Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I received the IDA-X100m for installation into a 180 Bowrider (2000 Crownline). My boat came with a cassette deck (what they didn't have CDs in 2k??), so obviously it was going to have to go away.
I recently purchased a Pioneer MVH-P8200 for my RV about 2 weeks previous. That deck is also a AV receiver with Iphone integration and without a CD player. Since all of my media is digital, I had become used to having to burn CDs for use in the car which was both a waste of time and money but easy enough. That being said, this generation of decks which provides support for digital only is the future and is perfect for customers like me. So my Pioneer is a similar unit, large display with a single control wheel and advanced Ipod integration - no CD player wanted or included. (I have a iPhone 4). Nice deck, less expensive than the Alpine and a good fit for the type of usage it will get in the RV and advantage to the Pioneer for also having front mounted USB and aux inputs. Thats nice and the only advantage over the Alpine (other than being 100$ cheaper) however I do wish if I had it to do over again, I would rather have the Alpine instead:
So that out of the way, now looking at Marine models, I actually started my research slightly backwards because I knew I wanted a transom remote control, I considered how those looked and performed from Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony and Alpine, and the Alpine Remote Commanders are by far superior in terms of display, water proofing and functionality. That led me to the Alpine Marine Decks, and thus to the IDA-X100M. I was first struck by the ergonomics of the unit. One of the things I did not like about the Pioneer deck is that the control wheel isn't quite large enough which makes it tough to use to navigate. The Alpine knob is oversize, easy to grasp and the navigation makes sense. I have no problem operating it while driving the boat. Its easy to use and operate. The display is great and the illumination sharp. Connecting to my iPhone was simple and easy just as it should be, and I found the navigation of my music libraries was simple and intuitive. Unit came with everything I needed to install and since my boat only had 1 pair of speakers, I choose to use the internal amp for those and as expected was a huge improvement over its replacement and plenty of power. I have a external 1000w mono Fosgate Amp connected to a T1D12 sub woofer and the dedicated sub woofer RCAs (and control) made connecting it a breeze. Obviously there are also RCA outs for additional front/rear as well. Sound quality is typical Alpine - sounds great. FM radio seem sensitive, sounds good.
High WAF (Wife Acceptance Factor). Wife loves the look, found it easy to browse and find the music she wanted without having to read the instructions which is important. I have not yet hooked up the Marine Commander, but am anticipating from watching the demo videos that it will be awesome. I don't anticipate watching videos on the small screen, but appreciate having the option, as well as satellite radio, HD radio and the other add on components available. I like being able to use other USB storage including SD/MMC cards, however apparently unable to display the album artwork (why not?) is a downer. You only get that when connected to your ipod/iphone. Not a big deal to me, as I will always have my phone with me anyways, and I also appreciate that the ringer and email/text notification sounds come through the speakers so I don't miss calls when the music is pumping. I dont have the optional bluetooth. For me that is a must have in a car, but on the water, mic integration and ambient noise make it a non starter as well as my desire to have fun, not be on the phone in the water. I do however want to at least know I am getting a call/txt/email so if its important I can return the call.
Highly recommended for anyone wanting to go pure digital.
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IDA-X100M Alpine MARINE Multimedia Head-unit with USB and iPod Control Marine Coating System
Salt/Fog (ASTM B117) Certified
UV (ASTM G154/D4329) Certified
2.2 TFT full color display
24-Bit Burr Brown DAC
iTunes Tagging for HD Radio
Selectable Dual Illumination (Blue/Red)
Sub Display Output for use with OEM sub displays
18Wx4 RMS power / 50Wx4 Max power
USB Connection for iPod (cable included)
Full Speed for iPod (using optional KCE-422i)
USB Mass Storage ready
Percentage Search
Alphabet Search
Ai-NET
Remote Control ready
Full Speed AUX+ input (using optional KCE-236B)
High-Pass Crossover (selectable 80/120/160Hz)
Bass Center Frequency control with Q, Treble Center Frequency control
Large Double-Action Rotary Encoder Knob
Spanish Language compatible
IMPRINT ready (PXA-H100 required)
24-Bit Burr Brown DAC
3pr Pre-Out (2V)
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