My choice for a head unit has come down to these two.

Alpine CDA-9833
Panasonic MXE CQ-C9800U



The Panasonic specs are impressive. 60Watts RMS as opposed to Alpine 26. Supposedly this Panasonic HU has some new digital amp that can generate this wattage while keeping the heat generated to a minimum. Also the Pansonic has 5v pre-outs.

I'm thinking if I get the Panasonic, I would not need to buy an external amp for components. On the other hand I've alway been an Alpine fan. Decisions, decisons.

 

Any set of components will require an external amp to power them or they'll sound like crap. That Panasonic HU is most likely 60W MAX. Get either HU and a good amp don't waste your time hooking comps to a HU only.....You will be very disappointed with the sound.

 

I would stick with the alpine. Although this pany does produce more power, it is a newer technology and I doubt will rival a dedicated 60rms per channel amplifier. (Like Eddie said - I wouldn’t run comps without a good amp anyway). Also, don’t forget that the Alpine is rated using the new CEA compliance standard and the Panasonic is not, so that may not really be a true comparison of power.

 

Agree with all. I have the 9833 BTW. Haven't installed it yet, maybe in a couple of weeks. Busy. Work, work work.