Home > Consumer Reviews > Alpine CDA-9883 - Radio / CD / MP3 player - Full-DIN - in-dash - 50 Watts x 4

This is my 3rd Alpine, and I don't think I'd ever buy another brand. The looks, ease of installation and sound quality are all first rate. The iPod interface to me is exceptional, even considering the connector cable isn't cheap. I strongly suggest if you're going the iPod route, to buy the cable with the head unit, since the cable attaches to the rear of the unit and requires it to be out of your dashboard to attach the cable. Also, setting up the 'equalizer' takes a bit of trial and error to get the sound just right, (took me a week) but once you've got it, you're done.

My complaint is the difficulty of changing CDs while driving. The tiny button that allows the faceplate to open and reveal the CD slot is VERY difficult to find and is NOT lit, making it near impossible at night. I've finally come to the conclusion that it's just too dangerous, and I don't change discs while driving anymore. And the removeable faceplate (anti-theft) is a joke. It comes off ok, but is a pain it the *** to re-install. Re-inserting the hinge pins into the unit is very difficult.

I'm sure part of the Alpine design team was convinced that CD's are becoming something of a dinosaur (and I agree), but I still have a couple hundred of them, and I do like to play 'em sometimes.

If you don't play many CD's anymore, go with this unit, but if they are your major source of music in your car, you will be much happier with something else.

I bought this unit for the iPod integration, and haven't been disappointed. It is very easy to plug in, and sounds great. BUT the user interface is horrible. I have had it installed for six weeks, and still have to pull over (or wait for a traffic light) to switch CDs or iPod playlists. I have a MyFi unit for my XM satellite radio that operates on an unused FM frequency, and getting an unused FM frequency is near impossible on this Alpine. I have finally managed to learn to switch between iPod, CD, and radio while driving, so for short trips I'm OK, but I cannot yet remove the manual from my glove box, because doing anything else is so counter-intuitive.

The item is so good, I love it. Shipping was fast, and after installed stereo, it is fantastic. Thank you.

I wanted to buy a CD reciever (head unit) for a long time and since being a student, I was on a limited budget. I actually zeroed on three units - two of being pioneer ($180 and $160) and the other being the Alpine CDA -9883. This is radio has 3 RCA outputs (for amplifier, subwoofer(s)), is HD radio ready, SAT radio ready and of course plays mp3's and AAC's. The best thing I like about this product is its integration with the IPOD. You just plug your IPOD in, and everything on your IPOD can now be controlled with the head unit. It displays everything (artists, playlists, geners, songs, podcasts..etc). Your IPOD simply sits in the glove compartment or where ever. All in all a great product....will always reccommend.

As always, alpine delivers with great overall sound quality, and awesome fit, finish, and fitment. The full speed Ipod controls work well, and are intuitive after a minute or so. The percentage search function works well for scrolling through large libraries (this is helpful for me considering i have over 1700 songs). My only quarrel is that the bluetooth module costs an additional 165 dollars on amazon. Other than that, highly recommended and a great value.