Las Vegas – Pioneer is getting a head start on its 2013 car audio product lineup with the launch here at the SEMA show of five single-DIN CD players, five double-DIN multimedia head units, 11 speakers, four subwoofers and three amps.
The launches mark the expansion of smartphone connectivity options in head units, in large part by expanding the Pioneer’s Advanced App Mode for USB-connected iPhones to all multimedia head units priced down to a suggested $300. Another key change is the company’s adoption of the SiriusXM universal connector to add SiriusXM’s new SVX200 black-box tuner.
All products ship in November.
In launching five new single-DIN CD receivers priced at a suggested $150-$260, Pioneer is adding the SiriusXM universal connector to the $150, $190 and $260 models to connect SiriusXM’s SXV200 tuner, which offers SiriusXM’s expanded channel lineup. These three heads, as well as two new multimedia head units, are also the aftermarket’s first head units to enable Sirius XM’s new Tune Start and Tune Scan features, Pioneer said. Tune Start begins playback of the current song from the beginning when a channel is changed, and Tune Scan lets users scan and listen to six-second samples of songs currently playing on their favorite music channels.
In the five new single-DIN heads, Pioneer will start Mixtrax virtual DJ technology at $150, control of the Pandora app on USB-connected iPhones at $150, and App Mode at $150. On USB-connected iPhones, App Mode lets consumers listen to their music and streaming audio apps through their sound system.
Mixtrax is also available on recently introduced single-DIN CD players starting at $100, and the other two features are available on recently introduced single-DIN players starting at $90.
Also among the new single-DIN CD receivers, USB connectivity to control music on thumb drives and some hard drives starts at $150, and at $190, Pioneer adds Bluetooth AVRCP 1.3, which enables head units to select and play music stored on Bluetooth-connected smartphones. AVRCP is already available on single-DIN CD players priced down to $130.
Also starting at $190, for the first time in its DEH series of single-DIN CD players, Pioneer adds Bluetooth control of the Pandora app on Android smartphones via Bluetooth’s serial port profile (SPP).
USB connectivity is already available in Pioneer single-DIN CD players starting at $90 in a recently introduced model.
HD Radio appears in the $170, $210 and $260 models and is also available in a recently introduced $120 single-DIN CD receiver.
The single-DIN lineup starts with the $150 DEH-X7500S, which features Mixtrax, port for the SiriusXM universal tuner, Made for iPod/iPhone USB port, AppMode for iPhones, control of the Pandora app on USB-connected iPhones, and control of music stored on a USB-connected thumb drives and select hard drives.
The $170 DEH-X7500HD lacks SiriusXM universal port but adds embedded HD Radio.
At $190, the DEH-X8500BS lacks HD Radio but features SiriusXM port and adds stereo Bluetooth with AVRCP 1.3 as well as Bluetooth SPP control of the Pandora app on Android phones.
At $210, the DEH-X8500BH swaps the $190 model’s SiriusXM connector port to add HD radio, and it includes the $190 model’s Bluetooth features.
At $260, the DEH-X9500BHS adds HD Radio to the features of the $210 model
All five single-CD models also feature a new simplified menu structure for more intuitive operation and feature setup, dual-zone illumination feature with more than 210,000 color display customization, and three sets of high-voltage (4-volt) RCA pre-outs.
Multimedia head units: In its new lineup of five double-DIN multimedia DVD-receivers priced from a suggested $300 to $500, the company is expanding Advanced AppMode to all multimedia units, thus enabling head-unit control of select compatible third-party iPhone apps, including navigation, and head-unit access to such core iPhone features as contacts, calendar and stored music.
In current multimedia head units, Advanced App Mode appears in $350, $499 and $650 models. The feature also appears in two multimedia-navigation units at $800 and $1,200 and two current AppRadio units, which lack CD or DVD mechanism.
With the launch, Advanced App Mode will appear in five multimedia head units.
Among multimedia head units, the $350 price point is the new opening price point for stereo Bluetooth with AVRCP, which enables head units to select and play music stored on Bluetooth-connected smartphones, and for Bluetooth serial port profile (SPP), which enables control of the Pandora app on a Bluetooth-connected Android phone.
