# Anyone using the new CDE-HD149BT yet?



## tophatjimmy (Dec 16, 2005)

We had our Alpine training last night and the new upper level decks actually have some decent features this year.

We hadn't ordered any of the higher end decks yet, so we hadn't messed around with them, but one of the cooler things we were shown was the Tune It app. You can download premade vehicle specific DSP settings from Alpine, then if you want, you can modify it and repost it for others to be able to download and use and rate. Kind of like a DSP social media network.

With the 9 band EQ, Time Alignment, 4V preouts, built-in BT and 3 line display it doesn't seem half bad. No 3-way active X-overs though 

Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.

Alpine CDE-HD149BT CD receiver at Crutchfield.com


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

We just got em in stock. They look very promising!


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## Booger (Apr 27, 2007)

Hope yall like the 147, 148, 149s!!! They are selling very well. Great sign that retail is "selling" the Better stuff.

I would also LOVE feedback on the Brand new TuneIt app - for BOTH Apple and Android!!!

Thanks


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## chevbowtie22 (Nov 23, 2008)

Is the android app available yet?

I'm considering picking up the CDE-HD149BT myself. I would love to hear some feedback from anyone that has had the chance to use it. It blows that it doesn't have active capabilities but an outboard dsp is extremely readily available these days. I mean you can get a minidsp for $150 for the 2x4 board, dc isolator, and the plug in.

*Edit

I just downloaded the Tuneit app for android. Easy to use and has quite a bit of functions. I'm not so sure how usefull the whole facebook/social tie in for the tuning is going to be. Honestly thats a little too gimmicky for me. Otherwise though its a neat app. Full use of the 9 band parametric eq, hp and lp crossovers w/ level adjustment, and the ability to override the mx setting on the deck is nice.


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## markklb (Apr 3, 2013)

I've been playing around with ours now for about 3 weeks and i really like it. It will remind you of the "old school" Ai-Net head units. I understand the concept of the Tune-it app and think it's going to be a real plus for the users. I also like the fact that when in the "advanced" settings you can also customize the MX settings which is really nice. Using digital time alignment can be a "challenge" to do right and takes time but hopefully will encourage people to use it. I can't count how many customers have these killer alpine head units with all the settings flat and no enhancement whatsoever and sounds worse than bad. I enjoy watching their face light up when i open up the setup menus and start setting up their music. The whole CDE-147/148/149 will return Alpine to the most sought after, easiest to navigate and best value for the dollar in my opinion.


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## What? (Jun 5, 2008)

Too bad they did not keep the BioLite display on the 149. That was a great feature since the display did not wash out in the sun AND looked great from any viewing angle which is a big problem in some cars (like Hondas) where the radio is tilted back in the dash.


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

It would be extremely cool to have this app work with the h800.


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## chevbowtie22 (Nov 23, 2008)

Well I just ordered one. I should have it in the next week or so. I should be ordering my minidsp soon too. Once I have it up and running I will post a small review.


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## The Performer (Aug 12, 2012)

What? said:


> Too bad they did not keep the BioLite display on the 149. That was a great feature since the display did not wash out in the sun AND looked great from any viewing angle which is a big problem in some cars (like Hondas) where the radio is tilted back in the dash.


Word.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Yeah, it'd be great to have this app work with older models that have time alignment. That or give us a auto-time alignment feature in the higher-end models, which would help sell Alpine decks for sure. Some people don't want/need or can't afford a DSP but want satisfactory time alignment... it'd be nice to give it to them.


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## 03Si757 (Jan 7, 2013)

I currently have this installed upgrading from my 9887, and I love the unit and the added features but I absolutely miss the X-over settings of the 9887. Iv even opted to switch back and sell this unit, not running active amps to the speakers and instead opted to run the Alpine Power pack (45RMS x4) not having the x-over adjustment for highs, mid lows, mid highs, and low is killing me... I love this feature of the 9887. I wonder if its possible for them to firmware this into the new units.


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## vwalton (May 25, 2013)

I've installed the CDE-HD149BT in my Audi TT Mk1. Two problems: (1) the Pandora app doesn't work with my HTC Thunderbolt (Alpine says it's too old - at just around 2 years!). 

(2) Worse: if I switch to USB, it's fine unless I choose MIX (All). If I do, I immediately lose the ability to skip tracks. And if I turn it off and back on, about a third of the time it goes into SEARCHING mode for somewhere between 1 and 5 minutes before it starts playing again. I've been working with Crutchfield, and they finally sent me a new HU - with the same result. Alpine suggested I format the USB drive as FAT32 (it is - or I should say they are; I've used 4 of them with the same result). I'll call Alpine again on Tuesday, but right now it looks as though they have a huge bug. I'm enormously disappointed.

Oh yeah, the TuneIt app doesn't work with my phone either. C'mon.


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## chevbowtie22 (Nov 23, 2008)

Thats dissapointing about the usb issue. Now the Thunderbolt is a different story. Lets be honest. That phone is ancient by todays standards. Not only that it was extremely buggy too. I wouldn't doubt that it would have issues. IIRC they just released ice cream sandwich for it officially just a few months ago.


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## vwalton (May 25, 2013)

I'm okay with the Thunderbolt issue - I know it's old (ancient??) so I'm fine with it. The USB problem however is a dealbreaker.


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## chevbowtie22 (Nov 23, 2008)

That does suck. I should have mine early next week. I will let you know if I have the same issue.


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## vwalton (May 25, 2013)

It doesn't like 32GB drives
You must put your music in a single folder off the root of your drive. In that folder you can have 100 sub-folders, and each of those sub-folders can hold no more than 100 songs.
NONE of this is mentioned in the documentation. A tech at Alpine told me about the folder-size limits, which he knew because that's the way it is with other Alpine HUs. _Like I'm supposed to just know that?_ And the 32GB limit isn't documented anywhere - I finally gave up on my TWO 32GB drives and tried an 8GB, formatted with the 100-song, 100-folder limit, and finally it works. But of course my music isn't stored by album or even artist, so it's a workaround, not a solution.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

Hello, all. Just registered so I could respond to this thread with my own impressions of this deck. I got mine a couple weeks ago from a dealer out of Calgary.

Sound quality is outstanding, I find. Better than the Kenwood it replaced, but then again it was an old Kenwood. I can pull in HD radio stations flawlessly from across the border the non-HD Kenwood had trouble with. Love the Bluetooth features... haven't done a lot of hands free calling with it yet.

Some folks have reported issues with Pandora... can't speak to that, as I'm in Canada. I can tell you that the TuneIt app for Android is buggier than my windshield on a summer day. Doesn't really look that useful to me, as my car isn't even listed in the database. I have a Galaxy Note 2 - most of the time the app either crashes, can't connect to the deck, or tells me I'm driving when in fact I'm sitting there parked cussing at the app.

Now, on to the bugs in the deck itself... there's a problem with the power antenna feed. In all modes, it puts the antenna up requiring a cycle through the sources to put it down again. Several other users have reported this issue.

As for USB, yeah... Mix All is flaky. That said, I have not had a problem with the deck restricting me to 100 files, 100 folders. I'm using a 64GB flash drive on mine. Not sure how many folders I have in there, but the drive is about 75% full. This drive was previously used on my KDC-X792, which had problems with the way it was formatted out of the box.

In order to get that drive to work with the Kenwood, I had to manually format it as FAT32. It came formatted as exFAT, which does not play nice with the Kenwood at all. Even after fixing that problem, that deck takes a good 30 seconds each power up to scan the drive and start playing where it left off. I was also forced by that deck to set things up so that I had no files in the root folder at all... I had 13 folders of random files, 255 or less to make sure the Kenwood could get them all. My biggest files were in the very first folder, and had it all to themselves (we're talking a few 100MB or larger MP3s)... that's the only place the Kenwood could play them properly. These folders were named 01-13 so they'd be first in the list, with the remaining contents of the drive individual albums.

