# Pioneer



## robtr8 (Dec 6, 2011)

https://www.ceoutlook.com/2018/11/07/pioneers-struggles-continue/

I really hope they make it. I’ve been very happy with the HU’s and amps that I have. Best bang for the buck stuff.


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## kyheng (Jan 31, 2007)

Best bang for buck or not, I don't know. Until now they still don't come out in the more affordable "high end" units, I guess they will be flushed out from the market.


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

I doubt they're going anywhere. They'll either get investment or will be bought out by another company.


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## 1styearsi (Aug 13, 2012)

i have used pioneer HU's since 1986 started with a shaft mount and went to a pull out LOL,new cars--nav apple car play,back up cam,built in apps and so on are killing off the aftermarket head units.it's all about oem integration now. 
with the flood of cheap china made amps it's become cheap ass a cut throat market


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## MB2008LTZ (Oct 13, 2012)

I really like my Stage 4 gear....worth very penny spent.


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

Well they lost the home audio cash re-up years ago. Their navi isn't that popular, and they can't seem to lock a big oem contract. They are in real trouble. There tech paten's and licensing seems to be their only money makers.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

I don't know if I can side with cynical views on the company. Reading the article clearly shows the problem and the needed direction despite what a small percent of consumers wish for. "Affordable high end" is quite the oxymoron. No company will survive giving stuff away. 

However, the next problem appears to be navigation units which will be the fate of not only Pioneer as car manufacturers work to make integration more common than ever. Like, why would the average consumer of newer vehicles be interested in aftermarket nav when it's integration will never be equal to stock? "Hacking modules" are very costly not to mention there's always issues in doing so. And if least spending consumers want aftermarket Nav, the lesser units work good enough with a smart phone using Google maps. 

So, the next direction may not be aligned with what the 1% here think or desire. Something we will just have to do get used to. Amps & drivers aside that most here don't really support, what is it that Pioneer or any other aftermarket deck manufacturer offers? Not much when all is considered. Just lower to middle tier decks which probably aren't going anywhere soon. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

There's cynical and realism. Pioneer was a little late to the party on moving forward with trends. That's why they racked huge debt to begin with. Bigger companies than Pioneer are buying up everything they do and selling for cheaper or even free. Legends do die in business.


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## Bayboy (Dec 29, 2010)

Realism is most car radio manufacturers are falling behind in current trends and there's not a whole lot they can do about it. We've seen it coming years ago. Integration will catch them all eventually and the game is already changing. More and more, DSP units that can integrate with stock decks or systems are in more demand than aftermarket decks with their limited DSP. Again, that's for users deep into the SQ aspect. As for the general consumer... most just leave stock alone or happen to drive something that can take a simple upgrade. I doubt they're spending $700-$1000 just on a nav deck in the numbers we would assume. 

Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk


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## Silvercoat (Dec 5, 2013)

I won't be sad to see their touchscreen units go, they have mostly been garbage in my mind. They did make a good push to integrate the smart phone earlier than most of the other guys, but it was always buggy at best (AppRadio was a giant GIANT POS)

That being said, their basic headunits and mid grade speakers will always favorites of mine. For the price, they always did well and sounded decent.

Maybe its time for a company restructure. Sony tried this a few years ago, dropped car audio, brought it back etc.

Look at Alpine, they had some premium stuff then poof lets focus on Jeeps and such.

Its all about that market grab.

Integration is a huge topic, but there will be something coming soon that does not end car audio. Something will change just like it did with home audio.


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

Car audio isn't going anywhere. Pioneer might, but not the industry as a whole. If you want a perfect example of who is still going to be around and where car audio is going, look at JL Audio. They are consistently putting out products that can and are being utilized in installs with new cars. Pioneer didn't adapt to the very fast paced changing environment.


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## Hillbilly SQ (Jan 26, 2007)

I do like the user interface on the Pioneer touchscreen units way better than Kenwood. Only reason I'd use a Kenwood would be because my experience in a direct swap was the Kenwood sounded slightly better. The user interface and loud fan it had killed it for me though. Now my new Pioneer double din has a loud fanStill prefer their user interface.


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