Phoenix Gold Phorum

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.a ... 6882647014

$140 shipped from Newegg! Awesome deal, given these are $299 at Crutchfield. No install accessories bundled though. Best price on a HU that has these kind of Main features of interest:
* USB and AUX inputs
* 6ch 6V RCA outputs
* per channel gain adjustment
* per channel time alignment
* 3 band parametric EQ
* 3-way crossover ()
** High (25-20,000Hz @ 6, 12,18 db/oct)
** Mid (25-10,000Hz @ 6, 12,18 db/oct), (630-10,000Hz @ 6, 12,18 db/oct)
** Low (16-250Hz @ 6, 12,18 db/oct), (25-10,000Hz @ 6, 12,18 db/oct)
** Through is also an option on any of High/Mid/Low
* Phase control for High/Mid/Low


This is the only receiver I've found with this king of processing for under $500. Most of the other ones are very limited in their frequency selections for the crossover, making them unable to support a true 3-way setup. It's got everything I need to hold me over until/if I decide to get a MS-8, when it is finally released. The EQ is on the week side, only having the 3-band PEQ plus bass and treble, but it should be good enough to get me to a reasonably good sound. I may order a second one for my Jeep, since my current deck in there has very limited processing.

Damnit! This is the HU I've been wanting for a while but our crap ass dollar has been stopping me up until now. Let me check if Newegg canada has this deal, although I highly doubt it.

Edit: It is on sale at newegg.ca... but since that's just a front to buy from newegg with CAD, they still ship from the states and still charge brokerage to get across the border. Stupid NAFTA.

fuzzysnuggleduck wrote:Damnit! This is the HU I've been wanting for a while but our crap ass dollar has been stopping me up until now. Let me check if Newegg canada has this deal, although I highly doubt it.

If it comes down to it, I'd be willing to act as middleman for people who can't get Newegg to ship it to them direct for whatever reason. Forwarding it on to Canada would probably be like, $20 or so, still making it a good deal.

I bit the bullet and ordered it from newegg.ca. Brokerage is paid up front with them so I won't have to hand the UPS guy money at the door.

This will be replacing my Alpine, if all goes well with it.

The upgrade is slowing shaping up... Harold is sending the pair of RSdC woofers soon too.

Today as a matter of fact.......

Sweet titties. Just in time for me to come out in three weekends

Ordered mine Monday, it's here today. Nobody is faster than Newegg. Been using them for my PC parts since around 2000.

Grim0013 wrote:Ordered mine Monday, it's here today. Nobody is faster than Newegg. Been using them for my PC parts since around 2000.

First impressions?

What I really want out of this unit over my Alpine is, in order:

1. Improved SQ
2. 24-bit DAC for iPod (most "iPod compatible" HUs use the iPod DAC by grabbing a line out from the dock connector)
3. Better iPod navigation (including by-genre, which my Alpine lacks)
4. More and better Pre-outs
5. Configurability if my setup changes

I'm about 99% sure all that will be covered.

Everything looks in order. I think I'll just go ahead and install this unit in the Jeep since the GN install is still a ways off. I'll probably end up leaving it in and just buying another one for the GN if I really like it. Should give me some sorely needed processing in the Jeep.

Well, I broke down and installed the 785 in my Jeep last night. The deck it replaced was an Alpine 9833, about 4 years old. So far I am very pleased, and I don't have things even remotely tuned yet. The first thing I noticed was that my alternator whine has gone away. IT had been an issue for awhile, but I was just too lazy to figure it out. I expect that the ground on the Alpine had worked it's way loose. The previous install had been a rush job.

As far as sound goes, the first thing to jump out at me was that the music somehow sounded more detailed. Then I realized that I was listening to a CD, and I normally listen to MP3s. I popped in an MP3 CD and while there was a small drop-off from the CD, it still seems more detailed. I imagine the tech behind decoding and converting has come a ways in these last 4 years. I am also able to play at a higher volume level before distortion becomes evident. I am unsure what to attribute this to. At first I thought maybe the 6V pre-out voltage, but I looked it up, and the Alpine was 4V, so it shouldn't make such a big difference, I don't think.

As for usability, I have to admit, I was skeptical. Looking at pics, I was wary of the controls, but the price was too good to pass up. Well, I have to say, I am pleasantly surprised. The layout is very usable, and some things, like navigating folders, are much improved over the Alpine. I am not sold on their volume control just yet, however. It isn't bad, but it just doesn't seem natural to me, but that may just be me not being used to it. I am sure that as I get used to it, I will find the controls fully satisfactory.

I am hoping to get a chance to get down to the garage later this afternoon so I can get basic tuning done, as I didn't have a chance to last night. As things stand right now, gains are still set for the Alpine, and the high and low pass filters are still engaged on the amps. I haven't done any time alignment or equalization yet either. I can't wait to get this thing dialed in!

Yeah I got that amp to replace my Pioneer PRS-860MP that developed the dreaded pico fuse issue. As you said I could not find anything even close to the price that would do all this does. The crossover is the main reason I got it as I wanted to run my components active. The main gripe many people had is the looks of it. I felt it was kind of industrial looking and I like that. But to each his own I guess.

for the Europeans: this deck is called DXZ788RUSB here; the UK is by far the cheapest place to source.

