Pioneer FH-P800BT, you know you need it! (pics)

[zagato27]

Hard to decide which section (Buying Advice or???) to put this in but I originally got some info here so thought I'd post it here. Although I don't have an iPhone I found a thread in this forum that caught my attention regarding a new head unit for my car. I have a 97 Maxima SE ("Max", of course) that has the oem Bose system in it. I've been having problems lately with cd's that refuse to play all the way and the screen info comes and goes. So, I've been looking for a replacement double din unit. Looked at touch screens w/ and w/o nav and came to the conclusion that what I really needed was something with the following requirements: cd/mp3 capability (single cd was fine); iPod connectivity; BT so I could use my SE 810i; had to fit the oem "hole" without modification; and the price had to be reasonable. Oh yeah, had to look good and be of good quality. The Pioneer FH-P800BT was recommended by a poster here as working great with an iPhone so I started researching. This unit is fairly new but the reviews were very good. Price was right and it fit my requirements. The other day I went out with my sons and tried to hunt one down to check it out. Struck out at two places but the third had the unit and they were able to give me a demo. The unit looks great and had everything I wanted. You can add "HD" radio (not any stations here in Savannah), Xm or Sirius if you want. Very clean look as you can see. SOLD!
Got my Pioneer FH-P800BT installed yesterday. WOOOOOOOEEEEEEE! First, it looks great! Fits in the same "hole" as the oem Bose, no adjustments needed. Second, did I mention that it looks really good? Not quite as understated as the oem Bose but it doesn't jump in your face either. Looks good. Sound is wonderful. I had the usb cord for the ipod run to the armrest box and it works great. The BT phone pairs easily with my SE 810i and has downloaded all my phone numbers and it works. Get into the car and the phone pairs and I'm ready to go. Tried the CD player and it works great but haven't tried a MP3 disc yet. Oh yes, mike for the phone is installed just above the rearview mirror....pretty unobtrusive. Really happy so far with the purchase. This is a very slick radio. About my only complaint is that the main manual is on cd and that the radio seems to have a bit of a steep learning curve. Interesting feature: blackout. You can black out the screen if you like. So, if you're looking for a new head unit for your car you might want to consider this Pioneer. Cheers

 

[viggen61]

Sounds good, but what happened to the pics???

 

[Solesk]

can you describe the ipod connectivity anymore?

if you turn the car off, does it pause the music and sleep the ipod? and then resume playing when you turn the car back on? even when you have it in the mode to control from the ipod?

it seems to have everything else i want, but i am unsure on this point. i'd go buy it in a heartbeat if it does this.

 

[pw1500]

Ive got the Pioneer DEH-P 9800 BT, which seems to work great with the iPhone, Ive got the ipod adapter thingy, which i can control the iphone from the head unit and iphone itself, pause's when I stop car, starts again when car is started at last position played, phone calls work great through the bluetooth, also gap in sound for txt mesages and emails. I would like BT audio but iPhone doesnt support that (or im too stupis to figure it out)

I would recommend this.

 

[zagato27]

can you describe the ipod connectivity anymore?

if you turn the car off, does it pause the music and sleep the ipod? and then resume playing when you turn the car back on?

Yes, does exactly this. You can control the iPod via the head unit or using your ipod. I've got my connecting wire going through the center console to my center armrest and it's closed up, ie concealed so it's more convenient to control from the head unit interface. The hu interface is pretty easy to use: you can pull up your info via artist; playlist or song title. So set up some playlists for different moods and you're set. Too bad it doesn't display the album artwork like an iPod but other than that it's pretty slick. When each song begins playing the track info comes up....artist and song title and I think time. This disappears after 10-15sec (????) and the display shows the date and time. To get it back just adjust the volume and it appears again. Also, it charges your iPod....a nice bonus. Again, plays nice with my SE 810i via BT....imports all your phone book so you can scroll through and select who you want to call. Actually if you go to phone it will bring up your most recently called numbers or dig deeper for your phone book. BTW, it can "pair" with up to 3 different BT phones....again pretty slick. Regarding BT, it will also has BT Audio capability. Remember, it's just a single disk unit but that works for me. I've been enjoying listening to podcasts of "Car Talk" on my drive back and forth to work and lately I've been listening to an audio book (mp3) by Dick Francis. Sure makes the drive more enjoyable. I'm very happy with the looks and the performance of this unit and I heartily recommend it. If you have more questions, post 'em and I'll try to answer them. Cheers

