Today, no one is surprised by the presence of a radio in the car. Music has become an invariable companion of many drivers, as it helps to concentrate on traffic and not be distracted, and also does not allow you to fall asleep on long trips. However, not every driver can afford to buy an expensive acoustic combine with a lot of features. It is for this category that budget options are developed, such as the Pioneer MVH-150UB. How does such a radio tape recorder differ from more expensive "relatives" and is it worth it to buy? Getting answers to these questions will help both official information from the manufacturer, and reviews of ordinary users who have tested this radio after purchase.
general information
As already noted, this radio tape recorder belongs to the budget segment. It is a standard version of an audio device that you can easily install yourself. The connection diagram of the Pioneer MVH-150UB is no different from other similar devices.
If another car radio has already been installed in the car, then in most cases it will be quite simple to rearrange the DIN-connector in the purchased novelty, after having verified the arrangement of the elements in accordance with the attached instructions.
In order to reduce the cost of the design, the manufacturer refused the ability to play discs. Given that this technology is already slightly outdated, the user will lose a little due to its absence. Such a move allowed to reduce not only the cost, but also the weight of the radio, which facilitates its fixation in the DIN panel.
Main characteristics
You can simultaneously connect up to 4 speakers with a power of 50 watts to the radio. Its amplifier is able to swing them at peak volume, while the standard output power is 22 watts with an impedance of 4 ohms.
For fine-tuning the sound, a five-band graphic equalizer is provided, with which you can, using both standard and custom templates, set the correspondence of the sound frequencies of the output signal. Thus, the user can adjust the radio to the existing acoustics, which will positively affect the quality of sound reproduction. In order to understand how to configure the Pioneer MVH-150UB, it is enough to take a little time with a short instruction. If earlier you had to deal with radio tape recorders, then you can figure out the menu without it at all, everything is simple and intuitive.
The user can connect an additional active subwoofer using the special output located on the rear panel of the radio. An already filtered low-frequency signal is fed to this output. Therefore, additional equipment is not required.
Radio
One of the main sources of sound is terrestrial radio stations. The radio provides automatic search for available radio channels with the subsequent storage and assignment of a number. In total, up to 12 stations can be stored in memory, which in most cases is more than enough.
In order to increase listening comfort, the Pioneer MVH-150UB radio recorder has a function of airborne noise suppression. Thanks to it, if it enters the zone of uncertain reception, the signal will be automatically cleared of hissing and other unpleasant sounds, which will allow you to enjoy listening to music, and not try to switch between stations in search of one that can please with high-quality playback. For more reliable reception, it is recommended to use an active antenna with additional power.
Sound inputs
You can play music on this radio from USB flash drives up to 32 GB. This size is enough to keep a large audio collection, sorted according to the preferences of the driver. A nice feature is the ability of the radio to remember the last played track, and when turned on again, continue playing the playlist from it, and not from the beginning of the list.
In order for the flash drive to be correctly recognized by the radio, it must be formatted according to the FAT16 or FAT32 standards, otherwise it will not be possible to play the recordings. Also, phones and smartphones that connect using the Mass Storage protocol can be used as flash drives. The advantage of this connection is the simultaneous charging of a wearable gadget with a current of up to 1 ampere.
If the smartphone does not support this type of connection, the sound signal from it can be sent to the radio using the AUX input, using it as an amplifier. In addition to a smartphone, for this purpose, you can use any gadget with a linear input, whether it is a player, a portable game console or tablet. Setting up the Pioneer MVH-150UB for use in this mode is not required; switching is automatic.
Ease of use
Among the additional features we can highlight the desire of the manufacturer to facilitate the use of the radio. So, it provides 2 modes of backlight brightness, which allows the driver not to be distracted by too bright light at night.
The developers did not forget about non-volatile memory. So, most of the settings specified during installation are retained even after a prolonged shutdown of the vehicle’s battery. This feature is useful in the winter season, when the battery often has to be charged when removing from the car.
Positive feedback on the radio
In order to fully understand what this radio is, it is worth reading the reviews of those who have already had the opportunity to use it for a long time. After analyzing the reviews about the Pioneer MVH-150UB, the following positive points can be highlighted:
- Quality sound. Many users are surprised after installing this radio, how clean and pleasant it has sound.
- Built-in equalizer. If you don’t like something in the sound, you can always achieve higher quality by fine-tuning the frequencies using the graphic equalizer.
- A large number of modes. Additional options allow you to add volume or turn the rear speakers into a kind of subwoofer.
- Pleasant appearance. Despite the low cost, the manufacturer tried to make the Pioneer MVH-150UB radio tape recorder modern and able to fit into the interior of any car.
- Ergonomic management. Keys and other elements are located very conveniently, they are easy to find by touch, without being distracted from driving.
- Standard connectors. The user does not have a question how to connect the Pioneer MVH-150UB, since most recorders of this class are interchangeable. If previously there was no radio in the car, then during installation it is enough to follow the scheme located in the attached user manual.
- Fast command processing. The radio tape recorder can read large-capacity memory cards without any problems and does not “freeze” when searching for music and playing it.
As you can see, the manufacturer tried to make an inexpensive, but very functional device. However, the low cost of this radio still causes certain problems.
The negative sides of the model
Among the main shortcomings, drivers in their reviews of the Pioneer MVH-150UB most often note the lack of a remote control in the kit. It would be useful both during setup and during operation of the radio. In order to reduce the cost of the manufacturer, it was decided not to add it to the kit, which caused general dissatisfaction.
Another drawback, according to users, is that the volume control is combined with a button to enter the menu.
Conclusion
This model is well suited for those who do not want to spend too much money on car speakers, but at the same time want to get more or less high-quality sound. In this case, the Pioneer MVH-150UB is the best fit. Many drivers even call the lack of a drive for disks a plus, since it was this part that often required increased attention and regular service.