I've been questioning my Alpine 9887 but I refuse to deal with their "ipod" decks. My system sounds very good but I'm wondering if there's a difference in voltage out between your CDE-102 and x789 and since your gains weren't adjusted according it just "seems" louder?
I noticed when I had a line driver that my output voltage barely went over 2V on the most intense musical notes.
I'd also like to point out that your CDE-102 isn't even in the same class as the x789. You'd need a 9835, 9855, or 9887 to compete with that kenwood model.
