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Alpine CDA-9857

CD player with MP3/WMA playback

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  • Alpine CDA-9857

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  • Alpine CDA-9857

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  • Alpine CDA-9857

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Item# 500CDA9857 offer details

Item# 500CDA9857

Review Summary

 
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Alpine

Why replace your factory radio?

Two good reasons - sound quality and cool features. A new car stereo offers power that's superior to most factory radios, along with more sophisticated tone controls. And most car stereos offer built-in or optional features that add safety and fun to life in your car, including inputs for your iPod or MP3 player, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free cell phone calls, satellite radio or HD Radio reception, and connections for building an audio system in your car.

Our take on the Alpine CDA-9857

by Tim Sprinkle
Alpine Authorized Online Dealer

The CDA-9857 CD player brings the striking style and legibility of Alpine's BioLite display technology to your dash. The large, easy-to-read display offers stunning graphics and plenty of space for your track and system information. Best of all, the 2-line display means you'll be able to see both artist and track information from your portable player or satellite radio without having to toggle back and forth.

The high-performance show doesn't stop there. You also get a powerful, built-in amplifier to ensure crisp performance from your speakers, along with Alpine's Bass Engine for comprehensive sound shaping control. BBE processing improves high-frequency focus and low-frequency punch for better sound from your compressed music files.

Speaking of your digital music collection, the CDA-9857 can handle the MP3s and WMAs that you've burned to disc, and Alpine's QuickSearch function makes it easy to find your favorite songs quickly. Three sets of preamp outputs connect to your outboard amplifiers, and you can control your bass settings right from the driver's seat.

If you want more entertainment options, you'll find connections for a portable music player, a satellite radio, and a CD changer. If you have an iPod, Alpine's Full Speed iPod adapter lets you control playback and song selection right from the faceplate. You can upgrade your AM/FM experience with an optional HD Radio tuner. The included wireless remote gives everybody in the car access to all the fun.

Highlights:

  • CD player with built-in amplifier (18 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)
  • flip-down, detachable face with 2-line BioLite display
  • plays audio CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs (including discs loaded with MP3 and WMA music files)
  • Bass Engine (bass center frequency, width, and level, plus treble center frequency and level adjustments)
  • BBE processing
  • Source Tone Memory
  • three sets of preamp outputs
  • HD Radio-ready
  • controls for an optional XM or SIRIUS satellite radio tuner
  • compatible with an iPod using Alpine's Full Speed controls
  • CD changer controls
  • remote control
  • clock
  • CEA-2006 compliant amplifier
  • CD frequency response: 5-20,000 Hz
  • CD signal-to-noise ratio: 105 dB
  • FM sensitivity: 9.3 dBf
  • warranty: 1 year
  • Our 60-day money-back guarantee
Shop all Alpine Car Receivers

    Note: Sorry, Crutchfield cannot ship Alpine products to Guam or Puerto Rico.

     

    Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?)

    Features and Specs

    Features and Specs
    General
    CEA-2006 Compliant
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    Yes
    RMS Power Output
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    18 watts
    Peak Output
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    50 watts
    RMS Power Bandwidth
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    20-20kHz
    Preamp Outputs
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    6-channel
    Sub Preamp Outputs
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    Yes
    Switchable Rear Preamp Outputs
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    No
    Preamp Voltage
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    2 volts
    Display Color
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    BioLite
    Key Button Color
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    Blue/Green
    EQ Bands
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    None
    Wireless Remote
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    Yes
    Steering Wheel Control Compatible
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    Parts Warranty
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    1 Year
    Labor Warranty
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    1 Year
    Expandability
    AUX Input
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    Optional
    USB Input
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    Optional
    Memory Card Slot
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    No
    Bluetooth Compatible
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    Optional
    Satellite Radio Ready
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    Both
    HD Radio
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    Optional
    Navigation
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    No
    iPod Compatibility
    Full size
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    Nano
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    Touch
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    Mini
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    iPhone
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    Tuner
    FM Sensitivity
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    9.3 dBf
    European Tuning
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    No
    Seek/Scan
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    Seek
    Radio Data System
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    No

    Product Research

    Product Research
    What's in the box?

