Rockford Fosgate Headunit - any good

[connor]

as the title said.... does anyone have any experience with them? I aint heard much about them apart from some guy with a very very nice install in a marble effect sprayed fiesta at trax said they were amazing and the equivilant headunit by alpine isnt as good surprisingly!!!
I was looking at the component head unit at the top of this link...
http://www.caraudiodiscount.com/acatalog/rockford_fosgate_radio_mp3_cd.html

My other choices were as follows....

Alpine 9815RB
&
Nakamichi CD-400 or MB-75 (in head unit 6 cd changer - if i can find a place that sells it!!)

The features such as mp3/wma etc playback isnt of too much importance anymore... as ive now chipped my xbox which means i can play mp3s, wmas, vcds, cdr/rws, dvd-r/rws etc etc so thats also sorted for the multimedia part of the system as well as just playing those kind of music cds....
just really need a quality head unit for SQ & SPL to give decent power/quality to my amps so therefor speakers.... All speakers will be active so an internal amp in the headunit isnt needed. its just more interference which i dont need.
Reason the rockford fosgate was chosen is coz that guy recommended it & its the first component head unit ive seen for sale in the last year that is under a grand! and the power of the pre outs are immense for the price!


Dont wanna spend more than 450...

any help is appreciated!!

 

[Bryan]

out of the 3 hus listed above, the rockford one is easily the worst for sound quality

alpine is a great head unit, but expensive

but it has to be the nakamichi for me everytime, awesome SQ, nothing special to look at though

 

[siroldvolks]

I also had a RF head unit about a year ago. Crap sound if you run the speakers straight from the HU - I had to get an amp to get any decent sound. Plus the clips that hold on the front facia broke after 6 months. Wouldnt get another.

Bought an Alpine MP3 head unit recently, and well impressed with it. never tried a Naki one, so cant comment, but I would recomend Alpine HU.

 

[MaLicE]

nak are by far the best on the list.



clarion make a really good headunit for like 230 quid has all the features etc.



but personally i would go for the nak.

 

[kartman]

For sound quality the Nak will be the best but for me the looks and stuff is just too boring. I am using the wifes alpine 9815 at the mo cos my pioneer display is being repaired (£170!). For something a quarter of the price of my pioneer, the alpine is scarily close in performance. Maybe only 15 or 20% behind, to my ears anyway.

What youve got to ask yourself is, do I want the extra small percent difference without the looks and gadgets. For me the alpine is the better all rounder.

Maybe you should listen to both in a shop? I bet youd be hard pushed to tell the difference.

 

[connor]

hmmmmm...! hard decisions.... The nak is obviously at the top of the list for SQ.... But first of all, the amp inside of the headunit isnt of any importance at all... as all speakers will be active/amped!

& the problem with the nak is that the lowest range headunit is the same cost as the highest new rocky headunit (450 notes) and this CD-400 is pretty damn bogstandard as its the lowest in the range with only pushing out 3v preouts and pretty much no functions... which is what is putting me off of it! if i could afford one of the better ones I would!
& the alpine is appealing as it boasts a 3 way crossover which is perfect for the fact ive got 3 way components!!!

do no1 have one of these new rocky range headunits? I think Im gonna have to go to a couple of local ice shops to ask their opinions and hopefully they will have one for me to listen to!

The 9815 is only 330(online)..... which is only 200 as ive got 130 back for my last head unit! for all round goodness which is better between the alpine and that particular nak (CD-400)?

What would the answer to be if it was either the 9815 or the new rocky one above? the component one?

& bambam, i wouldve thought the SQ wouldve been good from that rocky headunit? coz not only (so ive heard) a good quality headunit with some powerful preouts, but it doesnt have any extra interfence from an on board amp?