 

[Solesk]

sounds like this will do everything i've been hoping. i'll go look at one later this week when i'm off work.

what i want it to be able to do

• Auto pause music when car turned off
• Put ipod touch into sleep mode when car turned off
• Auto resume playing when car turned on
• (hopefully) bypass the slide to unlock screen to show album art at car on.
• auto pause music when paired bluetooth phone recieves phone call.
• be able to hit next song from the dash unit. but still browse via the touch.

if it does all that i wont need to get the new iphone comming out. i can jsut keep my current one and wait to see which of all these new phones comming out i like the best.

edit: thanks for the answers

 

[zagato27]

sounds like this will do everything i've been hoping. i'll go look at one later this week when i'm off work.

what i want it to be able to do

• Auto pause music when car turned off
• Put ipod touch into sleep mode when car turned off
• Auto resume playing when car turned on
• (hopefully) bypass the slide to unlock screen to show album art at car on.
• auto pause music when paired bluetooth phone recieves phone call.
• be able to hit next song from the dash unit. but still browse via the touch.

if it does all that i wont need to get the new iphone comming out. i can jsut keep my current one and wait to see which of all these new phones comming out i like the best.

edit: thanks for the answers

PM me and I'll email the manual on pdf(specify English, French or one more I can't remember). Should answer your questions. Cheers

 

[meglet]

sounds like this will do everything i've been hoping. i'll go look at one later this week when i'm off work.

what i want it to be able to do

• Auto pause music when car turned off
• Put ipod touch into sleep mode when car turned off
• Auto resume playing when car turned on
• (hopefully) bypass the slide to unlock screen to show album art at car on.
• auto pause music when paired bluetooth phone recieves phone call.
• be able to hit next song from the dash unit. but still browse via the touch.

if it does all that i wont need to get the new iphone comming out. i can jsut keep my current one and wait to see which of all these new phones comming out i like the best.

edit: thanks for the answers

I'll second the recommendation for this unit, I put one in my Mazda Tribute recently. It works great with my iPod Nano, and my iPhone, but I think there are two things on your list that might not work, based on the way my iPhone works.

1. bypassing the slide lock to view cover art. My Nano and iPhone both just show "accessory connected" when plugged into the head unit. On the iPhone I can go back to the Home screen to make calls, check the weather, etc, but returning to the iPod function just gives the "accessory connected" screen again.

2. browsing via the Touch. I'm guessing you mean browse music, and once again, from what I can tell you'll just get "accessory connected." Browsing from the head unit is possible, but you only get 3 lines of songs/albums/artists/whatever, and it's text only. Not nearly as nice as the Coverflow browsing from the phone.​

As for iPhone functions, I had no trouble pairing the iPhone to the unit via Bluetooth, and downloading the address book. It would pause the music (playing from the Nano) correctly when a call came in, and resume the music when the call finished. It should do the same thing if you were playing from the iPhone, but I unpaired mine because the mic for the head unit is not placed properly, so I need to use a bluetooth headset until I have time to re-route the wiring.

Zagato, how is the sound for callers with your mic above the mirror? Mine is up in the corner of the windshield by the driver's door, and I had to stop using it because nobody could hear me. I'm not sure if that's due to the placement, or the fact that I get a LOT of road noise in my truck. Current plan is to put the mic at the base of the steering column when I move it, but above the mirror would be a nice option too.

 

[zagato27]

I'll second the recommendation for this unit,


Zagato, how is the sound for callers with your mic above the mirror? Mine is up in the corner of the windshield by the driver's door, and I had to stop using it because nobody could hear me. I'm not sure if that's due to the placement, or the fact that I get a LOT of road noise in my truck. Current plan is to put the mic at the base of the steering column when I move it, but above the mirror would be a nice option too.

Funny that you should ask about the placement of the mic. The guys that installed mine put it just to the driver's side of the rearview mirror. It's clipped on to the headliner. The cord has been concealed in the headliner so you won't see it. They said that from experience that was the best location. They specifically said that putting it in the driver's side corner would result in poor results due to wind noise. Call quality.....the people I call from the car can't tell the difference from a call using the handset. Wish I had a iPhone. A friend of my son just purchased a macbook and got a iPodTouch.....very nice.

