Audio Distortion on Alpine System

[Exdeus]

Hopefully someone with a bit of knowledge on audio systems can give me some guidance here:

I just installed a Pioneer AVH-X5500BHS and have the 2010 factory Alpine 10 speaker system. The audio sounds far superior to the factory head unit. However, I've noticed that on certain songs when there seems to be a lot going on or they get "louder," the speakers have a distortion with them (i.e. chorus of Barefoot Blue Jean Night by Jake Owen).

I don't know a lot about audio, but the head unit is set to a "powerful" mode in equalizer when this happens. If I switch it to "natural" on the equalizer it doesn't do it. This happens at what I would consider to be a normal volume to drive with your windows down to. If I keep the equalizer on "powerful" and set the high pass filter to 50hz, it seems to clear it up for me.

What is the issue and why is this happening? How can I tune the system so that it doesn't do this? The information for the new head unit is here:

AVH-X5500BHS - <b>NEW!</b> - 2-DIN Multimedia DVD Receiver with 7" WVGA Touchscreen Display, MIXTRAX, Bluetooth®, HD Radio™ Tuner, SiriusXM Ready, and AppRadio Mode for iPhone® | Pioneer Electronics USA

 

[fortune730]

I have the exact setup, and the exact same issue. I am installing subs next though so I should be able to turn the bass down to help with that. I also removed the factory sub and noticed a huge difference, and it is my opinion that it sounds better without the sub, including bass. Try it.

 

[Exdeus]

I have the exact setup, and the exact same issue. I am installing subs next though so I should be able to turn the bass down to help with that. I also removed the factory sub and noticed a huge difference, and it is my opinion that it sounds better without the sub, including bass. Try it.

Thanks sir. I think I'm going to take it in and see if someone can tune it professionally or possibly run a new speaker system in it down the road.

 

[audio1der]

"Powerful" EQ setting is a fancy word for "Loudness" which many other head units have. Leave it off.

 

[Exdeus]

"Powerful" EQ setting is a fancy word for "Loudness" which many other head units have. Leave it off.

Greetings!

Are you sure? The head unit has a separate option for "Loudness" in the audio settings. The "Powerful" EQ setting is just an EQ setting similar to the other options such as flat, natural, vocal, super bass, etc.