Pioneer AVH 1550NEX Review in 2023 – Best Car Stereo

If you are looking for the pioneer best car stereo so here you will get Pioneer AVH 1550NEX Review with full specifications and features.

Pioneer is one of the largest and most well-known manufacturers of car audio equipment in the world. They’ve made some truly incredible head units over the years, but for all their hardware glory Pioneer has largely neglected to make a good Android Auto head unit until now.

Their upcoming AVH 1550NEX (MSRP $799) is a car stereo built specifically for Android Auto. It will ship in September just before the release of Android N, and it’s been turning heads on the show floor. Pioneer’s head unit shows that it’s time to take Android Auto seriously.

The AVH 1550NEX is packed with features, including a capacitive touchscreen display with 1,280 x 720 resolution and a CD/DVD player. Earning Eyes-On Approval from us here at Pocket now was not easy, but Pioneer managed to do it by adding a few key software features that make this one of the most compelling head units we’ve seen yet.

We had a chance to go hands-on with the unit after its official presentation at CEDIA 2016 last week, and we came away impressed. The AVH 1550NEX is a modern Android head unit, complete with support for both Android Auto and Apple Car Play.

What sets it apart from other car stereo manufacturers who have introduced their take on the system? We’re glad you asked. Pioneer’s built-in capacitive screen stands out as a high point of the AVH 1550NEX. Other head units that use resistive touchscreens fail to equal those found in smartphones, but Pioneer may have finally found a solution to this problem: an optical touchscreen overlay from 3M called Color Way.

This is being marketed as a “no-touch” interface technology by some companies at CES 2016, but according to Pioneer, the 3M overlay is just the beginning of what they’re doing to improve this head unit’s responsiveness. The AVH 1550NEX will use an unnamed “all-metal capacitor solution” for better readings on this capacitive touchscreen, and it will be driven by a quad-core CPU running at 2GHz.

This means it should have more processing power than any competing Android Auto head unit, which shouldn’t be difficult given the fact that most are using dated chipsets from 2015.

Even if you’re not familiar with specific specs like CPU speed, though, it’s clear that Pioneer has spared no expense in making this one of the best Android Auto head units ever made. The AVH 1550NEX’s connectivity options are pretty impressive too: the unit has two USB ports, one for Android devices and one for iPods/iPhones.

This is very welcome news to anyone who prefers Apple’s Car Play over Google’s take on the car stereo. The AVH 1550NEX will also support three different types of wireless connections to your phone—Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and Mirror Link are all included.

These are extremely welcome additions that ensure compatibility with as many phones as possible. The Wi-Fi connectivity feature uses Pioneer’s app called “App Radio Live” to stream music from your phone wirelessly to this head unit.

It does so without draining your smartphone’s battery too much thanks to integration with the phone’s native media server components, which allows you to stream music directly from the cloud instead.

The AVH 1550NEX’s original features don’t stop there: it has its own CD/DVD slot and a built-in FM/AM tuner. It also has a function called “AppRadio One”, which allows you to use an SD card and control call functions (but not navigation) without ever touching your phone.

All in all, this is one of the most complete products we’ve seen from Pioneer in recent memory. While Android Auto head units will soon become very common thanks to Google’s efforts to make the Android Platform compatible with cars, Pioneer is looking like one of the few companies that could give them a serious run for their money thanks to this unit’s sheer power and flexibility.

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Pioneer AVH 1550NEX
Their upcoming AVH 1550NEX (MSRP $799) is a car stereo built specifically for Android Auto. It will ship in September just before the release of Android N, and it’s been turning heads at the show floor. Check On Amazon

Pioneer AVH 1550NEX Review

Product Description

  • Built-in CD/DVD player with iPod/iPhone connectivity via USB (cable not included), High-Resolution Audio playback, Advanced Sound Retriever AIR Studios – Mixed In Key
  • Android Auto support via USB connection from compatible phones – Siri Eyes Free – Support for 3 wireless connections: Bluetooth, Wireless Mirror Link, Wi-Fi – Navigation ready
  • Capacitive touchscreen – Advanced App Mode with AppRadio One for full capability with a compatible iOS device (not all functions are guaranteed). Optional Accessory Required
  • 2 USB ports (1A and 1.5A) for iPod/iPhone and Android devices or built-in HD Traffic & Weather via XM NavTraffic with a complimentary six-month trial subscription
  • Built-in Bluetooth wireless technology, Compatible with most Bluetooth enabled cell phones
  • Siri Eyes Free, Radio Data Broadcast System*, AM/FM tuner featuring RDS*, Station Text + Presets + Direct Access Tuning
  • Front 3V2 audio pre-outs – 4V RCA pre-outs – Subwoofer control via “sub-out” preamp audio connector
  • Auto EQ (CD-MC20 required) – Multi-language display – Tweeters (2) with external amplifier (25W x 4, 32 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)
  • 3 Sets of 2V preamp outputs (front, rear, and subwoofer) – 10 parametric equalizers with 7 presets; Graphic EQ; Customizable Sound Preferences; Time Correction
  • Detachable A/C faceplate included for installation flexibility – Built-in Bluetooth hands-free operation with audible voice prompts and phone number display (HFP 1.6) – Full-time 4 channel 24 bit FLAC HD Audio with Pioneer Pure Cinema.

What’s In The Box?

