This is very true. Components are the TITS! my car is even more powerful then before. i have the Alpine Type X 5.25" components mounted into the stock speaker locations and the crossovers are buried underneath the door molding so you cant even tell the components are there. i just yesterday replaced my Alpine 3526 4 channel with a very sweet Alpine MRV-F345 amp. its a lil less powerful then the F545 but still cranks out a solid amount of power for such a small package. i dont believe Alpine has slipped at all in clarity or quality. my next addition will be Alpine Type R 6x9s and then a huge monoblock and 2 Alpine Type X 12s in a sealed enclosure. prepare for the sickness
