Pioneer DEH-P9600MP Car CD / MP3 Player

- you like tweaking every little audio setting

- you get a kick out of cool graphics (but don't need full color or high resolution)

- you want to control several other pieces of equipment from one central location (I control my trunk-mounted XM tuner and Infinity powered sub with it)

The motorized face is quick enough for the impatient, yet not so quick as to look cheap. Additionally, Pioneer seems to have finally mastered making a detachable face that is easily re-attached!

The 9600 shows a VAST improvement over my previous unit (DEH-P7400MP, see review there) in seek times between mp3 files/tracks; there is only a minor hesitation during the transition.

An especially nice feature when playing CDs is the ability to browse through the titles while a track is playing. This is provided CD-text is on the disc, of course. When playing CD-ROMs loaded with MP3 and/or WMA files, you can descend down into each folder and check out its contents; all without stopping play.

The card-style remote is not the handiest size or shape for adult-size hands, but having a DISP button (for switching between various display modes) allows me to never have to bother with the front panel while driving. The only improvement I could offer is the size, shape and logical layout of the [compatible] CD-R600.