Long Beach, Calif. — Pioneer began shipping its 2015 line of in-dash multimedia DVD-receivers and plans October availability of the final three CD-receivers in its 2015 CD-receiver lineup.
All models boast upgraded smartphone connectivity features compared to their predecessors.
The new CD-receivers are the $200-suggested DEH-X8700BH, $190 DEH-X8700BS, and $180 FH-X820BS. The seven new DVD receivers include the $280-suggested AVH-X1700S, $330 AVH-X2700BS, $380 AVH-X3700BHS, $430 AVH-X4700BS, and $480 AVH-X5700BHS double-DIN DVD-receivers. Two single-DIN models with motorized touchscreens are the $450 AVH-X6700DVD and $500 AVH-X7700BT.
Compared to their predecessors, the three new CD-receivers add Bluetooth dual-device connection, wideband speech hands-free profile (HFP) 1.6, and Pandora station creation on USB-connected iPhones and Android phones. Two of the models are the company’s first CD-receivers supporting FLAC “lossless” playback with up to 44.1kHz/16-bit quality from a USB stick.
Bluetooth dual-device connection lets users wirelessly connect two smartphones at the same time, eliminating the need to pair and unpair multiple devices. With Bluetooth HFP 1.6, frequency bandwidth for voice calls is expanded to 50Hz-7kHz with a doubled sampling frequency to 16kHz to enhance hands-free call quality.
With Pandora station creation for USB-connected iPhones and Android phones, users can create new Pandora stations from the currently playing Pandora song or artist by pressing and holding a button on the new receiver. The DEH-X8700BS and HD Radio-equipped DEH-X8700BH also feature advanced Pandora station creation, which lets users create a Pandora station from a currently playing song or artist on HD Radio, SiriusXM, or connected iPod as well as from a currently playing Pandora song.
The heads also feature Bluetooth auto pairing via USB for iPhones, Bluetooth music library browsing (AVRCP 1.5), Android Media Transfer Protocol (MTP) and Siri Eyes Free functionality.
To simplify Bluetooth pairing for iPhones, the receivers automatically pair with an iPhone when the phone is plugged into the heads’ USB connection, eliminating the Bluetooth process of searching for devices to pair.
With music library browsing over Bluetooth (AVRCP 1.5), users can search an iPhone’s playlists, artists, songs, and genres via Bluetooth, and for Android smartphones enabled with Media Transfer Protocol (MTP), users can browse by folder type.
For Apple devices, the hands-free feature Siri Eyes Free to make calls, select and play music, hear and compose text messages, get mapping information, listen to notifications, listen to calendar information and add reminders.
Many of these features also appear in nine other new 2015 CD-receivers and a 2015 digital media receiver (DMR) announced in August at prices of $100 to $150.
Via USB, owners of Apple devices, USB drives and Android 4.0 devices can use the three new CD-receivers to control basic music functions of their USB-connected device — including play/pause, fast-forward/reverse, and random/repeat. The head units will also display track, artist and album information.
All three CD-receivers feature larger screen with enhanced brightness and illumination controls to provide 10-step intensity levels, dual-zone illumination with more than 210,000 color variations, and an illumination timer. The timer can be set to change dimmer settings automatically at specified times in vehicles that lack a dedicated illumination-output wire.
All three models feature 4×50-watt MOSFET amps and three sets of RCA pre-outs.
The DEH-X8700BS and FH-X820BS are compatible with optional outboard SXV200 SiriusXM Vehicle Connect Tuner.
Among the seven new multimedia receivers, five models – the AVH-X2700BS, AVH-X3700BHS, AVH-X4700BS, AVH-X5700BHS, and AVH-X7700BT – add a suite of enhanced Bluetooth features, including Bluetooth auto pairing for iPhones, Bluetooth hands-free wideband speech (HFP 1.6), and music-library browsing over Bluetooth.
They also add embedded MirrorLink, compared to previous models that required an outboard adapter box. Now only a $30-suggested CD-MU200 USB-to-MHL cable is required to connect a MirrorLink-enabled Android phone to access the phone’s music, contacts and maps through the head units’ touchscreen.
The multimedia receivers also feature Siri Eyes Free and Pandora station creation. They also control the basic music functions of USB-connected iPhones, Android 4.0 phones equipped with MTP, and USB drives, including play/pause, fast-forward/reverse, and random/repeat. The heads also display the devices’ track, artist and album information.
All also feature a new touchscreen interface like that on Pioneer’s NEX heads with larger fonts, and they offer more audio adjustments, such as 13-band EQ and time alignment.
The single-DIN AVH-X6700DVD and AVH-X7700BT feature motorized 7-inch touchscreen display and detachable-face security. The double-DIN models feature 6.2- or 7-inch WVGA touchscreen display.
Two models –the AVH-X3700BHS and AVH-X5700BHS—feature two camera inputs, the first for a separately sold backup camera with parking-assist lines. The second can be used for additional assistance for driving, towing, or parking.
All but the AVH-X6700DVD and AVH-X7700BT are compatible with the SXV200 SiriusXM Vehicle Connect Tuner. The AVH-X3700BHS and AVH-X5700BHS feature HD Radio with HD Radio Artist Experience, which displays album art and station logos (when available) as well as artist and song title information.
All models offer three preamp outputs, 4×50-watt MOSFET amp, Advanced Sound Retriever, 4-volt RCA outputs, backup memory to retain settings if main power is lost, and compatibility with Pioneer’s optional AVIC-U260 outboard navigation module.
