Ai-Net Latest

27th August 2010 Adam Rayner

In this ripping, burning world, one might wonder what use the Ai-Net system is to Alpine any more but we gather that with the addition of a KCA-121, their Ai-Net port can act as an auxiliary audio input for the sounds from any other AV device, be it camera or console, whatever. Also, you could just connect a CHA-S634 six disc MP3 CD changer and stash 1,000 songs in it. The new £250 CDA-9883R and £300 CDA-9885R are the CD machines in question. Both get a healthy 4x50w power chip and offer full speed IPod control by addition of an optional lead. (You don’t pay for it if you don’t need the facility.)
The 9883 can illuminate in blue, red, green or amber and the 9885 in blue or red. The menu search on IPod ‘artist’, ‘album’, or ‘song’ is helped by use of the radio presets to whup you through in six 16% chunks to access stuff faster on both decks. The extra £50 for the 9885 gets you a Biolite (monochrome OEL) display with more lines of text and phat 4Volt RCA output. Right now, the Bluetooth add-on gismo is being offered at £75-odd which is half price.