Having a car head unit not only saves us money but also a lot of space in the car. Plus, it’s really easy to install when compared to the double DIN. Since there are many head units that come with a built-in amplifier on the market, it’s a daunting task to go for the best one. For that reason, I tested Pioneer AVH-3500 NEX, which is making waves these days.
However, is the Pioneer AVH-3500 NEX worth going after? That’s what I’ll tell you about in this Pioneer AVH-3500NEX review. All of the pros and cons of the head unit will be mentioned. So, make sure you stay around till the end.
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Key Specs
Phone Integration: Android Auto & Apple Car play | Equaliser: 13-band equaliser | Touch Screen: Yes| Radio: Yes | Connectivity: Bluetooth, USB | Hands-Free calling: Yes| Camera support: Yes | Music Streaming: Yes| Music Streaming: Spotify, Pandora, SiriusXM, and iHeartRadio| | Voice Assistant: Siri Eyes Free and Google Assistant.
Our Verdict
This is a fantastic head unit with a built-in amplifier that boasts a responsive 7-inch capacitive screen and impressive specs. Equipped with built-in Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, the unit delivers outstanding sound quality thanks to its Class-D built-in amplifier, customizable crossovers, and equalizers. Although Bluetooth calls quality may vary depending on your device, the Alpine iLX w650 dimensions and reasonable price make it an excellent choice for car enthusiasts.
Pros
- 7-inch capacitive touchscreen
- Camera support with front- and rear-view cameras
- The display automatically dims at night to reduce eye strain.
- Intuitive User interface.
- Easy to install
Cons
- There is no built-in CD or DVD player.
- The bluetooth may not work so well for phone calls.
What Other Experts Say?
Breakers Stereo & Performance
“I’m gonna give this radio four and a half stars. If it had the HDMI input and wireless Android Auto and wireless CarPlay, we would definitely have given it a five-star.”
Detailed Breakdown of Pioneer AVH-3500NEX Review
Sound Quality
The sound quality of the Pioneer AVH-3500 NEX is quite good. It doesn’t get distorted even when you play it at high volumes, which isn’t less than a jackpot to an audiophile like me.
The sound of this head unit isn’t just loud; it’s clear, crisp, and has a deep bass, which is more than enough to make your body move in your car.
The reason why this head unit has such a clear and loud sound is that it comes with a MOSFET built-in amplifier, which provides it with enough power to produce such a sound.
Furthermore, to give you full control over the sound quality, this Pioneer’s DIN comes with a 13-band equaliser, which I can use to set the treble, bass, and volume of the head unit.
Not just that, this head unit also has time alignment, which gives me further control over the sound quality to make it according to my liking.
- Equaliser: 13 Band Graphic EQ and Time Alignment
- Built-in Amplifier: MOSFET 50 W x 4
- RMS Wattage: 50 wattage
- Crossovers: (HPF/LPF/HPF/Band Pass/LPF)
- Time Correction Feature: Not available
- Pre-amps output: 6-channel preamp outputs (4-volt front, rear, subwoofer)
Design & Display
The Pioneer AVH-3500 NEX has a beautiful and sleek design, which allows it to fit easily in your car. The thing that got my attention when I first looked at this head unit was the bright seven-inch motorised fold-out LCD screen.
The screen responds quickly and is very easy to navigate. However, it’s not capacitive but resistive.
But seeing a little bit of glitching and unresponsiveness on a resistive screen is a pretty common thing. The DIN has a pretty cool feature that lets you customise the colour of the display and buttons to match your car’s stereo. Talk about style!
And the best part is, there are a whopping 112 colour options to choose from! I mean, you can go crazy with it and pick whatever colour you want to make your car stand out from the crowd. It’s like having a personal rainbow in your car.
I must say, this color illumination feature definitely gives my car an extraordinary look. It’s a small detail, but it makes a big difference in the overall aesthetic.
- Touch Screen: Available
- Color illumination:Available
- Durability: It’s made of a combination of metal, plastic, and other materials.
- Screen Type: Resistive Screen
- High Brightness: Available
Smartphone Integration
One of the coolest features of this head unit is that it has both wired and wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. That means you can connect your device to the head unit either with a USB cable or wirelessly.
And let me tell you, it’s super easy to connect to either feature. I personally use Apple CarPlay the most, and I’ve found it to be super beneficial for me.
Pioneer AVH- 3500 NEX wireless Carplay works flawlessly. It connects to my phone lightning-fast, and it never skips a beat when I’m listening to music.
