Eclipse 5425 vs Eclipse 5444, please help fast!!

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

If you wanna know why i am thinking this through, its becuase i am paranoid. My Alpine CDA 7893 that i have right now sounds fantastic, but there is no midrange control, and midbass is also lacking. Ive gone through lots of speakers, and even with my CDT's it just doesn't sound right down low (i have a sub, but thats besides the point). Thats why i have these wierd requirements for good speaker bass and good midrange. It gets depressing when my friend's Pioneer HU running shitty pioneer coaxils sounds fuller and richer than my CDT components amped from a Nine.2 //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/uhoh.gif.c07307dd22ee7e63e22fc8e9c614d1fd.gif

Now I am confused. You say your 7893 sounds fantastic yet you complain of no midrange control and lacking midbass(how can the 7893 sound fantastic to you if you have problems). It sounds like you have experimented quite a bit(going through lots of speakers, etc). Might I suggest, if you have not already, GO to a shop, and have them tune your system. It might take $50, but you might find that you have all of the equipment you need already.

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

Now I am confused. You say your 7893 sounds fantastic yet you complain of no midrange control and lacking midbass(how can the 7893 sound fantastic to you if you have problems). It sounds like you have experimented quite a bit(going through lots of speakers, etc). Might I suggest, if you have not already, GO to a shop, and have them tune your system. It might take $50, but you might find that you have all of the equipment you need already.

I meant the upper end sound quality soudns great, but if i shut the sub off, it is practically unlistenable because there is not sufficient midrange/midbass. The sub helps a little, but it still doesn't sound "right" with no speaker bass.

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

I actually listened and played around with a 5425 today and i liked it, heard it over Type S components ( mine are better!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif ) and it sounded phenomal. Never heard the 5444 though.

 

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

I meant the upper end sound quality soudns great, but if i shut the sub off, it is practically unlistenable because there is not sufficient midrange/midbass. The sub helps a little, but it still doesn't sound "right" with no speaker bass.

I stand by my suggestion. Spend some money at a shop and let them tune your system with the existing equipment. You might get the sound you are looking for without spending hundreds on a new deck(although I think Eclipse makes a better sounding deck than Alpine). //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

I stand by my suggestion. Spend some money at a shop and let them tune your system with the existing equipment. You might get the sound you are looking for without spending hundreds on a new deck(although I think Eclipse makes a better sounding deck than Alpine). //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/biggrin.gif.d71a5d36fcbab170f2364c9f2e3946cb.gif

well, i need a new deck regardless because the Alpine contacts went bad, and it keeps blanking out if i touch the buttons too hard. I dunno what else there is to tune on the HU honestly? I lower the crossover to 80, it starts distoring. I turn down the bass, then there is no bass. I put the crossover at 100, then turn the bass up, and the bass is barely louder than a "pop". And vocals get drowned out by instrumentals as well.

 

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

I actually listened and played around with a 5425 today and i liked it, heard it over Type S components ( mine are better!! //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/smile.gif.1ebc41e1811405b213edfc4622c41e27.gif ) and it sounded phenomal. Never heard the 5444 though.

Again, Eclipse makes excellent sounding decks. IMO, the BEST sounding decks, from entry level up, available on the market. Others' ears may tell them something different.

That said, I assume you heard the deck and Type S comps in a soundboard at a shop???? If so, that is a much different listening environment than your car.

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

Again, Eclipse makes excellent sounding decks. IMO, the BEST sounding decks, from entry level up, available on the market. Others' ears may tell them something different.

I dunno honestly, i know the 5444 is the "better" HU, but i just don't know if i would even notice, or use the extra features im paying for?

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

Again, Eclipse makes excellent sounding decks. IMO, the BEST sounding decks, from entry level up, available on the market. Others' ears may tell them something different.
That said, I assume you heard the deck and Type S comps in a soundboard at a shop???? If so, that is a much different listening environment than your car.

Yep, thats where i heard it.

 

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

well, i need a new deck regardless because the Alpine contacts went bad, and it keeps blanking out if i touch the buttons too hard. I dunno what else there is to tune on the HU honestly? I lower the crossover to 80, it starts distoring. I turn down the bass, then there is no bass. I put the crossover at 100, then turn the bass up, and the bass is barely louder than a "pop". And vocals get drowned out by instrumentals as well.

Do you have the loudness button on or does your deck have any of that MX garbage? If so, turn it off and see how it sounds. Have you had your gains set correctly? Maybe the amp is clipping??

 

[JLCivic 10+ year member]

I dunno honestly, i know the 5444 is the "better" HU, but i just don't know if i would even notice, or use the extra features im paying for?

Well, you described just needing a pretty basic deck. I stand by my recommendation(IF you are going to buy a new deck, I would go with the 05 5V eclipse....get it installed by the shop and get the longer warranty).

 

[ls1pimp 10+ year member]

Do you have the loudness button on or does your deck have any of that MX garbage? If so, turn it off and see how it sounds. Have you had your gains set correctly? Maybe the amp is clipping??

Yep good ole MX. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/redface.gif.62fdbfe1a101588a808c4cff71bcb942.gif When i turn it on, it sounds horrendous, it gets so shrill and artificial sounding it hurts my ears. I turned it up with my friend in the car and he started complaining. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/laugh.gif.48439b2acf2cfca21620f01e7f77d1e4.gif Not an amp issue at all, i was running completely different coaxils off of this HU w/ no amp and had the exact same problems. Overly harsh highs and no low end. I even had this setup in a completly different car with completely different coaxils again with the same HU, and same old problems. //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/redface.gif.62fdbfe1a101588a808c4cff71bcb942.gif And no, my HU has no "loud" on it. The only thing i can change is bass, treble, HPF, LPF, MX on or off, and speaker alignment. I always have MX off, otherwise it is literally too painful to listen to.