Now, I say all this because... the CDE-HD149BT had zero problems with me just plugging in the drive with no changes to the formatting or sorting. It took about 15-20 seconds initially to scan the drive before playback. As long as the drive wasn't unplugged, I could shut the car or the deck off and come back to it with the deck resuming playback within mere seconds. It is _much_ faster at doing this than the Kenwood ever was.



vwalton said:


> A tech at Alpine told me about the folder-size limits, which he knew because that's the way it is with other Alpine HUs.


That's... odd. Since the manual infers that each folder should be kept under 1000 files, I actually put mine to the test. I took my 64GB drive, got rid of the 13 folders, and knocked it down to just a few folders of around 900 files each. My 149 seems to be able to access every last file in those folders.

Mind you, it does take significantly longer to access them now compared to my old set up of 255 or less files over many folders.

I'd say it's probably the way the big flash drives are formatted that are tripping you up. As I said, the 64GB Patriot was a problem for me the way it came stock. Unless the Canadian version of the 149 is somehow different, that is. Note that newer versions of Windows won't format these as FAT32 (exFAT only)... you need to find a program that will do it. I used Acronis Disk Director.

But I'll wager my mix all feature is just as buggy. I don't even use it - I just park the deck in one of the 900+ file folders and randomize the folder.


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## chevbowtie22 (Nov 23, 2008)

Thanks for the review. I just recently put mine in BUT I only have partial sound coming from the front stage. I'm waiting on my minidsp to arrive so I can hok up my horns. Right now only my 8" 18Sounds and the 12" Type R are playing so I can't really comment on the sound quality afforded by this deck.

I can say the menu system is very nice and easy to navigate. The screen (while not being Biolite) is a lot better looking than last years 137bt style display. 

I also appreciate the rear aux and rear usb. For whatever reason those two characteristics are becoming harder and harder to find. I have not yet hooked up a hard drive to this unit as all of my music is in .flac format. I will be converting some of it over to be used by the Alpine unit. I just have not got around to doing it. More than likely I will grab a 256gb ssd drive for this.

I have paired my Sprint Note 2 to use the Pandora. It wasn't the easiest to get it to work BUT I don't believe it was the fault of the Alpine unit. I was using a hacked version of Pandora One that was VERY old. When I updated to a much more current version the Alpine picked it right up. So if anyone is having issues with Pandora make sure your version is up to date.

Once I get the minidsp hooked up I should be able to give a small review on the sound characteristics.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

No problemo. Looking forward to seeing how yours takes the 256GB drive. I haven't found any limits yet, but then again the 64GB is the biggest thing I have to plug in there.

I love the rear USB for one major reason - they didn't just give us a 4' long dongle out the back of the deck like my X792 - it's a short one supplemented by a USB extension. I love that, because then I can go and hide the end of the extension where I want it and still be able to get the deck out of the dash quickly as needed.

Should mention, there are a couple minor issues with fitment I found during installation. I have a 1992 Chrysler Imperial - there were depth issues with this deck using the adapter bezel I was using with the Kenwood. There's a small cooling fan on the back... this area got jammed right up against the air ducts behind the dash opening. Also, I was not able to plug in the RCAs without the use of right angle adapters for the same reason.

Anybody else with a Dynasty, New Yorker, Fifth Avenue, or Imperial would be wise to make sure the adapter bezel used for installation leaves enough room behind the deck for it to breathe. This would also go for other Chrysler K-car based models with a similar dash layout.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

Update - Alpine's now apparently admitting that there are problems with the power antenna feed on some (but not all) of these 149's. Since mine is one of them, I'm now attempting to line up a replacement.


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## sharprobert (Jul 3, 2013)

CDE-HD149BT - Alpine In-Dash CD/MP3/USB Car Stereo Receiver with Bluetooth, HD Radio, SiriusXM and iPod / iPhone Control and Pandora Support
Parrot Bluetooth Technology allows hands-free calls and wireless music streaming
Built-in HD Radio Tuner allows the reception of high quality HD Radio signals for clean and clear reception with no subscription fee or additional tuner purchase required
Two-line white DOT text display with segmented LCD
TuneIt App for iPhone and adjust multiple settings from your smartphone


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## xav1029 (May 12, 2013)

I have been running the HD148BT for some time and am fairly pleased with it. The app pretty much is useless though on the iphone because it always thinks you are driving and actually takes longer to use than just using the HU controls. TA was nice, but I am running an MS-8 now, so don't use that anymore. I like the iphone/ipad integration through the usb cord. Works great and charges the phone at the same time. I have 2 major complaints though:
- The head unit hums/buzzes pretty loudly. I am not talking about noise through the speakers, but the head unit itself. Its kinda annoying when trying to isolate your noise floor because you are not sure if its the speakers or the head unit humming.
- When playing music through my iphone through the usb connection I get random pops. They are random and don't happen when I connect my phone to a stereo at home through the headphone jack. Not sure if this is an Alpine issue, or an Apple issue


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Curious if anyone knows actual difference between the US BT head units and the Euro BTi versions.

my debate is between picking up a 148 or 147 BT or importing a 137BTi from Europe.

just from printed specs--the BTi boats 24bit Burr Brown Dacs. US version only says 24bit
Euro also says audiophile grade components and construction.US version really makes no mention of it.
Euro version is priced quite a bit her than even the 149BT


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Euro version is better, according to the Alpine rep.


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## xav1029 (May 12, 2013)

Is anyone else having the humming/buzzing issue or know what could be causing it?


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

sirbOOm said:


> Euro version is better, according to the Alpine rep.


HAHAHA Sweet


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

xav1029 said:


> Is anyone else having the humming/buzzing issue or know what could be causing it?


There's a tiny fan on the back of my 149 - you can just hear it with the deck muted and the car's HVAC turned off. It makes a little bit of a humming sound for me, but doesn't really bother me that much.

Could be your fan is faulty. Those little ones are never very quiet to begin with, if they have to move any decent air at all.


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## eisnerracing (Sep 14, 2010)

YES we have the new decks too got them 3 weeks ago 
147
148
149 finally alpine went back to a semi SQ deck 24 bit da / time correction / crossover slopes etc. reminds me of CDA-9815 decks or CDA-7998 / 7897 

They are easy to use and i like the iphone app - good clean sound !


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## JCJetta (Mar 28, 2013)

Thinking strongly about getting the 147 to replace my 4 year old Excelon entry-level deck.

I had a CDE-123 in a previous vehicle and loved it - only complaint was it wouldn't get dim enough at night, even with manually turning the dimmer down. My Excelon can get quite faint, or even turn the display completely off.

So my question is - can any of these new Alpines get the dimmer down extremely low, or is it just their standard two selections: "dim" and "not dim"?


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## eisnerracing (Sep 14, 2010)

JCJetta said:


> Thinking strongly about getting the 147 to replace my 4 year old Excelon entry-level deck.
> 
> I had a CDE-123 in a previous vehicle and loved it - only complaint was it wouldn't get dim enough at night, even with manually turning the dimmer down. My Excelon can get quite faint, or even turn the display completely off.
> 
> So my question is - can any of these new Alpines get the dimmer down extremely low, or is it just their standard two selections: "dim" and "not dim"?


these deck have a dimmer wire and 4 colors 
green / blue / amber and red 

A first for ALPINE


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## bdub03 (Sep 17, 2010)

I pre-ordered 2 149's and 1 148bt before launch and have had great results with each unit!

My previous deck was a 9835 that included the same feature set set (time align,crossover,parametric eq) but without HD Radio and BT which I've wanted!

