Baby M3

Greetings,

I recently purchased an Alpine DVA 7996 head unit and was wondering how it compares to the CDA 7998 model in terms of SQ.

I've read a lot of the biolight go out on the 7998. Does the same problem apply to the DVA 7996?

My current setup (in a 98' M3 convertible) consists of the following:

Alpine TDA 7558 head unit (cassette deck )
Alpine ERA-G320 Equalizer
Alpine SPX 13-Pro front component speakers
Alpine SPS S510 rear speakers
Alpine CHA-S602 CD changer
Alpine PDX V9 5-channel amplifier
Brax Matrix 10' subwoofer in a custom downward firing sealed box

Could anyone tell me if there will be a substantial improvement over my current head unit in terms of SQ if I were to upgrade to either the 7996 or 7998?

Based on my current setup, do you recommend any simple upgrade to improve the SQ of my system?

Also, what are the differences, if any, between the standard numeric model and models with letters r, j, e, l designation?

Sorry for asking so many questions in my very first post.

Thank you all in advance for your help!

Jon

Side Show

i'd suggest some sound deadening and maybe upgrade your amp and speakers. does your deck have a copper chassis?

Baby M3

Thanks for your suggestions!

My current TDA 7558 does not have a copper chassis and I don't think either the 7998 or 7996 has one.

I would love to go with the 7939 but it doesn't have a subwoofer output. And the 7949, which has a copper chassis, doesn't have amber illumination.

I have the top-of-the-line Alpine component speakers and amp. Do you have any recommendation for replacement units for better SQ?

Thanks again!

Jon