  • AVH-1550NEX 7″ Multimedia AV Receiver
  • Remote Control
  • Wiring Harness
  • USB Cable
  • Dashboard Mounting Disc
  • Owner’s Manual CD
Pioneer AVH 1550NEX Review

Specifications

Category Specification General

  • Display Screen: 7″ Capacitive Touch Panel LCD w/ LED Backlight (800×480)

Customizable Feature Settings

  • Application Mode for Built-in DVD Player (DVD, CD, USB, Auxiliary Input)
  • Front USB Input (1.5A)
  • RCA Pre outs: 2 (Rear/Subwoofer Selectable) – Advanced App Mode with Pioneer AppRadio One Compatibility – Android Auto
  • Apple CarPlay
  • MirrorLink: Supports most smartphones with MHL or MirrorLink via USB and HDMI connectivity.

AirPlay: Plays music streaming from iTunes and compatible iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and select Android devices through AirPlay compatibility.

Bluetooth Hands-Free Calling & Audio Streaming Wireless Technology & Built-in MIC for Phones featuring Bluetooth Headsets Compatible

Profile Support: HFP 1.6 (Hands-Free Profile), PBAB 1.0 (Phone Book Access Profile).

Maximum Communication Level: HFP 1.6, PBAB 1.0

Compatible with most Bluetooth enabled cell phones

Category Specification

General Built-in Display Yes RMS Power Output 4 x 50W High-Quality 14-Bit D/A Converter Yes Number of PreOuts 3 sets (Front + Rear + Subwoofer) Video Features 7″ Capacitive Touch Panel LCD w/ LED Backlight (800×480) Customizable Feature Settings Application Mode for Built-in DVD Player (DVD, CD, USB, Auxiliary Input) MirrorLink: Supports most smartphones with MHL or MirrorLink via USB and HDMI connectivity.

Apple Car Play Android Auto AirPlay: Plays music streaming from iTunes and compatible iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and select Android devices through AirPlay compatibility. Bluetooth Hands-Free Calling & Audio Streaming Wireless Technology & Built-in MIC for Phones featuring Bluetooth Headsets Compatible Profile Support: HFP 1.6 (Hands-Free Profile), PBAB 1.0 (Phone Book Access Profile).

Price And Value For Money

Pioneer AVH 1550NEX can be found on Amazon for $479.99 approximately the same price if not cheaper than most other online stores, this makes it to be one of the cheapest android head units out there for now.

This is great value for your money so check it out asap before they run out of stock. I would recommend you to buy it from Amazon as they offer very fast shipping and the best customer service among all car audio dealers.

Design and Appearance

Pioneer AVH 1550NEX Review

The Pioneer AVH 1550NEX looks great, the touch panel is very responsive and functions are fairly easy to access. I also love how you can control pretty much everything on this double din android head unit through your phone via both apple car play and android auto.

The Pioneer AVH 1550NEX is a great addition to any car. It has a sleek and modern design that will compliment any car interior. The touch panel is very responsive and the functions are easy to access. You can control pretty much everything on this double din android head unit through your phone via both apple car play and android auto.

Something I like about the design of this, in particular, is it’s very slim, which makes it has a much more modern look when paired with any new car model. Its screen size is 7 inches which seems smaller than most brands out there but trust me won’t be disappointed when you get it installed in your ride because it’s bright especially during daytime or under direct sunlight.

Car screen sizes vary depending on each car make and model, but I can say this android head unit will work great for most cars because the screen size is not too big or small.

Pros and Cons – Pioneer AVH 1550NEX Review

Pros
  • Outstanding value for money.
  • Superb audio quality provided by a high-grade audio component.
  • Compatible with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
  • 7-inch Capacitive Touchscreen Display.
  • AppRadio One Feature for iOS Devices.
  • Very responsive touch panel to use with a bright LCD screen which makes it easy to see under direct sunlight or at night time.
  • Dual-zone video output capable which you can connect an external monitor and watch DVD while driving your ride.
Cons
  • It doesn’t support a wireless Wi-Fi connection which means you can’t update or change some apps on this android head unit.

Sound Quality

As for the sound, the Pioneer AVH 1550NEX comes with a built-in amplifier that can support up to 4 channels which is pretty decent if you ask me. And it also has RCA pre-outs so you can connect any external amps if your car audio system needs more power than what this android head unit can provide.

The Pioneer AVH 1550NEX also supports high-resolution audio playback and even has a feature called the Advanced Sound Retriever which can improve the sound quality of your compressed music files.

If you’re looking for an android head unit that has great sound quality, then I would highly recommend the Pioneer AVH 1550NEX. I am giving this product 5 out of 5 stars because not only does it looks great but it sounds great as well especially on peak volumes.

Conclusion

The conclusion of this review will be short and sweet just like the android head unit itself. If your budget is under $400 then I highly recommend you get yourself one of these double din android head units available from Pioneer.

This Android head unit is easily one of the best models out there because it looks great and has a high-quality built-in touch panel that works extremely fast without lagging at all.

The sound is also very good, you can connect an external amp if your car’s audio system needs more power which makes up for a pretty impressive music experience even when you’re driving at night time or under direct sunlight which isn’t easy to see on other products out there in the market.

All in all, I am giving the Pioneer AVH 1550NEX 5 out of 5 stars because it’s an amazing product that delivers as advertised. Thanks for checking out my Pioneer AVH 1550NEX review, everyone! If you have any questions please feel free to comment below.

William R. Keen

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