New Alpine head unit - poor sound

[alyraver]

Hi all

I have just changed the standard head unit to an Alpine one, and i'l be honest - the alpine one sounds awful comapred to the Aura standard one!
Is this right?
The only reason i changed is because i have a sub and amp i want to run, and need the aux out on the alpine..by other than that i thought the Aura system was excellent. I was hoping to retain the same quality sound with the alpine.

Perhaps i need to tweak to settings on the new HU? Or is this the norm?

 

[t0m]

Hi all

I have just changed the standard head unit to an Alpine one, and i'l be honest - the alpine one sounds awful comapred to the Aura standard one!
Is this right?
The only reason i changed is because i have a sub and amp i want to run, and need the aux out on the alpine..by other than that i thought the Aura system was excellent. I was hoping to retain the same quality sound with the alpine.

Perhaps i need to tweak to settings on the new HU? Or is this the norm?

You definitely need to tweak the settings.

From factory it'll be all over the show. Alpine's are quality head units I'd be very surprised if the sound from it wasn't decent. Should be better all day long than the standard Aura unit.

 

[alyraver]

aaahhh cool! thats what i was hoping to hear cheers mate

 

[Xizor]

Please let us know if tweaking the settings helped.

I'm a bit doubtful TBH. I have just put a high-end Kenwood head unit in mine and it sounds pants. I'm not impressed with the standard speakers myself and as soon as the weather warms up they are going. I know a lot of people say they are good, but believe me you can do much better for a fairly small outlay.

Good luck!

 

[ReDBull]

Mine sounds pretty good with the standard speakers.

 

[beastgtir]

mine sounds mint.

im running a jvc head unit, and vibe 4 channel amp powering all 4 speakers - (standard).
The car is fully dyna matted too.

 

[6th.replicant]

Alpine makes some quality kit. For starters, your Alpine will have a better DAC than the Aura, and when Aston fitted so-called Linn-branded hi-fi in the Vanquish and DB9, under the skin many of the components were actually Alpine.

IME, compared to the Aura, an Alpine sounds much more detailed but, in turn, it will also seem 'brighter' and have less mid-range and low-end bass - which is what Japanese consumers prefer.

But fear not, look in your Alpine's handbook under Sound Settings and it will reveal many tweaks, eg:

• First, set Defeat (aka factory pre-sets / override) to Off
  
• Set Loudness to On to boost bass at low volumes
• Band T/A adjusts mid-range bass and the treble centre frequency
  
• It's also possible to adjust the Bass Bandwidth
  
• The High Pass Filter (HPF) can be adjusted: Off <-> 60Hz <-> 80Hz <-> 100Hz

Play with the settings and see which you prefer.

Have fun

 

[LeonUser]

You definantly have to tweak the settings, i had to with mine it sounded horrible until i tweak settings now it sounds really good with standard speakers.

 

[GoogleBear]

Far too many available tweeks on these alpine units I've found, I'm yet to get ours sounding how i like it, gave up in the end and bought i little alpine sub so i can take all the bass away from the door speakers. Yet to fit it though. But i understand what u mean

Sent from my Windows Phone using Board Express

 

[t0m]

I've got a Sony but I want to change to a Pioneer sometime in the future.

 

[Xizor]

Far too many available tweeks on these alpine units I've found, I'm yet to get ours sounding how i like it, gave up in the end and bought i little alpine sub so i can take all the bass away from the door speakers. Yet to fit it though. But i understand what u mean

Sent from my Windows Phone using Board Express

If you think the Alpines are bad you should see this Kenwood I've got! Dozens of adjustments for different speaker sizes, locations, type of car, etc, etc. It's crazy. Also no good old tone controls, just a 14 band EQ. In the end though you can't change the fundamental sound of the speakers. If they colour the music, they still will however you change the EQ. Adding a sub is a good start though.

 

[LeonUser]

I've got a Sony but I want to change to a Pioneer sometime in the future.

Which sony do you have? I have a pioneer one there are really good!

My missus wont let me fit a sub as its chavvy! Lol

 

[t0m]

Which sony do you have? I have a pioneer one there are really good!

My missus wont let me fit a sub as its chavvy! Lol

I'm not sure which model it is but it cost me £150 nearly two years ago and has an iPod read out cable routed to the glove box. I had a Pioneer in a Clio years ago and the sound quality just beats my current Sony hands down. Also my mate has a Pioneer in his LCR and the sound is very crisp. I've played with the settings so there is almost none left to try and I'm still not 100% happy with it.

I want this Pio:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pioneer-DEH...AJUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363340472&sr=8-1

 

[RaviR50]

Not much point changing the speakers unless you are gonna run them off an amp. And the standard speakers are riveted in so will be a pita to get out

 

[gdjohny]

i am running a very food alpine HU. I have starded with standard speakers and the sound was awsome.
Now i have upgraded to front focal a d fli in the rear. all powered now with goos amp. sounds Lound And clear

 

[LeonUser]

I'm not sure which model it is but it cost me £150 nearly two years ago and has an iPod read out cable routed to the glove box. I had a Pioneer in a Clio years ago and the sound quality just beats my current Sony hands down. Also my mate has a Pioneer in his LCR and the sound is very crisp. I've played with the settings so there is almost none left to try and I'm still not 100% happy with it.

I want this Pio:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Pioneer-DEH...AJUG/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363340472&sr=8-1

Yeah i had a Ripspeed dvd one in mine before it gave up with the dvd laser, then i got my pioneer ine and the volume is so amense! Best one ive had so far but i want a dvd flip-out one next.

 

[-pseudonymous-]

I have the Alpine INE-900R headunit and I am also a little disappointed with the sound quality to be honest, considering it cost me the best part of a grand. I seem to have lost a bit of 'punch' and there are very few sound settings to play around with, just the basic loudness, bass and treble.

 

[t0m]

I have the Alpine INE-900R headunit and I am also a little disappointed with the sound quality to be honest, considering it cost me the best part of a grand. I seem to have lost a bit of 'punch' and there are very few sound settings to play around with, just the basic loudness, bass and treble.

Wow a grand!! I see £250 as my max spend on a head unit, lol.

 

[GoogleBear]

My alpine sounds fantastic if your sat in back! Sit in the front and there is no low end at all, and that's with focal components up front and focal full range in the rears.

 

[alyraver]

Tweaked the settings as advised, turned off deffeat, wacked bass n treble up - sounds very very good, better than the standard HU definately

just got to hook up the sub and i'm done