Pioneer DEH-P9300

Price & Contact: $750; 800-PIONEER, www.pioneerelectronics.com.
Max output level: 5.1 volts @0.01% THD+N
Max undistorted output: 5.1 volts @ 0.01% THD+N
Relative loudness: -3.6 dBu
Usable Dynamic Range: -95.7 dB
THD+N @ full output: 0.01%
Output impedance: 91 ohms
L-R channel error: 0.06 dB
Frequency response: +0 dB, -0.5 dB

All measurements @ 14volts unless otherwise specified
Max Output: 35 watts x 4 @ 35% THD+N
Max Undistorted Output: 18 watts x 4 @ 1% THD+N
Signal-to-Noise: -94.4 dB
Channel Error: 0.027 dB
Frequency Response: +0 dB, -0.8 dB

		Pioneer DEH-P9300 www.pioneerelectronics.com
		Pioneer’s latest head unit includes enough bells, whistles, and techno-gadgets to satisfy the most extreme feature buffs.		Pioneer DEH-P9300 Specs Price & Contact: $750; 800-PIONEER, www.pioneerelectronics.com. Max output level: 5.1 volts @0.01% THD+N Max undistorted output: 5.1 volts @ 0.01% THD+N Relative loudness: -3.6 dBu Usable Dynamic Range: -95.7 dB THD+N @ full output: 0.01% Output impedance: 91 ohms L-R channel error: 0.06 dB Frequency response: +0 dB, -0.5 dB INTERNAL AMPS All measurements @ 14volts unless otherwise specified Max Output: 35 watts x 4 @ 35% THD+N Max Undistorted Output: 18 watts x 4 @ 1% THD+N Signal-to-Noise: -94.4 dB Channel Error: 0.027 dB Frequency Response: +0 dB, -0.8 dB
		by Brian Smith

		The DEH-P9300 is a single disc head unit with AM/FM tuner, Multi-CD/XM Satellite-ready control and enough DSP goodies to keep even the most neurotic of fidgeting fiends entertained. Features include a detachable faceplate, wireless remote, 6 preamp outputs, internal crossovers, and a 13-band graphic EQ, just to name a few. Performance Performance from the preamp outputs of the DEH-P9300 looks to be on par with most of the high-end decks that we’ve seen recently, with about 5 volts of undistorted output and source impedance in the 100-ohm range at 1 kHz. The unit’s internal crossovers and equalizer, while still a little short of my personal expectations, perform as well as those in any of the competing models. The internal amps in the DEH-P9300 fall short of their 50 watts x 4 Max rating, but I have to give Pioneer props for being the only company willing to publish a real power rating for a head unit. You have to dig in the manual, but it’s there — 22 watts x 4 into 4-ohms at 5% THD — and it’s listed above the 50-watt max power thing. This jibes with the results of our tests and is a refreshing bit of honesty in a market segment where numbers have become completely meaningless. User Evaluation Modern head units have become so feature laden that it’s getting hard to take most of the bells and whistles seriously. The excess of features tends to complicate the user interface and often creates a situation in which so many things are done, that too few are done well. However, this unit possesses a couple of features that could be the beginning of something very cool. Both of these features are display-based, and the first is the display itself. Pioneer calls it Organic ElectroLuminescence, (OEL), and it looks very good — almost too good. The number of display options is vast and includes several looped animation clips, which could easily lead to the following conversation: The Cop: "License & Registration please." You: "Is there a problem officer?" Cop: "Well, you were doing 15 mph over the posted limit with your stereo violating practically all of the city’s noise statutes. Now, it also appears that you had a video screen operating in view of the driver while the vehicle was in motion, or did you switch that on after you stopped, just to impress me?" You: "Oh no officer, that’s just my new Pioneer CD player." Cop: "Come on son, I just saw a racecar go across that screen." "You’re watchin’ the Detroit Grand Prix." Okay, realistically speaking, it’s not quite as good as a video screen, but I sure wouldn’t want to have to talk my way out of it with most of the cops that I’ve run into. The second cool feature is that the display can be customized by downloading pictures or video clips to the faceplate. Think about that, the display on your headpiece could show a pic of your mom, or a nice soothing landscape, or anything else that you can find in .jpg, .bmp or AVI format (wink-wink). I understand that there’s a wide selection of pictures in these formats available on the Internet (another wink and evil grin). The only catch is that you have to take the faceplate to a Pioneer dealer to perform the download and the available space is somewhat limited. Overall though, this is an idea with awfully intriguing possibilities — this could be the hottest thing to hit the head unit market since the removable faceplate.