this year was probably the most i've ever been interested to see what the new 2005 stuff that'd be unveiled at CES would be like. after being the first to offer an aftermarket module for integration of an ipod into a headunit, this year alpine went a step further and made their interface even more iPod friendly. the biggest complaint with last years models was that it took forever to scroll through a 40gig library with the head units rotary knob. nowhere near as intuitive as the scroll whell on the ipod. well the new 2005's have a "Glide-Touch" strip along the bottom of the head unit the functions in a similar manner to a touch pad/scroll wheel.

i'm still lookin for pics of the 2005 models but the articles i've read make them sound awesome. kinda hard to find too much info bein that CES just started today... i'm so glad i waited til this year to get a deck. this's the first generation of head-units specifically made for ipods.

*edit*
they're also all XM AND Sirius radio ready. no need to be forced to pick one with alpine. too bad hawaii can't get either

-marc

what is the model? I took a look at their new stuff, I am very impressed, but I have always been a fan of Alpine.

98' Eclipse GS- Hahn Stage 2- SOLD
02' Honda S2000- SOLD
04' Acura TL- Current Whip

-marc

SECOND GENERATION OF SATELLITE RADIO READY HEAD UNITS FROM ALPINE ELECTRONICS BRING ENHANCED USER INTERFACE

Nine Head Units Bring XM, Sirius and More Opportunities for Individuality

TORRANCE, Calif. Jan. 6, 2005 -- Alpine Electronics of America, Inc., has introduced nine second-generation Satellite Radio Ready head units with enhanced user interface features and superior sound quality for accessing XM Satellite Radio or Sirius Satellite Radio.

Starting at $250, the 2005 head units have new source indicators for Sirius and XM, proprietary interface and features for easier navigation of music files and improved music playback.

QuickSearch™ keys and the ergonomic rotary knob make it easy and convenient to search for songs on a satellite radio service. Consumers can search for music on another channel while enjoying their current selection. When they are ready for their next song, it's as easy as pushing in the knob.

Five of the head units offer Alpine’s exclusive MediaXpander™ feature that restores the original audio detail to compressed digital media formats for truer, more lifelike sound inside the car. Employing a 500 Mhz processor, MediaXpander is available for five sources – MP3/WMA, CD, DVD, FM and Satellite Radio.

Alpine’s Satellite Radio Ready head units for 2005 include:
CDA-9855, CDA-9853 and CDA-9851 from Alpine’s “SwingFace™” family
CDA-9847 from the “Classic” series
IVA-D901 and IVA-D310 DVD Mobile Multimedia Stations™
CVA-1014 Mobile Multimedia Station
DVA-9965 DVD Tuner
DVA-9860 DVD Receiver

If the consumer wants either Sirius or XM, he or she would need to purchase a separate Sirius tuner box and pay for the Sirius subscription, or an XM tuner box and pay for the XM subscription through an authorized Alpine retailer. The tuner boxes can be added to 2004 Ai-NET head units as well. Sirius offers over 120 channels beginning at $12.95 a month. XM has more than 130 channels with service beginning at $9.95 per month.

The new GlideTouch™ interface is available on the DVA-9965, CDA-9855 and CDA-9853. GlideTouch is a small horizontal strip located on the lower front of the head unit, replacing traditional preset buttons. Fashioned similarly to a silicon rubber touch pad on a laptop computer, it recognizes the pressure and speed of the user’s fingertip to provide an easy interface with sources. Users slide their finger across the slim bar and press directly on the bar to make a selection, in the same manner as making a selection with a preset button. The DVA-9965 and CDA-9855 also have graphical icons, which are displayed on the faceplate and represent the various sources connected to the unit, one of which is a Satellite Radio icon.

The IVA-D310 DVD Mobile Multimedia Station™ has Alpine’s own PulseTouch™ touch-screen technology. PulseTouch gives users tactile feedback confirmation when touching a button on the unit’s 7-inch monitor. Satellite radio channels can be easily accessed through the PulseTouch interface on this unit.

The Alpine units have dedicated Satellite Radio source indicators. The word “XM” or “Sirius” will display on the faceplate, depending on the provider that is chosen by the consumer.

"We were the first manufacturer to provide a choice when it comes to XM or Sirius,” said Stephen Witt, Alpine's vice president of Brand Marketing. "Our 2005 products are the second generation of Satellite Radio Ready head units that combine the best in Alpine sound quality with the newest interface features.”

