Alpine UTE-73BT Review

A high-quality digital receiver is a great tool for modern-day drivers who love listening to a wide variety of music from their smartphones. A fully-featured head unit offers a convenient way to enjoy your favorite tracks, podcasts, radio and more and gives you in-dash control over your music experience.

Alpine is one of the leading brands offering affordable sound systems and media receivers to enhance in-car experiences. Today, we review one of the most versatile receiver options from this brand. This Alpine UTE-73BT review takes a closer look at the product’s features, offerings, benefits and limitations to help buyers make an informed decision.

Alpine UTE-73BT Features

This multimedia receiver is specially designed for people who like to listen to music from different sources. It is an in-car stereo with Bluetooth capability that gives users extensive options with its connectivity options. You can listen to your favorite songs by connecting to your phone using the USB or Bluetooth pairing option.

Display

The versatile music player features an LCD display with a single-line, high contrast screen and variable color illumination. You can choose from ten preset color options and adjust the intensity to match your interior.

The head unit has a user-friendly design with a rotary knob for easy music control. It comes with a detachable faceplate for theft protection. Auxiliary and USB input ports are available at the front for quick access.

Specifications – Quick List

Audio Quality

• The CTA-2006 power rating of this device is 18 watts x 4 channels.
• The maximum power output of this device is 50 watts x 4 channels.

Alpine generally has above-average sound quality, this stereo is no different. But, keep in mind this is not a flagship stereo. This is an entry level long-term stereo that offers a few add-on options, you won’t get bored.

Sound Quality

The Alpine UTE-73BT uses a 24-bit D/A converter to deliver excellent sound quality for your music. With the 3-band equalizer and high/low pass crossover, fine-tuning your sound system is easy. You can choose from 11 EQ presets to get the best possible sound from your digital sources. The receiver can playback FLAC files through USB for an amazing listening experience. 

Android Support

This single DIN head unit lets you play music from the stored library and apps on your Android device via USB. It facilitates this integration in two ways – Android Open Accessory and MTP. The AOA lets you connect the Android smartphone to the front-panel USB port to listen to files and applications on the device. 

It also supports MTP for playback and control of music files stored on your Android device through the USB port. This mode displays song/artist information on the display and gives the primary controls. In this mode, you cannot use the smartphone screen to control the music. 

iPhone Direct 

You can use the USB port to connect your iPhone or Apple device to the head unit. This connection allows playing music from your device and music applications running on it to let you enjoy your favorite music while driving. The receiver also displays information like artist name, album and song name on the screen.

Built-In Bluetooth

Alpine UTE-73BT comes with built-in Bluetooth for wireless music streaming and hands-free communication. The receiver lets you use its controls to dial a number, answer a call and end a call without having to use the phone. You can carry out conversations using the microphone and receiver speaker to avoid any distractions off the road. 

The receiver also supports wireless music streaming from a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or music player. The stored music, apps or other audio content from the connected device is processed using the DSP technology to deliver amazing sound quality. 

Siri Eyes Free Control

The head unit can connect to an iPhone via Bluetooth to let you access Siri through its front-panel controls and microphone. You can use all the Siri functions including reminders, hands-free calling, audio navigation, music search and messaging through the receiver. Siri can guide you to a destination with audible directions through the speakers and an on-screen map. 

Pandora Internet Radio

Whether you are using an Android or an Apple smartphone, the UTE – 73BT receiver gives you complete control of Pandora from your dashboard. You can connect to the device through Bluetooth or USB and enjoy your favorite channels while enjoying all the features. You can give thumbs up and down to the songs, view the station list, skip tracks and bookmark right from the display.

Dual Phone Connectivity

The digital receiver allows pairing up to three Bluetooth-enabled devices. It is possible to keep two phones connected to the unit at the same time to be able to receive calls from any of them. You can switch between the two devices using the rotary control dial. 

Smartphone Charging

The USB port on the receiver provides 1A of current to power any connected Android or Apple device. This means you can enjoy music from your phone and charge it at the same time. 

Compatibility

Apart from smartphones, Alpine’s front-panel USB port allows connecting portable USB mass storage devices like a digital music player or USB flash drive. The USB port supports playing and controlling a wide variety of files from a compatible mass storage device. It provides support for WMA, AAC, MP3 and FLAC audio files. 

Steering Wheel Control

If your car already has factory Bluetooth steering wheel controls, it can control your head unit’s Bluetooth functions. The OEM steering wheel remote control input allows for retaining these factory controls when used with an external adaptor. It is even possible to add a wireless remote to make it easy to control the receiver functions.

Installation

Installing this stereo is almost exactly how you would install any other single din stereo with Bluetooth. You’ll need to make sure you have your aftermarket accessories needed for installation:

• Dash kit – Your stereo will mount to this to make your stereo fit properly to your dash.
• Wiring harness – This harness is separate from the one that comes with this stereo. Both the alpine harness and the factory harness you’ll need to buy will be used.
• Antenna Adapter – This is an adapter that allows your antenna to plug into your new aftermarket stereo.

Conclusion

If you are looking for a budget-friendly digital media receiver to improve your in-car music experience, Alpine UTE-73BT is the right option for you. It comes loaded with all the connectivity features you would need to enjoy your favorite music from your phone without taking your eyes off the road. It also offers a plethora of additional perks to make your drive enjoyable, convenient and safe.