BT Audio works seamless with the iPhone! (auto pairs, resumes beautifully, displays text from App and iPod)
Display is not BioLite!!! But works good in direct sunlight and is clear at night.
SQ is on-par with the 9835
Response is fast compared to the 9835... little delay when going through menu, channel, source, function
Tune-IT app is USELESS!!! I've already provided feedback to Apline via the App Store (no other feedback method, lame!) Parametric should be simple to adjust and have an overview of your curve, not be seperate. Same goes with the Crossover points. App needs to have a bypass for the GPS trigger. I literally have to place the phone on my center console or the GPS trigger will disable the app. :: thumbs down ::


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## eisnerracing (Sep 14, 2010)

bdub03 said:


> I pre-ordered 2 149's and 1 148bt before launch and have had great results with each unit!
> 
> My previous deck was a 9835 that included the same feature set set (time align,crossover,parametric eq) but without HD Radio and BT which I've wanted!
> 
> ...


NO tuning while driving LMAO !!! 

i agree tune it kinda sucks - but if you do any type of audio comp. You can save settings 
1 for normal 
1 for SQ 
1 for SQ plus 
can send to deck quick vis bluetooth 

but the online tune and share with friends is BS blah blah


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## soundcontrol (Aug 28, 2012)

Was a huge Alpine guy for years. They really lost sight from an sq perspective on the HUs when they literally got rid of all the features you would want in a high end deck and made you get their add on equipment in order to get those options back using "imprint technology". 

Then the displays went to the really cheap look as well.

Had my CDA-7995 had a usb input or they made a "working" interface to add one I would still be using it.


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## jmcguoirk (Jan 2, 2012)

My luck... I installed a complete iDA-X305S system with all the add-ons. Figures that a year and half later, Alpine would incorporate most of that into a single din deck. I do like the impress technology, however.
Anybody complete an Imprint v. TuneIt comparison?

Cheers,
Joshua


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## bdub03 (Sep 17, 2010)

My time comes before Imprint. I was near buying a 305s + Imprint but decided to wait till Alpine could figure out built-in BT and HD (Both my older/non-HIsq 137bt has and work great!) with SQ.

As for the feature set of of Tune-IT. I can see alpine releasing an "auto eq" app or feature and hopefully a better UI in the future. Anyone know where we can provide feedback to their developers??


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## eisnerracing (Sep 14, 2010)

I have friends at alpine I may make a call Monday 
To pick the brains of the mad men !!
And as far as imprint - kinda a flop afters windows 7
If you have a imprint you need a 3 yr old computer 
To tune it LOL


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## jmcguoirk (Jan 2, 2012)

eisnerracing said:


> I have friends at alpine I may make a call Monday
> To pick the brains of the mad men !!
> And as far as imprint - kinda a flop afters windows 7
> If you have a imprint you need a 3 yr old computer
> To tune it LOL


I too have read the forums regarding Windo$e 7 and Imprint not working... subsequently I tuned my system on a Win7 machine. 

By right clicking on the alpine exe file I ran the compatibility function. Under Win7 you can down grade the application to a 'XP' environment to run the application. The laptop still run Win7 with Imprint running in what it thinks is a XP think box.

As I reread your post... I just realized you were talking about Windo$e 8. Now that OS is for the birds. My main desktop and media server run a Linux variant.


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## cleansoundz (May 14, 2008)

I used Alpine for about 24 years and got tired of them subtracting features each time I purchased a new model. Now I have switched over to Kenwood and have not looked back. Kenwood has never cut out any of their features on their head units. Hell, they even have features that I know exist but never use.


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## soundcontrol (Aug 28, 2012)

cleansoundz said:


> I used Alpine for about 24 years and got tired of them subtracting features each time I purchased a new model. Now I have switched over to Kenwood and have not looked back. Kenwood has never cut out any of their features on their head units. Hell, they even have features that I know exist but never use.



Went to Kenwood as well after my cda-7995. I kept waiting for the newer decks to have some of the same features as the 7995 with the usb added. Radios kept having less and less features unless you added the Imprint device to your radio to get back to what it use to get feature wise in previous years.

Plus the decks have really fallen off in appearance. $280 gets you the same Alpine display from back when cd players were first being made.

Alpine Electronics of America, Inc.


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## The Performer (Aug 12, 2012)

cleansoundz said:


> I used Alpine for about 24 years and got tired of them subtracting features each time I purchased a new model. Now I have switched over to Kenwood and have not looked back. Kenwood has never cut out any of their features on their head units. Hell, they even have features that I know exist but never use.


Seriously you went to kenwood? Wow...


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## jbowers (May 3, 2009)

The Performer said:


> Seriously you went to kenwood? Wow...


Maybe it's just me, but every Kenwood deck I've ever listened to came with a complimentary blanket over every speaker.


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## soundcontrol (Aug 28, 2012)

Must be the install


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## jbowers (May 3, 2009)

soundcontrol said:


> Must be the install


Most of my experience was on a soundboard at my old shop. There was a pronounced muddiness with all of our Kenwood decks compared to everything we sold - Alpine, Pioneer, Eclipse, Clarion - it was immediately noticeable. Now unless everyone who worked there and all of our customers were wrong, it wasn't the install. To each his own, I suppose.


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## JCJetta (Mar 28, 2013)

That's been an observation of mine; but I'm willing to to have a less-pretty display so long as I get the quality and user-friendly interface that made me a die hard Alpine fan back in the earlier Y2K years. Hell, I'd rather it look as OEM as possible, but I realize I'm a minority in that feeling. 

Excelons have been great about both display and features, but lately it seems the "feel" of their units has gone downhill. I'm still rocking a 494 from 2010, and it fits the bill for my needs, for now.


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## Shinju (Jul 11, 2008)

I would only upgrade to a CDA-137BTi... The US got screwed on decks this year!


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

^^^. Wow just read the specs on said unit, makes me want to take a road trip to pick one up.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

Thought I would post an update. This is my first and may be my last aftermarket Alpine. They are giving me a serious runaround on this power antenna issue. They know there's a problem, and other customers seem to have gotten replacements successfully, but I'm getting a lot of "talk to them... no, talk to them... no, you REALLY want to call up these guys."

I have a real short fuse with companies that do this. Love the sound quality of this deck, but I'm starting to realize that I don't like dealing with Alpine's support staff. I keep thinking, "I waited an extra month for the unit to be released for this kind of hassle?"

Should have bought the Kenwood 997. I was ready to pull the trigger but decided to wait. Ah well, live and learn. I can always sell this unit to someone with no power antenna who wouldn't be affected by the antenna bug. It's a shame though... I really don't want to get rid of a deck that sounds this good 

I'll give them some more time yet.


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## jbowers (May 3, 2009)

Oklahoma Wolf said:


> Thought I would post an update. This is my first and may be my last aftermarket Alpine. They are giving me a serious runaround on this power antenna issue. They know there's a problem, and other customers seem to have gotten replacements successfully, but I'm getting a lot of "talk to them... no, talk to them... no, you REALLY want to call up these guys."
> 
> I have a real short fuse with companies that do this. Love the sound quality of this deck, but I'm starting to realize that I don't like dealing with Alpine's support staff. I keep thinking, "I waited an extra month for the unit to be released for this kind of hassle?"
> 
> ...


This is sad. When I sold Alpine their technical and customer support was top notch, which is why I never hesitated to recommend their products when all else was equal.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

Well, we'll see what happens. They finally got back to me today saying they're waiting on the QA team to tell them the best course of action.

