douger

Does Pioneer have your money? No, it's not likely. The best one can hope for from Pioneer is that they'll produce a feature that they promised when they introduced the model. And once the next model comes out, they'll forget they ever made the one that's in your dash.

Pioneer right now mediocrity in a sea of garbage. The head unit manufacturers are not innovating. Frankly I'm glad for CarPlay and android auto because my radio will receive updates and new functionality over time from apple instead of from pioneer.

 

In the 8.3 beta the album art looks better and once again works with third party apps, the phone no longer needs to be unlocked to use CarPlay,(you just tell the phone to trust this head unit and it auto launches after that) the maps now does this thing where if you don't touch it it hides buttons automatically to dedicate more of the screen to the map, Siri has a new button to let me call the person to reply to a text and I have no doubt in the future there will be a button to send audio messages for iMessage conversations.

 

When the interface comes from my phone I don't have to care about the pioneer one. I already have an interface from apple.

There may not be a payoff. For most new cars, the infotainment is so integrated with the rest of the car both physically and electronically that the market for aftermarket audio may be shrinking.

These new units were announced today, and they won't be available for at least two more months (http://www.pioneerelectronics.com/PUSA/Press-Room/Car-Audio-Video/Pioneer's+Second+Generation+NEX+Receivers+Expand+smartphone+Connectivity). Also, has Google even officially released Android Auto into the wild? Given all of that, isn't it perhaps a bit too soon to presume that Pioneer will not provide a firmware update to enable Android Auto for the now-old 8000, 7000, and 4000 NEX units?

 

Admittedly, Pioneer's history on supporting older units hasn't been great. Plus, other than what might be a better screen for the resistive non-8000 units, there doesn't seem much else to distinguish these 2015 models from the 2014s other than Android Auto support. So, everyone is probably right--the old units are doomed.

That was pretty much the story for the NEX units. They were about a month late with people bitching that the CarPlay update supposedly due in "early summer" and not coming until fall.

Scott, I understand what you're saying and we will probably never know the truth, but I really don't think that's the case here.

 

I think the reason no one has added CarPlay to older units is because there is little incentive for manufacturers to add features to older units.  Instead, they would rather make new hardware where they can make money.  There might also be other reasons such as software incompatibility (i.e. older headunits running Windows CE might not support CarPlay).  This situation is different because the NEX series already runs Android.  Somebody hacked the 8000 NEX and dumped the entire operating system and it's Android.

 

If the hardware has changed between the 8000 and 8100 then I can understand the argument, but Pioneer is not advertising a single new features besides adding Android Auto.

 

I can't even think of a new hardware feature that would be required, because this is just video streaming and multi-touch stuff.  In this case of Netflix, it requires encryption which is why it can't be added to older devices, but this situation just seems so much different and it feels like people that paid $1,400 less than a year ago are getting screwed out of future updates.

 

EDIT: I also want to point out that when I first purchased my 8000 NEX I posted a lengthy review on here gushing about how incredible the unit was, etc.  However, now that I see the kind of support that Pioneer provides I will absolutely not be purchasing anything from them in the future.

I'm not clear why they can't marry the hardware of a moderately high end tablet... say a Nexus 7... with a quality amplifier and disc drive and not have all of the horsepower needed to practically future proof their units for years, not to mention produce a head unit that is significantly cheaper than the substandard one they're producing now.

Are we positive that Pioneer won't update the current NEX units? Maybe they are just holding that announcement off for some reason? I agree, that would suck. It would be great if my 8000 could also have Android Auto since I don't use the iPhone.

If they play by the same rules they've been playing by for years, they've already forgotten that they made last year's NEX units.

My Z150 is 18 months old. There have been two firmware updates which fixed a couple of bugs and tweaked some already available features. If Pioneer holds to form, they'll forget all about supporting the current NEX series when they announce the 2015 models. The business model appears to be: if you want the latest features, buy the latest head unit. Pioneer isn't the only company in the industry to subscribe to that model.

