Anyone know of any headunits with multi-band EQ's?

[LabRodent]

First I would like to say hello because I am new here. So,... Hello all! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/bigwave.gif.16324171cad2db62cf4f16568b038478.gif

Ok,... You guys know of any Headunits with built in multi-band EQ's? I mean more than bass, and treble control, or EQ presets. I have an external EQ but dont want to go the external amp route this time. (tried searching but it wasnt working)

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[JimJ 5,000+ posts]

Most of them in the $200-$400 range?

Manufacturers will vary on the kind of EQ offered, however - Alpine tends to favor parametrics, while Pioneer has offered independent L/R channel graphic EQs.

Adding an external amp would be much more of a worthwhile addition than worrying about what kind of EQ the head unit has...//content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/fyi.gif.9f1f679348da7204ce960cfc74bca8e0.gif

 

[LabRodent]

Thanx for the quick reply.

I would not be picky about the EQ, just wanting some kind of control.

Could you tell me what some of the cheaper ones are. When I try to search for them they never say if they got a multi-band EQ. I mean many say they have EQ's, but never specify if they are better than bass & treble control. Well, at least not on EBay.

I really dont have the room for 2 decent size amps, capacitor, & sub box. Plus my GMC Seirra has limited stock speaker places (2 6.5"s & 2 3"s). So I really dont care about having high wattage little speakers. I will get enough from them with a headunit with OK wattage. And I like my foot space so I dont want to add kick panel speakers.

 

[SSS 18734 5,000+ posts]

My Eclipse 8455 has a ten-band parametric EQ.

The 8445 I had in my truck earlier had a 7-band parametric EQ. I think there's an 8445 for sale in the classifieds for a good price right now. I also have a one with a few issues for sale for cheap if you want to mess with it.

 

[Plottin4success 10+ year member]

Ditch the capicitor. YOU DONT NEED IT!!! Do the "Big 3" and get a better battery. What year is your Sierra?

 

[LabRodent]

2001 Extended cab

I basically tried that in my last ride with the biggest Yellow Cap I could put in the car. Nope, alternator didnt provide enough juice. I doubt the Seirra's stock alternator will ether. And I aint trying to go that far with this install.

 

[LabRodent]

Thanx for the help guys, I just started having to dig through the manufacture web sites to get the info. The higher end companies usually put down the type of EQ. I shoulda' been doing that in the first place I guess.

 

[SSS 18734 5,000+ posts]

2001 Extended cab
I basically tried that in my last ride with the biggest Yellow Cap I could put in the car. Nope, alternator didnt provide enough juice. I doubt the Seirra's stock alternator will ether. And I aint trying to go that far with this install.

The biggest yellowtop that fits in most stock locations is usually about as powerful as a mid grade lead-acid autozone battery. Look into getting something really beefy custom-installed under there or run a second battery in your trunk. But before you do that, run 0 gauge wiring to your amps and under your hood to improve current flow.

That capacitor will do nothing in terms of giving your system more "juice." That's not what they're designed for.

 

[LabRodent]

OK what ever... and a capacitor does supply juice when the power sags. That is what it is used for. And if I didnt want to do a simple alternator swap, why do you think I would want to tear up my whole car/truck to wire a set of batteries together? Or do a custom battery box.

anyway...

I found the Kenwood KDC-X693, 5 band EQ, and I like the built in crossovers... for under $200

 

[ejschultz 10+ year member]

I was going to recommend the 693 if no one else did. It's a pretty good unit. It'll do even better when you're not using a capacitor as a band-aid for your electrical system. When used properly, a capacitor can help maintain voltage for a very short period of time. However, for continuous use, they are not good. They'll supply the power your amps are hungry for for the first couple of big draws, then they'll need to recharge. During the recharge, the capacitor will be robbing the amps of the power they're wanting. This is bad for both the amps and the charging system of the car. The capacitor will cause a large voltage drop that can potentially damage the amps. Voltage drops cause the internals on an amp to heat up, possibly damaging them. It's also hell on your alternator because it's trying to supply power for both the capacitor, your amps, and everything else that's electrical in your car. Do the big 3, ditch the cap, and buy the 693.

 

[SSS 18734 5,000+ posts]

OK what ever... and a capacitor does supply juice when the power sags. That is what it is used for. And if I didnt want to do a simple alternator swap, why do you think I would want to tear up my whole car/truck to wire a set of batteries together? Or do a custom battery box.

Not really. A capacitor is actually used to level out minor spikes/dips in voltage. It's not a power source, because it draws ALL of its energy from the batteries/alternator and is incapable of holding any kind of supplementary charge for more than a few seconds. This just means that it's a further drain on your charging system.

A custom battery install really isn't that tough. With a little work, you can fit a pretty huge battery in a stock location, like this Optima D31T that I fit under the hood of my F-150. I didn't cut anything or make any big changes. It only took about an hour.

I'm glad you found what you were looking for, but it just sounds like you're looking for solutions that you want to hear, not ones that actually work. If you want to give your amps more "juice," you're going to have to do electrical work, not give your charging system another load.

Good luck!

 

[ejschultz 10+ year member]

^^^That's sweet. I used to run a D31A in the trunk of my Caprice with a red top up front. I gave up on that because my rear end was sitting funny because that thing weighs like 60 something pounds. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/crap.gif.7f4dd41e3e9b23fbd170a1ee6f65cecc.gif I'm sure the shocks on your truck are much stiffer and not nearly as affected as my Caprice's *** was. I'm running a D34/78 up front (bigger than the factory battery) with a big 3 done with 1/0 AWG. I can't tell any difference in voltage from when I had my D31A in the trunk.

 

[LabRodent]

Well, not arguing that a capacitor is another load. But my 30 farrad capacitor did its job with my 1800w (RMS rating) system with stock electrical. And my stock electrical didnt come close to supporting it all.

 

[eharri3 10+ year member]

Nothing decent in anything below the Alpine CDA 9887. It's gonna be 2 band parametric, basically glorified bass and treble controls.

Should be a couple mid grade Pioneers with 3-7 band eqs. Couple of Eclipses, I believe 5030 has a 7 band parametric, the 3200 has a 3 band parametric. I tend to like the Pioneers for the decent EQ options they offer in some of their lower cost units as compared to Alpine.

EQs are not a building block to a good system, they are the finishing touch once you have properly powered speakers that give you enough of all the necessary frequencies so that you can cut a little here, boost a tiny bit there to even it out. They are there to even things out, not to create what your system can't produce. My Pioneer Premier 980BT with tis 16 band graphic works well but its retail is a bit pricey. I think I boosted maybe 3-4 bands by 1 db and cut 3 by 1db and it sounds perfect. If you boost too much to make up for subpar equipment and install it just causes other problems.

 

[SicAudio 5,000+ posts]

pioneer 5100ub shipped with dash kit and wire harness 195 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif 7 band eq and 3 4volt preouts.