Thread: D2a Alpine Radio Cassette bias?

Hi there,

Since getting my SE D2a last year, I've started using cassette tapes again. The truck has the hi line ICE system, with the Alpine R990 cassette deck, 6 stack CD player; lots of speakers; steering wheel controls and the rear audio controls. I may swap out the CD changer for a Grom iPod connector but the kids love the rear controls so I'm keeping the basic system.

I found a nice Pioneer CT-F750 tape deck in a garage sale ($30), put in new belts ($25) and it's a goer. The deck will record/play all types of tape bias (I, II, III and IV) and I've been making some recordings with Type II/CrO2 and Type I/Normal tapes. I think the Type I's are sounding a bit better in the truck which leads me to wonder: Does the Alpine cassette deck in the D2 handle Type II or IV cassettes or only Type I?

The other variable is the Type II cassettes I've been using are some I found packed away and they must be 15 years old at least - TDK SA and SA-X. The Type I's are brand new TDK D.

Seems a bit retro trivial but I'd like to know as only Type I is available locally, I'll have to eBay/online purchase Type II or IV blank cassettes. I'm happy to do that but there's not much point if the car deck doesn't handle them.

cheers,

bidds

Originally Posted by bidds

Hi there,

Since getting my SE D2a last year, I've started using cassette tapes again. The truck has the hi line ICE system, with the Alpine R990 cassette deck, 6 stack CD player; lots of speakers; steering wheel controls and the rear audio controls. I may swap out the CD changer for a Grom iPod connector but the kids love the rear controls so I'm keeping the basic system.

I've got the Grom system in, and love it. Haven't tried it, but rear controls should still work. Grom controller just makes the iPod look like a CD-changer to the sound system. You put in 5 playlists, labelled 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5, and they are CDs 2-6. CD 1 is the whole song list in the iPod.

Only thing I"m not happy about is that you can't forward or reverse through tracks (I tend to listen to some long pod coasts or lectures at times), but then, that's a fault in the Landy system, not Grom.