I really hope a firmware update can fix this. It would save customers so much time and hassle on exchanges if that's all that was needed. I hate the idea of having to send something back based solely on a software bug. This deck has been awesome otherwise.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Alpine has gone out of their way to satisfy me (and that was before I worked at Sound Sensations). Did you purchase this from a dealer? If so, work through the dealer. The dealer can work with the rep. or direct to Alpine warranty repair. If not, keep at it... I'd be they're trying to figure out what the deal is themselves but, you're right, there's little excuse for the run around if the company knows there's an issue. Sometimes just saying, "We don't have a solution yet but we will log in a replacement or fix for you once we figure it out," is more than enough. Unfortunately a replacement might not cut it right now until "the bug" is figured out. 

Now if you want to talk about my personal experience JBL's customer service... that's some HORSESHIT right there, let me tell you! Good god... Alpine was like heaven on their worst day, comparatively.

As with the Kenwood 997 - I've put in two and both of them had some goofy nutball issue with the CD slot not accepting a CD until I reset the f'er like 3 times. Was a little disenchanting but otherwise I like that deck overall - both times paired with Audison speakers. Nice.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

Yep, and the owner of the place is a friend of mine from way back. He's already gone so far above and beyond the call of duty to get me a fantastic price that I'm trying to save him some hassle. 

I've never had the pleasure of dealing with JBL. Sounds like a real barrel of laughs.

I do have to say Alpine is already way better to deal with than LG Canada. Don't get me started on them or we'll be here all week.


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## cleansoundz (May 14, 2008)

I had a few extra dollars and picked up a Alpine CDE148BT. I must say it is stronger than the Kenwood, sounds better and is much improved than that of previous years.


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## jbluetooth (May 25, 2013)

I just installed my 147BT, and I love it, except, am I the only one that thinks it's f&#@ing annoying that when you press the track forward or back button, it doesn't display the track number until you stop and wait a few [email protected]#[email protected] please tell me there's a way to change this...


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## 727south (Jul 21, 2009)

Just order one but they didn't come with the remote, what the hell is wrong with Alpine?
Any one know where i can get the remote that work with this unit? thanks.


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

727south said:


> Just order one but they didn't come with the remote, what the hell is wrong with Alpine?
> Any one know where i can get the remote that work with this unit? thanks.


RUE-4202. Any Alpine dealer should have one. We always stock them.


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## 727south (Jul 21, 2009)

Angrywhopper said:


> RUE-4202. Any Alpine dealer should have one. We always stock them.


I order one thank you.


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## JCJetta (Mar 28, 2013)

I will have my 147BT by Monday and hopefully installed within a week. Can't wait!


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

After some more waiting for news, there is now finally a firmware update for the antenna issue. That's the good news. Bad news is, it's not field upgradeable so these need to be sent away to have that done. I've just finished getting things set up to do that with the Canadian distributor (Gentec) and their service facility (WC Enterprises).

I hope this finally resolves this issue... the tech at WC didn't sound like he knew for sure the firmware update applies to the problem, despite the fact that my Gentec contact said he would call them with the information.

I'll send out the deck tomorrow, and report back when I get it back in my hands. Meantime, my old Kenwood KDC-X792 may go back in temporarily so I still have some tunes in there.


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## JCJetta (Mar 28, 2013)

Finally got the 147BT installed. This took the place of an Excelon 494 unit, a few-year-old basic unit. 

First impressions: definite and immediate improvement over the Excelon as far as sound quality. The outputs must have been stronger as well, as I instantly turned the gains on my PDX 150x2 all the way down. 

Second impression I got was… gosh it just doesn’t have the “feel” of the old-school Alpines I was used to back in the day. No matter. 

TuneIt ap was useless. It wouldn’t recognize my password. So I made all my initial EQ adjustments manually, which was fine. 

The 9-band para EQ is leaps and bounds better than the 3-bad the Exelon offered. Pairing that with the up-to-24db/oct crossovers, I was quickly able to dial in midbass my PPI 3-way passive with RS180s setup has never had before. With that, I was able to crossover my sub lower, and punch up the 30hz region, where my F3 falls. This is exactly what I bought this deck for.

Tried BluTooth and Pandora. Takes some work, some teasing, and a few F-bombs and it will work. Not something I’ve been able to set up quickly every time, however. Maybe I need to get more used to it. My Android phone and the unit take a while to sync up, and that makes me impatient.

USB control is fine. Funny thing – I have my head unit wired direct, no switched power (it’s in a VW). Even when I power off the deck, the light on my USB thumb drive remains on. That’s annoying. 

All in all, I love the deck, though it isn’t perfect. But considering I got it for almost free with Discover Card rewards, I’d say the price was right. My system is complete. For now.


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## 727south (Jul 21, 2009)

I have the Alpine HD149 and Pioneeer 80PRS, the Pioneer look better and the Alpine look boring but sound quality the Alpine win.
I wish the Alpine have all the graphic like the Pioneer.

I will have the Pioneer for sale sometime next week if anyone need PM me.


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## bdub03 (Sep 17, 2010)

JCJetta - You can pull an accessory lead off the ignition switch on your Jetta. Depending on the year the trigger may be different. Search around, there is an easy solution and thanks for the review.


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## cleansoundz (May 14, 2008)

JCJetta said:


> Finally got the 147BT installed. This took the place of an Excelon 494 unit, a few-year-old basic unit.
> 
> First impressions: definite and immediate improvement over the Excelon as far as sound quality. The outputs must have been stronger as well, as I instantly turned the gains on my PDX 150x2 all the way down.
> 
> ...


My observations are very similiar to yours. I swapped out my Kenwood X896 for the Alpine 148bt. Immediately, I noticed a sound difference for the better with the 148bt. However, I am not sure if that was because the voltage on the 148bt was stronger. The HD radio on the Alpine 148 was easier for me to use as well as setting the stations. The audio tuning on the Alpine was much easier to use. Both units had separate bass, treble and subwoofer controls. Both have 9 different eq settings. The bluetooth functions are both equal. My system had a small whine with the Kenwood, with the Alpine no engine noise. The 4 volt preouts on the Alpine were stronger than on the 4 volt preouts on the Kenwood. I can to turn down the gains on my amps once I connected the Alpine.

I give Alpine a very slight edge.


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## JCJetta (Mar 28, 2013)

I've determined the Bluetooth issue was with my Galaxy S3 and not the head unit. Now that I have that figured out, I can enjoy Pandora during my commute much easier. 

It definitely has a cleaner output than my Kenwood did. I'm hearing things in my music I haven't heard before the Alpine went in. This cannot be attributed to the superior EQ, either. The sounds I'm hearing are in the midrange, where I have left the levels flat. Even with lessor sources such as Pandora, I'm convinced the sound quality is better. 



bdub03 said:


> JCJetta - You can pull an accessory lead off the ignition switch on your Jetta.


I know, I choose to run it straight - prefer it that way actually. This allows me to turn off the system when I feel like turning it off.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

JCJetta said:


> The 9-band para EQ is leaps and bounds better than the 3-bad the Exelon offered.


Totally agreed, there. I put my 792 back in while the 149 is in the shop, and the difference was night and day.

I really miss my 149. It's been 10 days since the service center signed for the parcel. No news since. I might have to give them a call and see just what's taking them so long for a mere firmware update. I'm not really too happy that this job needed a trip to the service center in the first place, never mind their assurances that they'd get this done quick.


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## MrFriskles (Mar 29, 2011)

beast deck


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

I have one sitting in my cart, yet don't know if I can go back to a single din in my Subaru again.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

Well, I think I'm crossing Alpine off my list of future purchases. Not because they haven't been nice to deal with - they have. It's because their Canadian service center, WC Enterprises, seems to have issues with customer service.

After two weeks of no word on my deck, I called them to see if I could get an update. I mean, I'm an electronics tech myself and I get it... sometimes it takes a while, even for firmware updates.