    Download owner's manual

    • CD/MP3/WMA receiver
    • Wireless remote control (RUE-4202)
    • 2 "AAA" batteries
    • Wiring harness
    • Sleeve
    • Trim ring
    • Face
    • Hard plastic face case
    • 4 Flat-head ISO-DIN screws (M5 x 8mm)
    • Face fixing screw
    • 2 Radio removal tools
    • Owner's Manual
    • Customer Care Registration card

    Our Product Research Team

    At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team — they open the box, verify contents, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.

    Features
    CD Changer Controls

    Features

    CEA-2006 Compliant: The specifications given by Alpine for the built-in amplifier comply with the CEA-2006 mobile amplifier power testing and measurement standards from the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association). All manufacturers who comply with the standard can display the CEA-2006 logo on their product.

    BioLite Display: The crisp, clear, white on black BioLite display uses biochemical luminescence technology that provides outstanding visibility even in daylight. It is 40% brighter than normal displays, with higher resolution and better contrast. In addition, it has a much wider viewing angle than conventional displays.

    Background Animation Displays: You can select from 4 different animated background displays: falling "Vs", glimmering water surface, gears, or pulsating shapes (hearts, diamonds, musical notes, circles, and stars). The animation displays can be turned off for a plain black background.

    iPod Full Speed: The CDA-9857 has an iPod Direct Connection mounted on a 6" pigtail on the rear panel. When used with the optional KCE-422i Alpine Full Speed Connection cable (500KCE422i), your receiver can interface with any Apple iPod with a dock connector. You can quickly and easily search through all of the music contained on your iPod through Playlist, Artist, or Album searches. You can view Artist, Album, Song Information and Song Number right on the head unit's display. The unit can be used with the following iPod versions:

    • Third generation iPod: Ver.2.3
    • Fourth generation iPod: Ver.3.0.2
    • iPod photo: Ver.1.0
    • iPod mini: Ver.1.3
    • iPod nano: Ver.1.0
    • iPod video

    Direct Search: When operating your iPod through the Full Speed connection, you can use the Direct Search function in Playlist, Artist, Album, or Song mode to quickly locate your music. Using the unit's preset buttons, you can quickly jump over a designated percentage of your song content:

    • Preset 1: 0% to 16% (of the song library)
    • Preset 2: 17% to 32%
    • Preset 3: 33% to 49%
    • Preset 4: 50% to 66%
    • Preset 5: 67% to 82%
    • Preset 6: 83% to 100%

    MP3/WMA Playback: This unit can play CD-ROM, CD-R, and CD-RW discs containing MP3/WMA files recorded using the ISO 9660 Level 1 or Level 2 formats. MP3 files with constant and variable bit rates from 8 kbps to 320 kbps and WMA files with constant and variable bit rates from 48 kbps to 192 kbps are supported. The unit is compatible with discs containing up to 510 files/folders, with a maximum of 255 folders. ID3 tags v1 and v2, and WMA tags are supported; track title, artist name and album name ID3 tag data can be displayed. Note: The CDA-9857 is compatible with Windows PlaysForSure.

    Text/File/Folder Quick Search: When you're playing a disc with CD Text, MP3 or WMA tags, you can easily search for a track or file by its title. Once you have activated the search mode, you can use the rotary encoder to quickly scan through the titles to locate the desired track, and select it by pressing the Search button.

    HD Radio Ready: The CDA-9857 can receive HD Radio signals when the TUA-T550HD HD Radio Tuner Module (500TUAT550) is connected via the Ai-NET connector. While receiving HD Radio, the unit can automatically switch between the analog and digital signals, or you can manually switch to the analog signals exclusively.

    Satellite Radio Ready: There are several options for connecting an optional XM or Sirius Satellite Radio receiver to the CDA-9857. To receive XM Satellite Radio, you can connect the optional Terk XMD1000 Universal tuner and the Terk XM Direct Smart Digital Adapter for Alpine (700XMALPIN). To receive Sirius Satellite Radio, you can connect the optional Sirius tuner for Alpine (item # 607SIRALP1) directly to the head unit. A portable satellite radio receiver, such as the Delphi SkyFi2 or Sirius Sportster, can be connected to the head unit via an auxiliary input adapter. A compatible antenna and a subscription are also required to receive satellite radio programming from Sirius or XM.

