Pioneer DEH-80PRS

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Ern Dog
Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
edited September 2012 in Car Audio & Electronics
Hey guys,
I'm in the market to upgrade my old Pio 4800 and was thinking about getting the Pio DEH-80PRS for $320 thru Amazon. I haven't shopped around for HU's for a long time and frankly not that familiar with the car audio world. A quick search on Crutchfields and I found that most of the HU's are about features (blutooth, HD radio, Pandora, etc), but there are hardly any that are for the audiophile. Sure there are those top line HU's for $1K. I suppose this is common knowledge, but I'm just finding out about it now because I'm in the market.

What caught my eye about this particular model is the three Burr-Brown 24-bit DACs and the DSP/time alignment and it comes with a mic for under $350! Schweeeet!

Has anybody heard how it sounds?

Also, is there a better deal out there for an HU for the audiophile?
Post edited by Ern Dog on
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,543
    edited August 2012
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    Well there was this thread: http://www.polkaudio.com/forums/showthread.php?129379-NEW-Pioneer-DEH-80PRS&highlight=DEH-80PRS
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited August 2012
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    Thanks for the link.
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  • EndersShadow
    EndersShadow Posts: 17,543
    edited August 2012
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    Ern Dog wrote: »
    Thanks for the link.

    NP, I forgot about this HU but I am loving my KDC-X794 I just got myself :biggrin:
    "....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited August 2012
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    These new Pioneer higher end head units are superb! I sprang for the P99 back in January and the thing is a work of art. Highly recommended!
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
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  • mesquitehead
    mesquitehead Posts: 312
    edited August 2012
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    I had the first 80PRS in Austin as I was on a waiting list. I'll make it really simple...buy it! Best SQ unit I've had since my Eclipse 8443.
    "Thats great... but how does it sound"
    http://www.burginmcdaniel.com/

    http://mixonline.com/gear/reviews/audio_burgin_mcdaniel_komit/

    Yamaha RX-A820 (networked with wireless bridge), Carver M-1.0t, Carver TFM-35, Carver C-1, Polk SDA1c's (x2 pair), Polk RTA 8tl's, Polk RTA 11tl's, Polk Monitor 5, Polk CS 400, Polk PSW 650, Rega Planar 3, Sony DVPNC555ES SACD/DVD, Panny 65" Plasma, Roku

    2007 Tundra 5.7 TRD DC
    Pioneer DEH-80PRS
    Polk SR6500
    SI BM 12" subs
    Zed Gladius
    Zed Deuce
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited August 2012
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    The only part I don't get about this Pio HU is that both USB ports are located on the back of the unit. So if I want to use a USB memory stick, I'd have to remove the HU to install the memory stick !? That makes no sense to me unless I'm missing something here.

    To connect my ipod, I could see myself using the iphone USB cable and leaving the cable installed.
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  • mesquitehead
    mesquitehead Posts: 312
    edited August 2012
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    YOu will find everything you ever wanted to know about this unit here! One USB can power a hard drive in the glove compartment too...and dont forget the sd card slot too. You can also control an ipod/iphone by hand or through the deck. http://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/technical-advanced-car-audio-discussion/121503-pioneers-spanking-new-deh-80prs-pioneers-knockout-punch-alpines-cda-117-a.html
    "Thats great... but how does it sound"
    http://www.burginmcdaniel.com/

    http://mixonline.com/gear/reviews/audio_burgin_mcdaniel_komit/

    Yamaha RX-A820 (networked with wireless bridge), Carver M-1.0t, Carver TFM-35, Carver C-1, Polk SDA1c's (x2 pair), Polk RTA 8tl's, Polk RTA 11tl's, Polk Monitor 5, Polk CS 400, Polk PSW 650, Rega Planar 3, Sony DVPNC555ES SACD/DVD, Panny 65" Plasma, Roku

    2007 Tundra 5.7 TRD DC
    Pioneer DEH-80PRS
    Polk SR6500
    SI BM 12" subs
    Zed Gladius
    Zed Deuce
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited August 2012
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    OMG, that thread is 62 pages long! I found out about the extension ipod cable (extra) and the extension usb cable that is included.