As soon as I told the guy why I was calling, he hung up. I called Gentec, the Canadian distributor Alpine had me call to set this all up... nice people, but they couldn't do a thing for me. I called WC back. Once more, as soon as I told him why I called... "click."

This type of service is a total dealbreaker for me. I will not do business with Alpine again as long as it means maybe having to deal with this level of service again.

As for my deck, well, I just hope I see it again. Had I known what this was going to be like, I'd have just sold the thing, antenna bug and all, and gone back to Kenwood. This hassle is just not at all acceptable to me.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Doesn't Canada have a consumer advocacy element of the gov. to get help from? Thought America's hat had something like that...


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

I believe so... I'll have to look into that yet. Alpine's already gotten back to me offering to rattle a few cages for me, so I hope they can find something out.


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## Shinju (Jul 11, 2008)

A lot of Canadians just ship their Alpine products to California. It costs more but the CS is FAR FAR better then anything you can get up north. Sucks but its the truth.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

Hmm... I wasn't aware that was even an option. Ah well - too late for that now.

Edit - cages have been rattled. My deck's being shipped back tomorrow. Or, so says the lady from WC Enterprises. We'll see. She was a lot nicer to deal with than who I got on the phone this morning.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

After some effective complaining, the 149 is now back in the dash. I'm pleased to report that the firmware update did indeed solve the power antenna lead issue, and Mix All appears to be working properly.

What a hassle, but at last I now have a fully working deck.


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## Alpine209 (Aug 25, 2013)

Oklahoma Wolf said:


> After some effective complaining, the 149 is now back in the dash. I'm pleased to report that the firmware update did indeed solve the power antenna lead issue, and Mix All appears to be working properly.
> 
> What a hassle, but at last I now have a fully working deck.


I just bought a 149 deck with a June 2013 manufacture date. The Mix All does seem to work with only one issue. I can go forward in tracks, but if I click to go back it will not go back.

Oklahoma Wolf, can you let me know if you can go both forward and backward in tracks when using Mix All?


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## Geereg (Aug 17, 2013)

I just picked up a 148 to replace a stock head unit. It's a nice looking unit and I've just started going through all of the options. While setting up my sub I checked only the sub pre-out with a scope and it doesn't clip even at maximum volume (35/35). However it does clip the speaker level outputs at about 20/35.

One wish I have is that it had a mic on the faceplate instead of only the external.


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## Oklahoma Wolf (Jun 9, 2013)

Alpine209 said:


> I just bought a 149 deck with a June 2013 manufacture date. The Mix All does seem to work with only one issue. I can go forward in tracks, but if I click to go back it will not go back.
> 
> Oklahoma Wolf, can you let me know if you can go both forward and backward in tracks when using Mix All?


I can track skip forward but not backward. Not really a big deal for me. I'm used to MP3 player randomizers doing that.


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## In2Muzikk (Nov 29, 2009)

I upgraded my Alpine CDA-9835 to the CDE-HD149BT several months ago, was one of the first units that the installer here in Los Angeles received. Here are my thoughts:

Pros:


Nice display, shows 3 lines from the iPod which gives complete info, vs. truncated to about 14 characters with the old unit. Now I can see the complete artist, track and date information of podcasts. 

USB connection is on the back. Front USB was a deal breaker with recent units, as the rear connection allows cable to run behind the unit to my iPod in the locked glove box. No need for anyone to see cables hanging about suggesting that I have an iPod or iPhone somewhere in the car. Too inconvenient to constantly attach and disconnect the cable otherwise. Bluetooth as an alternative, imo, doesn't provide satisfactory audio quality. The unit also resets back to track 1 at 00:00 when using Bluetooth, so no memory of last play position. 

Detachable face plate. My car stereo was stolen once, never since with a detachable plate, enough said.

Audio quality is good as, if not better, than the CDA-9835 (which was awesome!)

No more little add-on boxes that cost $150 each plus $30 cables for the iPod connector, HD radio, etc. It's all in the head unit, the way it should be.

Cons:

AM radio reception issues:

Horrible AM reception, howling and screeching with most stations, HD rarely kicked in. My old CDA-9835 actually had significantly better AM reception! 

AM radio only operates in standard mode until an FM HD radio station is selected. After that, the same AM station will then be received in HD.

iPod connectivity problem: My 4th Generation 30GB iPod was working ok with the head unit for about 2 months, but recently the head unit has been displaying "No USB Unit."

I have resolved AM radio issue #1 by going back to the dealer a couple of times. The second time, I painted the rear window antenna connectors with DeoxIT and they basically just put everything back together again. AM reception has since been 100x better, even better than when I first bought the car some 8 year ago, so this may have been an oxidation issue

The dealer called Alpine about issue #2, and they stated that AM radio not defaulting to HD is a known issue. There was supposed to be a firmware update that would fix the issue in the future, just upgrade firmware through the USB connector. The dealer recently called Alpine again regarding another issue however, so they asked again about the AM HD firmware update. 
Apparently there will be no firmware update, the unit must be mailed back to Alpine at the customer's expense. I don't want to be without my radio for weeks and don't feel like I should be paying shipping to fix a faulty product that's under warranty either, so I'm still pressing the "BAND" button 3 times (to activate FM HD) after selecting an AM station so that it will come in as HD.

As for the iPod issue, Alpine informed my dealer that the 4th Generation 30GB iPod is not supported, so the recommended solution was to buy another iPod! Of course, Apple products have changed to the Lightning connector cable, so a Lightning adaptor would be required to use the existing heavy duty Kenwood iPod cable that I'm using. After doing some research, a lot of people are having problems with these adapters (even the $29 Apple OEM ones), such as the iPod will not charge, some functions don't work, etc. 

I visited the Apple store, and they suggested that I upgrade the iPod software to the most current version. I checked, and it's already using the latest version, so I performed a "RESTORE" to factory settings and loaded some more podcasts last night. This morning, the iPod was playing a podcast ok, but then went quiet and the unit displayed "No USB unit." It recovered after a few seconds, though, so the verdict is still out on whether this issue is fixed.

If it continues, I guess the solution will be to buy a new iPod, but perhaps it's best to find a "recent generation" one that still uses the 30 pin cable connector? I have read that those are more reliable than the Lightning connector at this time. I'd like to know if anyone has a particular iPod model that's giving solid performance with the 149BT? If it's still available, I'll seriously consider getting one of those rather than going through another experiment with something that's not well tested.

It's all somewhat ironic, since I replaced the CDA-9835 primarily due to issues with the iPod. That unit wasn't charging the iPod properly (dealer told me the head unit cable didn't supply sufficient current to the iPod), so the battery would run out and then I'd have to reconnect the iPod. Afterwards, the iPod would go back to track #1 at 00:00 (do this 5-10 times a month while listening to an iPod full of 2-hour podcasts, and it's all one can do not to throw the head unit out the window!) So the 149BT is now charging the same iPod fine, but there are other issues - apparently with the iPod. 

Looks like I have a CDA-9835, KCA410i, KCA420C and an Alpine 6 CD changer to sell (149BT is not compatible with the old CD changer). The CDA-9835 display was flickering in "tilt" position, but displayed fine at a 90 degree angle. Otherwise, all were in good working condition as of the date I upgraded. Anyone know a good place to sell such items, or should I just list them on eBay? 

Overall, I like the CDE-HD149BT, but I feel that some of the kinks were not worked out. The compatible Apple iPod/iPhone/iPad models are listed in the instruction manual on Alpine's website, so anyone considering this model might want to check there first (unless Apple device compatibility isn't a big deal).


