The first day after that tiring weekend installing the gear, we are amazed
to listen to that good SQ system and we tell the family to not to wait for
dinner I need to finish this thing first. Instead you are just listening to
the SQ. Do we give the same attention to the sound when driving as in
garage.

After some time/days/weeks the focus shifts to, "I could have had an MP3
unit in the same price and had more songs to listen to". Convenience per $
is greater than SQ/$ There are so many things in the car to tweak to get the
sound that right and sometime a thought comes in (audiophiles may not like
it, but) why the effort and extra use of $$, when I already have a great
home audio system to ponder on without the noise, full concentration to the
audio not wheel and remote in hand, ass on couch. Convenience does matter.

"MOSFET" wrote in message
news | That's a REALLY good point. Alpine HAS been lowering price points for all
| it's models and has indeed been scaling back on features. As RG has said,
| perhaps consumer feedback indicates that most people DO find these new
decks
| too complicated and would prefer a simpler set of features.
|
| Something I should have added on my previous post, the domeinance of MP3
| CANNOT BE OVERLOOKED AS A ANOTHER REASON FOR THE DOWNFALL OF SQ. As we
all
| know, the MP3 format is inferior in SQ to CD or DVD, yet it has become
very
| POPULAR, in large part to the UNBELIEVABLY popular iPod. This shift (from
| SQ to convience) may have much to do with the decline in high-end
| manufacturer's like PG and why companies like Alpine are scaling back
| features that were typically considered high-end (like time correction for
| instance). Companies are just not emphasising SQ anymore b/c they know
many
| people these days will be listening to MP3's.
|
| I've said this before, but you should hear how home stereo Audiophiles
moan
| and groan when the topic of MP3's comes up. Many think the MP3 format is
| SINGLE-HANDEDLY destrying new innovations in sound quality and MP3 is
| CERTAINLY hampering the introduction of new formats such as DVD-Audio.
Many
| believe that the entire audio industry as a whole is moving backwards when
| it comes to SQ. And I hate to admitt it, but I'm guilty of this shift
| backwards as well. MP3's are all I listen to any more in my car. I
suppose
| the answer to all this is to ome up with an equivalant format that has the
| same (OR BETTER) sound quality of CD, yet has all the benefits of MP3
(small
| file sizes, easy to transfer and manage, etc.).
|
| But for the masses, I'm afraid MP3 is adequate and here to stay (whether
we
| like it or not).
|
| MOSFET