<<I'm going for the $350 one without the RF modulator. The less clutter in the car, the better.>> Armand, Ok, now I see. Not to nit-pick, but we're not comparing apples to apples. (Or Alpines to Alpines) A FM modulated unit is a different animal, and I think that if you had identical stereo set-ups, one with a FM mod unit and one with a direct feed from the head unit, you would notice the difference. Regards, Jeff