Pioneer Brings Entertainment and Connectivity to Vehicles Old and New with a New Line of In-Dash Receivers

LONG BEACH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today introduced six new CD receivers and one digital media receiver for 2016 that are designed to complement the consumer’s connected lifestyle. The DEH-X6800BT, DEH-X5800HD, DEH-X4800BT, DEH-X3800S, DEH-X3800UI and DEH-X2800UI CD receivers and the MVH-X380BT CD-free digital media receiver feature a new cosmetic design and a variety of smartphone-centric technologies and entertainment options including advanced Bluetooth® functionality, Android Open Accessory Protocol (AOA) 2.0 support for Android™ and Android Media Transfer Protocol, Siri® Eyes Free functionality, simple Pandora® station creation, USB Auto Switch, and MIXTRAX®.

“In a survey conducted online by Harris Poll on behalf of Pioneer Electronics in May 2015 among 1,801 vehicle owners, three in five (61%) of whom indicate the vehicle they drive most often is 6 years old or older, with a third (34%) admitting it’s between 6-10 years old,” said Ted Cardenas, vice president of marketing for the Car Electronics Division of Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “Driving an older vehicle does not mean consumers can’t listen to their favorite music streaming services or access tracks stored on their smartphones. Our new line of CD and digital media receivers makes it easy for drivers to update their existing vehicles with the latest in-dash technology at a very minimal cost.”

The receiver lineup integrates compatibility with many of today’s most popular smartphones¹ to meet consumer demand for extended use in the vehicle.

• BLUETOOTH WIRELESS CONNECTIVITY – The DEH-X6800BT, DEH-X4800BT, and MVH-X380BT feature built-in Bluetooth² wireless connectivity for convenient hands-free calling as well as music streaming with compatible Bluetooth enabled devices. The Bluetooth models also feature Bluetooth Dual Device Connection for full-time connection of two smartphone devices at the same time. The feature enables a call to be picked up by either of the paired phones, eliminating the need to pair and unpair devices.
  • To simplify the Bluetooth pairing process with iPhone® devices, compatible models are enabled for Auto Pairing when utilizing a physical USB connection. Users simply connect an iPhone to the Pioneer receiver using an iPhone-to-USB cable, and the receiver automatically prompts the user to confirm pairing, eliminating the need to go through the wireless “searching for devices” process.
  • HFP 1.6 with Wideband Speech – Hands Free Profile (HFP) 1.6 produces significantly better sound quality for wireless conversations by increasing the frequency bandwidth dedicated to voice calling (now 50Hz - 7kHz) and doubling the sampling frequency (now 16kHz). The result is clearer and more distinct sound for both the user and the call recipient.
  • Music Library Browsing over Bluetooth (AVRCP 1.5) – Users can search album content over a wireless connection via the Bluetooth-enabled models. iPhone owners can search through their playlists, artists, songs, and genres over Bluetooth. For Android smartphones enabled with Media Transfer Protocol (MTP), users can browse through folders containing media through folder type and browse in media content folders. The smartphone device must be compatible with AVRCP 1.4 profile or newer to access Bluetooth Audio Browsing.

• USB CONNECTIVITY – When connected to an iPhone, iPod, portable USB drives, or Android devices via the USB port, users can use basic controls (Play/Pause/FF/Rev/Random/Repeat) and display of track, artist and album information. Android devices must run OS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) or newer to use Media Transfer Protocol.
• SIRI EYES FREE – Pioneer receiver models with Bluetooth enable users of an iPhone 4s and above to access Siri Eyes Free³ with the simple press of a key. Siri Eyes Free allows users 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 by voice.