 

[Bryan]

to be honest

rockford forgate have never been interested in SQ, more into SPL

doesnt really matter how powerful the pre-outs are, why do you think Nak use low voltage pre-outs??

if all speakers are going to be amplified then you will not need to use the alpine crossover as the amps you will be using will adjust the signals to the limits you set

 

[connor]

yeah but nak use high voltage pre outs on their higher spec units? their pre outs go up as the price goes up!

The naks that are 600 up all have 5v pre outs.

Quote: " if all speakers are going to be amplified then you will not need to use the alpine crossover as the amps you will be using will adjust the signals to the limits you set"

This I did not know!! I thought the 3 way on board crossover would put the settings thru the amp if you get me? And maybe im getting the crossover feature mixed up with somet else.... i was thinking when you change the delay between each speaker?

 

[Bryan]

what powers the amps?? it certainly isnt the pre-outs thats for sure

they just send a stronger signa, nothing is really gained from it (well not that i have found anyway)

the "on-board" crossover only has any effect if you are running the 3-ways off the head units internal amp, the pre-outs should send an unfiltered signal to the amps and then they adjust the setting according to the way you set them up

 

[connor]

Quote: they just send a stronger signa, nothing is really gained from it (well not that i have found anyway)

I know for a fact that this isnt true!!! had the exact same set up in two cars... one with a panasonic Mp3 headunit (300 notes) with a 1.5v preout...
then in the other 4v preout (sub out to be exact) on an alpine headunit, & BOY was there an amazing different in loudness. & a lil bit of difference in SQ but then again very different cars.

But ill consider what your saying mate... ive got 2 weeks to make a decision! gonna have to have a listen.... im so tempted to just get the 9815! the rocky just seems like a good buy... & well the nak... damn good... but that low model is just a lil too basic for me, i want the 6 cd in headunit changer but thats like 600 minimum.

P.S have you heard about your motor yet mate? like where its being taken etc etc?

 

[Bryan]

i know exactly where it is at the minute

it is at a company called collision care in corby, my mates dad works there, jusy waiting for them to write it off

i personally have not seen any gains from using different powered pre-outs, yes the SQ suffers a little, but nothing major

if you dont want to buy the Nak unit, just buy the Alpine, you will not be disappointed

 

[connor]

heh, ok mate!

keep me informed about your motor

& it looks like its gonna be the alpine! If i could afford a better nak i would! i can always buy the alpine now & wait till the nakamichi mp3 headunit comes out next year hehe

 

[ivegota16v]

right illl sort this out

Ive got the top of the range rockford fosgate 9400r head unit, (well was about 6months ago theyve got a few new ones now)

The head unit is fantastic, it has 4 inputs, 6 outputs, the lot, the chassis is copper plated to stop interferance (spelling) and it weighs a f**king ton!!!! the pre outs are 4v but the bloke i was speaking says it more like 6 or 8!!! top unit, top sound, the daddy i would say! nakamichi are the dogs i admit but looking at a lot of cash....

 

[connor]

ok mate, cheers for the feedback!

has yours got an onboard amp or is it a component headunit?

These ones are aparently 8v now.... well thats what they say to.

What is the SQ & SPL like? compared to your speakers etc? Well worth getting is the one above? & how much did u pay for urs back then?

 

[McBunny]

the rfx 9400r or 9300r was reputed when it came out to be the best sounding mp3 player you could get

 

[Rorrie]

IMO either tha nak or the alpine, probably the nak, usually amazing for sq

 

[ivegota16v]

The rocky has an amp built in rated at 44w by four, but as anyone who knows rockford stuff the greatly under rate it!! The sound quality is really good, im currently running a rockford sub and amp at the min and putting the standard hardunit to the front speakers (another amp on the way soon)! as for the spl that thing goes soooooo loud, it really is mad ive never had the unit on ful volume due to thinking my head is going to explode!!!!

As for the cost, well this was the steal of the century, i managed to get my stereo imported from the States for a measly 275 all in!!! the units were selling over here for 600 quid!! KER CHING!

Grant

Oh and it has a fancy remote and all that!

 

[connor]

ok mate cheers again!