I'd love to have Mirrorlink on my head unit. It seems to be a superior interface than the AppMode that is just as shitty in 2014 as it was in 2013.

My Bluetooth connection works consistently when my phone is within about ten feet of the head unit. I believe the standard calls for 33 feet, but I'd think that the intervening metal and glass would make that harder to achieve. I often lose the audio when getting out of the car to check the mail, but the connection remains solid.

Your head unit has a switched power source, unless it stays on when you turn the key off (retained accessory power vehicles excluded.) If I recall, it's the yellow wire that goes to the head unit. With luck, it goes to a yellow wire in the vehicle harness.

Could you tell me the model number of the one you have?

GM-D8604.

My bad on the output. It's only 100 watts RMS per channel at the 4 ohms my speakers are, which I also replaced with Pioneer units. I'm also running a Bazooka bass tube. It's still miles better than the OEM Monsoon amplifier.

I know my car came with an amp. Why would I need to install one?

Apparently yours isn't powerful enough.

My Grand Prix came with a Monsoon amp. As near as I can tell it put out about 50 watts RMS per channel. I now have a Pioneer 150 watt per channel RMS amp. Setting 20 is as loud as 40 used to be... without the distortion.

I have a z140bh in a Chevy Impala. The radio volume only goes up to 40. Is there a way to make it louder ? 

Install an amplifier. You can then make it as loud as your speakers can handle. The unit only puts out about 20 watts RMS.

You can try pushing the SLA sliders in audio setup to the max. I found that creates distortion. They'll be no SLA slider for your AM/FM radio.

I would rather have one not installed In my truck, cause then I could pull it out and use it outside my vehicle if I wanted

My rooted Android phone works great as a mobile hotspot. 

Theedge, read the post above yours for the answer to your last question. 

 

And can you please elaborate on the "many areas that the unit could benefit from that type of persistant wifi" I am honestly curious/would love to see what I seem to be missing in my thought process and no one is offering up any SPECIFIC benefits.  

 

The more I think about it it seems superfluous to have wifi connection with avicsync and carplay. Both of these are meant to integrate apps/connectivity into the unit.

 

What would be the benefit of having say a Netflix/pandora/youtube/browser app ON the receiver itself when carplay is meant to achieve that exact functionality and more? I have already addressed the voice + data issue in my above post.

 

99.9% of consumers who own a phone aren't going to go out and buy a $100 piece of hardware, pay $5/month and pay to add extra data to their plan just to use built in wifi.  

 

I think once carplay is available everyone in here will begin to realize there isn't much point at all to having wifi on the receiver. If you are android you should be looking into app radio unchained anyway, you can do everything you are talking about in such a better way. 

 

You're not going to be browsing the web when you are driving down the freeway so in a real life situation you are almost certainly going to be using the browser far less often than you would imagine. 

 

The exception to all of this being a case of if you had forgotten your phone at home. But then you would have to have a hotspot anyway. We are going in circles here. 

General Motors is. They're putting hotspots in most of their 2015 cars.

Apple is rarely first with anything. They usually have the most well polished implementation of whatever they launch though, which is why they are such a popular brand.

 

Regardless neither carplay nor android auto will be in most cars for years. Audi for example has no plans for either to be in their cars till 2016 model year vehicles. The majority of consumers do not put aftermarket radios in their cars.

 

It took years for carmakers to implement any kind of iPod integration in their cars. It will take years for carplay and android auto to be in there as well.

The OEMs have made that prospect most difficult. Try putting a double DIN in a Cadillac CTS without doing major surgery. Many manufacturers are integrating their infotainment systems with the heating and air conditioning controls.

Kenwood's top of the line head unit doesn't say boo about Carplay, but does appear to accept a wi-fi dongle. I'm not seeing where the current Alpine lineup offers any sort of internet connectability. Both manufacturers do support iDatalink Maestro out of the box.