    Bluetooth Interface Ready: With the optional KCA-100BT Bluetooth adapter (item # 500KCA1BT), you can make and receive calls hands-free on your Bluetooth-capable cellular phone, and communicate through an included microphone and your vehicle's speakers.

    USB Adapter Ready: With the optional KCA-620M USB adapter (item # 500KCA620M), you can connect and control MP3 players that have USB connections. In addition, if you have MP3s stored on a USB thumb drive, you can select and play those files from the head unit.

    BBE Processing: BBE makes vocals or instruments sound distinct regardless of the music source. You can select the level of the BBE effect (1, 2, or 3), or turn BBE off. Note: You can set different levels of BBE for each source. BBE is not available for AM radio.

    External Processor Controls: This unit can control an Alpine multi-channel sound processor, such as the PXA-H701.

    Bass Engine: Bass Engine functions provide control over your system, so you can tailor the sound to your personal tastes. Bass Engine includes the following functions:

    • Bass Control:
      • Bass Center Frequency: Select from 60Hz, 80Hz (default), 100Hz, or 120Hz
      • Bass Band Width (Q): Select from 1.25 (narrow) to 0.50 (wide)
      • Bass Level: Select from -7 to +10 (-14dB to +20dB in 2dB steps)
    • Treble Control:
      • Treble Center Frequency: Select from 7.5kHz, 10kHz (default), 12.5kHz or 15kHz
      • Treble Level: -7 to +7 (+/-14dB in 2dB steps)
    • Defeat On/Off: You can reset the unit to its factory default bass and treble settings by turning the Defeat function on.

    Power IC Off: When an external amplifier is connected and the built-in amplifier is not used, removing power from the built-in amplifier will improve the sound quality.

    Dimmer: This unit is equipped with an illumination dimmer lead. When the unit's dimmer mode has been set to "Auto" and the illumination lead has been connected to your vehicle's headlight circuit, the display and button illumination will dim to a fixed, preset level whenever the headlights are turned on. If preferred, you may choose the "Manual" dimmer mode setting, so the display and button illumination is dim at all times.

    Interrupt Feature: When a device having the interrupt feature (such as a cellular telephone) is connected to the receiver, the audio signal will be automatically muted whenever the interrupt signal is received from the device. The supplied wiring harness contains a pink/black Interrupt lead that needs to be connected to the device's interrupt signal connection.

    Wireless Remote: The CDA-9857 can be controlled with the supplied RUE-4202 wireless remote control. The unit has a remote control sensor on the upper right corner of the faceplate.

    Steering Wheel Remote Compatibility: The CDA-9857 has a "steering remote control" input on the back panel. When used with the optional SWI-ALP interface (item #127SWIALP), you can retain the use of your factory steering wheel and/or rear seat radio controls when replacing the factory head unit in select vehicles. The SWI-ALP is compatible with over 95% of the vehicles made from 1986 to the present. Compatible vehicles include many Acura, Audi, BMW, Buick, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, GMC, Honda, Hummer, Infiniti, Isuzu, Jaguar, Jeep, Kia, Land Rover, Lexus, Lincoln, Mazda, Mercury, Mini, Mitsubishi, Nissan, Oldsmobile, Plymouth, Pontiac, Saab, Saturn, Suzuki, Toyota, and Volkswagen vehicles and Harley Davidson motorcycles. Please consult "What Fits My Car" to see if your vehicle is compatible.

    Optional Auxiliary Input: With the optional KCA-121B Ai-NET/RCA interface cable or KCA-410C Versatile Link Terminal, you can input audio from an auxiliary source unit, such as a TV, VCR or portable unit.

    CD Changer Controls

    Ai-NET Compatible: An optional Ai-NET-compatible 6- or 12-disc CD changer (including MP3 and DVD Changers) may be connected to, and controlled by, the CDA-9857. With the KCA-410c Versatile Link Terminal (item # 500KCA410C), you can control multiple changers (up to 6) with this unit.

     

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    Reviews for the Alpine CDA-9857

    Average Customer Review:

    108 people say:

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    5 out of 5

    Still Working!!!