Another awesome feature of this head unit is Bluetooth hands-free calling. It makes taking calls while driving a breeze.
And honestly, I was really surprised at how easy it was to use. Plus, to make things even better, the head unit has Pandora and Spotify control, so you can easily listen to your favorite tunes while you’re on the go.
One thing to keep in mind is that this head unit doesn’t have USB ports for iPhones or screen mirroring. But honestly, those aren’t features that I really care about, so it’s not a big deal for me.
- Android/iPhone: Both
- Bluetooth/ Handsfree calling: Available
- Wifi: Not Available
- Voice control:Amazon and Alexa
- Wireless: Remote Control and BT
- Streaming Services: Pandora and Spotify control
- Screen Mirroring: Not Available
- USB Ports For iPhone: Not Available
- Backup Memory: Available
Expandability
When it comes to the expandability features of the Pioneer AVH-3500 NEX, then it has it all. Firstly, the USB input is a fantastic feature. As an iPhone user, it’s great to have the option to connect my phone to the head unit using a USB cable.
This connection is fast and reliable, making it easy to stream my favourite music and podcasts while driving.
The rear-view camera input is also a standout feature. It’s incredibly helpful when I need to back up or park my car, providing me with a clear view of what’s behind me. It’s a feature that I didn’t know I needed until I had it, and now I can’t imagine driving without it.
The six-channel preamp outputs are also worth mentioning. They provide plenty of flexibility when it comes to connecting external amplifiers, and they help deliver crystal-clear sound. The audio quality of this head unit is already impressive, but these preamp outputs take things to a whole new level.
Finally, the AV inputs with RCA video output are great for connecting external video sources. Whether I’m hooking up a DVD player or a game console, this feature makes it easy to enjoy on-the-go entertainment.
- USB Input: Available
- Camera support: (rear-view camera input)
- Pre-amps output: 6-channel preamp outputs (4-volt front, rear, subwoofer)
- AV Inputs: (RCA Video Output)
Playback Features
Now, it’s time to talk about the playback features of this head unit. First up, let’s talk about radio support. Unfortunately, the head unit doesn’t come with a SiriusXM satellite radio tuner, but if you’re willing to shell out for a subscription, you can add that feature yourself.
Next up is DVD support, but unfortunately, it’s not available on this unit. So if you’re hoping to pop in your favourite DVD while you’re driving around town, you’re out of luck with this one.
However, there is an auxiliary port on the front panel of the head unit, which is pretty handy if you want to connect your phone or another device directly to the head unit.
But honestly, where this head unit really shines is in its USB music playback. You can easily plug in a USB drive full of your favourite tunes and play them directly through the head unit.
And when it comes to music file playback, the Pioneer AVH-3500NEX supports a wide variety of formats, including MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVI, WMV, DivX, H.264, and MKV. So, no matter what kind of music files you have, this head unit can handle them.
- Radio Support : ( SiriusXM satellite radio tuner (not included, requires subscription)
- DVD Support: Not Available
- Auxiliary (Aux) Port: front panel auxiliary input)
- USB Music: Available
- Music File Playback: (MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, AVI, WMV, DivX H.264 MKV)
Ease of Use
The user interface of the Pioneer AVH-3500NEX is intuitive and clean. The functions on the screen are big and can easily be seen even in daylight, which is a good thing. The screen works pretty well, but it’s not resistive. So, you may have to see it as unresponsive and glitchy sometimes.
If I talk about the installation process, then it was quite easy. It didn’t take me much time to install it in my car.
- User Interface : The functions are quite big and easy to read but the screen is resistive.
- Easy to install : It’s very easy to install and doesn’t require you to be an expert.
- Materials: Combination of metal, plastic, and other materials.
- Screen Type: Capacitive Screen
- High Brightness: Yes
Value for money
I’ll be straight with you: this head unit is not cheap. In fact, it’s quite expensive compared to other head units on the market. However, with that higher price tag come a lot of features that you won’t find on cheaper units. From the wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay to the 7-inch touchscreen display, there’s a lot to love about this head unit.
Of course, whether or not the Pioneer AVH-3500NEX is worth the extra money will depend on your personal preferences and budget. But if you’re someone who’s willing to invest a little more in a quality head unit with all the latest features, this one is definitely worth considering.
- Price: A little expensive compared to other DINS
- Features: It doesn’t have Screen mirroring, and Color illumination.
- Expandability: Bluetooth, USB, Auxiliary
- Sound quality: It has a 13-band equaliser, an amplifier, and a lot of sound processing features
