Eclipse CD5423 Head Unit - Import Tuner Magazine

Innovation, solid and cost-effective design and great sound quality have always been the hallmarks of the Eclipse product line. The new CD5423 deck is another example of this legacy.

The faceplate has a pleasing symmetry with a large display framed by a brushed aluminum trim. When opening the face for insertion or removal of a CD, the motorized action is very quick and solid. Blue backlighting highlights a pair of buttons at the outer corners and the volume and selection knobs on either side. Knurled rubber rings make the rotary controls easy to find and use. The remaining buttons have selectable backlighting in either green or red to match your dash illumination. The display has a 10-character dot-matrix section for text (CD and station titles and ID3 tags) in addition to several segmented character sections for presenting the source, clock, and track/station number and playing time. Six segmented display sections in two vertical rows of three each are mated with buttons down either side of the display, and provide a "soft-button" arrangement that changes by source.

Using the controls is easy and intuitive; I especially like the selection of tracks by turning the selection knob. You can quickly go from one end of a CD to the other and stop where you want. One thing I didn't like is that the menu functions don't automatically cancel and return you to a normal display. Once you enter a menu function, you have to press that particular function button again or select a different source to get out of the menu.

For security, the unit uses ESN (Eclipse Security Network). This is a system that uses a Key CD, which is needed to reactivate the unit in case of power loss or removal from vehicle. If the Key CD is not inserted, the deck will not operate. After 10 failed attempts, the deck has to be returned to the factory to be reset. It is a clever and effective theft deterrent, and you don't have to carry your faceplate around when you leave the vehicle. Another nice security feature is the ability to display the serial number of the unit by pressing a combination of buttons.

Four banks of six presets give you storage capacity for 18 FM stations and six AM stations. The presets can be memorized manually or by using the ASM (Automatic Station Memory) to pick up the strongest stations and load them into the current bank of presets. To select the frequency, you can seek the next station with a button, or directly set the frequency with the selection knob. Again, the knob makes moving across the spectrum a very quick process. Once you have your stations programmed, there is a preset scan function that plays each preset station in the current band for a few seconds so you can see what's on. The tuner uses Eclipse's StarTuner V technology for excellent reception.

The CD slot lives behind the faceplate, saving space for the display and buttons. Compatibility with CD-R/W disks means you can "roll your own" and play them in your vehicle. Eight character titles can be programmed for up to 30 discs. Once you use all 30 titles, the deck will automatically delete the title of the oldest disc (the one that was played the longest time ago). The internal player is also compatible with CD-Text discs. MP3 capability can be easily added by connecting the optional Eclipse Commander Advance (MSRP $400), a hands-free system that uses voice recognition to control your audio, cell phone, and vehicle electronics. The new Commander Advance (E-COM) system has better speech recognition along with several technology enhancements, such as the MP3 Harmonizer Circuit that decompresses and restores much of the sound quality lost in MP3 recordings.

Treble and bass controls have about 12dB of cut and boost in 2dB steps, with adjustable center frequencies. The bass control has centers at 63Hz or 100Hz, while the treble control can be set to 8kHz or 10kHz. There is also a volume-dependent loudness function to add a gradually increasing "smile curve" (boosted lows and highs) as the volume is reduced. This compensates for the natural sensitivity of the human ear, and for the background noise level in the car. A high-pass filter on the front/rear outputs cuts off the lowest frequencies to the powered and line-level outputs. When used in conjunction with the complementary low-pass filter on the non-fader output, the need for an external crossover is eliminated.

The included wiring harness for speaker and power lines connects to the deck with a single high-density connector so you can make all of these connections before final installation. Lines for front and rear speakers, cell phone mute, power antenna, turn-on (power amps and other external accessories), and illumination (dim with headlight switch) are provided. "Pigtails" from the deck provide line level outputs for front/rear and non-fader signals, and there is a clever little switch that allows you to use these same connectors to send signal to an external analog device and bring it back in to feed the internal power amps. Another pigtail has a 1/8-in phone plug for accepting signal from your portable MP3/MD player or other device. Other connectors allow connection of the E-COM system, CD changers, and DSP units. The deck does not include a remote, but several are available.

With high voltage preamp outputs and plenty of flexibility for adding external devices, this deck would make a good choice for a reasonably priced, high sound quality system. I like the interface and feature set; everything you need is here and easy to find. By adding optional pieces, you can truly have it all. With an MSRP of $289.99, it's definitely worth a closer look.