Do you have access to the 9857 already? I'm waiting on this one myself, but the Alpine site says a March release, but I've heard others say February.

Michael

 

Side note, the 10W6 will not fit in a wlaurent box.

 

I can't believe you are re-installing the ALpine iPod controller. YUCK! It is the worst iPod add-on I've ever used. I yanked mine out and just added an aux in. Works much much better.

 

and I don't agree.

If you run playlists with your KCA420i, you'll be fine and the SQ is far superior to the aux in IMO. However, if you are constantly going through 60 gigs of music by artist, song, or album title, the ipod User interface is the only way to go. Any HU supported control of the ipod is mind numbingly slow.

I've got both set-ups in two cars. And the SQ difference is worth the price tag and lack of useablility. But i'm wierd.

 

Nope.

 

I contacted him about that actually. He said he could special fit it.

 

Exactly. I usually just set up a playlist of "driving music", put it on that, and hit random.

I definately enjoy:
*The simple connection
*The quality
*The ability to put the ipod out of sight and control with the head unit (or dash controls perhaps)
*Charging the ipod while it's plugged in

AUX in isn't for me

 

I have a CDA-9853 and the KCA-420i and I think they work very well together. Did you not understand how it works or something?

 

I only load two playlists on my iPod, "My Top Rated" and "Recently Added". I always listen in random mode. No matter what I do, everytime I start the car, I have to press the button between 2 and 4 times to get it to go into random mode. If someone else is in the car, and they want something specific, or if I want to play the other playlist, I have to disconnect the iPod, select the new playlist then press play, and then plug it in. If the ipod is not in shuffle mode when its plugged in, then pressing the button on the head unit rarely actually changes it, or it shuffles from the main library and not the playlists.

Also, the iPod does not always charge. If its plugged in and the car is not on, then it seems to draw from the iPod. I've had the iPod completely dead a few times, even if the car was on, just not listening to the iPod.

I would much prefer a setup like the BMW/Denison IceLink, where you can selectively control via the HU or the iPod.

In my experience, its a very shoddy piece of equipment, but I will agree the sound quality is better, but only marginally so. I switched to the Belkin car adapter with line out, that way its still only one cord to the iPod and it still charges and plays from it.

For the record, I have the 9855 as well.