    Written By Dan, fl on Saturday, June 16, 2012
     
    Its June 2012 and its still working like the day I purchased my CDA-9857. I love it! Not quit as good as my last Alpine 9813 but that was stolen and needed a replacement.
    Pros:
    Lasts forever!
    Cons:
    None!
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    "Coolness Factor"
    Build Quality
    Ease of Use
    Sound Quality
    Value
     
    5 out of 5

    I still love it.

    Written By Pastime-Gamer, Fenton, MI on Friday, March 16, 2007
    Installed in a 2001 Mazda Protege
     
    I had been looking for a new HU for about 6 months to replace the failing Kenwood unit in my 2001 Mazda MP3 and I'm glad I went with this one.

    I've had it since mid April 2006, and I am very impressed with how much better it is compared to the Kenwood it replaced. MP3 cds actually run like regular cds unlike the Kenwood that took 2-4 seconds to change songs, the display is AMAZING I can read it in almost any light condition and I love the simpleness.

    One of the biggest reasons I went with the Alpine over others was because of the new iPod interface that didn't need a bulky extra piece to hide in the car and man Alpine sure did a good job, it's fast and easy to use.

    If I ever need a new HU I will defiantly look at Alpine first.
    3 out of 3 people found this helpful
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    5 out of 5

    Best I've ever had....

    Written By Michael, Duncan, OK on Wednesday, March 07, 2007
    Installed in a 2003 Ford Mustang
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    I just installed this receiver into my new car (2003 Mustang), and it is quite simply the best HU I have ever had. My previous vehicle (1992 F-150) had a base model Sony Xplod cd player and I was impressed with it's sound quality at the time. I didn't buy this one to use strictly with ipod, like most people, but, in the few hours I have had it in, I have used the ipod feature most of all. Excellent looks, speed, and sound... This receiver puts out amazing sound... can't be beat. Menus are easy to navigate once you learn all the terms for certain features, this HU is really well made.

    The crutchfield install kit and harness worked like a charm, installation was simple and fast. I will definitely be a customer for a long time to come.


    In conclusion... this receiver can't be beat. Buy it and you won't regret it.
    2 out of 2 people found this helpful
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    5 out of 5

    Liked it better than my Pioneer Premier

    Written By Mike, Cincinnati, OH on Friday, March 02, 2007
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    Ive had my 9857 for about 8 months now. Heres the deal. The 9857 is the cleanest looking, most functional head unit Ive ever owned. Its got a bright display, but not a distractingly bright display. Its got the most advanced iPod interface Ive ever seen...I actually hate using my iPod now when Im on a plane. Its so much easier to navigate the iPod with the 9857. Its got clean Alpine sound, and a multitude of great add-ons. Heck, it has PRESETS!...you know...those little radio buttons at the bottom? Pioneer doesnt understand that theyre CONVENIENT. But Alpine surely does.

    I love my Alpine. Tonight, I re-installed it and sent my Pio Premier back for a refund. Im simply going to add on an equalizer from Clarion to clean up the sound and boost the preout voltage. It says a lot that I liked this HU over another one that cost more than 1.5 times more. I highly recommend this. I have 3 friends who purchased it on my recommendation and they all love it. You wont be disappointed. If you are, just go get yourself a nice little equalizer...but please, dont waste your money on things you dont need (color screen, battery voltage meter, tachometer on the head unit, automatic EQ and TA, etc). Get the 9857.
    1 out of 1 people found this helpful
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    5 out of 5

    Not as Good as Past HUs but Still Great

    Written By Drew, Detroit, MI on Thursday, March 01, 2007
     
    I bought this to replace my factory HU (97 Lexus ES300). Main consideration was sound and ability to plug in my MP3 player - not an iPod!! The unit sounds great but it doesn't have the equalizer features of past units at the same price. You can only adjust the center and width of the Bass and center of the Treble. I could adjust the sound much more with my old Alpine and store them as user presets. The menus aren't too difficult to navigate and the display is better than my old unit. You can't change the button colors but it's not a big issue for me - so what if it doesn't match my dash lights. The display is great because it displays the ID3 tags and the clock at the same time. I'm using the factory speakers right now and they sound pretty darn good with the new HU. I might upgrade later but right now I'm enjoying the new power and clarity.

