Car radios have long ceased to be devices only for reproducing sound. Modern models may well show films, be a GPS navigator and even perform the functions of parking sensors. Of course, such devices are not cheap, but there is something to pay for. Car radio Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD refers to just such universal devices. Its functionality is quite rich. And all motorists dream of acquiring it. What is this "beast"? What is she capable of? We will talk about this in this review.
A little bit about the company
The Japanese manufacturer of automotive electronics under the Pioneer brand is known to everyone. More recently, the priority for the company was the direction in consumer electronics, players and other necessary multimedia equipment. However, the management decided to concentrate on the production of automotive electronics: headunits, speakers, LCD screens, subwoofers, and more. I must say that the organization’s affairs in this field went very well. Today it is the most productive manufacturer of products of this kind. It is not surprising that the multifunctional gadget Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD was created by this company.
The Japanese manufacturer has dominated the automotive electronics industry. This is recognized even by its closest competitors. This technique is especially popular in the CIS countries and in the Russian Federation. This is probably due to the fact that the company does not overstate the price tag for its products. Unlike the same Alpine. This provides the brand with popular love. The Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD radio tape recorder also belongs to the demanded products. Now we will analyze this head unit in more detail.
Contents of delivery
The car radio is delivered in a cardboard box of a traditional red and white palette. Since the Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD itself is in DIN 2 format, the packaging has turned out to be of appropriate size. Inside is the device itself, operating instructions in different languages, a warranty card, a set of wires and connectors complete with adapters for connecting to ISO. There is nothing more interesting in the box. But it is predictable. Still, this product does not belong to the premium category. However, the "company has exactly the same delivery package for budget devices. Could, of course, put in the box some nice bonus.
The most interesting part of the delivery of the Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD is the manual. Not only is it in Russian, but the translation is still quite adequate. And what do you want? The Japanese are solid guys. They can not afford frank hack. As a bonus, the user manual thoroughly describes the installation and connection of such a car radio. However, we will analyze it a bit later, since it is slightly different from the method of installing a radio unit of standard sizes. And now let's move on to the technical characteristics and functionality of the device.
Specifications
So, what can please us with Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD? The characteristics of such a device suggest that it may well provide high-quality sound in the passenger compartment (if there is an acoustic system of the appropriate level). Judge for yourself. The DAC features are such that it provides full 24-bit sound with a sampling frequency of 96,000 Hz. This is pretty decent. The power of the amplifier is 50 watts on 4 channels. In other words, to use this particular radio, it is not necessary to have an additional amplifier or receiver.
Plus, a color touch screen with a diagonal of 6 inches, its own operating system and all kinds of sound enhancers. For example, the radio tape recorder can dynamically correct the range of compressed audio files (such as MP3). This alone makes the device very advanced. Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD is definitely one of the best in its class. And it is recognized even by competitors. But the main thing here is the price. For reasonable money, the user receives a full-fledged multimedia center. What is bad?
Appearance and design
The appearance of this gadget is a bit unusual. It is especially interesting that the mechanical control buttons are adjacent to the touch buttons. This step helped optimize ergonomics. However, the buttons are very small. To get into them when driving is almost impossible. In the reviews, many users regret that there are no special notches on the physical buttons. In general, the design impression is good. The radio tape recorder is designed so that it easily fits into any interior. To the advantage of such versatility is the fact that the device has a choice of 216 backlight colors. Thus, you can choose a color that matches the original highlight of the car.
The radio is made in a glossy case. But this is not particularly important, since almost all the space is occupied by the touch screen. The front panel is non-removable. And this means that such an interesting device will attract the attention of night bullies. So you have to leave the car in the garage. In general, the design of the Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD is very different from other products of this class. Other manufacturers are trying to make the control completely touch. But the manufacturing company decided that physical buttons would come in handy too. And it turned out to be right.
Radio functionality
For its class, the radio has quite a few functions. Support for USB playback and CD-DVD playback are fairly standard options. They won’t surprise anyone now. But iPhone support is a completely different level. It is also possible to use the steering wheel buttons as control elements of the radio. But this requires a special adapter. Also, this radio can be used as a parking sensors. If you connect a rear camera to it. She also has such a connector. In general, the Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD is simply a storehouse of interesting options.
The radio tape recorder can play MP3, WAV, WMA, AAC audio formats. Here, as you can see, there is a lack of support for formats without loss of quality (such as FLAC). From video formats, the radio tape recorder can cope with AVI, DVD Video, SDVD, MPEG of all versions without any problems. Some users claim that the device also supports high-quality H.264 format. But the official specifications do not say anything about supporting this format. Be that as it may, the Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD is capable of much.
Car radio installation
This is a very interesting process. The fact is that the dimensions of a unique radio are very different from the standard. Therefore, before installation, you will have to take care of purchasing the front panel for your car under the DIN 2 format. This is necessary, since it will not work to cut the right hole with a file. Next, you will need to buy a set of necessary adapters (for the steering wheel buttons to work as radio controls). An adapter for connecting the radio connector to ISO is already included.
After installing the panel with an extended slot for the radio, it is enough to connect all the necessary wires and "stick" the radio into place until it clicks. The head unit is installed. But before fixing it tightly, it will not be superfluous to check its performance. If all is well, then you can push the radio into a click. In principle, the installation is simple. This is the whole point of such a product as the Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD car radio. The user manual, by the way, also has a detailed description of the installation process. So problems should not arise.
Positive feedback from owners
So what the happy owners of the Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD say. Product reviews are mostly positive. Those who are used to standard head units are in a wild delight with the new device. All together note the increased sound quality even on standard speakers (which is doubtful). Also, motorists respond positively to the work of the parking sensors and the control panel on the steering wheel. Many people like the fact that the radio works without problems with smartphones and can turn on music immediately after the engine has been started. In general, positive reviews extol the quality of this device. But there are also negative ones.
Negative owner reviews
Everything is a bit more complicated here. Many owners, noting the high sound quality, nevertheless claim that the radio control is not very well implemented. Switching tracks or changing the volume during movement is inconvenient and risky. And it is true. Finding the right button is very difficult. It would be better if manufacturers installed standard "rotary" as control elements. Also, the owners note a not entirely adequate sensor, which has a very long response time. But this is not a premium product.
Conclusion
Car radio format DIN 2 Pioneer AVH-X1500DVD refers to the mid-range devices and can be used as a navigator, multimedia player and parking sensors. This thing is indispensable for those motorists who love comfort everywhere. And the price is quite attractive.