I mean seriously, the unit is branded

"NEX, the Networked Entertainment eXperience, the next generation of network connected in-vehicle receivers, combining on-board embedded features with cloud-based connected services"

 

Some people cant pull data and make a call, so if your streaming content from your phone, you lose your place, and in some cases have to restart. I want Internet to be able to stream shows off netflix or apple tv for the passengers (kids) on trips.

I think that's the direction Google's Connected Car is going. I'm thinking that might require it's own data connection.

Alright, don't flame me for the question. Let's say Pioneer busts their "summer" promise for carplay and they have already been misleading on Avicsync. At what point are they liable for false advertising?

They will have promoted and sold a product lacking two features for the better part of a year. These "promised" features sold a lot of units over competing companies just because of the icon on the box and the promise that they will be here someday.

Will they be rolling out the next generation of "Nex" head units before it's actually usable? If so, we were all screwed and overcharged.

What "promise?" They promised features. The timeline for delivering those features is and has been a bit more nebulous.

the x000NEX unites do not have a WiFi radio, so they cannot connect via WiFi.

Upon further review, there's nothing in the specs that indicate a wi-fi radio. ptkdude is correct.

I'm willing to bet that the 2015 models will have at least a wi-fi radio built in.

Does anyone know if you can connect the 8000NEX in any way to a WIFI signal?

I know it will use the data connection on your phone.

 

However, i want to connect a more perminate data source to the head unit. like a cellular WIFI hotspot, onstar 4g lte data ect. 

If the unit will not do it does anyone know of a compatiable add-on?

 

Thanks Joe

I think you'll need to know more details about how AVICSYNC works before that question can be answered. I believe that as the current series exists, it can't do diddly squat with wi-fi.

If Grandma had balls she'd be Grandpa.

 

They did set a date, that date has passed & I find it great all these Pioneer employees are here to shovel the corporate fecal matter.

What "date" did they "promise?"

I'm not a Pioneer employee "shoveling corporate fecal matter." On the contrary, I held off buying a NEX because I was disgusted with how the advertised feature set for my Z150 mostly didn't work as advertised. I sit here rather bemused that they changed little with the new model year with that regard.

But there's a difference between "promised" and "expected by," just as "early summer" is not a "date." Those who've been here from the beginning know that Pioneer's "expected release date" for the NEX series slipped from the end of February till sometime near the end of March. Most savvy companies are careful to couch such in generalities until they have the tested product in their hand and ready to sell.

I can't wait for the moaning and groaning once Carplay is released...... I can tell you right now it's not going to work 100% for everyone.... 

And yet the bitching has been non stop because Carplay wasn't released in "early summer" as implied. Taking longer to resolve compatibility issues, or licensing issues, or marketing issues means little to some people.

Any word on if/when the AVIC units will be able to do gapless mp3 playback?    And any idea if this is can be done in software?

 

My iPhone does it quite nicely,  and I have many albums that could use it.

 

Thanks.  John

I can't for the life of me figure out why Pioneer's playback software is so lame. Poweramp DB, which is what I run in my Android phone, runs circles around anything Pioneer has, including the NEX units.

I don't think the Z150 will see any more upgrades than what it's already received.

Anyone knows what hard drives are compatible with F60DAB (NEX-8000) USB ports?

I plan to use a 2.5 drive powered by the Pioneer unit.

Any suggestion about what model and capacity ?

 

 

Btw, F60DAB (NEX-8000) has two USB ports. Are they both for data+AC power or USB no.2 is for AC power only ?

I'd suggest a SSD drive. Its power requirements are low enough that you should be able to get enough power from the head unit's USB port. A secondary benefit is less likelihood of problems due to vibration. ~240 GB has been reported on this board to be an workable size. 

this is what im also thinking..

The new nav data has been released. There doesn't appear to be any new functionality with that release that isn't already in 1.06.

I think the micro sdxc 128gb from sandisk would do nicely in a 4 port sdxc to USB hub to get you 512mb but it seems like a 2.5inch hdd formatted correctly would work just as well in a powered or power over USB enclosure. 

I thought I've seen that some people have gotten SSDs to work.