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Review on πŸ”Š Upgrade Your Audio: Alpine CDE-172BT Bluetooth Receiver - Improved Replacement for the CDE-143BT by Lori Kurtz

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Great Value - Car Radio Receiver

My wife had an old Alpine stereo but it didn't have Bluetooth. This unit used the same plug, so I unplugged the old one and plugged in the new one. Just please. Then all I had to do was thread the mic cable behind the dash and up the pillar to attach it to the visor. I did it in half an hour. The sound quality is excellent. Of course, this doesn't vibrate the windows of the car next to you, but if you like the music a little louder, the quality is still good. With an Android phone, you can use the stereo to skip forward and backward with Spotify on your phone via Bluetooth. I like that the USB port can be used as a charging port. We don't use Sirius or Pandora, so I can't comment on those features. It's nice to get song titles and artist information on the radio. The user interface takes some getting used to, but will become easier over time. The phone interface works great. Call clarity is pretty good, but it depends on how much road noise your car makes and how fast you're driving. I did notice that there was a hissing noise from my side if the mic was placed too close to the window, but I moved the mic around a bit and pointed it inwards and that helped a lot. My only complaint is that the mic clip is limited by the thickness of the visor it can be attached to. I broke ours trying to fit it over the thicker part of the visor. I didn't like placing the microphone on the steering column, but it could be better in terms of road noise. A great radio for the money.

Pros
  • Smartphone Features: Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming Control Pandora internet radio from iPhone and Android Built-in control for iPod, iPhone and iPad (see tab for model compatibility information). "Details"), built-in Android AOA control and charge some Android devices via USB connection, App Direct mode for iPhone, Siri Eyes Free control.
Cons
  • Some little things