Pioneer DEH-1500 Car CD Player

I got good grades for my first semester in graduate school, so my mom decided to buy me a CD player for my car as an early Christmas present. While I visited family back home, I went to the local PX to pick up the unit. There were only a few models on the shelf -- this Pioneer one, a couple of Sony brands, and an Audiovox. I got a recommendation on the Pioneer from my mom's friend; he says he's been using their products for many years and has been satisfied thoroughly.

I didn't think it was a big deal considering, to my knowledge, I haven't used many Pioneer products, but who am I to refuse a gift? At $129.99 it was comparable to the other brands on the shelf.

We saved some money the next day by installing the unit ourselves. I have to compliment the instruction guide included. Basically, you have to remove the face panel from your car's radio, then undo the mounting brackets before removing the unit. The same mounting brackets attach to the Pioneer CD deck. For another $20, we picked up a trim kit that included a plug to connect the car stereo's wires to the unit's -- saving us the grief of finding a "hot wire" to connect the units after manually slicing them. Long story short, installation took about 30 minutes altogether. I'm not very mechanically inclined and I had some help putting the CD in; just know that it can be done...

Moving on to the display, the box art doesn't do the model justice. The Pioneer console is beautifully back lit, a deep rich blue-indigo color. If anything, it was substantially brighter than my radio's clockface, but it's not particularly glaring. Though neon green might not have made the best compliment, the Clock, Source, and Audio buttons are easily visible. Unfortunately, some of the more important keys -- the track changing buttons, the pause button, and the 1-6 keys you can preset for your favorite audio stations are still black. It's no problem during the day, but if you're still having to "feel around" to get accustomed to this unit, you might have some problems.

Though the installation guide is easy-to-follow, I had the most ridiculous time trying to set my clock. It's not hard. Once installed, press the Clock button to show the timer. Press and hold the Audio key until the dial blinks. Use the left and right buttons to switch between hours and minutes, and use the up and down buttons to change the number. Press and hold Audio when you're done until the clock disappears. Of course, the manual's verbiage was confusing. It said to press the Source key until the clock appeared and press Audio repeatedly... ugh. I had to fumble with it a bit. (I mean, I pulled over in my neighborhood and messed with the controls for a few minutes until I figured it out.)

Despite that quirk, the console itself plays CDs just fine. Pioneer includes several preset EQ readings ranging from Natural to Vocal to Super Bass. I experimented with the settings a bit, and Natural sounded just fine to me. When I choose the Pioneer system, I was also glad that it's compatible with CD-R and CD-RW discs since I like burning mixed CD collections. The CD-R I burned didn't skip on the player. It played beautifully and seamlessly. In short, the Pioneer player performs exactly as intended: A desperately needed break from the repetitive and boring DJs in Lexington's radio stations, I can listen to what I want, when I want, and get the variety of sounds and styles I enjoy.

The CD player also features a detachable face plate for added security. Simply press the Eject button (an up arrow) on the bottom right of the player and the face will pop off. It's a little tricky. Gently grip the face plate from both the top and bottom and pull toward the right to detach the other clip. You can store it in your glove compartment, and if that's not secure enough for you, you can stash it in your satchel or other safe place. The unit snaps back in with ease.

Something to consider. The Pioneer pumps 200 watts of stereo power into your car's speakers. I have a 1991 Chevy Cavalier with factory speakers installed. When I simply stuck with the radio, I could turn up my music as loud as I want. The Pioneer is a bit too powerful for my speakers, though, and if I set the volume too high (25+), my speakers will buzz with distortion -- which may lead to long-term damage. (Learn something new every day, right?)

So if you're going to save yourself some money by installing the CD deck personally, appraise your speakers while you're at it and upgrade them if necessary. Depending on how extravagant you want your setup, you may spend more than your player. In my case, I want to upgrade the speakers alone, and I understand that they're pretty cheap.

Truth told, I have only had this system for a couple of days, so I might still have that "dreamy" opinion with good reason. Aside from relatively minor glitches and complaints, the Pioneer DEH-1500 works just fine and addresses almost all my music needs right now.