Alpine MRP-M 450

Advantages: Number of features, sound quality, radio reception
Disadvantages: Overkill

...front section which just leaves a blank hole in the facia when you leave the car (no Alpine logo, I'm glad to say). Also Alpine offer a 1 year replacement warranty/insurance on the radio if it is stolen from you car after the dispaly has been removed. Now come the gimmicks. You don't like Alpine's traditional pale blue buttons? Then select the Amber option. How many people are in the car and where are they sitting? Use SPS to automatically alter the fader and balance settings. Don't like the 'level' and radio signal strength indicators? Alter them. The final and completely over the top function has to be the ability to alter the display angle. Find the screen too difficult to read with reflections on it? Tilt it up. If you can keep a straight face while doing this, you must take yourself far too seriously! The worst part of the whole... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: These speakers will handle large amounts of power and are more than willing to do so for long periods of time. They have rather punchy bass so I find that they work very well along side a sub and they have great midrange sound.
Disadvantages: Quite weighty so if you're planning on installing them into a standard parcel shelf be prepared to stregthen it, better still would be to replace the shelf with a wooden one.

...to tight and midange was messy, but as with most audio equipment I guessed they would need about 30 hours playing time to run in. After givving them the benifit of the doubt for a few weeks they started to get better and better, the midrange is better than many I've heard, its not overpowering like most. The treble leaves a little to be desired, I probably need to spend a bit more time setting up the source, but the sound is very clear, precise and at a nice balance with the midrange. The bass got much looser than when I first fitted them, its still a little to tight but doesnt cause a problem, if anything it helps give a bit more punch to the sound. All in all, I'm very pleased with these speakers, the worries I had at first have gone and the 694's DO deserve their Alpine badge, I left it 6 months to review them so I could see how they'd bare... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average helpful

Advantages: 4 x 60W, looks great
Disadvantages: No front MP3 socket

...This is one of the few head units that has an output of 60W x 4 which is why i bought it. Hooked up to the right speakers and it is amazing. You can buy an adaptor to connect to it an Ipod and it will play MP3 encoded CD's. It looks great and expensive . It can display it's information in red or blue to match you car. It also has three preouts but you don't really need any extra power. The face plate detaches as you would expect. It's well built. strong and feels like it will last a long time. Most importantly it loopk great and I'm glad I got it. The instructions are also fairly simple It doesn't have an MP3 input socket on the front which is the only drawback.... Read review

Ciao members have rated this review on average somewhat helpful