    The ability to plug in my MP3 player (iAudio X5 60GB) is great and the sound is amazing. I would highly recommend this HU to anybody looking to plug in an MP3 player. I used to use an FM transmitter which sounded horrible. Now it sounds like a CD. I can't comment on the iPod control because I don't use it but everything else seems to be typical Alpine quality. Well worth the money.
    1 out of 2 people found this helpful
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    4 out of 5

    A fine HU

    Written By Yevgeniy, portland, me on Sunday, February 25, 2007
     
    It's a great HU as most people here mentioned already. You cannot go wrong with this HU.
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    3 out of 5

    Alpine CDA-9857

    Written By enerlevel, VA on Friday, February 16, 2007
     
    The hu is good. everything on the unit is good but the only reason i am giving it a 3 is cause of the speaker controls. how can a hu of this class miss out High Pass for the speakers? even pioneer Hu thts for less $ have them built in. setting up my speakers without the high pass gave me alot of problems but then i had to High Pass it through my amp. now when sometimes i wanna listen to only my speakers switching off my sub , it becomes very weird without any bass.I think i will b shifting back to pioneer or save cash for cda-9855 which has BassEnginePro and has the high pass for speakers.....
    3 out of 5 people found this helpful
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    5 out of 5

    Continuous Improvement

    Written By Ric, Long Beach, CA on Thursday, February 15, 2007
    Installed in a 2002 Honda CRV EX
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    I replaced a perfectly good CDA-9833 with this unit. Although I lost a few watts per channel and I cannot set the button colors to match the rest of my dash lights, this unit is a huge upgrade from the top line unit I had before. Setting Base and Treble is a breeze, I can now access ALL my iPod Artist and song without any limitation. Worth every $ spent.
    1 out of 1 people found this helpful
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    5 out of 5

    Alpine CDA-9857

    Written By Matt, Stafford, VA on Saturday, February 10, 2007
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    I got this stereo for use with my iPod and I have to say you dont lose much interface with the iPod at all which is great. The only problem i have with it, and its a minor one, is that when you want to switch artists or anything you have to start back at the beginning of the menu instead of it taking you back to where you last searched. The sound quality is amazing, far better than the previous pioneer one i had. I would reccomend this unit to anyone who is looking for iPod control in their car. Overall a great stereo and well worth the price IMO.
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    5 out of 5

    Great head unit. Seemless iPod control.

    Written By kamone33, Lexington, KY on Thursday, February 01, 2007
     
    The iPod interface is fast and works great. The percentage search makes it possible to quickly search through a large number of albums and artists. Crutchfield sent me everything needed and the installation was easier than expected. If you have a factory sub, you may have problems getting it to work. I had to search a few forums to find out how to wire my sub since it was not technically supported.
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    5 out of 5

    Best sounding stereo I ever heard.

    Written By juanito987, Branson, MO on Tuesday, January 30, 2007
     
    I put this in my mercedez with some polk audio speakers amd i've never heard anything better. It rocks
    1 out of 2 people found this helpful
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    4 out of 5

    Awesome Unit

    Written By Steve, Roebuck, SC on Saturday, January 27, 2007
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    As always with Alpine, I love this unit. I bought it to replace a stolen 9847. I chose this for 2 reasons, two line song display, and full speed Ipod controls. This thing is awesome! I have over 2100 songs on my pod currently, and the control is flawless. It's really great that the display will show artist and song title, AS WELL as the clock. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is that you cannot label stations or cd's, as I could with the 9847. Otherwise this HU is a 10 for me.
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    5 out of 5

    Great Receiver

    Written By Frank, Sacramento, CA on Wednesday, January 24, 2007
    Installed in a 2001 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    This was actually the most challenging installation I've ever done, but it wasn't because of the Alpine unit. I'm really impressed with the CDA-9857. The iPod controls are quick, the sound is fanstastic, and it looks good.
    Once I get my wife used to the Alpine and I put some playlists on my iPod, I'll probably get one for our other car.
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    4 out of 5

    I bought this for the iPod direct connect and Love it

    Written By Tom, Finksburg, MD on Sunday, January 21, 2007
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    There are many excellent selections for head units out there. Most have concentrated on the display. Alpine focused on the iPod Full Speed connection. It blows away all the others if you own an iPod.

