Pictures, Details, and Impressions of the Pioneer p780mp

[Nitewing911 10+ year member]

I've noticed a lot of people curious about the new Pioneer headunits (I was one of them), so I decided to put up a post about the Pioneer Premier p780mp.

I was stuck deciding between the p880prs and the p780mp. I had the opportunity to see and play with both in person. The p880prs is a fine deck, and it looks much better in person than it does in pictures. The look of the unit reminds me of a nice home stereo unit, with the brushed metal tops and bottoms and the dark metal buttons on the sides. The fact that you can choose to have white lighting is nice, and the white OEL screen is a lot more aesthetically pleasing than the blue OELs on the lower models. So why didn't I choose this one?

I didn't like the ergonomics on the p880prs. The knob on the right is used to change tracks on a CD, and it's quite a reach for me (I tend not to use remote controls on headunits). I like that I can do everything with just one knob on the driver's side with the p780mp (and the p980mp). Some people don't like that whole one-knob-controls-everything setup, but I find it convenient and easy to get used to.

The 780 also has a REALLY nice screen. I know it's just an aesthetic thing, and a lot of you guys who have the 880 regard such things as distractions more than anything, but I guess I'm just a sucker because the screen is really nice. It's a far cry from the OEL screens of the lower-end models, and it looks similar to an active-matrix LCD screen.

The only differences between the 880 and the 780 are that the 880 has separate left and right 16-band EQs and the 880 has the pro mode. The 880 also has the Auto-EQ and Auto-Time Alignment functions. Both models still have 24bit Burr-Brown DACs. I'm all about sound quality more than anything, and though I wouldn't classify myself as an audiophile, I've had a lot of experience with car audio. I hope I'm not putting my foot in my mouth when I say this, but I really don't need separate left/right EQs. Front/rear maybe, like in the newer Kenwood decks, but not left/right. I had an 860 in the past and it had the Auto-EQ function. In my mind, Auto-EQ doesn't work. At all. The settings it made sounded horrible, each time I ran it. So I don't care about Auto-EQ. I used to be very intrigued about time alignment, but have since stopped caring so much. In the Alpine decks I've had, time alignment was great at adjusting sound stage, but in my mind it seemed to damper the sound.

So I went with the 780. It sounds great, it looks good, and it's easy to use (to me, at least). There's a convenient 3.5mm AUX input in the back (no IP-Bus cable needed), for those of you interested. If you have any questions about it, I'll answer to the best of my ability.

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[HincklNutt 10+ year member]

so, i can just buy an aux cable and connect my ipod via the cable correct? would i lose any quality?

 

[Nitewing911 10+ year member]

You have a couple options for iPod control. One is to get Pioneer's updated iPod adapter, which is essentially a small box with two cables: one going into the back of the head unit and the other plugging into the dock connector on the iPod. This will let you control the iPod through the head unit directly, and it will charge the iPod as well. Keep in mind that although Pioneer's update to the iPod adapter is better than their first generation version, it still isn't nearly as intuitive or fast as the controls on the iPod itself. But it does give you the convenience of controlling everything through just the head unit.

The other option is to just get a 3.5mm to 3.5mm cable, basically the small headphone plug on both ends. Plug one side into the back of the head unit, plug the other into the iPod. You'd have to do all the track changing on the iPod itself, and it won't charge your iPod.

As far as audio quality, both methods will give you much better sound compared to FM transmitting. I'm not sure what the audio difference would be between the iPod adapter and just using a cable for the AUX input, but I think it's safe to say that the difference is very small.

If you don't mind the fact that you have to control the iPod through the iPod directly, and that you won't be charging the iPod while you're doing so, then you can save a significant amount of money by just going with the audio cable instead of Pioneer's iPod adapter. Hope that helps.

 

[HincklNutt 10+ year member]

im seriously debating on buying this exact head unit, but everyone keeps talking about the 880 and its making me think twice:crazy:

i really like the look of this unit though, how's it look at night? and how much did you pay?