ENHANCED ENTERTAINMENT

• AOA 2.0 SUPPORT FOR ANDROID (all models) – AOA 2.0 enables Android owners to play music streaming apps and control basic functionality, Play/Pause and Skip Song, using the buttons of the receiver. The new feature requires the Android device to be running Android 4.1 or newer and be plugged into the receiver via the USB connection on the front of the unit.
• PANDORA STATION CREATION (all models) – The Pandora station creation⁴ feature enables users to create new Pandora stations while the app is in use with an iPhone device (physical connection required) or compatible Android smartphone. Users can simply press and hold a button on the new receivers to create a new Pandora station dynamically from the currently playing song or artist.
• SIRIUSXM RADIO CONNECTIVITY – The DEH-X3800S is SiriusXM® compatible with the SXV300 SiriusXM Vehicle Connect Tuner (sold separately, SiriusXM subscription required). The SiriusXM Vehicle Connect Tuner offers a simple, cost-effective solution for adding satellite radio, and Pioneer's receivers include the Tune Start™, Tune Scan™, Tune Mix and Sports Flash features.
• HD RADIO TECHNOLOGY – The DEH-X5800HD features built-in HD Radio®, providing clear digital reception of HD Radio and additional multi-casting programming on HD1, HD2 and HD3 broadcasts from participating radio stations across the country.

NEW COSMETIC DESIGN AND FUNCTIONALITY
The cosmetic changes of the new line create a sleeker, more open and accessible display. The models now offer a larger 13 character display enabling more metadata to be shown on the face of the receivers. Pioneer increased accessibility of control functionality, shifting the master control knob to the left side of the DEH-X2800UI, DEH-X4800BT, and MVH-X380BT models and illuminating the presets and track up and track down buttons of the DEH-X6800BT, DEH-X5800HD, DEH-X3800S and DEH-X3800UI. All receivers also include USB Auto Switch feature – when the phone is connected via USB the listener has the option to choose whether the receiver uses the phone as a source, or just charges the device.

For more information on the new line visit, www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/CD-Receivers.

Pioneer CD receivers will be available in August with suggested retail prices of: $120 (DEH-X6800BT), $110 (DEH-X5800HD), $110 (DEH-X4800BT), $110 (DEH-X3800S), $100 (DEH-X3800UI), and $90 (DEH-X2800UI). The MVH-X380BT will be available in September with a suggested retail price of $95.

For more information follow us on:
Twitter at twitter.com/PioneerUSA
Facebook at facebook.com/PioneerNorthAmerica
YouTube at youtube.com/pioneerelectronics
Instagram at instagram.com/pioneercaraudio

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc., headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., is a preeminent manufacturer of leading edge technology solutions for the mobile electronics aftermarket. Pioneer is focused on creating the ultimate in-car entertainment experience with high performance audio and video components, as well as connectivity with today’s smart devices. Building off of more than 75 years of electronics experience, Pioneer has expanded into the cycle sports industry, designing world-class power meters and cycle computers for professional athletes and cycling enthusiasts. Pioneer’s U.S. Web address is www.pioneerelectronics.com and its parent company, Pioneer Corporation, is a leading global manufacturer of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets.

Read all safety instructions in the product documentation before use. Distracted driving can result in serious injury, or death. Only use a function when it is safe and legal in your location, pay attention to the road and your surroundings, and obey all traffic rules.

Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the United States by Harris Poll on behalf of Pioneer Electronics (USA) from May 27-29, 2015 among 2,020 (among whom 1,801 currently own a vehicle) adults ages 18 and older. For complete research method, including weighting variables, please contact Katherine Harbeston ([e-mail]).

¹Additional Pioneer or smartphone accessories may be required and are sold separately (www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Car/CD-Receivers).

²Bluetooth functionality requires a compatible Bluetooth-enabled mobile phone. Certain Bluetooth features may not be supported by all compatible Bluetooth-enabled devices, and/or the functionality of such features may be limited in certain devices or by certain wireless carriers.

³Siri not available in all languages or all areas and features may vary by area. Cellular data charges may apply.

⁴ Feature requires compatible receiver and metadata must be available on desired track or artist from which user wants to create station.

PIONEER and MIXTRAX are registered trademarks of Pioneer Corporation.
Apple, iPhone, Siri, are registered trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.
BLUETOOTH is a registered trademark of Bluetooth SIG, Inc.
ANDROID is a trademark of Google Inc.
PANDORA is a registered trademark of Pandora Media, Inc.
HD Radio is a proprietary trademark of iBiquity Digital Corporation.
Sirius XM, SiriusXM and all related marks and logos are trademarks of Sirius XM Radio Inc. and its subsidiaries.