While I was totally jazzed with what I was hearing, I did find some things I didn't like about MultEQ. Even though I tried different mic positions, the soundstage was always the same-slightly pulled back and a little low. On the positive, it was somewhat correctable by fading to the front. What bothered me more was what I found while switching the MultEQ between on and off; a small amount of hiss was introduced into the system while the feature was engaged. It was also interesting that MultEQ seemed to tailor the bass somewhat with volume, much like a loudness function would do-the last quarter volume the bass tended to come on a little strong.
Usability was also a bit disappointing. With the MultEQ on, you cannot fine-tune the system. The only options you are provided are to adjust bass and treble, and balance and fader-no crossovers, equalization or time alignment. There is also the matter of only having three predetermined target curves to select from, each of which tapers toward the high frequencies.
After listening with MultEQ, I tried my hand at tuning the system myself using the vast DSP of the CDA-9887. This meant measuring the speaker distances relative to my seat position and setting the time alignment as noted in the manual. From there I fine-tuned the crossovers-selecting the frequency, slope and output level. I also opted to use the five-band parametric equalizer (over the seven-band graphic EQ), which has selectable (predetermined) frequencies, level and "Q" controls.
I compared my user-selected settings against the MultEQ filters. Even though I spent a good part of two hours playing with the adjustments, the 40 minutes I spent learning and applying the MultEQ did a far better job in respects to the tonal balance of the system-with its 500 control points. It also seemed to exhibit slightly better transients and definition. On the other hand, I was able to tailor the sound of the system more to my liking using the user controls. I was able to improve certain aspects of the soundscape over the MultEQ setting-whatever music I listened to came through with greater depth and height and better right channel information. I was impressed that I was able to get the system to sound as good as it did with only DSP in the head unit. But then again, I had something respectable to compare it to.
End Result
The CDA-9887 is rather remarkable. For $450, it's a nicely equipped head unit fit for both the audiophile and everyday user. The DSP allows for lots of tweaking and the IMPRINT technology with MultEQ certainly makes tuning a vehicle easy. The results are, to say the least, pretty impressive. If you want to hear music close to the way the artist intended, check out this Alpine unit. It won't disappoint.