Lots of features, fun and attractive
Written: Oct 10 '02
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Pros: Fantastic function and control with entertaining display
Cons: A little pricey and the included remote is not very good.
The Bottom Line: The DEH-P9300 is sophisticated enough allowing it to be tweaked for the perfect sound and is simple enough to be a great sounding system with a cool display.
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| navyaircrewman's Full Review: Pioneer DEH-P9300 Car CD Player |
I ordered my DEH-P9300 from an online company (you can read more about that in one of my other reviews), and once it arrived I was pumped. This was my third stereo from Pioneer and with most of their stereos everything I needed to get it setup was included. The directions were clear and easy to understand. All the necessary parts were included for installation as well as the steering wheel remote and case for the detachable face.
Things you may want to purchase for your installation:
- wire harness adapter for your vehicle
- mounting kit for your vehicle (if applicable)
- trim kit (required for some vehicles including the 96-98 Civics)
The installation when fairly effortlessly (I recommend soldering all the wires from the stereo's harness to the wire harness adapter, this made things very simple). The unit also has 3 pairs of preamp outputs (front, rear, and subwoofer) which I did not use when I installed it. There are also 3 other wires, two are for installing a car hands free cellular kit and the last was to connect to the factory antenna. There does end up being kind of a rat's nest with all of those wires so I highly suggest that you use zip ties or something to keep them organized during installation. The last connection was made to the IP Bus to connect my XM tuner (GEX-P900XM).
The stereo has quite a few features including the ability to control an external DVD player, AUX devices (including CD Changers), XM Radio and navigational systems. For true audiophiles there is an automatic equalizer that uses an included microphone to tune your car to the best capabilities for you car and speakers. The controls on the face plate are easy to use including a pop-out knob for volume control, 6 programmable channel/option buttons, a 4 directional pad on the opposite side and a small button which opens activates the faceplate to mechanically move out of place for insertion of a CD (a very slick feature).
The display is probably one of the most attractive features. It uses an Organic EL display which is very bright but not annoying especially at night. There are features to adjust contrast as well as a multitude of visual EQ choices, wallpapers or animated movies. The stereo also has the capability for you to introduce your own images and movies using Pioneer's Downloadable OEL PC Link Kit (CD-PC1).
Probably the only cheap feature is the steering wheel mountable remote. It is a great idea that wasn't quite refined. The size is small but the signal is not terribly strong so you have to always have a fresh battery and the remote has to have a fairly close line of site to the stereo. If you don't require the steering wheel mounted remote a better remote is available from Pioneer (CD-R600).
Here is the total list of features that Pioneer outlined on the side of the box:
- Motorized Full Flap DFS with MCD Control
- MOSFET 50Wx4
- Easy EQ 13-Band EQ
- Advanced Organic EL Display with Soft-Key Operation
- DAB Ready
- BBE Signal Processing
- Listening Position Selector
- Rotary (Pop-Up) Volume
- 3 Hi-Volt (4V) Preouts
- Supertuner III Steering
- Wheel Remote
- MCD Text
- 2-Way Crossover
- Disc Title Memory
- Voice Command Capability
Overall this is probably the best car stereo I have ever owned. The features and display are what originally caught my attention but the truly customized sound capabilities and expandability are what sold me. The price was steep at $425 but I don't regret it. Your factory speakers will sound so much better but if you swap to aftermarket speakers the sound is indescribable.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 425
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Epinions.com ID:
navyaircrewman
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Reviews written: 7
Trusted by: 2 members
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