Simm...Nakamichi CD-400
Simm...Nakamichi CD-400
Have you heard the Nak CD-400? If so how do you think Nakamichi compares to Eclipse or Alpine in general, or the Eclipse 5423 (I have one of these) or Alpine 7995 specifically.
dude...namkamichi is top of the line, thats as high up as you can go. I thought about getting a nak at first, but couldn't stand the green display so i went with the eclipses (i have the 5423). IMO you shouldn't even put Alpine and Nakamichi in the same sentences.
the eclipse 5423 is a great deck by the way. i plays everything from mp3-cdr(w)'s. and it doesn't have the same skipping problem as the old (55430 for example) eclipse's.
the eclipse 5423 is a great deck by the way. i plays everything from mp3-cdr(w)'s. and it doesn't have the same skipping problem as the old (55430 for example) eclipse's.
The only thing about the 5423 is it doesn't play MP3s w/o the controler. Neither does the Nak though. The Alpine is good, I didn't think it sounded as good as the Eclipse , maybe the 5v output vs. 4v outputs. That said, I do think that Alpine is one of the best SQ deck you can get.
I know Nakamichi was good, but I was wondering if they still were since they folded and were bought out. I'm fairly certain this is the only unit they make right now (not sure what that means). And its only a $300 HU (not sure what that means either)
I know Nakamichi was good, but I was wondering if they still were since they folded and were bought out. I'm fairly certain this is the only unit they make right now (not sure what that means). And its only a $300 HU (not sure what that means either)
Re: Simm...Nakamichi CD-400
NY94J30 wrote:Have you heard the Nak CD-400? If so how do you think Nakamichi compares to Eclipse or Alpine in general, or the Eclipse 5423 (I have one of these) or Alpine 7995 specifically.
I'd definately go with the Alpine. So much more flexibility with that thing and $300 from Crutchfield with their warranty and customer service is hard to beat.
I would choose the Nak over those headunits. I have one of the last audiophile Clarion Pro Audio headunits and I really wish that I had MP3 capability. Nak is a great high end unit, although there are higher end units. The Denon head is real sweet that QX4Mikey spoke about, Pioneer makes a real high end deck, as well as Alpine. Nak is very reliable and has a great sound. You cant go wrong with the Nak. And by the way... i would not compare the Nak and Eclipse with the Alpine.
History Lesson...
In about 1999 Eclipse (Fujitsu Ten) had some reliability issues and their headunits started really going the way of mass production; loose quality control. Their reputation was built up on their smaller production stuff that was outstanding. They have since fixed many problems such
Alpine broke into the mass production market in a similar fashion but they did not have as many problems as Eclipse. Alpine CD decks seem to last about 4 years with good reliabilty. Then their lasers start to go. (varies with usage obviously)
Naks have very good reliability and have been a great sounding deck for years. Many people only run Naks and swear by them.
My next deck may be a Nak, I'm not sure. But if I had the money, I would buy the Denon.
Good Luck, let us know how it goes.
History Lesson...
In about 1999 Eclipse (Fujitsu Ten) had some reliability issues and their headunits started really going the way of mass production; loose quality control. Their reputation was built up on their smaller production stuff that was outstanding. They have since fixed many problems such
Alpine broke into the mass production market in a similar fashion but they did not have as many problems as Eclipse. Alpine CD decks seem to last about 4 years with good reliabilty. Then their lasers start to go. (varies with usage obviously)
Naks have very good reliability and have been a great sounding deck for years. Many people only run Naks and swear by them.
My next deck may be a Nak, I'm not sure. But if I had the money, I would buy the Denon.
Good Luck, let us know how it goes.
maxI30t wrote: are you sure the 5423 doesn't play mp3. i play mp3's in my car all the time. you have the 03 models right? i was told all the new eclipses can play mp3's.
