Pioneer DEH-P6800MP Car CD / MP3 Player

A couple of weeks ago, I began getting the itch to change out my factory deck. The features I wanted were simple and straightforward. Reasonable built in amplifier, decent local radio reception, mp3 playing capability, and sirius compatibility. The pioneer 6800 fit all of these needs nicely, with what seemed like a handsome appearance. I ordered my unit from Crutchfield for $219.99 and of course they include the harness, adapter kit (gm car) and telephone number for support.

My first impression was a good one. The radio powered up as it should, and the sound was actually quite decent. The user settings are plentiful, and nearly adequate. Here is where we approach my only complaint with this otherwise great deck. The personal settings are plentiful, and while my learning curve involved a few stumbles, the clock was set and the EQ was to my liking within about ten minutes.

The crystal display is quite clear and there are approximately a dozen different pictures to choose from for a background, some moving, some not. Many of the radios defaults seemed specifically geared toward "kids." Even the "clock only" function seems geared towards teenagers, as there is a grid, with a light pacing back and forth that reminds of knight rider.

Perhaps a month ago (before a crummy lasik surgery procedure) I would have been less sensitive to this single detail the 6800 lacks.... The power/volume/source buttons are surrounded by a bright blue LED....and there is no way to dim them! You can dim the animated display quite nicely, so the people at Pioneer recognize that when the lights of the car go on, the radio should get dimmer....but they only followed through with one half of the radio. It struck me as odd. The standard harness adapters did not work for my car, but after working with the helpful people at Crutchfield, a modification revealed that indeed, Pioneer made no accommodation to lower the output from the LED lights.

Before you start thinking that I'm an eighty year old man, these lights are pretty bright. From the armrest, with a little strain, I could read a map to this light. My neighbor suggested using a piece of velcro and cardboard to cover the radio at night. I'll drive a covered wagon before I start using cardboard and velcro to make up for the inadequacies of Pioneer Electronics. It will cost me $21 dollars, plus shipping costs in both directions to return the deck to Crutchfield (near $50) but this seems reasonable to not have to stare at the sun each night on my long drives.

One other thing that was disappointing... the radio does not display the mp3 tag of songs playing. I believe you can see them when you are selecting a given track, but the radio will always default to it's (what I consider) silly antics.

Let's summarize that the standing joke (quickly established) was that hopefully the little brats that stole my last couple radios would save me the trouble of removing the deck. Alas, it's in a box and en route.

****UPDATE****UPDATE****UPDATE****UPDATE****UPDATE

I have since bought and used both the Kenwood EZ-700SR, as well as the SONY XPLOD CDX-RA700. Although I settled on the Sony, neither produced nearly the sound quality of the Pioneer. My ears curse my eyes and the designer that insisted on these non-adjustable lights. If you can get past the light, BUY this reciever. Stronger sound than either of the other receivers. The Kenwood sound was dreadful. The Sony is mediocre, but without the offensive light.