Alpine CD player cuts out

Hey all...another noob dropping in for advice. :)

Alpine 50W amp, Infinity 6x9's front doors, Diamond 5" rear doors

2007 Dodge Ram quad....Two issues....

1) I started noticing a distinct crackling some months ago - like signal noise/static - coming through the right front speaker...only while the vehicle is in motion, and usually only when it's warm. Had a freelance car audio guy take a look, he couldn't be sure, but suspect a failing head unit. It was still the factory original - the stock one. Had a big name retailer (rhymes with Bar Joys) install an Alpine CDA 117. Still had the noise. Have, I should say....

2) But this is the one that's really getting me. The new head unit "drops out" randomly during CD play mode. Usually .5 - 1 sec duration, but occasionally as long as 10 seconds. Does it on every CD I have played (the OEM head unit never did it once, so I'm reluctant to blame the CD's, and most of them are in perfect condition anyway). On my last long drive, I step-reversed the player after a drop-out to reply the passage, and it didn't drop again. Did that experiment at least 12 times, never once dropped out the second time.

Here's the deal - I reported this after I initially drove off. They replaced the head unit (or say they did) , and it's STILL doing this. It has never done it on iPod or tuner.

I plan to go back in a day or two, but I can't reproduce this issue at will.

I've been a little out of the game the last...decade or two...but I know Alpine makes quality stuff and this is too weird. Does this sound like a grounding/electrical issue?

These guys have >$500 of my dollars and my audio experience is getting worse, not better. I'll switch to a Kenwood if I can get an EQ and iPod controls, but I'm concerned after one replace already they'll tell me to go take a leap.

did tyhey put the backstrap on the cd player ... sounds odd that two different ones would do that.