John
All the models can play MP3s you just need the $300(?) commander
From the eclipse website:
Offering an uncommon level of performance with a host of features, the CD5433 makes it easier than ever to get a good idea of just how exciting high-end mobile audio can be with ECLIPSE. High voltage 5V low impedance outputs
Front/Rear/Non-fader preamplifier output pairs
Maximum 50W into 4 channels with new MOSFET power amplifier section
CD-R/CD-RW compatibility
MP3 playback using optional ECLIPSE Commander Advance
Power tilting front panel with wide, high-contrast LCD
Auxiliary input
Electronic crossover control Remote Controller 1802 (optional)
maxI30t wrote:the eclipse 5423 is a great deck by the way. i plays everything from mp3-cdr(w)'s. and it doesn't have the same skipping problem as the old (55430 for example) eclipse's.
i own a 55430 with the triple 8v pre-outs, and it has maybe skipped a total of 2 or 3 times in the 6 months that i've had it... who knows, maybe i got a good one, but i think there is a common misconception about the readability issues with this deck, and eclipse in general.
but i would honestly go with an alpine 7995 if i were to get a new deck... only because of the awesome features it has such as time correction and **** like that. no other decks allow you to tune the imaging like that, and it can make a world of difference for the entire listening experience....
but simmsled is normally right, so go with the nak :pface
I have always been on the pure audio side of music reproduction. Im not saying that either of the other 2 headunits you guys are talking about are bad in any respect. The Nak offers 24 bit Digital to Analog conversion. I spent something like $700 on my Clarion in 2000 to get the 24 bit D/A converters. The only time when Alpine messed with their usual 1 bit regulated D/A converter in a headunit was when they had Burr Brown develop a D/A converter called MDAC. It wasnt that wonderful, but still sounded really good. Time correction and on-board processing is good, but sometimes it takes away from the listening experience. Although as ayjay said, it can make a difference. I will add to this that it does when it is properly set up.I have owned, sold, and installed Alpine and Eclipse stuff before. I have never sold Nak, but a lot of my audiophile friends swear by them. I have heard them and their sound and quality do stand up to their reputation. If you email Nak, I'm sure you could find a dealer near you. Here is the email address. [email protected]
55430 is a great deck. don't get me wrong...i've been in a Q with the 55430 and sometimes on rough terrain it skips sometimes...thats not bad at all!. what i am trying to say is that the newer are rock solid. the only time it would skip is probably because of the disc. even that rarely happens...
John
John
Simmsled wrote: Time correction and on-board processing is good, but sometimes it takes away from the listening experience.
I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. If anything, time correction will enhance the listening experience because it will improve imaging drastically unless you're running kicks. I've heard many cars, including my own, that have run non-time correction units and units with time correction and the imaging difference is quite obviously better with time correction.
k-mart wrote:I'm gonna have to disagree with you there. If anything, time correction will enhance the listening experience because it will improve imaging drastically unless you're running kicks. I've heard many cars, including my own, that have run non-time correction units and units with time correction and the imaging difference is quite obviously better with time correction.
Hey man, I didn't realize you are also a Nissan/Infiniti fan...cool!!
Mike
ok so we've been talking about all these decks with wicked SQ, but what CD's do you guys listen to that have good enough recordings to really tell the difference?
the newest cd to my collection is the new Perfect Circle CD - Thirteenth Step. I'd never listened to Perfect Circle but this CD has wicked recordings...
the newest cd to my collection is the new Perfect Circle CD - Thirteenth Step. I'd never listened to Perfect Circle but this CD has wicked recordings...
Simmsled,
What Clarion deck did you run? I had a Clarion DRX-955 before changing over to a Pioneer DEX-P9.
IMO Clarion doesn't make decks like they used to which is a damn shame. I won a few local SQ comps with the Clarion. It only had dual 20-bit D/A's but the sound was very, very warm perfectly suited for the Jazz and Blues CD's I listen to.
Now I've had some experience with just about every brand on the planet and I'll chime in here. Some of you may not know this, but I work in the recording industry so I get to cross-taste lots of decks from musicians ranging from Jazz to HipHop artists.
The great SQ and understated styling of the Nak's have made them a perennial favorite amongst Jazz artists. Vocals, especially female vocals, are crisper and softer on some of the higher end Nak's. Most professional musicians are pure audiophiles and don't care much for bells and whistles and in a sense, Naks (with the possible exception of McIntosh's) are the purest audiophile decks. I ran a CD700 in my Q45a and IMO, the sound is comparable to the DEX-P9 even though I got it for half a grand less.