The $400 and $450 models feature universal SiriusXM port to connect to SiriusXM’s SXV200 Vehicle Connect Tuner, which offers SiriusXM’s expanded channel lineup. These two models also feature Sirius XM’s new Tune Start and Tune Scan features. Both of these models also feature embedded HD Radio, and they’re the company’s first HD Radio-equipped head units with Artist Experience to display album art or station logos when transmitted in addition to artist and song title information.
HD Radio continues to start at $400 in multimedia receivers.
All five models feature the Mixtrax virtual DJ technology, USB ports to play music from flash drives and select hard drives, Made for iPod/iPhone USB ports, and control of the Pandora app on a USB-connected iPhone. Mixtrax previously started at $650 in multimedia heads, but the other features previously started at $300 in multimedia head units.
The DVD-receivers feature 6.1- or 7-inch WVGA touchscreen displays and a new graphical user interface (GUI) for easier, more intuitive control. Pioneer’s new finger-EQ feature lets users change EQ settings by using their finfer to draw the desired EQ curve.
Each DVD-receiver offers three preamp outputs, DivX/MP3/WMA/AAC playback, rear aux input, MOSFET 4×50-watt amp, and Advanced Sound Retriever technology to improve the quality of compressed music. The $450 and $500 models add high-volt (4-volt) RCA outputs.
Pioneer stressed that all products being introduced at SEMA are compatible with iPhone 4 or 4S with iOS6 connected via 30-pin dock
connector and, if applicable, Bluetooth for hands-free, stereo streaming, and AVRCP control. All products being introduced at SEMA are also compatible with iPhone 5 connected via the Lightning–to-USB cable included with the iPhone 5 or using the Lightning-to-30-pin adapter sold by Apple. All heads are also compatible, if applicable, with the iPhone 5’s Bluetooth capabilities, including hands-free, stereo streaming and AVRCP control.
Speakers: Also at SEMA, Pioneer is launching its new TS-A speaker series and Champion Series subwoofers.
The subwoofers will be available in November at suggested retails of $100, $110, $120 and $130. The speakers start at $80.
The TS-A speakers feature a more aggressive cosmetic design and a new lightweight dome midrange for brighter vocals, the company said. The subs incorporate new technologies as well as an improved flange assembly for maximum installation flexibility.
The speaker lineup consists of 11 models, including two component sets, a 6- by 9-inch five-way, a 6- by 9-inch four-way speaker, a 6- by 9-inch three-way, a 6.5-inch four-way, a 5.25-inch three-way, a 6.5-inch three-way, a 6- by 8-inch four-way, and a 4- by 6-inch three-way.
Improved sound quality comes from the speakers’ new integrated Multilayer Mica Matrix Cone, which is 30 percent lighter than similar polypropylene cone designs to deliver increased accuracy, clarity and sensitivity, Pioneer said. The cone’s high-density structure handles high levels of power and reduces unwanted flexing, the company added.
Five models offer new midrange and tweeter diaphragms with a higher sensitivity to extend the upper frequency range. All models are said to produce as much as 2dB higher output than competitive models with the same input power.
The four subs are available in 10- and 12-inch versions and with dual or single 4-ohm voice coils. All feature a new prism-patterned cone said to produce more air movement without unwanted flexing or “buckling” effects that create distortion.
The new cone design is further reinforced by a new type of surround said to be light and flexible but more durable, yielding the strength to reliably provide strong bass output, Pioneer said.
A new four-layer copper voice coil with an aluminum former improves heat dissipation for higher input power handling and increased reliability, the company added.
Amplifiers: In amplifiers, three new compact Class D models consist of one four-channel and two mono models priced from a suggested $200 to $280.
They’re said to produce the same power output as conventional amplifiers more than twice their size through improvements in their Class-D technology and design. They also add balanced audio inputs for improved sound quality and higher power output compared to their predecessors.
The mono amplifiers are designed specifically to power large subwoofers, and they feature 1-ohm stability to drive multiple subwoofers. One mono amp delivers up to 1,200 watts of RMS power into 1 ohm, and the other produces up to 800 watts into 1 ohm. Both units feature selectable bass boost at 0dB, 6dB, or 12dB at 50Hz.
The four-channel amp produces up to 4×100 watts into 4 ohms, 4×150 watts into 2 ohms, and 2×300 watts bridged into 4 ohms. It features speaker-level inputs and a built-in low- or high-pass crossover with a frequency selection of 40 to 500Hz.
