Since I've always liked Alpine head units, I jumped at the chance when CA&E called to see if I'd like to review Alpine's premier head unit, the DVI-F900. To be upfront, I didn't realize quite what I was getting myself into.
Packaged in three large boxes, this system was obviously more substantial than I was expecting. Inside I found a DVI-9990 DVD audio/CD tuner, PXI-H990 Multimedia Manager and an MRV-F900 100 watt x 4 amplifier--all in the AlpineF#1Status lineup. I quickly came to realize why I recieved all this product for what was supposed to be a head unit review. The vast amount of features this unit contains can only be extracted when using all of the components in unison.
The DVI-9990 head unit is a conservative-looking piece, with a brushed aluminum finish on the detachable faceplate, a single knob and those frosted backlit buttons (selectable between blue, green or amber) that immediately identify this as Alpine. A BioLite display dominates the center of the faceplate, keeping you informed of what's going on inside. There is a nice, protective soft case for the faceplate when not installed and a really cool remote control that runs several video and audio units.
Two hours later, I was sitting in my Buick wondering why there was no sound. I'm not a fast installer, but my car was pre-wired long ago for anything that might come along except for Alpine's two proprietary data cables (IONBUS and DVD Audio Link) between the head unit (in the dash) and the Multimedia Manager (in the trunk). Alpine also threw in a microphone to be positioned in close proximity of the driver's head and a video RCA connecting the head unit to wherever you've mounted your monitor(s). Lastly, the separate power supply pack for the head unit goes under a front seat.
With all the lights on but no sound, I reluctantly checked the owner's manual. As it turned out, the solution was really pretty simple, but I had never had to do it before. First, you push the "Reset" button on the head unit; then, you navigate through the head unit menus into the multimedia manager, set the "System Type" and turn on the appropriate outputs. (You will need the owner's manual for this.) OK, now we were playing music, but where were the bass and treble controls? Once again I was forced to read the manual. I suppose this is why Alpine is highly particular as to who retails its F#1Status products. Each of them is specially trained to use the custom PC software to optimize the in-vehicle performance so that the end user does not have to. I guess, if you are buying product of this caliber, you should get 5-star treatment. While I never did find the bass and treble adjustments, here's a list of features I did scrounge up:
•31-band graphic equalizer, + 9dB boost
•Parametric equalizer with two bands for subwoofer outputs and nine bands for full-range outputs
•Crossovers with selectable slopes of 6, 12, 18, 24 and 30dB/octave, plus a phase switch of 0 or 180 degrees.
•Road EQ, which automatically equalizes your system sitting still and then compensates for road noise as you drive
•Time alignment, both automatic and manual from 0 to 20ms in 0.05ms steps
•Surround sound--Choose from several formats appropriate to your system and the recorded material, including Dolby Digital, Dolby Pro Logic II, Linear PCM, Dolby Digital EX, DTS, DTS-ES and DTS Neo:6.
•Note: The owner's manual provides good summaries of each surround sound format.
Not bad for a CD player, right? But there's more to the DVI-9990 than just the audio stuff. The head unit will play several formats, including Music CD (CD and MP3/WMA including ID3 tag information), Video CD, DVD Audio and DVD Video. It won't do photo discs, so you'll have to make a DVD if you want to look at your vacation pics on the move. Speaking of video, you get to choose from S-Video or composite output and three aspect ratios: 4:3 Letter Box, 4:3 Pan-Scan or 16:9 Wide Screen.
The PXI-H990 multimedia manager has eight RCA output connectors as well as a pair of auxiliary input RCA connectors allowing you to connect another sound source to your system.
You are probably wondering how the system works. To set the automatic Road EQ and time correction functions properly, you actually start the process and exit the vehicle (for best results, do not do this while driving). From outside the car you hear strange noises as the PXI-H990 equalizes the system while comparing arrival times for each of the speakers to make time corrections. These adjustments are based on the location of the system microphone, so you should mount it as close to that of your listening position as possible. I attached the mic to the driver's side visor a few inches from my forehead for the setup. When you climb back in the vehicle, the system will be set for your position. For equalization, the system analyzes the microphone readings and then cuts or boosts various frequencies to get the correct response. This equalizing process ensures that there are no huge peaks or dips in the frequency response.
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