Too bad that the hu does not support cover art like the nano. Maybe they'll release a ver 2. That would be sweet. I'm really happy having my nano reside in my center armrest and just select the songs/podcasts etc. from the hu. I'd worry about adding more clutter, ie a holder for the nano, iphone etc. and perhaps forgetting to take the darn thing with me when exiting the car and someone breaking into my vehicle. Maybe I'll post a nite pic if anyone requests. Cheers

 

[xjames]

Ive got the Pioneer DEH-P 9800 BT, which seems to work great with the iPhone, Ive got the ipod adapter thingy, which i can control the iphone from the head unit and iphone itself, pause's when I stop car, starts again when car is started at last position played, phone calls work great through the bluetooth, also gap in sound for txt mesages and emails. I would like BT audio but iPhone doesnt support that (or im too stupis to figure it out)

I would recommend this.

does your iphone connect automatically with your pioneer when you get in the car? I have the same head-unit and can't make it happen.
My iphone is registered with the head-unit and paired, but I have to connect manually every time...

sorry about the thread stealing

 

[ntrigue]

I have an 03 Infiniti I35 with navigation and they said all Bose had to be replaced with this headunit because the NAV is part of the Bose harness. Any experience? I'm so close to getting a car that integrates with the iPhone and not the other way around.

 

[pw1500]

does your iphone connect automatically with your pioneer when you get in the car? I have the same head-unit and can't make it happen.
My iphone is registered with the head-unit and paired, but I have to connect manually every time...

sorry about the thread stealing

No I have the same problem, I have to click connect on the head unit everytime.. Its a bit of a pain

 

[Solesk]

for anyone interested i'll answer my own questions. i did not end up buying this unit specifically. but i did buy the single din unit that has all the same functions.

• Auto pause music when car turned off (yes, works perfectly)
• Put ipod touch into sleep mode when car turned off (sort of. it cuts power to the ipod. meaning the ipod will put itself into sleep mode based on your timer.)
• Auto resume playing when car turned on (yes)
• (hopefully) bypass the slide to unlock screen to show album art at car on. (no)
• auto pause music when paired bluetooth phone recieves phone call. (yes, but if your phone call goes over your sleep timer the phone will go into sleep mode since nothing is playing. thus requiring you to unlock it again when you hang up the phone call and the music starts playing. assuming you want to see the screen.)
• be able to hit next song from the dash unit. but still browse via the touch. (yes, works perfectly)

the documentation is a little misleading on the powering the ipod off. it says it will turn off the ipod a couple minutes after the car turns off. that's not exactly true. it just cuts power to the ipod letting it naturally go into sleep mode. which doesnt work if you set it to never sleep automatically. it is good for not accidently draining your car battery though.

really the head unit itself does everything a user would need it to do. it's programming short commings on the ipod touch / iphone that cause the aggrevation. all the touch would need is seperate options for with power, or without power, like any laptop does. if it's plugged in i could set it to never turn the screen off, and skip the lock screen. the lock screen is useless if you have power connected to it. even when at home on the computer. (a password screen would be different).

and then you could set more power conservitive options for when there is no external power. thus when the head unit cuts power the ipod could be set to turn off after 30 seconds.

the other problem is even when power is connected, and the ipod is playing music, after it reaches your lock timer minus 15 seconds, the screen will still dim. you should be able to set dim and lock seperately. i worked around this with a jailbreak app. but even it's not perfect. setting dim to never and lock to 30 seconds does nothing. but setting dim to 2 hours will cause it to not dim till 2 hours. very odd. and setting it to that also causes safari to crash constantly until set back to something less than or equal to the lock timer.

Funny that you should ask about the placement of the mic. The guys that installed mine put it just to the driver's side of the rearview mirror. It's clipped on to the headliner. The cord has been concealed in the headliner so you won't see it. They said that from experience that was the best location. They specifically said that putting it in the driver's side corner would result in poor results due to wind noise. Call quality.....the people I call from the car can't tell the difference from a call using the handset. Wish I had a iPhone. A friend of my son just purchased a macbook and got a iPodTouch.....very nice

i positioned my mic right at the head unit to the drivers side just comming out fo the dash. not the most elegant solution. but everyone i've talked to has heard me fine so far.

