It's no secret that high-quality sound in a car depends on many factors. First, you need quality speakers. Secondly, it would be nice to use an amplifier (without it, audiophiles can’t do anything). And thirdly, you need a high-quality "head" (car radio). Modern manufacturers of music players for cars are now in full swing competing with each other and trying to win the attention of potential buyers with all sorts of unusual "tricks". And only Pioneer takes bare quality. And in this they have no equal. Their DEX-P99RS Pioneer radio tape recorder is recognized as the best in the Hi-End class. There are many reasons for this. We will consider them, but first we will dwell a little on the history of the company.
A little bit about the company
The Pioneer company was founded in 1938 and then engaged in the repair of radios. But years passed, the business grew stronger, and soon the manufacturer became the "father" of such players as CD, DVD, Blu-Ray and others. The company produced LCD displays, televisions, speakers, equipment for DJs, automotive electronics. But at the beginning of the 2000s, the company's management sold all the “side” branches of the business and concentrated solely on the production of automotive electronics and car speaker systems. It was during these years that the first model of the head unit from the DEX-P99RS Pioneer line was released.
Today, the company is the world's leading manufacturer of automotive electronics. Among the products can be called head units, AV-receivers for a car, subwoofers, speakers, amplifiers, LCD screens for cars, navigation systems and much more. Thus, the Pioneer brand can be considered a favorite manufacturer of motorists. At the same time, their DEX-P99RS Pioneer radio tape recorder is traditionally considered the most coveted product among motorists. Why did it happen so? This is what we will try to figure out.
Contents of delivery
The Pioneer DEX-P99RS radio comes in a white box made from recycled cardboard. On the box it is succinctly reported that inside is a product from Pioneer. A device model is also written. Inside you can find the radio itself, a remote control, a warranty card, operating instructions in different languages (including the correct Russian) and a set of screws for attaching the car radio. Such a set is standard in the world of automotive devices even for Hi-End class devices. So there is absolutely nothing to be surprised at.
Car radio Pioneer DEX-P99RS comes in a fairly voluminous box. The radio itself is packaged in a package "with pimples." But the removable front panel is in an elegant and durable plastic case. It is absolutely necessary, since you will have to remove this very panel very often. This is done so that at night the car does not break the window, flattering to an expensive car radio. Such is our country, nothing can be done. This completes the package overview. Let's move on to the look.
Appearance and design
The appearance of the Pioneer DEX-P99RS, an overview of which is presented here, immediately suggests that we have a premium device. Minimalist design, high-quality materials of the front panel, the perfect combination of components - all these are attributes of a quality product. On the front panel are controls that look very decent. On the sides are control knobs made in retro style (like volume controls on old amplifiers). In the middle, a high-quality LED display is conveniently located, which will display all the necessary information.
On the bottom of the panel are some control buttons and a connector for connecting an external audio device. Pioneer DEX-P99RS looks exactly as it should look like a high-quality, status device. Maybe that’s why this “head” is so popular among motorists. But let's move on to the technical characteristics of the device. They will help determine whether to purchase such an expensive car radio.
Specifications
So, let's move on to the mean numbers. The DEX-P99RS Pioneer has several separate audio processors that are designed to process sound from a variety of audio sources. The radio supports CDs (WMA, MP3), playing music from iPads or iPhones when connecting them via a USB connector, as well as playing through an external audio device when connecting it through the analog connector on the front panel of the Pioneer DEX-P99RS. Photos are attached. But that is not all.
The radio has several channels (high, medium, low and subwoofer), but each of these channels has two filters, which allows for better sound quality. What can I say? At Pioneer, we always knew how to do quality things. A distinctive feature of this car radio is that it perfectly shows itself even when working with a fairly budget speaker system. This has never happened in nature. No wonder this head unit has earned the status of the best. However, we move on to the next part of our review.
Remote control
It is almost a masterpiece. With it, you can fully control the car radio DEX-P99RS Pioneer. It contains almost all the elements and commands that may be required. That's just to manage the disk unloading does not work. There is no CD eject button on the remote. Yes, this is not so important. The main thing is that the remote control can easily be installed on the steering wheel of a car, which automatically turns the latter into a multimedia steering wheel.
Using the remote control, you can select songs, control the equalizer, search for radio stations, change the volume level, control music playback and program the order of the works. Many remotes from radio tape recorders of other manufacturers are not available, and half of what the Pioneer remote control can do. It is possible that in this way the company tried to foster interest in the product and increase the ergonomics of the car radio.
Sound quality
Car receiver DEX-P99RS Pioneer provides unrealistically high-quality sound. But in order to hear it you need to fulfill several requirements. First, you should only listen to music from licensed CDs. Only on them you can find acceptable quality. Alternatively, you can use uncompressed WAV, uploaded to iPhone or iPad. Secondly, you need to equip your car with a high-quality speaker system. Hoping that the standard car speakers will be able to give out the widest range of the sound path (even with such a radio) is pure madness. Thirdly, it would be nice to use an amplifier in tandem with a car radio. Although the latter is not necessary. Only in this way you will achieve high-quality sound.
Positive feedback from owners
Those who dare to buy a car radio of such a level (for such and such money) leave a lot of laudatory comments about its work. What is known about the real characteristics of the Pioneer DEX-P99RS? Reviews about this radio tape recorder are purely positive. Car enthusiasts are simply delighted with the sound quality and the speed of the radio. Many note a very informative display and an extremely convenient remote control. Even though it is equipped with wires. And some unleashed the full potential of the radio by connecting a CD receiver to it using a wireless connection. And this also warms the soul to many. In general, almost everyone who has purchased this car radio can’t get enough of this acquisition. However, there are those who were dissatisfied.
Negative owner reviews
The most common complaint from users about this head unit is the high price. Yes, she is tall. But on the other hand, all premium devices that meet the Hi-End level are decent. Other complaints include the fact that the radio cannot work with uncompressed formats FLAC, APE, WavPack and others. This remark is sensible. For it is music in these formats that is distinguished by high sound quality. It is not clear why manufacturers decided to abandon these formats. But this is all the little things against the background of a chic sound and excellent functionality. Therefore, complaints about such minor flaws may not even be considered.
Finally
Car radio Pioneer DEX-P99RS belongs to the high-end audio devices of Hi-End level and can provide exceptionally high-quality sound in the car. The radio tape recorder has many advantages that make its purchase profitable, even despite the high cost. But good devices should cost so much. However, the use of this car radio without an appropriate speaker system is highly discouraged. In this case, it is better to look for something simpler. Or purchase other speakers as well. Only after that it will be possible to enjoy high-quality sound.