I run alpine stuff, with the exception of my sub amp, but that was just because I got a deal I couldn't refuse... $20 for the MTX from a friend was a steal of a deal for the amp...

I've always used alpine and never had a problem with their stuff. My alpine 9807 was a display model at CC and its been fine...

The Alpine amp would be more efficent due to the V-Drive. They used to offer V-drive in a few of the top-end HU's but unfortunately they dropped that this year. IIRC, the V-drive ups the voltage so you don't need as much current to run the amp. It really is pretty impressive how they do it.

1999 Mystique LS V6 Alpine CDA-9807, Rear deck sub, Opt. TB, K&N RU-3530/MAF adaptor, custom heatshield, FSVT 17's, SCT 4-program chip, Eibach's/ST200's, Hella Fogs...