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## In2Muzikk (Nov 29, 2009)

The iPod connectivity problem with CDE-HD149BT became worse, to the point that the unit now displays "No USB Unit" all the time now. I have since tested it with three different cables and iPods (30GB 5th gen, Nano 6th gen, Classic 160GB) and an iPhone 3GS. At least two of those are listed as fully compatible in the User Manual. 

I have contacted the dealer again, and will need to have the unit removed so it can be sent back to Alpine. My advice on the CDE-HD149BT is to stay away until the reviews are good. Otherwise it can be a very frustrating experience with multiple trips to the dealer, replacing parts and accessories in process of elimination to resolve problems.


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## Alpine209 (Aug 25, 2013)

Hey everyone, I noticed a problem with my Alpine 149bt.

When using USB audio to listen to MP3's. I notice that sometimes songs will repeat. At first I thought I accidently had two of the same mp3's in the folder, but that is not the case.


It happens somewhat often but randomly.

I was wondering if anyone who listens to MP3's has noticed this problem? You will notice that once the song is finished it will play the exactly same song again! 

Hitting track forward will then skip to the next song as normally.


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## In2Muzikk (Nov 29, 2009)

Here's the latest update on my CDE-HD149BT issues:

Alpine returned the same unit that I had purchased back to the dealer, and the dealer reinstalled it. The iPod is now recognized for the first time since the unit was returned (unit was previously displaying "No USB Unit)." AM stations now receive in HD after a short period without any user intervention (previously, AM stations would stay in regular mode until an FM HD station was selected, then the same AM station would come in HD). I checked the firmware version (under Bluetooth) and it shows "C500," not sure if this was updated or not, as I hadn't noted the original version. So my unit appears to have been repaired back to proper working order.

The odd part is that Alpine's Service Repair Order shows:

"USB Connector Inoperative", Service Action: No trouble found.

"AM, vague general complaint or insufficient information" Service Action: No trouble found.

Never mind that I had written "Customer" next to my name on the enclosed copy of the original invoice and had also written my phone number right next to it. So if there was insufficient information or the description was vague, then perhaps calling the customer to clarify might make sense? Yet the problem is resolved, so they most definitely fixed or updated something.

Total on the Service Repair Order showed "0.00" for parts, tax, labor and shipping, yet Alpine separately billed my dealer $15 for returning the unit, which the dealer needs to pass along to me. 

Anyway, at least the unit is functioning properly now, far as I can tell. I just don't know what the motive would be for fixing the unit but then declaring that no trouble was found? Maybe that allowed them to charge the $15 for return shipping? They also included pages from the instruction manual for "iPod/iPhone" and "HD Radio Reception," which I had already read thoroughly before returning the unit. Odd customer service, not sure Alpine will be at the top of my list anymore when it comes to car audio.


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Not to intrude on this but I've recently had an Alpine CDA 137BTi shipped to me from overseas. Meaning it isn't a unit sold in the USA. Have not had it installed yet, but the fit and finish is spot on. I plan on doing a side by side spec evaluation to see what the difference is between this unit and mine. Hopefully the problem listed was just a fluke. Will post my own review as to not clutter this one.


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## Mic10is (Aug 20, 2007)

Coppertone said:


> Not to intrude on this but I've recently had an Alpine CDA 137BTi shipped to me from overseas. Meaning it isn't a unit sold in the USA. Have not had it installed yet, but the fit and finish is spot on. I plan on doing a side by side spec evaluation to see what the difference is between this unit and mine. Hopefully the problem listed was just a fluke. Will post my own review as to not clutter this one.


Im actually waiting on a 149BT for my Wife's car so I'll also do a comparison between it and the 137BTi.
Im glad you finally got yours. enjoy it


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## Coppertone (Oct 4, 2011)

Great to hear and awaiting your findings.


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## rekd0514 (Sep 24, 2006)

I would be interested on the differences as well.


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## ShaneInMN (Sep 27, 2013)

I just installed this HU about a week ago, still playing around with it, but overall I am happy with the features. I really like the crossover and 9 band EQ, though I've been keeping the EQ flat mostly and just adjusting the crossover. Time correction has been fun to mess around with.

Overall, it's a feature packed head unit. For a newbie, it is a bit overwhelming at first.

The display would have been better without a glossy screen. I find it hard to read at times during the day.


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## scottanthony (Nov 24, 2013)

I have a HD-149BT head unit with all the goodies I can muster.. .
It sounds good with the 9 band eq, X-over settings and 6 RCA outputs..

So, I installed it and have the strangest thing going on. On the left front channel, the volume is super low and the right is way more powerful until you reach it close to vol 15.... then at 20, it levels out to match the right and both rear speakers. 

IM running 2 fusion amps. The one that controls the mids and highs are a 
FUSION Ca-AM41200. 

Ive done all the preliminary tests and switched the RCAS around from the head unit, forward, back, right left, etc... and yes all channels are centered. 
But, it is still has a low volume side on the left. 

Then when someone calls on the BT in car speakers, (I have them set to the front 2.) The volume equalizes. Its back to perfectly normal... 

Anyone have any ideas, why the volume on the left Is sooo low?...?

Thx................


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## ShaneInMN (Sep 27, 2013)

Try setting defeat on on the HU and set xovers on your amps and see if the problem continues.


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## scottanthony (Nov 24, 2013)

I tried it on Defeat and set the X-overs w/ no Luck.. 
With defeat on, it did start to bring the left channel up at about vol 13 but sounded like crap.


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## Barristan (Nov 8, 2011)

I've had it installed for a week now and I really like it. One thing I am having problems with is the "Tuneit" app. I have an Moto RAZR Maxx and can't get it allow me to "Find tunings". According to my phone it's connected thru the bluetooth, but the app still says it's not connected. Very annoying.


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## JCJetta (Mar 28, 2013)

Don't know if it is my recent Android update, but my Bluetooth/Pandora connection has been very unstable lately. One day, it connects just fine and I'm enjoying my commute with my favorite Pandora stations. The next day, both my phone and head unit recognize a Bluetooth connection, but NO PANDORA. Despite all my efforts to disconnect/reconnect the BT connection, still NO PANDORA. 

Anyone else getting frustrated like me with this? The Bluetooth/Pandora feature is one of my biggest reasons for getting this deck.


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

I'm noticing mine won't do Pandora with my iPhone 5. Not that I like to control Pandora from the head unit anyway (not to mention the vehicle it's in doesn't have steering wheel controls)... but it won't recognize the Pandora app. Goofy.


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## Barristan (Nov 8, 2011)

This is the first bluetooth device that I have ever used. So far I am not impressed. I have been able to get Pandora and Bluetooth audio to work, but it is not always easy. I was under the impression that after you've paired once it should be automatic from then on. It's not working like that for me. 
I did get the Tuneit app to work after I uninstalled/reinstalled it. It worked fine the few times I have tried it.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

I hope the next generation offers an extra USB port and it includes the remote


I think with the latest versions of BT in most HU s they need to be connected each time the ignition is turned off. I believe my 3GS phone connected with my jvc automatically But when I got my 5 and also with 4s phones once paired, every time we get in, they need to be connected it is easier on my HU but it can also be connected with the phone settings


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## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

My 149BT has zero issues connecting via BT automatically - happens before I care to check on it once I get in the car using an iPhone 5. I don't go looking immediately because I don't use BT audio much and am not the type to get into conversations in the car.

Agreed on the extra USB port. I prefer to have one for a dedicated USB cable for the driver's phone and another for, perhaps, a passenger or a "leave it in the car" USB stick.

I have yet to EVER use the remote from any head unit I have ever had. I think Alpine using that money for build quality is better off. The remotes are not that expensive and can be had from an Alpine dealer or online... there's only two options right now I think.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

What is the difference between the 148 and 149?

