# Cadence CEQ-860



## Kahooli (Oct 17, 2007)

http://www.cadencestore.com/ProductCart/pc/viewPrd.asp?idcategory=129&idproduct=51

I bought this as a temporary fix to my headunit-free sound system.
I use it with my mp3 player as a source.

anyway...
This is a very nice piece of equipment sonically. mechanically... it's rudimentary.
the motorized controls failed because the sensor (contact switch) that sensed full retraction was misaligned. I fixed this myself pretty easily though.

However, beyond this minor glitch, I find it a great EQ.
there is absolutely no noise with this unit (as it should be). though, it pisses me off its really only a 3 band EQ, as its 3 for front, 3 for rear (or left/right if you hook it up that way) I had only read it was 6 band and assumed...
but I've been able to sufficiently boost/cut my problem frequencies. 7volt preouts are nice as well. the unit does get hot though: when I pulled it out of my dash after a 4 hour trip it was very warm (though Im not sure if it was the car's vent doing this.


solid overall appearance and construction, and the red shade of LED matches my interior.

I'd say 8/10 stars for function
7/10 for looks


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## darkangel359 (Feb 29, 2008)

I recently bought 2 of these and they are both garbage. Sound quality was very harsh, Front channel overrides rear channel at almost all levels. I thought my amplifiers were to blame but it was the EQ's. Tried on 3 different setups.


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## mvw2 (Oct 2, 2005)

Since you're on CAF too, I'd suggest talking to Jason Paul over there. He should be able to help you out with specifics of the hardware as well as any potential hardware/defect issues if that is the case.

I know you're a pretty new member to both forums, but your initial post seem to be centered around Cadence hardware. Jason's a nice guy, and Cadence on a whole has been a very good company to work with. Any comments, complaints, and questions should be directed to him as he may be able to answer them and find solutions.

I will say outright that sometimes the hardware is to blame but many times it's also the user, maybe just aspects not thought about or addressed with install and hook up.

With a 3-band EQ, some harshness in processing should be expected, especially if heavy boosts and cuts are taken. Generally if a setup needs a lot of EQing to fix the response, a more comprehensive processor setup may be needed. If nothing else and strong look at install and setup of the speakers may be in order to fix issues mechanically first before having to rely on processing.

General good or bad is more in the regards of mechanical faults like pots failing, buttons falling off, or noise issues like introduced hiss/noise. 

In terms of function, it's just a 3band EQ. It has some frequency adjustability, but it's still just a 3 band EQ. You can only expect so much from that. It is not fair to call it bad for simply what it is, and it's not fair to call it bad if the problem relies on the user and his(or her) install and/or tune.

Despite a low post count, I know you're not new to car audio by any means. If you find something wrong, it's probably the case. If there is fault with the hardware, talk to Jason.


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## darkangel359 (Feb 29, 2008)

Very informative post, I really like it. Thanks for not bashing on a 19 year veteran car audio installer. I was installing Kicker subs when they still had the horse on them(loooong time ago ). I have had a many of stereo systems in my time. Have owned everything from a Linear 8002 to the brand new RF and MTX line. I did double check my install twice, so that makes it 4 times, lol. I really like the cadence stuff, just don't know why the Eq's don't want to work correctly. I have worked with 3 band parametric eq's to the old 31 band stuff, I do know what to expect out of these units and what they are supposed to do. I had a 5 band for the longest and loved it. The only problem that I can see is over voltage. My HU output is 5V on all outputs. I even measured the output with my DMM, I was getting 5.02 on the front, rear, and 4.94 on the sub. Anyway, that is my analogy of the whole thing. Feel free to input more on the subject.


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## darkangel359 (Feb 29, 2008)

Very informative post, I really like it. Thanks for not bashing on a 19 year veteran car audio installer. I was installing Kicker subs when they still had the horse on them(loooong time ago ). I have had a many of stereo systems in my time. Have owned everything from a Linear 8002 to the brand new RF and MTX line. I did double check my install twice, so that makes it 4 times, lol. I really like the cadence stuff, just don't know why the Eq's don't want to work correctly. I have worked with 3 band parametric eq's to the old 31 band stuff, I do know what to expect out of these units and what they are supposed to do. I had a 5 band for the longest and loved it. The only problem that I can see is over voltage. My HU output is 5V on all outputs. I even measured the output with my DMM, I was getting 5.02 on the front, rear, and 4.94 on the sub. Anyway, that is my analogy of the whole thing. Feel free to input more on the subject.


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