In the world of automotive electronics, Pioneer products occupy a fairly prominent place. Every car enthusiast knows that the radio, speakers, subwoofers and car radios from this company are good, high-quality and multi-functional. No exception and the Pioneer AVH-X8500BT car radio. This multifunctional harvester can not only play music. We will talk about its capabilities in this material. But a little later.
A little bit about the company
The Japanese company is well known among professional DJs and advanced motorists. Every driver knows that it is Pioneer that produces the most high-quality and affordable car electronics. The manufacturer offers head units (car radios) of varying degrees of complexity, high-quality speakers, subwoofers , amplifiers, LCD panels and much more. In Russia and the CIS countries, Pioneer products are well-deserved. Top 2DIN radio receivers like the Pioneer AVH X8500BT are in particular demand.
At one time, the company also engaged in the production of computer components, DVD - drives and other peripherals. Also, it was Pioneers who took an active part in the development of compact discs and everything related to household players. However, this is now in the past. The company decided to focus entirely on car sound. Pioneer Car Multimedia Systems boasts a good price and excellent Japanese quality. No exception and the Pioneer AVH X8500BT car radio. Let's analyze it in more detail.
Contents of delivery
So, the Pioneer AVH X8500BT radio is delivered in a cardboard box, on which the head unit itself is artistically depicted . On the back of the box are the technical specifications of the device. The packaging style is characteristic of the Pioneers: a white and red palette. Inside is the device itself, a removable panel in a separate case, a set of fixing screws and the necessary wires for connecting to the car wiring. There is also an adapter for ISO, because you can’t connect this miracle directly.
In the box along with the radio is an instruction manual. It is completely in Russian and written in an accessible language. If you thoroughly study it, then problems with the configuration and installation will not arise at all. In addition to the instructions, the box also contains a warranty card. The official product warranty is 12 months. The standard term for many devices. No exception and the Pioneer AVH X8500BT. The instruction manual, by the way, has all the information necessary for the proper installation, configuration and operation of the product.
Appearance and design
Now let's move on to the appearance of the Pioneer AVH X8500BT. Classic design for products of TM " Pioneer " . They could not come up with anything new. But the main thing in the radio is not beauty , but sound. The front panel is made of glossy plastic. Almost all the place is occupied by the LCD screen . Mechanical controls are located below the screen. This arrangement of buttons raises serious concerns in terms of the comfort of using them while driving. If you need to insert a CD or USB flash drive, then the front panel folds and " moves off " to the side. A very interesting solution. But over time, the mechanism wears out and huge backlashes appear.
The backlighting of the buttons is implemented in the same way as in other models of " Pioneers " . The Pioneer AVH X8500BT is no exception. The firmware of this head unit offers the user a choice of about 200 backlight options. The most interesting thing is that the manufacturer is in no hurry to update the firmware. And this is not very pleasing to the owners of this car radio. But without that, the head unit sounds and looks good.
Specifications
Now let's move on to the boring numbers. What can an advanced car enthusiast have to offer the Pioneer AVH X8500BT? The power of the MOSFET amplifier is 50 watts per channel. A total of 4. channels. A processor is installed in the radio to ensure speed. It also provides playback of various audio and video formats. DAC provides a great sound. But only in tandem with an adequate speaker system. Although many owners claim that native speakers also begin to sound much better with this car radio.
The Pioneer AVH X8500BT supports CD and DVD discs, USB sticks and Mini SD. It is also possible to connect a smartphone or tablet. Among the reproducible formats are MP 4 , MP 3 , WAV, WMA. There is no support for the standard without loss of quality FLAC. On the back of the radio there is the required number of inputs and outputs: 3 RCA (tulip) for connecting the speaker system and a subwoofer, 2 additional RCA, which are used to output video, and connectors for connecting an additional amplifier. Although, with such power, a standard head unit is not needed.
Additional features of the radio
Thanks to advanced firmware and a processor, this car radio can be used not only to play sound and video. The device has navigation software installed. And the navigator works surprisingly well. It is also possible to use the radio as parking sensors when connecting an additional rear camera. The radio tape recorder switches to parking sensors instantly, you just need to turn on the reverse gear. In this car radio, it is also possible to use the steering wheel buttons as a remote control for playback. But you need to buy an additional module.
Thanks to the built-in Bluetooth transmitter, it is possible to connect a smartphone or tablet to Android or iOS without using wires. Such a connection makes it possible to use the speakerphone in the car radio: receive calls through it and talk. But the quality of communication is poor. The radio also has an FM tuner (where without it). However, without an external antenna, it works very badly. An antenna is required.
Positive feedback from owners
Now we turn to the opinion of those who had the good fortune of acquiring the Pioneer AVH X8500BT. Reviews about this head unit are mostly positive. Owners like almost everything from a removable panel to sound quality. Many note the fast operation of the operating system interface. If the machine is in motion, then the response time is very important. The sound quality is at the highest level. That is exactly what those drivers who purchased this unit claim. Also, many were pleased that the panel is removable . You can safely leave the car on the street. The navigator works as expected. And parking sensors do not fail. The vast majority of users are happy with the purchase. Although some admit that they chose this particular device solely because of the brand. On the counter there were many much more functional things from other manufacturers. But Pioneer is Pioneer.
Negative owner reviews
There are also dissatisfied customers. This is the fate of any product. No exception and the Pioneer AVH X8500BT car radio. Negative reviews are mainly associated with a poor-quality screen and a slow sensor. Also, many owners complain about the rapidly wearing mechanism of folding the front panel of the device. But most of all complaints are made to the device warning that the image may be mirrored. It appears in the Parktronic mode and makes it difficult to consider some elements. It is impossible to get rid of him. Therefore, it is so annoying. Among the minuses, many attribute the fact that the radio cannot play such popular formats as FLAC and MKV. Yes, this is the destiny of top-end head units, but this miracle happened in 2013, when such formats were not in use. But complaining that over time the panel is not completely " hung " in its rightful place (wear of the mechanism) - this is serious . As a result, artifacts appear on the image. And on a particularly bumpy road, the radio tape recorder refuses to work at all. And yet , the Pioneer has more advantages than disadvantages.
Conclusion
The head unit of the premium segment Pioneer AVH X8500BT has just been reviewed. This is a very worthy 2DIN standard car radio, which may well replace the GPS navigator, parking sensors, speakerphone and much more. At the same time, the device can easily play audio and video files and has excellent sound. What else is needed for happiness?