone or iPod touch are
not controllable from the unit, but these functions can be controlled
using the iPhone or iPod touch itself.

Last line, which I assume it only referring to when it is connected VIA cable, but if it is connect Bluetooth it would offer Handsfree calling?

racebum

handsfree calling via bluetooth is excellent. when i start the car mine auto syncs. you can also play music wireless from your phone or even listen to youtube.

the ipod adapter basically turns it into a usb drive which would be your main source of music with the 960 anyway. the menus of music in that video are just files on a usb drive

-=Jeff=-

So in theory with the 960.

I can have my connected VIA BT for calling for streaming music.
I can have a USB drive or iPod connected at the same time with music..

only thing I don't get is the phone to radio integration of carplay/android auto

tough call..