West
Banned
Review of Pioneer AVIC-X930BT:
3.75/5 stars
Summary:
User interface: 8.5/10
Sound quality (junk/stock speakers/no amp): 9/10
Sound quality (good speakers + amp): 6.5/10 (pretty disappointed and yes I used high end RCA's and speaker wire)
For those who want it short and sweet...
The unit is great if you like a lot of options and do not plan on having a "high end" overall sound system. If you really love music... get a different HU. It is more of a computer than a stereo but does a few things pretty well.
If there is something you are curious about, feel free to post and I'll try to answer it.
What its great at:
Making the most out of a stock speaker system, nice initial improvement in SQ on sub-par speakers.
Decent user interface all around.
iPhone and iPod interface is ok.
Nice to have it you talk on the phone a lot.
The Bluetooth overall is a big win for the system, I never have any problems hearing people or them hearing me.
The option to change the color of the button illumination is nifty, you can use pretty much any color you can imagine. If you keep the color settings low you can make the colors appear brighter/darker, but no official dimmer.
The HD radio is good when your in range.
The navigation system is very accurate, but you will need a bypass if you want to change your destination at a red light. (Go to youtube...)
The detachable anti-theft button panel is small and fits easily in any pocket.
The password feature is nice, but unless a bugler knows the thing has a password... it does little good. FYI: The password is only required if the unit looses power from the car's battery, so it will not pester you every time you start your car.
What it's bad at:
You should also buy a Micro SD card for map and firmware updates.
This unit does not have high performance SQ when using quality aftermarket speakers and amps.
The equalizer gives you a lot of noise if you try to improve the SQ for mid-high frequencies, and may cause minor clipping. But I did not find it to be that big of an issue when using the HU to drive the speakers.
The sound overall from the HU is flat when you have good speakers and a good amp. (I will be putting a Mcintosh amp in my car before replacing this HU to see if this improves... will update then.)
The HD radio accessory has poor range and the regular FM stations have less range then they did before I installed this HU.
The time/video alignment is significantly off and there is no option to attempt to align it.
Some undersized buttons... including those which deal with changing the audio/video source, answering/disconnecting from calls, and call volume.
Music needs to be manually turned down when you answer a call.
The HU forces you to open Pandora manually from your phone before the interface can take control of it. This may sound like being critical, but you do have to take your eyes off the road to deal with your phone, when the HU should be able to start simple applications. However this may be an Apple issue.
Every time I plug my iPhone in the HU immediately starts playing from my iTunes songs, and its the same song it always starts with.
The menu hides the audio/video input options and you need to scroll up/down to locate them. This really takes your eyes off the road.
The navigation can be a nightmare to install on an older vehicle, you will need to consult an expert or at least buy a Hanes Manual.
The is no way to turn the navigation system all the way OFF, but you can get it to shut up.
The current setup:
Pioneer AVIC-X930BT head unit using an Alpine PDX-5 Amp and Focal Performance series component PS 130 in front and coaxial PC 690's in back. The sub will be installed when my box is completed.
3.75/5 stars
Summary:
User interface: 8.5/10
Sound quality (junk/stock speakers/no amp): 9/10
Sound quality (good speakers + amp): 6.5/10 (pretty disappointed and yes I used high end RCA's and speaker wire)
For those who want it short and sweet...
The unit is great if you like a lot of options and do not plan on having a "high end" overall sound system. If you really love music... get a different HU. It is more of a computer than a stereo but does a few things pretty well.
If there is something you are curious about, feel free to post and I'll try to answer it.
What its great at:
Making the most out of a stock speaker system, nice initial improvement in SQ on sub-par speakers.
Decent user interface all around.
iPhone and iPod interface is ok.
Nice to have it you talk on the phone a lot.
The Bluetooth overall is a big win for the system, I never have any problems hearing people or them hearing me.
The option to change the color of the button illumination is nifty, you can use pretty much any color you can imagine. If you keep the color settings low you can make the colors appear brighter/darker, but no official dimmer.
The HD radio is good when your in range.
The navigation system is very accurate, but you will need a bypass if you want to change your destination at a red light. (Go to youtube...)
The detachable anti-theft button panel is small and fits easily in any pocket.
The password feature is nice, but unless a bugler knows the thing has a password... it does little good. FYI: The password is only required if the unit looses power from the car's battery, so it will not pester you every time you start your car.
What it's bad at:
You should also buy a Micro SD card for map and firmware updates.
This unit does not have high performance SQ when using quality aftermarket speakers and amps.
The equalizer gives you a lot of noise if you try to improve the SQ for mid-high frequencies, and may cause minor clipping. But I did not find it to be that big of an issue when using the HU to drive the speakers.
The sound overall from the HU is flat when you have good speakers and a good amp. (I will be putting a Mcintosh amp in my car before replacing this HU to see if this improves... will update then.)
The HD radio accessory has poor range and the regular FM stations have less range then they did before I installed this HU.
The time/video alignment is significantly off and there is no option to attempt to align it.
Some undersized buttons... including those which deal with changing the audio/video source, answering/disconnecting from calls, and call volume.
Music needs to be manually turned down when you answer a call.
The HU forces you to open Pandora manually from your phone before the interface can take control of it. This may sound like being critical, but you do have to take your eyes off the road to deal with your phone, when the HU should be able to start simple applications. However this may be an Apple issue.
Every time I plug my iPhone in the HU immediately starts playing from my iTunes songs, and its the same song it always starts with.
The menu hides the audio/video input options and you need to scroll up/down to locate them. This really takes your eyes off the road.
The navigation can be a nightmare to install on an older vehicle, you will need to consult an expert or at least buy a Hanes Manual.
The is no way to turn the navigation system all the way OFF, but you can get it to shut up.
The current setup:
Pioneer AVIC-X930BT head unit using an Alpine PDX-5 Amp and Focal Performance series component PS 130 in front and coaxial PC 690's in back. The sub will be installed when my box is completed.
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