Pricing and Availability
CDA-9855 – CD/MP3/WMA Receiver
Availability – April
Suggested retail index -$500 CDA-9853 – CD/MP3/WMA Receiver
Availability – March
Suggested retail index -$400 CDA-9851 – CD/MP3/WMA Receiver
Availability – January
Suggested retail index -$300 CDA-9847 – CD/MP3/WMA Receiver
Availability – January
Suggested retail index -$250 IVA-D310 – DVD/CD/MP3/WMA Mobile Multimedia Station
Availability – April
Suggested retail index -$1,600 IVA-D901 – DVD/CD/MP3/WMA Mobile Multimedia Station
Availability – Now
Suggested retail index -$2,400 CVA-1014 – Receiver/Mobile Multimedia Station
Availability – February
Suggested retail index -$850 DVA-9965 – DVD/CD/MP3/WMA Tuner
Availability – August
Suggested retail index -$1,600 DVA-9860 – DVD/CD/MP3/WMA Receiver
Availability – May
Suggested retail index -$550

-marc

ALPINE ELECTRONICS INTRODUCES SECOND GENERATION OF READY FOR IPOD HEAD UNITS

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 6, 2005 – Audiophiles and iPod® lovers rejoice! Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. today announced that its 2005 lineup of nine second-generation Ready for iPod in-dash head units and Mobile Multimedia Stations™, have enhanced user interface features such as a dedicated iPod icon for direct source selection and identification on the unit’s display screen. Alpine was the first to deliver an aftermarket system integration solution for using the iPod in the car, and is again leading the way in 2005 with Ready for iPod head units that offer exclusive GlideTouch™ technology and a new easy-to-use slider function on the second-generation PulseTouch™ screen.

With Alpine’s KCA-420i Interface Adapter for iPod it is possible to use an iPod with an Alpine car stereo without sacrificing sound quality or convenience. With the new head units, the experience allows for integration of the iPod’s controls right from the display. The 2005 Ready for iPod head units offer simplified, user-friendly iPod control, allowing iPod users to search and select listening options.

Consumers can quickly search and listen to their iPod tracks directly from their head unit, or remote control, eliminating the need to handle the iPod while it’s in the car. With the KCA-420i, song title, artist, album and/or playlist information are displayed right on the head unit. With GlideTouch-equipped head units and the new slider function on the second-generation PulseTouch screens, users can now search playlists, artist, album and song lists easier and faster in the car.

GlideTouch is a small horizontal strip located on the lower front of the in-dash head unit replacing traditional preset buttons. Fashioned similarly to a silicon rubber touch pad on a laptop computer, it recognizes the pressure and speed of the user’s fingertip to provide an easy interface with sources. GlideTouch is found on three of the Ready for iPod head units. PulseTouch uses vibrations, pressure and sound to simulate the sensation of using real buttons on a touch screen. For 2005, Alpine has improved its award-winning HMI (human to machine interface) by adding intuitive on-screen finger stroke slider functionality and sound control programming settings, which is found on the IVA-D310 Mobile Multimedia Station.

“Digital music content is a primary source of entertainment for millions of consumers and they don’t want to be without it in the car. The challenge many face is that the iPod may sound good from their headphones, but the in-car experience can be less than satisfying without the right equipment. That’s not a problem with Alpine’s Ready for iPod head units,” said Stephen Witt, vice president of Alpine’s Brand Marketing. “While there may be other adapters out there, our ‘Ready for iPod’ solutions provide optimal in-vehicle sound and operation with the iPod, making them the best on the road.”

Alpine's Interface Adapter for iPod enables the in-dash receiver's exclusive Bass Engine™ technology to be used to experience optimized sound quality and control of digital music files in the car. The solution allows users to control iPod playback using the head unit's front panel buttons or remote; view song information (artist, album and/or song name) on the display; and easily search for songs through the receiver's Quick Search™ interface. Alpine's exclusive MediaXpander™ technology enhances detail in compressed digital media, bringing essence and life back to the music as the artist had originally intended.

The Alpine Interface Adapter for iPod is a hide-away design and can be installed anywhere in the vehicle -- under a seat, in the glove box or behind the dash. A single cable connects the adapter to the Alpine head unit, while a second cable connects the adapter to the iPod through the iPod dock connector. When the vehicle is on, the Interface Adapter also charges the iPod's internal battery.

Consumers can learn more about the KCA-420i and use an interactive demo about the product at "http://www.alpine-usa.com/driveyouripod"www.alpine-usa.com/driveyouripod.

Pricing and Availability
The KCA-420i is available now from authorized Alpine dealers at a suggested retail index of $100. The Alpine Interface Adapter for iPod is compatible with any updated iPod with a dock connector, iPod photo or iPod mini.

Alpine's 2005 Ai-NET head units, sold separately, are available through authorized dealers at suggested retail prices starting at $250. iPod, iPod photo and iPod mini, sold separately, are available in the U.S. through the Apple Store (www.apple.com), Apple's retail stores and Apple Authorized Resellers.