Bret

Attached are a couple photos of this unit as it arrived.

Looks nice so far. The controls don't feel that solid, but they don't feel like they are going to bust off either. I'd say I'll need to have it installed to get used to it... although I already like where the volume slider is, very easy to access it from when I have my hand on the stick in 3rd as the 4Runner DIN slots are pretty low and the stick decently long.

Where are the pics of your OTHER package

Well, I've had some time with the unit now, and I have to say, it's kind of growing on me. I would never say that it has the best function layout I've used, but it's solid once you get used to it. The sliding face thingy to skip tracks is the big change-up, but it works. I'd just prefer something more traditional though. The thing that bugs me the most though is the text on the display. It is unreadable when it is scrolling, and it still scrolls even though I set auto-scroll to off. Hopefully I'll be able to figure something out to stop it. I do have to say that once you know how to access the appropriate menus, all the tuning settings are very intuitive. All in all, I would rate it firmly in the upper range of average.

What really sets this unit apart is the features. There really is nothing else out there with this kind of control for under $500. I looked for a long time before choosing this unit. For the majority of people, it has all the signal processing you could want, other than EQ. 6ch Time alignment, 3ch phase control, 6ch gain control, 3-way active x-over with an actual functional selection of frequency ranges. Those were the big things for me. Oh, and it does have a separate 3-band parametric EQ for the front/high and rear/mid. For my Jeep this should be all I need, once I get around to tuning it. In the GN though, I'll have to find some sort of external EQ most likely.

I'd say that I am happy with the unit. It doesn't have ideal controls, but it is functional, and the features are spectacular. For $140 shipped from Newegg.com, it is a simply insane deal. Crutchfield is getting $299 for them. And Newegg is a solid company to do business with. I've been buying my PC parts from them for a good 10 years now, and am always happy with their service.

Long story short, if you don't want/have outboard DSP, and aren't in the market for a CD7200 or a DRZ or 9887 w/ IMPRINT, or whatever, do yourself a favor and get this unit. Also, it is cheap enough to be able to be upgraded from if/when the time comes without putting you out a lot of loot.

Wow this is a good price. If I did not already have an 8053 and 880PRS I would snag one.

But you know they are selling this as low as they can because they have it listed at limit 20 units per order. Grim thanks for the heads up.

wooooow u gota be kinding me. 130.... my parents got it for me 2 months ago for xmas. the cheapest i could find was 200 from sonicelectronix... i noticed it dropped to on sonic afew weeks later but even for 200 i think its a great deal.

im still tuning and tinkering yet but this hu is really nice. im running pg rsds active off kicker 100.2 and 250.2

i need to spend some money and get better media. basicly all my music is so compressed and ugly it hard to get a good feel for when i have a song sounding good...

think it's back to 140 now.. which I let that get by me.. but sheeet 140 still is good deal I think...mh... i wanna get one for the basement.

Quick update.

I'm loving this HU. Sounds great. iPod controls have everything except for a universal "back" button. Menus are easy to navigate. The controls feel pretty good once it's installed. The volume slider ALWAYS controls volume, this is huge. In my last Alpine the rotary knob was used for so many other things that you didn't have Volume controls accessible all the time. Buttons are in the right places, mostly. Motorized face is nice. Easy to snap in and remove the face plate. Tons of lighting options. I don't have issues with the display during the day... then again, I don't have a convertible.

Overall, excellent unit. The best HU $140 can buy. Probably the best HU $300 can buy!

im going to buy one of these for my work truck, sounds to good to be true has anyone tryed the onboard amp yet 18w rms? i want to run my old punch 45 to a 10in sub and use the deck to run some coaxis in the doors, think it will be enuf or should i look for a small amp for the mids to? ...i havent used a clarion anything since like 98

I used to sell clarion decks when tweeter was still around, and i liked the way they sound, but they are absolutely the ugliest decks on the market though imo..

wash with gasoline wrote:im going to buy one of these for my work truck, sounds to good to be true has anyone tryed the onboard amp yet 18w rms? i want to run my old punch 45 to a 10in sub and use the deck to run some coaxis in the doors, think it will be enuf or should i look for a small amp for the mids to? ...i havent used a clarion anything since like 98

Depends on what you expect from it.

I've got a similar setup in a beater of mine at the moment with a CD/Tuner running coax's (with caps in line to high pass at 6dB/octave) and a little PPI Sedona APA50 running a set of Rockford SP64's (in spec built ported enclosures). I'm happy with the way it sounds for a crapty car.

pulled the trigger today, should be here in a few days. need to dig threw my piles of crap an see if i have a few rca cables lying around. going to be running it threw a old fosgate punch 45 on sub an a series 1 460sd on highs in the work truck. ...hope the old amps hold on for awhile

Those old Series 1 Rockford amps always blew me away with the power they put out for the price they were and the small footprint they had.

Boy did they love to get hot when driven hard though.