As much as I searched, I could not find any other than the screen having an extra line of text (when fonts are already big enough with 148) smoother fonts instead of the doted 90's style font on the 148, and flip the faceplate down to put the CD in on the 149. 

I am not sure if that is worth the extra $50


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## golf29 (Jan 17, 2014)

Yes the difference is the better screen. If you don't need the HD Radio and SirrusXM, just get the 147BT, it's a lot cheaper. Otherwise, the Pioneer DEH-80PRS might be a better value.

*Alpine Press Writeup*

*CDE-HD149BT Advanced Bluetooth® CD/HD Radio Receiver*
TuneIt™ app compatible
HD Radio™ receiver built-in
Works with Pandora® internet radio for iPhone® and Android™
Made for iPod® and iPhone®
App Direct Mode
SiriusXM compatible (tuner and subscription sold separately)
BT Plus Advanced Bluetooth® wireless technology with audio streaming
Three preouts (4V)
Built-in 18W x 4 amplifier (at CEA-2006 rating)
9-band parametric EQ
24-Bit DAC
Rear USB port with high speed connection for iPod® or USB drives
Three-line full dot matrix display
Quad-illumination
Steering wheel remote ready
Available: March 2013
SRI: $320.00

*CDE-HD148BT Advanced Bluetooth® CD/HD Radio Receiver*
TuneIt™ app compatible
HD Radio™ receiver built-in
Works with Pandora® internet radio for iPhone® and Android™
Made for iPod® and iPhone®
App Direct Mode
SiriusXM compatible (tuner and subscription sold separately)
BT Plus Advanced Bluetooth® wireless technology with audio streaming
Three preout (4V)
Built-in 18W x 4 amplifier (at CEA-2006 rating)
9-band parametric EQ
24-Bit DAC
Rear USB port with high speed connection for iPod® or USB drives
Two-line dot display
Quad-illumination
Steering wheel remote ready
Available: March 2013
SRI: $280.00

*CDE-147BT Advanced Bluetooth® CD/Receiver*
TuneIt™ app compatible
Works with Pandora® internet radio for iPhone® and Android™
Made for iPod® and iPhone®
App Direct Mode
BT Plus Advanced Bluetooth® wireless technology with audio streaming
Three preout (4V)
Built-in 18W x 4 amplifier (at CEA-2006 rating)
9-band parametric EQ
24-Bit DAC
Rear USB port with high speed connection for iPod® or USB drives
Two-line dot display
Quad-illumination
Steering wheel remote ready
Available: March 2013
SRI: $230.00


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Beyond just the screen quality, the 149 has a completely different face. Most notable is the fact that the CD slot is hidden behind the face on the 149 and exposed on the 148. I believe functionally though, they are the same. 

CDE-HD149BT...









CDE-HD148BT...









CDE-147BT...


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## chevbowtie22 (Nov 23, 2008)

Well I've had my 149 for quite some time now. I'd say maybe a month or two after it was released. So far I've had no major issues. Bluetooth can be finicky at times but my phone tends to have issues with the bluetooth functionality with many devices. Radio reception is far better than my oem radio was. I don't really use the eq function being as I have a minidsp for that. I do use it once in a while to narrow down a trouble frequency on the fly so I can better address it when I have access to my computer for the minidsp. The fact I dont have to stare at a front usb, aux in, or a cheaper looking display was more than enough reason for me to swing the extra cash for the 149 over the 147 or 148.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

chevbowtie22 said:


> The fact I dont have to stare at a front usb, aux in, or a cheaper looking display was more than enough reason for me to swing the extra cash for the 149 over the 147 or 148.


Just to be clear there is no front USB on the 147 or 148. Cheaper display and aux in on the other hand... 

My wife is quite pleased with her CDE-147BT. (I don't even know that she would be able to tell the difference between the 147 and 149.)


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

I always liked black text on white background or white text on black background since my interior lights are mostly amber with more on the white color.

I know these Alpines offer the white letters, just some of the buttons can only be green, red, blue and not white like the letters?


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## 6262ms3 (Feb 27, 2008)

Recently installed a 149 to replace my old 9835 (ipod interface was getting increasingly flakey, rotary knob was almost toast). I'm much happier with it than I thought I would be, no problems so far. I mainly use it for ipod and a bit of analog fm.

Pros: 
Much better ipod sq (yes a bit of an oxymoron). My old deck had a very noticeable degradation from cd to ipod, the 149 on ipod sounds much closer to cd quality. Really wasn't expecting such an improvement in clarity with less harshness! Also great that it has a usb port and I could get rid of that giant wart of an external ipod interface.

EQ: The extra 4 bands of parametric is nice, even better is that you can put the bands close together (ie: 2khz and 2.6khz). Old deck didn't allow this, I love that I can use two bands close together and use less cut or boost over a wider range to get the sound I want.

Bluetooth: Before I had to use a sun-visor clip-on unit for hands-free phone operation, now the deck is able to do that and so far I haven't had any issues with it.

Internal Amp: Love that it's still fairly easy to turn on/off, I run rear speakers on this and only turn them on when I have passengers in the back seat.

Contols: Close enough to my old deck that it's been quick and easy to learn. Love that there are still buttons for presetting multiple radio stations, eq, xover and ta.

Cons:
Xover: Sucks that you can't bandpass any of the outputs, luckily I was able to make it work using the sub out for my midbasses (lpf 200hz 12db) and my amp's hpf (65hz 24db), then use my amp's lpf for the sub and hpf for mid/tweet combo). Still annoying to lose a feature going from an old deck to a new deck.

Mediaexpander: With it now being user-adjustable I thought it would be perfect for a one-touch "bass boost" for punk and classic rock, but there's no button for it. It has to be turned on inside a menu which renders it useless. It's quicker to use a second eq preset to do the same thing. Oh well.

Display: Not as nice or bright as the old biolite, but it's decent.

EQ: It would've been awesome if it had separate l/r 9 band parametrics, but that's just me nit-picking.


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## amazon (Feb 8, 2014)

I'm looking to get a CDE-HD149BT, but does has anyone tried a 30gb 5th gen iPod with it? It's not listed in the official manual but it worked with the 9887 so maybe it will worth with this?


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## 27230 (Aug 10, 2009)

I have a 5th gen iPod, and it will play, but won't skip to next track.


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## Positrack (Dec 28, 2014)

By the specs sheet, there is plenty to love such as the rear USB and aux jack, 4v preouts, the display is nice, the EQ sounds good, I'm glad to see Alpine kept the radio preset buttons and a real rotary knob for volume, 'bout time the HD tuner was included, and it sounds like the audio quality is excellent. I would love to buy one of these. However, if I'm going to spend this kind of money on a deck, I'd want to be able to go active. It's sort of ridiculous that they would have reduced its features in that respect compared to previous models. Now instead of literally placing my order, I'm seriously considering buying from a competitor or finding an older discontinued deck on Ebay for the crossover capabilities.

Alpine, if you're listening, take the 149BT, sort out any bugs with it, bring back the Biolite display, and add full active capability. Please. And while you're at it, it wouldn't hurt to improve the construction of the buttons and face a bit. Raise the price $50 and call it a new model if you have to; I'd buy it. Like someone else said, these newer units definitely don't have the solid feel and fit and finish of the older ones. Also, I agree with the previous commenter who preferred the refined, OEM, form-follows-function look to the gaudy carnival light show so many companies have been making the last few years. I liked the clean look and solid feel of the Alpines from the 90s/00s better, but I'll give you that Alpines are still far better looking than most of the others in my eyes.