 

[HincklNutt 10+ year member]

also, could you snap a few more pics? if it wouldnt be a hastle that is

 

[Nitewing911 10+ year member]

It looks good at night. In fact, the pictures I took are at night, though I put a lamp in the car to get a better shot. What other pictures do you want me to take?

As far as what to pick, that's up to you. But from what I've been reading from your posts in other forums, I get the impression that you don't really care to have to deal with a whole lot of audio tweaking. I like the fact the you can have the 780 sound great without having to try to hard. That's also a testament to why Pioneers are so popular: they're great sounding and relatively easy to use. Plus they look good, and the 780 is nice. If not for the screen, the unit wouldn't be very appealing. Other than the knob, everything else is dark gray plastic, with a very glossy plastic "shell" covering the entire front of the unit (as you can see from the pics). It's really designed to showcase the knob and the screen, as those two things stand out most readily. I like that the rest is just a high-gloss shine.

But I have to say that the 880 is a fine looking unit. There's no surprise that it's so popular on these forums because it's a fantastic unit. Personally, the screen on the 780 is the main selling point for me. It's very nice. But keep in mind that I only say that the screen is the main selling point for me because everything else about the 780 is great as well. It sounds great, it's got the 24bit Burr-Brown DACs like the 880, and it's got a very nice 16-band EQ, along with a good amount of audio tweaking. Of course, the 880 takes the audio tweaking to a Hole Nubba Level (MadTV haha), but I find that for me, all that is unnecessary. Plus, as I've mentioned in my post, I like the fact that you can control everything with just one knob, which is conveniently positioned closer to the driver. I hated reaching over to switch tracks on my old 860, which has the same layout as the 880. But that's my experience.

By the way, I got the unit for $315 at a local shop where a friend's brother-in-law works. You can find cheaper it on ebay, though shipping costs tend to bring the price up. There are a number of other places you can try as well, like sonicelectronix.com and ikesound.com, to name a couple.

 

[HincklNutt 10+ year member]

meh, dont worrya about any more pictures, i was just being picky //content.invisioncic.com/y282845/emoticons/wink.gif.608e3ea05f1a9f98611af0861652f8fb.gif

i think ill go with this one though. was it hard for you to set the eq up? is it fairly simple to raise up the soundstage of your speakers to ear height? considering mine are in the doors and arent comps. also, it has BBE correct?

youve seen the 880 in person aswell? does it really stick out as much as a few others have said?

 

[Nitewing911 10+ year member]

Haha, yes, the 880 sticks out a fair bit. I wouldn't have been too concerned with that because the hole where my unit sits is a bit recessed into the dash, but yes...it does stick out. If your dash opening is flush, and not dipping in (like mine), you'd notice the deck sticking out a little bit. But I would say that you'd have the same issue with the 780 as well. It's just that the 780 has rounded left and right sides, whereas the 880 doesn't, so you notice it more.

EQ was easy for me to setup, but I've messed with a lot of EQs from a lot of different brands, so it's become rather easy for me anyway, since I already know the kind of sound I'm trying to achieve. I don't know much about raising the soundstage with the Pioneers in general since I've always had component speakers, and my tweeters are near my A pillars. The 780 has time adjustment (no auto-TA like the 880) and seat position indicators, so that might help you out. The next thing you should do is get some good comps.

The 780 has BBE. I have it set to on, but at -3, because I currently don't have an amp or sub in my car (transition period). It muddies the sound when you have the BBE level set too high. It works pretty well, to be honest, though I'd probably turn it off when I get my full setup. We'll see...I might not turn it off depending on how it sounds.

 

[HincklNutt 10+ year member]

also, would the Pro mode of hte 880 be usefull without comp's and whatnot? the speakers i have are pretty decent. not as good as some high end comps, but they do the job quite nicely, and pack a good punch.

 

[Nitewing911 10+ year member]

I can't really say for sure, but I'm inclined to say that the pro mode would cater more toward component speakers.

 

[adam71 5,000+ posts]

Wow, that looks really nice all lit up. That was a good price too.

 

[HincklNutt 10+ year member]

just ordered the 780

 

[Nitewing911 10+ year member]

Great! Let me know how you like it.