bc0203's Full Review: Pioneer DEQ-9200 3-Band Car Equalizer
If you are an audiophile or enter car stereo competitions, this should be on your short list of audio accessories. Its flexibility, sound quality and versatility make it a fine centerpiece for any high-end system with external amps.
I've used this unit once before, in a '97 Mazda Protege, and bought another for my '01 Acura CL. Since the unit seems to have undergone some minor changes in-between revisions, I'll note them where appropriate.
Before installation, you'll need to set things up for the way you use your system: Use Pro mode if you have separate amplifiers for Subs, mids and tweeters; this will allow the system to perform digital time alignment of the speakers. Use Standard mode if you have a more conventional setup with separate amplifiers for front, rear and subwoofer; this will allow you to use Pioneer's SFC (sound field control) to optimize the sound based on your listening position.
Once you've set things up, start by setting your crossover points. On older units, you'll need a test disc with test tones to see where to set this; on the newer unit, just take the defaults.
Once the crossover points have been set, put a CD in the stereo (preferably one which plays LOUD) and set the volume level high enough so that it's just below the threshold where CLIP light on the faceplate comes on.
Next, it's time to calibrate the unit to your car's interior. Position the included microphone on the driver's seat, plug it into the remote hideaway unit and run the AutoEQ sequence. Newer units will set the crossover points and create an overall EQ curve that matches the car's acoustics; older units will only create the EQ curve.
Once the EQ curve has been created, you can tweak the sound using the three-band parametric EQ included with the unit, or apply several DSP options and preset EQ curves. Pioneer includes a good description of each of these in the manual, but I usually leave things flat and choose SFC options based on who is in the car.
I mentioned "adds noise" above, and this is true, but if you adjust your amplifiers properly, this noise is all but inaudible under most circumstances.
Overall, I can't imagine my system without this unit, and would recommend the DEQ-9200 to anyone who is serious about car stereo who is looking for an EQ unit. For the tweakers out here, the DEQ-9200 solves any number of acoustic problems you're likely to find in a car interior with minimal effort, which is exactly what a good signal processing unit should do.
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