1. bypassing the slide lock to view cover art. My Nano and iPhone both just show "accessory connected" when plugged into the head unit. On the iPhone I can go back to the Home screen to make calls, check the weather, etc, but returning to the iPod function just gives the "accessory connected" screen again.

if using the unit at the beginning of this thread, or the one i got, you can hold the ipod button on the head unit down for a few seconds and it will release the lock screen on the ipod. this needs only be done once. you lose some functionality from the head unit. but retain the ability to switch to the next / previous song. this is different than the 9800 series units. which might also mean the new models, not the 9800, will connect better via bluetooth. but my phone is not an iphone yet. so i cannot verify.

 

[mongobongo]

sounds like this will do everything i've been hoping. i'll go look at one later this week when i'm off work.

what i want it to be able to do

• Auto pause music when car turned off (yes, works perfectly)
• Put ipod touch into sleep mode when car turned off (sort of. it cuts power to the ipod. meaning the ipod will put itself into sleep mode based on your timer.)
• Auto resume playing when car turned on (yes)
• (hopefully) bypass the slide to unlock screen to show album art at car on. (no)
• auto pause music when paired bluetooth phone recieves phone call. (yes, but if your phone call goes over your sleep timer the phone will go into sleep mode since nothing is playing. thus requiring you to unlock it again when you hang up the phone call and the music starts playing. assuming you want to see the screen.)
• be able to hit next song from the dash unit. but still browse via the touch. (yes, works perfectly)

I just got the Pioneer DEH-P7000UB (partnr. might be different outside Europe).

http://www.pioneer.eu/eur/products/25/121/61/DEH-P7000UB/index.html

It is basically a single din unit with the same functions except for built-in bluetooth.

I am very interested in how you set up your system, so that it doesnt lock out the iPod part of your iPod touch or iPhone.

I have simply used the enclosed USB extension cord. It runs from the back of the unit through my dashboard where it connects to Apples standard white "USB to dock connector" cable. This is where i dock my iPhone. Everything works perfectly except i cannot browse my music from the screen of my iPhone, only through the Pioneer system. All other functionality of my iPhone still works but when I press the iPod icon I get a white screen with an iPod pictured and the text "Accessory connected".

Please let me know what you did to avoid this! Thanks!

 

[mongobongo]

Solesk, I just read the last paragraph of your post (obviously I should have before I posted, I apologize)

Let me ask you something else before I try the method you are suggesting;

1. What functionality do you loose from the head unit?

2. Is the method reversible (perhaps by holding down the iPod button again)?

 

[Solesk]

Solesk, I just read the last paragraph of your post (obviously I should have before I posted, I apologize)

Let me ask you something else before I try the method you are suggesting;

1. What functionality do you loose from the head unit?

2. Is the method reversible (perhaps by holding down the iPod button again)?

yes. it is reversable.

i'm not sure of everything you lose because i never used it. but mostly it's the music browsing options. you can still go forward a song and back to last song. or beginning of current song. basically cd like controls. you still have volume control ect.

 

[Mosney]

iPhone's iPod doesn't resume after ending calls I receive

I've had this unit for two weeks, and in general I'm very happy with it. I plug my iPhone into the USB cable to listen to the iPod, and use Bluetooth to make calls.

There is one problem though: if someone calls me when my iPhone is plugged into the USB cable, at the end of the call the music does not resume. The head unit will not control the iPod in any way, nor does the button that switches control to the iPod work. Note that this only happens when I receive a call, not when I make one.

I figured out that I can get the iPod going again by unplugging the USB and using the phone directly to change to another song. It takes a few taps. Then I plug it back into USB and the music resumes. Of course it's on a different song now, so I have to navigate back to whatever I was listening to. I'm also experimenting with unplugging the phone from USB before I pick up the call, then plugging it back in after the call. That seems to not crash the iPod.

I haven't been able to find any other documentation of this problem. Has anyone else experienced it? I tend to think it's a problem with the iPhone rather than the head unit.

Also, in response to Solesk and mongobongo:

I am very interested in how you set up your system, so that it doesnt lock out the iPod part of your iPod touch or iPhone.

Not sure about the DEH-P7000UB, but the FH-P800BT has a button that lets you switch between head unit or device (iPod) playback control. It's on the left side of the unit, the bottom of the three small buttons. You have to hold it down for 2 seconds.