Bought an Alpine 9807 from Ikesound on eBay for $225 shipped. Hopefully I'll have it by this Friday, so I can install it during my headlight clearing with W1ngman this Sunday. Hoping to get some Lucid door speakers to install at the same time, but might not be able to get them by Friday.

I picked out this particular HU because:

• Everyone here seems to love Alpine in general, and the 98xx series in particular. They have all the SQ and other features I might need.
  
• It plays MP3's
  
• It does NOT have a flip-down face - has a CD slot right on the front - I think a flip-down face would be annoying when you already have to open the radio door just to get at it.
  
• XM ready - I plan to get the Alpine XM receiver when the budget can accomodate.
  
• Looks good too
  
• cheapest HU with this feature set at this quality level.

Later I plan to install an amp, an XM receiver, the Lucid DCI, rear speakers, and possibly tweeters somewhere - as the budget and schedule allow.

Wish me luck with the installs this Sunday! It's been a loooong time since I did any car audio install.

Avi

 

Having trouble getting in touch with Lucid, so I'm considering just picking up a set of speakers from a local shop for Sunday.

Lucid's site says that the Kenwood KFC-1679ie will drop into the stock baskets, with no adapters needed. He sells them for $66.75, Best Buy and Circuit City has them for $70.

These are obviously entry-level and probably not wonderful speakers, but they'd probably be leaps and bounds above the crappy paper stockers (I've got an 00), and adequate for a system with no amp.

I figure I could get these now, and upgrade them later at the same time I get an amp, and my budget will thank me right now.

Any comments? Does this make sense or is it a waste of my time and effort to do the tricky (for me) door install twice?

Thanks!
Avi