Loyal Pioneer fan let down after 15 years

[Raydee]

I got a update on my unit yesterday, according to my supplier they are going to be sending me out a "new" unit next week. When I asked if it was brand new he said no its a re-formatted unit. When I told him that was a refurb he said No it wasn't it was just re-formatted.....LOL. When I told him that I didn't want someones used radio that already had problems he asked me why I was complaining and that I got a deal on the unit to begin with. Needless to say this supplier will never get my business again. The part that kills me is I still think Pioneer makes some of the best sounding radio's on the market and I will continue to buy Pioneer but if anyone asks my opinion on the F series they are going to get a earfull. Hopefully they have everything fixed on the X series that should be out in a month or so.

[rodr2344]

For the people who are having trouble out of the box then I say to you thats a shame..... sometimes these things happen. Now for the F-series... I agree there are some bugs... I personally have the F90BT and there are a few little quirks that annoy me..(map switches itself to 2D mode occasionally, unit defaults to map after a call... VR takes FOREVER or sometimes doesnt catalog at all, etc. etc.) everyone knows the bugs. However with that being said the unit is SO completely customizable that I can live with the bugs. Lets face it... the unit has Windows so its basically a PC in your car.... and anyone who has EVER used a PC knows that they are going to crash its inevitable... but that should be easy enough to recover from. Plus Pioneer is sure to release a new firmware version (3.0???) hopefully sooner than later. I just bought a new car and was in the market for a new in dash NAV, My previous unit was also an AVIC-N3 and it did its job but I wanted something with DIRECT iPod control out of the box...Bluetooth out of the box, NAV, and it had to SOUND good... I searched and searched... I didnt want a crappy no-name brand like DUAL or some Japaneese or Chineese crap noones ever heard of ...and the BIG purchase point was price...I didnt want to break the bank... My ceiling was 600 - 700 USD.... I compared the F90BT and could not match the out of the box Features and price with anything else. And lets face it...its a Pioneer it sounds AMAZING I didnt even have to hook it up to an amp for seperates just one amp for subs and I'm gold. Im sure there are WAY more people who will agree with me than who dont. Im not bashing anyone who is having problems... we all have problems with SOMETHING.... but hey at least we have good ol AVIC411.com to help ease the pain and hopefully help us with our issues.... I dont think theres ANY problem ive not been able to resolve using this site including repairing my old rusty N-3 when the ribbon cable tore and Pioneer choked the industry and made it IMPOSSIBLE to get one... so thank you to all who contribute to this community and keep up the good work.

[BorisM]

...of the box, NAV, and it had to SOUND good... I searched and searched... I didnt want a crappy no-name brand like DUAL or some Japaneese or Chineese crap noones ever heard of ...and the BIG purchase point ...

 

Last I checked, Pioneer was a Japanese company, and F-series is built by quite Chinese (or Taiwanese, may be) MiTAC...

[PeterUbers]

For the people who are having trouble out of the box then I say to you thats a shame..... sometimes these things happen.

 

Rod -- I respect you and agree with you when you discuss Pioneer's long lineage of GREAT sounding and greatly performing product until the F-series.

 

Where I disagree is the concept of customizability and "knowing this is a windows based product, so it's going to crash" .. that's fine and all if I'm in my living room or my bedroom and i'm checking websites or doing my taxes on my PC and my PC crashes -- no big deal, I would probably shriek a few obscenities (i'm sure most of us do) and continue to either soft reset or hard reset .. blah blah... we've come to understand this is how Windows just does things. I'm safe in a reclining, ovepriced officeMax desk chair and can take the opportunity of re-booting my PC to go down and get some more lemonade... no car accidents there.

 

Now in vehicle... MOST PEOPLE WHO BUY THE AVIC do NOT customize it and DO NOT KNOW IT'S CUSTOMIZABLE and buy it BASED ON THE FACT THAT IT WILL WORK OUT OF THE BOX WITH THE GIVEN FEATURE SET that's reported on the price tag. It's THAT simple. Please, for those confused about the issue, re-read the last paragraph. I suggest they sell the F-series as "The first In-Car Windows based Stereo/PC Multimedia unit."

 

I know BorisM thinks some of us aren't intelligent enough to "figure out" the complexities of the Pioneer and some others think it's been "installed incorrectly" and other say "quit bitchin' and wait for 3.0 that'll solve ALL THESE PROBLEMS" .. but c'mon, even though the AVIC is WELL under the next competing model (Kenwood, Alpine, Panasonic) in price and has (and I agree) THE BEST GUI, it's still not performing like it's supposed to for many many people.

 

People shouldn't HAVE to go into testmode, mess with some files, re-load operating systems. For those that are comfortably and internet/CPU savvy enough to do so, AWESOME, then THE AVIC F-SERIES is the PC/Car stereo for YOU!

 

That being said, I implore anyone that doesn't have as much conviction for the Pioneer name, nor the F-series in particularly, to reconsider restocking fees and/or losses you may take on ebay, and dump the F-series ASAP and let it be someone else's problem and consider a new unit. For those that think that's blasphemy, a lack of support for an awesome company (Pioneer) and pure idiocy/lack of computer savvy (as per some members here) then by all means, stick with Avic, get used to the bugs, and by all means, KEEP BOTH HANDS ONTHE WHEEL and EYES ON THE ROAD as you realize that your bluetooth just froze or your ipod audio just dropped out or your Avic just rebooted on you.

 

Oh, and perhaps take the time and opportunity afforded to your by your Avic re-booting to stop and do the following:

1) get some gas

2) obtain a cold beverage for that long car ride home

3) turn on your boom box that you've conveniently learned to bring and leave on your passenger seat to listen to music during Avic reboots or f- ups

4) have a conversation with other passengers in the vehicle

5) Think of what you SHOULD have said to that co-worker of yours today that got under your skin

6) re-consider that time share that's been burning a hole in your brain, "no no, it's gotta be a scam"

7) Consider adding updating your facebook page when you get home

surf the net on Kenwood's website and keep telling yourself, "no no, waaay overpriced, I got TOO good of a deal on this Avic, 3.0 will fix everything."