# adjusting Alpine CDE147BT sound settings



## dale rex (Jan 2, 2014)

Just installed an Alpine CDE147BT in my 2003 GMC Safari minivan, along with a Sound Ordnance powered 8" sub. Using the original Delco door and pillar speakers for now. Sounds great with the powered sub.........just enough punch and yet it doesnt rattle the earth and my brains. The Alpine has a 9 band parametric equalizer built in and has an app available for advanced settings from other users( I tried the app couldnt get it to connect with the Alpine receiver which seems to be a common issue with it). I have made some initial adjustments through the head unit eq and need some guidance to basic settings. I like alot of bass and sparkling treble, but not alot of midrange. I listen to rock and heavy metal loud. Any hints as to where I should start with the 9 bands as far as db level adjustments, center frequency and Q(bandwidth) settings? Thanks in advance for any help


----------



## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Parametric EQ has 3 ways to per band to set it. The frequency, the curve height and width. Not too easy.

Did any of the preset 7 plus curve settings sound good? if not, I would start flat, then go from there. 




maybe this video may help a bit. 

Setting the Parametric EQ on a Car Stereo Head Unit - YouTube

You also need to make sure you set the HPF for the door drivers and LPF if a sub is used.


----------



## ShaneInMN (Sep 27, 2013)

I listen to my music with a flat EQ, probably pretty boring I'm sure for some. I get a good replication of what the music was supposed to sound like. That being said, the inside of the vehicle can determine the level of the frequencies and this starts to get very complicated, so it all depends on what you want and how far you're willing to go with it. You can adjust them by ear, and you can also invest in a RTA with a mic and find out what frequencies are lacking and boost those.

I believe that your HU has time correction. I would start with that and see what you think about the sounds there, also play around with the crossover and slopes. You'll find a world of difference with the various combinations there in conjunction with the time correction. Once you feel like you have a good sound there, then I would say it would be time to work on the EQ if you still feel it lacking.

For my system listening to mostly rock and metal I've been happy with 80 HP/LPF and 12db slopes, depending on where you have that powered sub located, you can adjust the phase to bring the sound more up front or further back.


----------



## dale rex (Jan 2, 2014)

thanks for the replies.........i started most the frequency settings at the flat level and boosted the #1 and 2 levels a bit and the #8 and 9 levels a bit. I also set most the center frequencies around the middle of the ranges for each band. I have the sub set at the lowest frequency for now around 90 Hz. None of the presets sounded good to me. Gotta play around with it awhile i guess. For now Im also trying to get the bluetooth to function properly........my phone has alot of diff settings im changing around to get the bluetooth to pair properly each time. I listen to Pandora lot and need the bluetooth to work each time without having to manually pair it with the receiver. I think Im OK now, but have to try it a few times to make sure.


----------



## sqnut (Dec 24, 2009)

dale rex said:


> I like alot of bass and sparkling treble, but not alot of midrange. I listen to rock and heavy metal loud.


If that's what you want, set the eq so that it looks like a smiley. Done


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

ShaneInMN said:


> I listen to my music with a flat EQ, probably pretty boring I'm sure for some. I get a good replication of what the music was supposed to sound like.


This is a pretty big misconception, and typically not true at all. Every vehicle, living room, club or concert hall have their own acoustic characteristics. The same holds true for the speakers (and arguably amplifiers) we place into them. Just because you have an EQ flat, does not mean you are getting a faithful reproduction of a recording. It is actually quite the opposite. 

This is the reason so many people on this forum invest a significant amount of time and money into DSPs and tuning. They make full use of phase adjustment, time alignment, EQ, etc. just to try and get those acoustic characteristics to match up with what the source material was intended to sound like. 

That being said, if you like the way it sounds "flat," *ENJOY*! That is the only thing that really matters. If *YOU* are happy with the sound, who cares what anyone else thinks?


----------



## ShaneInMN (Sep 27, 2013)

rton20, you're right and thats actually what I was trying to convey. What I should have said was that I listen to my music with a flat EQ because I haven't taken the time to go out with the RTA and work on tuning it yet


----------



## dale rex (Jan 2, 2014)

I started with all flat settings for all 9 bands. Went through each one from lowest to highest(1 through 9) and adjusted up first to get a taste of the extreme sound from that band then went all the way down to the lowest level. Based on what I heard I then set each band level to what sounded good to me. I think I arrived at a good sound for my taste of music. I then got the Alpine TuneIt app to work and searched through alot of user settings. Tried about 5 or 6 of them and didnt like any of them. I think I will stay with the settings I arrived at and maybe tweak them a bit when i get some more time.


----------