    Well, I pulled the trigger. Can't wait to hear how it will sound.
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  • mesquitehead
    mesquitehead Posts: 312
    edited August 2012
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    Ern Dog wrote: »
    OMG, that thread is 62 pages long! I found out about the extension ipod cable (extra) and the extension usb cable that is included.

    Well, I pulled the trigger. Can't wait to hear how it will sound.

    Best value and features on the market! I think I was the first person out of the 1000's of posts to actually get one and post pics of it. You will love it.
    "Thats great... but how does it sound"
    http://www.burginmcdaniel.com/

    http://mixonline.com/gear/reviews/audio_burgin_mcdaniel_komit/

    Yamaha RX-A820 (networked with wireless bridge), Carver M-1.0t, Carver TFM-35, Carver C-1, Polk SDA1c's (x2 pair), Polk RTA 8tl's, Polk RTA 11tl's, Polk Monitor 5, Polk CS 400, Polk PSW 650, Rega Planar 3, Sony DVPNC555ES SACD/DVD, Panny 65" Plasma, Roku

    2007 Tundra 5.7 TRD DC
    Pioneer DEH-80PRS
    Polk SR6500
    SI BM 12" subs
    Zed Gladius
    Zed Deuce
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  • MacLeod
    MacLeod Posts: 14,358
    edited August 2012
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    Its a USB port just like on your computer and you can buy extension cables a dime a dozen and run them out to wherever you want. It does seem like it would make more sense to have it on the front but its not as big a hassle as you think.
    polkaudio sound quality competitor since 2005
    MECA SQ Rookie of the Year 06 ~ MECA State Champ 06,07,08,11 ~ MECA World Finals 2nd place 06,07,08,09
    08 Car Audio Nationals 1st ~ 07 N Georgia Nationals 1st ~ 06 Carl Casper Nationals 1st ~ USACi 05 Southeast AutumnFest 1st

    polkaudio SR6500 --- polkaudio MM1040 x2 -- Pioneer P99 -- Rockford Fosgate P1000X5D
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  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited September 2012
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    Well, I got the new PIO 80prs installed today and first impression is Yawwww Woooo Hoooo!!! It sounds a hundred times better than the entry level Pio 4800 it replaced. It was like my car stereo woke up for the first time. There are so many ways to tweak this until the cows come home. For today I didn't do any tweaking around, I just set up the microphone and used the auto eq/auto time alignment and called it a day.

    Seamless iphone interface and the best part is that the HU by-passes the iphone's internal DAC and uses those 3 burly Burr-Brown 24-bit DAC instead! That iphone has never sounded so good before.

    I haven't tried the Pandora feature yet. I made a quick call using the Blue Tooth feature and that seemed to work well.

    Now it's time for a road trip :)
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  • mesquitehead
    mesquitehead Posts: 312
    edited September 2012
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    :wink: Trust me I did all the homework before I got mine.
    "Thats great... but how does it sound"
    http://www.burginmcdaniel.com/

    http://mixonline.com/gear/reviews/audio_burgin_mcdaniel_komit/

    Yamaha RX-A820 (networked with wireless bridge), Carver M-1.0t, Carver TFM-35, Carver C-1, Polk SDA1c's (x2 pair), Polk RTA 8tl's, Polk RTA 11tl's, Polk Monitor 5, Polk CS 400, Polk PSW 650, Rega Planar 3, Sony DVPNC555ES SACD/DVD, Panny 65" Plasma, Roku

    2007 Tundra 5.7 TRD DC
    Pioneer DEH-80PRS
    Polk SR6500
    SI BM 12" subs
    Zed Gladius
    Zed Deuce
    · Share on FacebookShare on Twitter
  • Ern Dog
    Ern Dog Posts: 2,237
    edited September 2012
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    I've had it for a few days now and I'm just blown away every time I listen to it. I have found myself sitting in my truck at my destination and I just can't stop listening. I'm sitting there with a huge grin on my face saying to myself "Ok, I'll leave after this one more song." Since I'm a bass freak, I'm lovin' how much better my car sub (10" JL Audio) sounds. For me it's not about how loud the bass is but the sound quality of the bass. With this new HU, the sub sounds tighter, goes lower, has way more punch and more musical.

    I played around with the blue tooth feature some more and was able to stand 20 feet away from my truck holding my iphone, which was telling the HU which songs to play- amazing!
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