# Pioneer vs. Alpine vs. Kenwood



## LawrenceB

Looking for a single-din head unit for my BMW X5. I'm expert in high-end home audio but know nothing about car audio. Research at Crutchfield and a local store depressed me. Everything looked so cheap and tacky, and it was impossible to tell anything sonic quality. Seems there's some feeling that these three brands are the best head-units but I can't find any serious reviews or comparisons, other than lists of features. No one seems to say much about audio quality, reliability, and if all the myriad features work as advertised (iPhone 5 connectivity, etc)


Any help in deciding which is best is MUCH appreciated. Same goes for speakers, some recommend JL and others swear by Focal. For Amps they range from Fosgate to JL to Pioneer and a BUNCH of other brands I never heard of. All of the literature leaves me confused.


Thanks.


----------



## Radio81

What's your budget? Without a budget, it's hard to recommend anything.


This is the absolute best single din you can buy right now:
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_130DEXP99R/Pioneer-Stage-4-DEX-P99RS.html?tp=5684 


However, this is more of a pre/pro, and you'll need separate amps to drive your speakers.


If that's out of your budget, this is about the next best thing when it comes to single-din head units:
http://www.crutchfield.com/p_13080PRS/Pioneer-DEH-80PRS.html?tp=5684 


And if that's not enough EQ, then you may wan't to look into a separate DSP.


----------



## LawrenceB

Yes the P99DRS looks amazing. But I have a 2K budget for the whole system and this won't get me there. The 80PRS looks good too but it's missing Sirius and HD radio...though might be worth getting a separate from Sirius and plugging in through Aux. The Pioneer techs told me this unit is already almost two years old and some functionality (iPhone, bluetooth,etc) doesn't perform as well as the newer units (9600BHS). Too bad you have to trade cool features for SX...I want it all!


And then there's the issue of matching components across the chain for a budget...A waste of money to spend top $$ for head unit then compromise on speakers and amps.


So the challenge is; for $2K what's the best combo of a feature-rich HU, good amps, great sounding speakers and decent sub? Even just looking at brands for quality and reliability these always seem to be in the mix. Any comments appreciated!


HU



Alpine

Pioneer

Kenwood


Amps



JL

Fosgate

Alpine

Genesis


Speakers



JL

Focal


Sub



JL


----------



## Radio81

Well if you need Bluetooth then the P99RS is out. The 80PRS is a couple of years old, but it’s a great unit. I’ve owned it before and the Bluetooth worked fine for phone calls and streaming music.


$2K is a very nice budget and there’s plenty of options.


I’ll let you choose the head unit.


Sundown Audio 100.4:
http://www.emfcaraudio.com/sundown-audio-sax-100-4v2/ 


2 sets of these for the front and rear doors:
http://www.emfcaraudio.com/sundown-audio-sa-6-5cs-component-speakers/ 


This amp:
http://www.emfcaraudio.com/sundown-audio-sae-600d/ 


This sub in a ported box:
http://www.emfcaraudio.com/sundown-audio-sa12-dual-2/ 


And you’re still left with plenty of budget for a head unit, box, sound deadening, and installation.


----------



## LawrenceB

You seem to like Sundown a lot. Most bang for the buck? Are they better sounding speakers than JL, Morel, HAT?


----------



## Radio81




> Quote:
> Originally Posted by *LawrenceB*  /t/1531889/pioneer-vs-alpine-vs-kenwood#post_24725940
> 
> 
> You seem to like Sundown a lot. Most bang for the buck? Are they better sounding speakers than JL, Morel, HAT?



Strangely enough, I am not a Sundown fanatic at all. I've owned their amps and subs and they seem to be quality stuff. If you do some reading at http://stevemeadedesigns.com/home/ and diyma.com you'll see a lot of praise for their equipment.


I do think they are a great bang for the buck, and yes I do believe they can compete in SQ and SPL with JL and the like. Not sure about Morel or HAT....I've never looked into their stuff.


It's hard to compare the brands as a whole, since they both make low end to higher end equipment. To make a blanket statement saying that I'd choose JL over Sundown or vice versa isn't my style.



JL makes nice stuff, but when I can buy an amp with same amount of watts RMS from another manufacturer at a much lower price (and is well liked by the online car audio community) then I'm most likely going to go that route.


Another brand to look at is Digital Designs.


Like anything else, subs and speakers can only sound as good as the install.


If you want a simple solution, go with a 5-channel amp like the Alpine PDX-V9. Impressive amp that can drive two sets of components and a subwoofer.


----------



## LawrenceB

Got it, thanks. In the world of audio hearing is believing. We all have different taste in what we like, even with super high-end "flat" components. In my mix room I listen to Meyer HD-1s but the guy down the hall much prefers his Genelec 1032s. They both sound amazing but one is more "transparent" and the other more " rock and roll."


I really need to hear all the speakers next to each other since these companies all make them in the same price range. But it's very difficult finding a showroom that carries even half the brands mentioned in this forum. Hopefully I'll be able to check out the Sundown gear and compare to others. As for Amps I know it's going to be difficult to impossible to A-B them so I guess whatever is most recommended for price/quality/reliability in the forum wins.


----------



## Radio81

Yeah I'd say that's the biggest hurdle that companies like Sundown, Digital Designs, and the lesser-known brands face. There's not many dealers to listen to this kinda stuff, whereas JL, Pioneer, Alpine, Kenwood, can be heard at the local best buy or car toys.


This is why I rely on internet forums for finding comparisons and opinions from people much more knowledgeable than myself about what sounds good and what doesn't.


----------



## Emetw

80PRS is the best HU on the market under$1k. I thought I'd miss Sat radio but I don't, so much to choose from via USB and phone options. The SQ and sound control options are worth it.


----------



## ambesolman

I've been out of the car audio game for a while, but have had a few systems over the years.


In the early years I had some Soundstream components and Eclipse point source speakers that were pretty good for the money. I've also used kenwood and alpine amps with no problems. Even had a kenwood music keg, anyone remember those?

My last system was in an '02 Audi s4 (really miss that car). Decided to go all out and dumped about $3k into the audio system. I used a dbl din kenwood HU with iPod control, some really nice entry level focal components that I upgraded to their top of the line components when HiFi Buys was going out of business and selling off everything cheap. They were a big step up in SQ from the entry levels. A couple of alpine amps to drive the speakers, and a kenwood mono amp for the mtx 12" sub. Sounded clean and clear at vertigo inducing levels. Liked the equipment so much that I kept it all when I sold the car and is now just sitting in my closet until I get another car worth installing it in.


I've always used kenwood HUs because they were nice and easy to use. But, most of them tended to have something go wrong with them after a couple of years. Not sure what the life expectancy is for HUs these days. The alpines were nice but didn't wow me like the kenwoods. Of course by the time my HU would start going wonky, I was ready for an upgrade anyway. Ymmv.


Highly recommend the Focal speakers though!


----------