Eclipse decks are great too and IMO they represent the best value in the business. IMO Mid-level Eclipse decks are comparable to some high-end Alpine and Pioneer models. I've had the pleasure of listening to an 8443 deck and my verdict is that this is probably the deck you'd want to get if you listen to lots of hip hop, electronica, techno and other music that are heavily composed of synthesized sounds.
Right now I'm running a Pioneer DEX-P9 in the wifey's Lancer hooked up to a DEQ-P9. The sound is absolutely amazing! It even rivals my home setup (which ain't too shabby either, Jamo, Crossfire equipment all across the boards). Now if money were no object, I'd shell out cash for a McIntosh MX4000 which is IMO the epitome of car audio decks. Branford has one in his car and let me tell you, it rivals some studio systems.
What Clarion deck did you run? I had a Clarion DRX-955 before changing over to a Pioneer DEX-P9.
IMO Clarion doesn't make decks like they used to which is a damn shame. I won a few local SQ comps with the Clarion. It only had dual 20-bit D/A's but the sound was very, very warm perfectly suited for the Jazz and Blues CD's I listen to.
Now I've had some experience with just about every brand on the planet and I'll chime in here. Some of you may not know this, but I work in the recording industry so I get to cross-taste lots of decks from musicians ranging from Jazz to HipHop artists.
The great SQ and understated styling of the Nak's have made them a perennial favorite amongst Jazz artists. Vocals, especially female vocals, are crisper and softer on some of the higher end Nak's. Most professional musicians are pure audiophiles and don't care much for bells and whistles and in a sense, Naks (with the possible exception of McIntosh's) are the purest audiophile decks. I ran a CD700 in my Q45a and IMO, the sound is comparable to the DEX-P9 even though I got it for half a grand less.
Eclipse decks are great too and IMO they represent the best value in the business. IMO Mid-level Eclipse decks are comparable to some high-end Alpine and Pioneer models. I've had the pleasure of listening to an 8443 deck and my verdict is that this is probably the deck you'd want to get if you listen to lots of hip hop, electronica, techno and other music that are heavily composed of synthesized sounds.
Right now I'm running a Pioneer DEX-P9 in the wifey's Lancer hooked up to a DEQ-P9. The sound is absolutely amazing! It even rivals my home setup (which ain't too shabby either, Jamo, Crossfire equipment all across the boards). Now if money were no object, I'd shell out cash for a McIntosh MX4000 which is IMO the epitome of car audio decks. Branford has one in his car and let me tell you, it rivals some studio systems.
Yeah the older Eclipse decks had a nasty skipping problem but Fujitsu Ten addressed those issues in '00. Supposedly all the decks produced since no longer have skipping issues (at least not major issues). The Eclipse 8843 is an absolutely gorgeous deck and for an Eclipse H/U has some really nice and PRACTICAL features. IMO I would say it's in the top five if we're ranking SQ decks. Dynamic soundstage, crystalline high's and hearty mid's.
I haven't yet, but I ruled out the Alpine. If you have the chance listen to the 7995 and the Eclipse 5423, or better yet if you have the money one of the 8 series Eclipse. I know that SQ is subjective, but I don't think that there's a competition. The 5423 sounds better than the 7995. I've emailed Nak a bunch of times trying to find a retailer where I can audition the 400, but they responded once with an inane response, and havent responded again.
Bottom Line: It's b/w the Eclipse which I heard and is great SQ unit and the Nak which everyone says is good and has 24 bit D/A converter as opposed the the Eclipse 1 bit, and 4v preamps as opposed to the Eclipses 5v.
Bottom Line: It's b/w the Eclipse which I heard and is great SQ unit and the Nak which everyone says is good and has 24 bit D/A converter as opposed the the Eclipse 1 bit, and 4v preamps as opposed to the Eclipses 5v.
coool thanks man... i'm prolly gonna go for the 5423 now, i never really considered it until today. i wasn't sure about the 7995... my friend has one and it looks pretty sweet, and i like the idea of time correction, but if the eclipse 5423 sounds better then i'm gonna go for it, cause i can get it for cheaper than the alpine.
but have you ever seen the pre-outs on the 7995? they are fukin HUGE!
but have you ever seen the pre-outs on the 7995? they are fukin HUGE!