Clarion DRX-9255

Price Paid:  $0.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
1996 drx9255

Strengths:
everthing

Weaknesses:
none worth mentioning

Summary:
WOW, this HU is definitely a world class old school legend now. This gem is as pure analog sweetness. This HU is jam packed with all top shelf components. It was way ahead of it's time and still rivals with the very best. I find it extreamly detailed, and the sound stage is nice deep/wide and spreads beyonds the speakers length. The sound is epoxy like coherent. It's one of the warmest decks I ever used. This thing is built very well. The transport ejects and loads my cd's smoothly.I got to also mention this unit is 12 years old. My drx9255 plays cdrs' without a problem. It even plays scratched up cds with out too much skipping at all. This piece will definitely bring you one step closer to audiophile heaven.

Similar Products Used:
nakamichi mb-100,cd-45z,Pioneer P9,denon-dct-A1,Denford 8250,alpine 7949,7840,clarion 9175l,hx-d10

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
3.67 of 5, 3.00 votes

Price Paid:  $650.00 from Singapore

Year / Model Reviewed:
2000 Clarion DRX 9255

Strengths:
'CLASS A' player. Produce ‘clean’ sound and NO fancy functions. Display is simple, sharp and purpose built. Also comes with a DC/DC Converter to stabilize power supply

Weaknesses:
Must run with external Amp (Not really a weakness). Some owners have disc-skipping problem. I don't have this problem. I hope their 9255 are from authorize dealers cause can always bring the unit back to Clarion's Technician for a small internal adjustment. They can solve your skipping problem in seconds.

Summary:
DRX-9255 Really fantastic player with good SQ. It is not cheap but price always equal to quality. DRX-9255 LIMITED that came later are similar (except for the color, Original are metallic black, Limited comes in bronze color). Had many friends running this unit. Brand new price for the 9255 LIMITED were much cheaper than the original 9255. I've been a loyal fan of clarion for a long time and I must say that 9255 is their LEGENT. Clarion originally wanted to stop production for this unit due to high production cost. But, demand for 9255 was so over whelming that distributor from all over the world requested for more supply of 9255(bear in mind that these units are low-volume imports). Thats when it return as the DRX-9255EXL. The look of the 9255 is individual. Some love it while some hated it. Look around and you’ll find many owners of 9255 are long time users. They would NOT trade it for any thing else. I trade my 9255 but I DID kick myself many times after that. If you are looking at this review, you are probably considering this unit. My recommendation: BUY IT IF YOU CAN FIND IT! Productions for 9255 in Japan have already stop!

Similar Products Used:
DXZ-715 DRX-9255 DXZ-935 HX-D1 I'm CLARION FAN, so...HX-D1 finally.

Price Paid:  $400.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
 1996

Strengths:
Beautiful SQ, like I said, it is music and nothing but music. It is the highest quality as well and built like a tank. Analog volume control!! Many of you complain of no detachable face...I DETEST detachable faces. Get a car alarm...analog volume would pretty much be impossible with a detachable face. Besides, detach faces wiggle too much. I like how it does not fold down; I'm not a big fan of flip-face CD players.

Weaknesses:
The display. It washes out in sunlight, but yet it is so simple that there is no fatigue on your eyes at night. Again, beauty in simplicity. Some of you complain of skipping: Some of the earliar 9255's suffered from laser assemblies that would become unaligned. Send it to Clarion for a realignment (should be around $50) It will never go bad again. Also, CDR's must be burned at 4x to be pitted deeply enough to be read all the way to the end of the CD by the 9255. Not a problem though if you plan ahead and make your burns at 4x.

Summary:
Well, it's been a while since I've done a review on here. But I don't like to do reviews unless it is a product I know inside and out and the 9255 is one these products. Its sound quality is fantastic, unparalleled by mostly anything out there. Warmer than my old Sony CDX-C90 and Pioneer DEH-P940MP (I used to go through CD players every few weeks or so). But the 9255 is one deck that I will never give up...well, except for maybe a 9255EXL, HX-D1 (NOT the HX-D10 POS LOL ;) or maybe one of those new Pioneer DEH-P77MP's only available in Europe or a DEX-P9. But nothing and I mean NOTHING compares with this unit. The RCA's simply don't clip (Alpine 4 volt RCA's will clip as low as 2.5 volts!!!) and the midrange quality from this deck simply blows any other deck that I A/B with it away. I do my comparison listening in a big home system with wiring for 12volt for the source unit so this is in no way affected by vehicle interiors. The 9255 is, simply, music. More decks like this need to be released to the USA. MORE I TELL YA!!! To the man that bought his second hand for $160, I'll buy from you for that much, heh heh LOL

Similar Products Used:
Everything. Sony CDX-C90, Eclipse stuff (would be my second favorite), Alpine 7941 (my third favorite, this is a sleeper SQ unit), Pioneer DEH-P940MP (yeck...like Las Vegas in a CD player), and tons m

Price Paid:  $160.00 from second hand

Summary:
I bought this player because I saw it advertised in the local second hand paper but it has no instructions manual. Does anyone know where I can download the manual? If so please email me. I hope it's as good as all you guys say it is.

Price Paid:  $0.00

Strengths:
SQ. Extreme SQ. Detail and openness are unbelievable. Unique

Weaknesses:
A loudness button would be nice, only as I dont alway listen at levels which make everything balance.

Summary:
Totally unbelievable. I just cannot fault the sound of this deck. I''ve tried others back to back, and I''m still searching. I''d really like a system with time correction, but I cant pull this head out to get it. ANYTHING processing in the signal path muddies the sound. And you just dont want to do that once you''ve heard it. Awesome.

Similar Products Used:
Alpine 7949/PXA H-600, Nak CD-45Z