Pioneer DEH6400BT CD Player with AM/FM Tuner, Built-in Bluetooth, USB, Aux and Remote Control

This was one of the best value receivers that I have researched, so I ended up buying it for myself. I have long been a Pioneer fan, always loved the 'powerful' feel that they all seem to sport and this one is no exception.Standard 3-band eq, loudness contour and sla settings. The DEH 3400-6400 units also feature basic subwoofer settings and the ability to assign one or more of the rcas to act as rear speakers or assign the rear speakers to act as subwoofers to give a little extra 'thump,' though not quite as effective as using a dedicated sub and amp. Just fine however for the user who doesn't want to pay into all of that (helpful with cars that have 6x9s in the rear deck). Unit also has customizable colors for both the keys and text display as well as settings to allow the 20 or more preset colors to cycle through the whole color wheel for a cool, slow psychedelic effect. Sound quality is great as expected and the subtle yet pleasant animation while in audio mode is a nice bonus especially combined with the color wheel effect.The 6400bt has the obvious added acronym - bt (BLuetooth). This is actually an added function or mode when you cycle through the SOURCE button. There's also a dedicated 'phone' button to pull up missed calls, etc but I haven't found that as useful so far. I DO however like the fact that with the microphone properly mounted that the hands-free calling experience - dare I say - is delightful and I question how distracted and detracted I was before trying to talk to a person with one a hand off of the wheel. Scientific research may claim that it is just as distracting as holding the phone to your ear, but I find that the physical ability to use BOTH of my hands is a HUGE added safety factor and could possibly mean the difference between crash and saved.Just to illustrate, I was driving and had to stop suddenly on the Miami freeway to alert a drowzy driver; instead of fiddling with the phone and/or dropping it, I simply (and instinctively) braced the wheel with both of my hands, horn blazing and my foot didn't hesitate a second at all. I simply resumed the conversation withing 10 seconds time, but it was the first few milliseconds that were the most important in this moment. I probably saved my vehicle along with possible injury. Needless to say, this inspired me to write this review - although I doubt and can't guarantee this will be the experience for every reader and for every user adept at multitasking, it is something to consider nonetheless.On the plus side I continue to enjoy the uninterrupted Bluetooth connection and if there's any compression or diminishing in sound quality as a result of wirelessly streaming - I can't detect it. As a man who is used to high-fidelity audio inside his home (tube amplifiers, vinyl players, etc) and vehicle, I'd have to say that this is one case in which technology is doing the job it is advertised to do and I have no complaints. Car audio is a different experience anyway and Pioneer are masters of their craft. The navigation may be tricky for the faint of heart, but I fully figured it out withing 20 minutes of fiddling around. If you can figure out how an iPhone works, I trust you'll understand this as well.Amazon had a great price on a used unit and although there is a scratch or two, it works just as good as a new unit and I most likely would have put a scratch on it within a weeks' time myself.

Positive:Gets LOUD! Crystal clear sound quality till you push it father than you should. Bluetooth is awesome. My Droid phone pairs with the car when I turn it on and resumes my music from the spot it was last played. Unit takes calls perfectly.Negative:Calls - My dad complains that its VOX (Voice Operated eXchange) is annoying as my voice cuts in and out when I start and stop speaking. If you don't know what VOX is it may not bother you and it is probably a feature of any blue tooth system that is setup to deal with a large amount of background noise.Some perspective here - 12 years ago (2000) the PS2 was brand new and across the entire US there was only about 400,000 text messages per day. In 2009 there was 4.5 billion texts per day.12 Years of development - My new DEH-6400BT was easy to hook up and the Bluetooth connected beautifully to my phone. That being said my ($175 - 12 year old) DEH-P33 Pioneer head unit sounds a lot better than this new ($125) unit. Why?:Loud - 12 years ago Pioneer had 3 modes of Loud. 12 years later if you only spend $125. You will only get 2 modes.Treble and Bass - The 12 year old one had a bass and treble adjust that allowed me to + or - 6db. An even finer adjustment on that model you could tune the frequency that the boost is applied to. Doesn't sound nice at 120 hz. No problem Adjust at 60hz. 12 years later at $125... Nope... (with the new one if you have an after market sub woofer you can but only on the after market sub)Sound Focus Equalizer - A feature that lets you boost the bass and/or treble on the front channels, rear channels or any combination depending on what sounds best in your car.With a huge smile on my face I can play with ALL of these settings and really get the DEH-P33 to SING! I still am. The same 12 year old head unit is currently installed in my 2008 Scion tC and still sounds amazing. I will continue to move my P33 from car to car but the DEH-6400BT can stay in the Miata. I won't miss it.Conclusion: The DEH-6400BT is a great radio. It has some wonderful features that make it a great buy for someone who wants these features and has never owned a better Pioneer unit. I have owned and used many other Sony, Alpine and Bose head units. Pioneer is still the best even if their sound quality hasn't progressed in 12 years.

I was worried about installing this unit, but it turned out to be a snap. My 16 year old son did most of the work. The unit works great, but it does have it's quirks that take some getting used to.PROS: Great sound quality. I have an old iPod Nano plugged into the USB slot and you can control the iPod from the controls on the radio or use the remote. Same with my smart phone that automatically sync's with the radio when I start the car. I can play the music on the phone through the radio and control the music player with the radio controls. Best is the hands free telephone option. I ran the mic cord up to the driver's side visor. When I get a call the music stops playing, I get a tone, then it automatically answers the phone. When the person on the other end hangs up, it goes back to where it left of in the music. For someone like me that does a lot of business on the road, this is a major plus.CONS: The controls. Keep the manual handy because they are not at all intuitive. You get used to them after awhile, but the buttons are small and the same large knob that adjusts the volume also puts you into the setup menu if you push it in. Unlike every other car radio in the universe, that knob does not turn the unit off. Instead, there is a tiny triangular button marked svr that you have to hold in for 5 sec. to shut it off. If you only hold it in for 2 sec. it takes you to the next function. It also allows you to choose from about 2 million colors for the display, none of which allow you to see the display during daylight hours. It is just too dim. Still, after using this for almost a year I have the controls figured out and I love this unit.