MSRP: $1,100
A few months ago I had the opportunity to testdrive the new AVIC F-series of navigation/multimedia source units in one of the various demo vehicles that Pioneer arranged for the press preview. The F-series basically replaces the D line, which ended with the D3. Like the latter, the new products are priced low enough that, value-wise, it would be a much better deal for people who want navigation to buy an AVIC F than one of the PNDs from the big three nav makers. After all, the AVIC-F900BT is superior in many ways to the D-series and costs only a little over a grand, for which you get a lot of built-in media functionality, along with the navigation.
There were some glitches in the pre-production models at the preview- some of the same issues some users have experienced with the production models. But the new AVICs seemed very promising, and I looked forward to having the chance to use one of various source units in the line.
Affordable All-In-One
Ostensibly, the AVIC-F900BT that I received for review is the complete package. The double-DIN unit with a 5.8-inch touchscreen has map data (from TeleAtlas) completely contained on a flash drive. A lot of nav users will be glad to hear that DVD-ROMs are no longer necessary. So you have navigation, DVD playback, and music galore via disc, iPod, a thumb drive, or an SD card, not to mention HD Radio and satellite radio with adapters, which have to be purchased separately. Conveniently, there's also a mini-jack connection on the face of the source unit. The 3.5mm mini-jack aux input is a great feature, but that too requires Pioneer's CD-RM10 cable in order for you to connect an A/V device to the unit.
This AVIC also has you covered for Bluetooth. You can connect three phones and the F900BT will store 400 contacts; it allows you to be totally hands-free. That applies for accessing music from your iPod as well. The F900BT has voice recognition software (called the VoiceBox Conversational Voice Search Platform) that makes it possible for you to select music folders and tracks by voice command. As with a lot of voice command systems, it can have problems understanding your requests. Be it the Ford Sync, the AVIC-Z3, or a separate aftermarket Bluetooth kits-I've yet to find a product that works as advertised in terms of the voice recognition quality. In theory, you can make calls, select tracks off your iPod, and even make some navigation commands just by using your voice. It's not perfect, but it's better than not having the option. Caveats or not, the above features are a pretty amazing collection of options. They may be found on other pre-existing (and separate) products, but at $1,100, this seems to be a real steal.
Add the option for MSN Direct for traffic information, movie time listings, and a list of the gas stations with the best per gallon prices and more, and you can see why I say that the F900BT is the complete package. MSN Direct is a must-have. And the GOOG-411 service is a nice add-on feature. You can use it to search for and connect to local businesses via a toll-free number. The only thing that is important to me that the unit lacks is the ability for DVD-Audio or, say, SACD playback. But then when was the last time you actually bought a disc in one of those formats? OK, not big misses there. On the audio side, the F900BT takes care of business, and will probably be robust enough for most music fans. There are seven preset EQ curves; and you can make a couple of your own custom EQ settings. There's also a three-band parametric EQ that allows you to select the Q factor, a highpass filter, adjustable loudness, and SLA (source level adjustment) to keep your volume settings consistent over different sources.