Alpine 7909l + Cd Changer Chm-s630 Fantastic Old School Car Radio on 2040-parts.com

This Alpine 7909L is both cosmetically and tecnically in perfect condition.
It stayed for 15 years in a dry "room temperature" place. I occasionally put it on to check its working order.
The front looks like new.  I once owned 5 pieces of this radio (7909, 7909L and 7909J models) but this one is the last I own.
This was supposed to be the one "that i would never sell", but due to decrease the volume of my collection, I have to sell.

More information

The Alpine 7909L is one of the best-sounding car-radio's ever produced. The combination of the best components made it a truly fantastic product. Both cd-player and preamp section are real audiophile grade. On the internet you can find much info about this radio. It is preamp-only, so you will need an external amplifier to get sound out of your speakers. The radio is fully funcional (also the changer) and the front is as mint as it can get for such an old device. I tested the radio with a power supply of 13.8 Volt, and everything works perfectly.
This is the legend. Acclaimed and voted the "Best CD Player EVER" by Mobile Electronics Magazine! Here is an excerpt from the MEM article: ...as the companys flagship AM/FM CD receiver, targeted to audiophile consumers and auto sound competitors. The 7909L is best known for its incredible sound quality. It uses a dual Digital-to-Analog Converter (DAC) architecture designed to outperform other single DAC-based CD receivers. The 7909's 18 bit, 18x oversampling technology used with a 1 bit DAC delivered the best possible sound reproduction for CDs. The unit also featured CD Straight (CDS- Button is ON), which allows the audio signal to bypass the bass, treble, balance and fader controls for the purest sound reproduction in the automotive aftermarket. Its 4-volt preamp outputs helped to further reduce noise. The 7909s performance made it a favorite among consumers and a popular source unit for International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) competitions. Today, the 7909 still enjoys a strong cult following among car audio enthusiasts.

Features

Full Front DIN
CD-Changer controls
Dual Pre-amp Outputs
8-Time Oversampling Digital Filter
18-bit , Dual Digital-to-analog Converter
Power Loading/Self Loading
Music Sensor Up/Down
Fast Forward/Backward
M.I.X.
C.D.S.
3-Inch Discs
Eject Auto-Lock
Disc Scan/Repeat
Electronic Eject/Load
T-10 II Tuner
Auto Memory
Direct Access Preset
ETR/PLL Digital Frequency Synthesizer
Litetouch 24-station Presets

Specifications

D/A Converter Type..............Burr Brown PCM1700P
Number of Quantization Bits.....18 bit linear sys
Sampling Rate...................352.8 Khz (8x)
Number of D/A Converters........2
Frequency Response..............5 - 20.000 Hz +0 dB -0.3dB
THD.............................0,002% !!!
Dynamic Range...................100dB
S to N ratio....................110dB !!!
Channel separation..............95dB
Output Voltage..................4 Volt (Front and Rear)
Tone Control Bass...............+/- 18 dB @ 30 Hz
Tone Control Treble.............+/- 15 dB @ 15 kHz
FM frequency range..............87.5 - 108.0 MHz
AM frequency range..............531 - 1.620 kHz


Compared to other high end car radios

I compared the Alpine 7909L to the Nakamichi CD700II and Alpine 7990R F#1 Status. 
In comparison, the Nak had a very "closed-in" sound, not really high-end, and the Alpine 7990R sounded very unrhytmic and uninvolving.
With the 7909L, you begin tapping your feet, very rhytmic, neutral but immensly musical.
The stereo image from the 7909L is really fantastic. 
The CDM-S630 cd-changer is a very nice completion and, Alpine changers are known for their stability and sound.
I have to admit that the tuner section is good, but there are better tuner receivers out there. (like Becker, Blaupunkt, etc...)

Last word

To be very honoust with you, this 7909L is not supposed to be installed in a car.
Of course the new owner does what he likes, but it's "that good" you don't put it in a car.