    The head unit is not intuitive; but, if you read the manual (there goes my man card) suddenly you start finding all kinds of features. This is installed in my 2001 Passat that was originally a Monsoon system. The factory speakers sound great with this once I figured out the BBE and other settings.

    I also purchased the CDA-9856 for my daughter. The main difference is the display. Both sound great because they have the same amp, output and inputs. I prefer the dual line display; however, both displays are tough to see in direct sunlight.

    I installed this myself and it was pretty simple other than having to modify the mounting bracket in the Passat. I installed the XM Tuner and routed the cables behind the dash. I routed the iPod Full Speed connection cable from the head unit to the remote location for the iPod. The optional KCE-422i Alpine Full Speed Connection cable allows the receiver to interface with an iPod via a dock connector. You can quickly and easily search through all of the music contained on your iPod through Playlist, Artist, or Album searches. The input selector shows "iPod".

    I keep finding features I didn't realize were in the unit as I only partially read the manual.
    3 out of 3 people found this helpful
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    1 out of 5

    What a disappointment

    Written By Rod, Carmichael, CA on Sunday, January 21, 2007
     
    This unit marked my 2nd, and my LAST, experience with Alpine! Prior to this unit, I bought an IVA-D300 DVD player which had a defective DVD drive out of the box.

    My 9857 also has a suspect disc drive. Sometimes on ejecting, it sucks the disc back in rather than ejecting it all the way. When it decides to do this, I have to push eject 5-10 times before it will eject properly.

    Tonal control is virtually non-existent. If you enjoy having control over your sound, stay away from Alpine, and this unit in particular. Their engineers presume to know how music sounds best, and therefore do not believe the peasants should mess with it.

    iPod control is mediocre. You can select by playlists, but not by genres. Unlike on the iPod itself, when you enter the menu, it does not take you to where you were last, but to the root--every push of the button is a brand new search.

    I used the Terk XM Direct with this unit and experienced some odd problems when shutting off the engine and starting it again. The XM would not come back on unless the car had been shut off for more than about 15 seconds. I don't know if this was an issue with the Terk equipment or the Alpine.

    The faceplate is easy to remove, but a pain to re-installed.

    I've owned lots of car stereos by Pioneer, Sony, Kenwood, JVC, and Blau. I would recommend ANY of those brands over Alpine.
    1 out of 5 people found this helpful
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    2 out of 5

    Great Sound, OK user interface, Archaeicly SLOW iPod Interface...

    Written By Doc, Sayreville, NJ on Tuesday, January 16, 2007
     
    I listed this a 2 because of the painful and slow iPod interface through the 420i unit. Otherwise for CD's the unit is a 4 Star Product in my opinion. I installed this as a replacement for the OEM Stereo. It was ok with factory speakers, perhaps a bit too much wattage for the factory speakers. I replaced the Factory speakers with Infinity Kappa Series speakers, that helped immensely. If you are going to run a good deck, run good speakers. Crutchfield has the Alpine KCA-420i control interface listed for an iPod adapter. I wouldn't reccommend this, just get the cable if you can run an iPod from the cable to the deck. The 420i unit takes up too much room even in its small size for what it does. The unit is SLOW, the interface leaves much to be desired, and the deck says it is a CHANGER not an iPod. There are buttons on the head unit that you never use to navigate stuff, and searching through your iPod tunes is painful. "Listing" using the "File" icon option is actually the equivalent of a folder of music, not mp3 files like you would think it is, and "Listing" using the "Folder" icon option is actually the equivalent of browsing your mp3 files in a folder. Scrolling through the files / artists / and playlist is painfully slow, enough that I wouldn't reccommend the interface to anyone. If you are going to use the deck mainly for the iPod interface, get a different deck. Other than that, the sound is great.
    1 out of 2 people found this helpful
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    5 out of 5

    Installation in a 2001 Hyundai Sante Fe (6 factory spkrs)

    Written By Allen Zolondek, Round Rock, TX on Sunday, January 07, 2007
    Installed in a 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    I installed the head unit along with:

    Alpine KCE-422i for my iPod Nano.

