Header banner
Revain logoHome Page
Darryl Blumenthal photo
1 Level
1288 Review
69 Karma

Review on 🎧 Pioneer MVH-S21BT Stereo Single DIN Bluetooth In-Dash USB MP3 Aux AM/FM Android Smartphone Compatible Receiver with Bonus ALPHASONIK Earbuds by Darryl Blumenthal

Revainrating 4 out of 5

Cheaper than upgrading your plan.

Purchase reason was USB podcast capability. I used to use the web browser on my phone to start podcasts, but by the end of the month I kept getting the "data limit exceeded" message. Downloading podcasts to a flash drive does not require excessive CD burning time and avoids data limitations. I am using a 16GB AData USB 3.0 flash drive with this device. I have been using Pioneer car radios since 1996 and as a brand I find them very reliable and sound good. What usually happens after a few years is that the display starts to glitter, but I've never had a Pioneer car stereo that has completely stopped working. (My YouTube channel has an example of how to "recycle" an old one, search for "Garage Stereo Project" under user ACBMemphis). Here's a recap after about a week of use: GOOD POINTS: 1. This model has some major changes from the previous two generations of Pioneer user interfaces, which in my opinion are either good or neutral at best. For example, my old version used pressing the big button to switch sources, and the new one used the "SRC" button. Similarly, the traditional 4-way up/down/left/right control that was aligned as such is now a horizontal row of buttons. I'm already used to these changes - the keys feel very responsive and don't have the annoying "confirmation beep" of the previous version.2. The pixel display is smooth, the letters are easy to read in daylight.3. Bluetooth phone integration works well and is easy to set up. BAD POINTS: 1. The position of the upper/lower rear connector was changed without a valid reason. If they hadn't changed this, swapping out my old DEH-4800 would have taken about 5 minutes, but I had to solder some wires on instead, so the installation took about 30 minutes.2. Very fragile high gauge wires on the included connector.3. The delay added by graphics transitions is annoying when switching from one display mode to another.4. "SPEANA" is a confusing acronym and sounds like a farming town name, they should have used the full "Spectrum Analyzer" instead. No HD Radio Still haven't checked out features like "MixTrax", will come back and update when I do.

Pros
  • Free for educational purposes
Cons
  • -