-marc

ALPINE UNVEILS INDUSTRY-FIRST GLIDETOUCH TECHNOLOGY AND MEDIA CONNECTIVITY WITH 2005 SWINGFACE CD HEAD UNITS

TORRANCE, Calif., Jan. 6, 2005 -- Alpine Electronics of America, Inc. today introduced its new line up of 2005 SwingFace™ in-dash CD receivers featuring an industry first for user control with the introduction of their proprietary GlideTouch™ technology. The new receivers combine this new Human-to-Machine Interface (HMI) with superior options for digital media performance.

GlideTouch is a revolutionary change to the standard head unit interface bringing PC “touch pad” technology to in-dash units for faster and easier navigation through large digital media content like MP3/WMA on CD-R/RW or DVD-R/RW, iPod and Satellite Radio. Marrying a linear layout touch pad with new on-screen graphical icons improves the unit’s at-a-glance usability.

GlideTouch is a small horizontal strip located on the lower front of the in-dash head unit replacing traditional preset buttons. Fashioned similarly to a silicon rubber touch pad on a laptop computer, it recognizes the pressure and speed of the user’s fingertip to provide an easy interface with sources. Users slide their finger across the slim bar and press directly on the bar to make a selection, in the same manner as making a selection with a preset button.

Alpine’s top-of-the-line SwingFace CD head units are the CDA-9855, CDA-9853 and CDA-9851. The SwingFace units feature a detachable front panel that swings down for access to the CD loading slot. The CDA-9855 comes with multicolor RGB illumination and a premium BioLite™ display, providing a much wider viewing angle than conventional displays and outstanding visibility, even in harsh daylight. The new GlideTouch technology is available on both the CDA-9855 and CDA-9853. All Alpine 2005 head unit power ratings are compliant to the CEA-2006 power specification.

All the SwingFace head units are compatible with today’s digital music files. For satellite radio fans, Alpine lets consumers choose between Sirius or XM Satellite Radio service; all Ai-NET head units work with either product. The new 2005 Alpine Ai-NET head units display the word “XM” or “Sirius” as a source on the faceplate, depending on the provider chosen by the consumer.

The SwingFace units represent the second generation of Alpine head units that are Ready for iPod. With the KCA-420i Interface Adapter for iPod ($100), users can control iPod playback using the head unit's front panel buttons or remote and view song information (playlist, artist, album and/or song name) on the display. The iPod is recognized as a dedicated source on the head units. On the CDA-9855, the iPod, and other audio sources, are represented via easily recognizable icons on the display.

Alpine's SwingFace units also all have built-in MP3/WMA playback featuring a 32-bit processor-driven transport to ensure highest quality playback of files recorded on today's ultra-fast computers.

To make navigating through large iPod/MP3/WMA libraries easier, Alpine's head units feature a simplified user interface called Quick Search™ that enables users to navigate through playlists, folders, files and channels with simple, easy-to-use controls. Alpine's exclusive MediaXpander™ technology restores lost detail to compressed digital media, bringing essence and life back to the music as the artist had originally intended.

Additionally, the SwingFace units are compatible with steering wheel remote controls, making it possible for consumers to connect with some of their favorite in-vehicle conveniences. A separate vehicle-specific interface box, made by third-party manufacturers, is required.

“Alpine’s 2005 SwingFace units are ready for anything: satellite radio, iPod or steering wheel remote use,” said Stephen Witt, vice president of brand marketing for Alpine Electronics. “Consumers will benefit from the flexibility and personalization that these units offer.”

The 2005 SwingFace units are customizable with Alpine's exclusive i-Personalize™ menu key. With i-Personalize, users can modify the head unit's Bass Engine™ sound tuning, RGB lighting, amplifier control and other set up features through one button on the receiver's face. i-Personalize enables drivers to select from 512 color options for the LED illumination, allowing them to match their head unit lighting to the dash or even to their mood.

The CDA-9855 and CDA-9853 models also feature Alpine’s exclusive Amplifier Link™ technology, which enables drivers to control up to eight 4-channel or mono amplifiers directly through the head unit. Using the KCE-511M Amplifier Link interface box ($50), amplifier status, such as temperature, voltage and fan indications, can be displayed on the head unit.

The 2005 Alpine SwingFace head units are available through authorized Alpine Electronics dealers.

The CDA-9855 and CDA-9853 models also feature Alpine’s exclusive Amplifier Link™ technology, which enables drivers to control up to eight 4-channel or mono amplifiers directly through the head unit. Using the KCE-511M Amplifier Link interface box ($50), amplifier status, such as temperature, voltage and fan indications, can be displayed on the head unit.

-marc

Thats awesome man, thanks for the info. I am in the same situation as you. I was seriously considering buying an 04 Alpine deck just for the iPod control, but heard rumors the 05 models would be worth the wait. Now that their here i'm glad I have.

I love my alpine

-marc