    XM Direct Satellite Radio Pkg.

    Alpine KCA-100BT for my Blackberry.

    The installation took me about 5 hours, mainly planning where to install and route all the components.

    Everything works great. The iPod function is a nice-to-have. I no longer need to burn custom CDs. The bluetooth connection is really nice. It turns off the stereo when a call comes in!

    I'll probably look into adding a subwoofer and amp in the near future.
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    3 out of 5

    Sounds great, not easy to use

    Written By David, Sonora, CA on Friday, December 29, 2006
    Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
     
    I bought this cd receiver for my daughter's 2001 Accord. It sounds great with the factory speakers. I could not believe how good it sounded when first turning it on without making any adjustments. The ipod cable works great, is actually fairly fast after the system has been running for 30 seconds. A little slow when you first turn it on. The ipod sounds cd quality or possibly a little better, fantastic sound. I don't feel this unit needs an equalizer or amp, it kicks on its own. The crutchfield wiring harness and instruction sheets made the installation fairly easy, although I would not believe any reviews where the person said they installed it in 30 minutes. Leave yourself 45 minutes to set up the wiring harness and 1.5 hours to install the unit. Now the bad on this receiver: The display is very hard on your eyes. Most car manufacturers have gone to amber colored lighting on dashboards to be easier on the eyes. This unit has Bright blue lighting with white lettering,blue light hard on eyes, white lettering hard to see the display at times. The second big problem is the user interface is not intuitive. Even after reading the manual twice while my daughter and I scrolled through the menus and functions, it is difficult to remember which combinations of buttons to push to get it to do what you want. There is no consistency in the order in which the buttons perform functions. The buttons are also too small for the driver to see and make quick changes while driving. My daughter is having trouble changing modes while driving, can't see the buttons well enough. The Alpine unit did not fit great in Accord dash,it is recessed about 1/3 inch.
    1 out of 1 people found this helpful
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    3 out of 5

    Nice but lacks features of previous models.

    Written By jclimb1, Chicago, Il on Wednesday, December 20, 2006
     
    Recently purchases this head unit to replace an Alpine CDA -9831. The illumination of the 9857 is really great and the iPod compatibility is the reason I purchased it to begin with. The 9857 is lacking in some of the features of earlier and cheaper Alpine head units, specifically the tilt face and preset equilizers. I'm not sure why a $350 head unit wouldn't have these features, but feature a happy birthday setting instead. Anyway, nice unit with nice display but could use some more basic features.
    1 out of 1 people found this helpful
    Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
     
    5 out of 5

    Simply Great

    Written By Len, Phoenix, AZ on Sunday, December 10, 2006
     
    After years of experience in car audio, installation, sales and ownership, I have experience with nearly all brands of receivers. Alpine seems to have bucked the current trend with this receiver. What it does, it does well. It is simple to use and has the cleanest radio tuner I have experienced. I don't need a receiver that monitors tire pressure and stock-quotes as well as full color video traffic on my dash. My primary use for it is to control my i-pod, which it does very well while delivering good clean sound and control. My installation includes this head unit, Alpine amps, Infinity component speakers and sub. I have spent three times as much for systems in the past but this one is the most satisfying. Through experience, I have learned to appreciate functionality and quality over bells and whistles. That's what this receiver delivers at a reasonable price.
    2 out of 3 people found this helpful
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    1-20 of 108 >>

    Accessories

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    Autosound 2000 Disc Two Image/Placement Test CD
     
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    SquareTrade Warranty 3 Year Warranty
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    In business since 1999, SquareTrade is the largest independent warranty provider in the U.S.

    100% parts and labor - no deductibles

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    Your item's repaired or the full item price returned withing 5 days

    Runs concurrent with manufacturer's warranty

    Rated 5-stars by consumers

    For a more in-depth review and enhanced detailed information on the Alpine CDA-9857, please visit the Crutchfield website product page (/S-gXsjitJTZjR/p_500CDA9857/Alpine-CDA-9857.html ).

    Sorry, the Alpine CDA-9857 is no longer available for purchase.

    • Front

      Alpine CDA-9857
    • Front Right

      Alpine CDA-9857
    • Remote

      Alpine CDA-9857