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## Alrojoca (Oct 5, 2012)

Positrack said:


> By the specs sheet, there is plenty to love such as the rear USB and aux jack, 4v preouts, the display is nice, the EQ sounds good, I'm glad to see Alpine kept the radio preset buttons and a real rotary knob for volume, 'bout time the HD tuner was included, and it sounds like the audio quality is excellent. I would love to buy one of these. However, if I'm going to spend this kind of money on a deck, I'd want to be able to go active. It's sort of ridiculous that they would have reduced its features in that respect compared to previous models. Now instead of literally placing my order, I'm seriously considering buying from a competitor or finding an older discontinued deck on Ebay for the crossover capabilities.
> 
> Alpine, if you're listening, take the 149BT, sort out any bugs with it, bring back the Biolite display, and add full active capability. Please. And while you're at it, it wouldn't hurt to improve the construction of the buttons and face a bit. Raise the price $50 and call it a new model if you have to; I'd buy it. Like someone else said, these newer units definitely don't have the solid feel and fit and finish of the older ones. Also, I agree with the previous commenter who preferred the refined, OEM, form-follows-function look to the gaudy carnival light show so many companies have been making the last few years. I liked the clean look and solid feel of the Alpines from the 90s/00s better, but I'll give you that Alpines are still far better looking than most of the others in my eyes.





I really hope so, and my opinion is I doubt it, Alpine sells sound processors they have like 5-6 different models, that would take market share from the sales on their DSP's. It would be nice to at least see an HP filter from 2Khz instead of 250Hz just for tweeters. Alpine looks at it as most people want to have their passive components or coax in the front and their coax in the back. If you look at the whole market, maybe over 60-80% have their systems configured that way. This is just my guess and personal opinion, it may be changing. What they may do is simply reduce the prices on the HU's and DSP's to really have an impact on the market that Pioneer is taking. 

Pioneer will be getting way more market and even more now with the double din units that offer 5 slopes, HP LP on the full range channels, 4V RCA's 13 band EQ. As far as I know they do not make separate DSP units, they have nothing to loose. And I still see many people saving money going for the old AVH 2600, 3600 HU's just to save $10, $30 knowing they could get active network with the newer models for a few extra dollars, they want to have rear speakers, and don't seem to care much about active or bi amping. 

Can't win them all, I like many features on the Alpines, and the ones I do not like are minor cosmetic ones and some operation issues, like the pause button, honestly I have a hard time finding it and we are forced to press that back on to continue, with Kenwoods, you pause, then press any button or even decrease or increase volume and the music continues. Very minor issue or a non issue for many. The EQ, come on, once you set it to flat or any factory EQ preset, you lost your personal EQ prev settings, and having to deal with freq, and level to go back is not fun. I just keep my notes, make changes and go back since I don't have one touch to have a few of my personal EQ settings. The app just had some update a few weeks ago, it crashed 8 out 10 times before I gave up, it could be a bit of an issue with the wifi being weak and making the app crash, I hope, I wish it could work with BT, it needs to be connected with the cable, and it just feels strange, I will try it again with the new update. If it worked, a lot can be done with it for one touch EQ and other settings saved in the app.

Maybe it does not matter because even with the Flat EQ, it sounds great. In fact, even with my laid back Morel components, many EQ bands are below flat level, I am glad I saved $50 with the 148BT since the screen and fonts is the only difference.


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## Babs (Jul 6, 2007)

I can confirm the 149 sounds great. On going active it's merely a matter of crossovers. If I weren't running an outboard DSP, I'd simply band pass by using the 10x function on the NVX 4-ch amp I'm running. With that, a guy could run a quite nice simple active setup with Alpine's rather slick TuneIt app and with a rather nice while only single parametric EQ and all-channel T/A and levels control. I'd run it all day long.


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## dannyboy100 (Mar 5, 2011)

I was hoping to get some feedback. I've had the 149BT installed for about a year. 
I'm having issues with both the Ipod and the Bluetooth.

Everything was working fine until out of the blue my phone(samsung s5) would not automatically pair with the alpine. 
I have a blinking BT icon in the display and the HU doesnt show my phone as paired, even though my phone shows connected to the HU.

The ipod issue is similar. My Ipod shows its connected to the 149bt. But all I get on the display is "Stop".

I've tried to reset the ipod, no luck.

Any suggestions?


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## bdub03 (Sep 17, 2010)

I have 2 149bt's and a 138bt and also receive a blinking phone icon when tethered to my iPhone. I have not had any playback issues though with any of these head units using an IOS device. I can't say much for Android since I don't have anything to test with.

I would strongly advise doing a hard reset on your head unit. There is a reset button under the faceplate. I believe there is a specific process to complete this. Google a manual for reference. Make sure you backup your settings using the Alpine App so you don't loose your audio settings.

BTW, I picked up the 138bt for < 100 bucks used and the 149bt for 130 for my 2nd car and camper. Thank you eBay :-D


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## dannyboy100 (Mar 5, 2011)

bdub03 said:


> I have 2 149bt's and a 138bt and also receive a blinking phone icon when tethered to my iPhone. I have not had any playback issues though with any of these head units using an IOS device. I can't say much for Android since I don't have anything to test with.
> 
> I would strongly advise doing a hard reset on your head unit. There is a reset button under the faceplate. I believe there is a specific process to complete this. Google a manual for reference. Make sure you backup your settings using the Alpine App so you don't loose your audio settings.
> 
> BTW, I picked up the 138bt for < 100 bucks used and the 149bt for 130 for my 2nd car and camper. Thank you eBay :-D


Thats a good price for the 149bt on Ebay!!

I tried the hard reset on the HU, although I just pressed the red button. I wasnt aware of a specific process to reset. Ill see what I can find about that.

Any other ideas? I had a CDA 117 before the 149BT and the IPOD channel went bad on it. Could I have another Alpine with the same issue? That would suck.


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## bdub03 (Sep 17, 2010)

I've had several other Alpine head units and have never had an issue with the USB or iPod connector.

Also, check your phones "name" I remember back with another brand of head units that issues due to a special character in the phone name.

One thing also to check. How are your power and ground connections? Voltage good as well (above 11.6 or so with the battery off) Electronics get wonky when there are voltage and grounding issues.

Looks like the reset procedure is pretty basic:

Be sure to press the RESET switch when using the unit for the first time, after changing the car battery, etc.
1 Turn off the unit power.
2 Press (OPEN) to open the front panel, and then remove
it.
3 Press RESET with a ballpoint pen or similar pointed object.


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## dannyboy100 (Mar 5, 2011)

bdub03 said:


> I've had several other Alpine head units and have never had an issue with the USB or iPod connector.
> 
> Also, check your phones "name" I remember back with another brand of head units that issues due to a special character in the phone name.
> 
> ...



Thanks bdub.

So I resolved my Ipod issue!!!....Just a bit of background...it's a 6 generation Ipod classic 160GB.

It turns out all I needed to do was turn the EQ off!!! I dont know why, but its working again. I've spent 3 days resetting it etc!!

I'm still having the bluetooth issue. It had been working flawlessly for a year and one day just stopped out of the blue.

I've tried resetting the HU, resetting the phone(galaxy S5), pairing from the phone. pairing from the HU.

The phone shows as paired and connected. But the HU doesnt show it paired.

Ugh


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## bdub03 (Sep 17, 2010)

Good find on the EQ setting 

Again, try kill paring on both sides (Galaxy + Alpine) and do a re-pair from your phone.


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## dannyboy100 (Mar 5, 2011)

bdub03 said:


> Good find on the EQ setting
> 
> Again, try kill paring on both sides (Galaxy + Alpine) and do a re-pair from your phone.


Thanks! Who would've thought the EQ on the Ipod would affect it connecting to the head unit. Weird.

I've killed the pairing on the phone side. But the Alpine doesnt show any paired devices to kill. I wonder if theres a way to clear out the bluetooth memory?

I'm reaching now!


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