Mobile Electronics Australia

While certain not to set any sales records in Australia, ultra highend CD Tuners still have a market, and with one of the current benchmarks being the Clarion HX-D2 rumoured to be discontinued after 2010 this certainly opens up the market for a solution. The Pioneer DEX-P99RS is the next chapter in the evolution that is Pioneer's high end range of audiophile units, following in the footsteps of the P9 and P90.

The Pioneer DEX-P99RS is a 'Reference Series CD Tuner with Digital DSP and USB Port with Digital Direct Signal Transmission'.

What makes a flagship audiophile CD Tuner? We know there are a number of add-on processors on the market that offer competition style tuning and configuration abilities such as the Audison BitOne and JBL MS-8, but in the quest of minimising the number of components in the signal chain our preference is always to keep it simple and 'adjust at the source'. The DEX-P99RS offers independent Left and Right 31 Band equaliser, Time Alignment and Auto EQ, 32-Bit DSP, Copper Plated Chassis, high end internal components (the DEX-P99RS uses audiophile grade capacitors and other tailor made components), 24-Bit Digital to Analogue conversion and even OP-Amp's found only in high end home audio components and applications.

Let's face it, in this digital age despite having a product aimed at ultra high end sound quality, playback from an iPod or other USB media device is still a desirable feature for those long trips. Where other products failed in this area, the DEX-P99RS includes this ability.

Add to this the DEX-P99RS offers perhaps the most valuable functionality of all when it comes to high end CD Tuners, with 4 pairs of pre-out RCA's at the rear allowing for control of a 3-way front stage plus subwoofer. Individual left and right channel control of crossover points from 20Hz through to 20kHz, level, adjustable slopes including 12, 18, 24, 30 and even 36dB per octave, as well as phase control for the subwoofer output - just some of the advanced tuning capabilities of the P99RS.

For the novice enthusiast Pioneer have created an AutoTune function that when used with the supplied microphone will tune the system to the vehicles cabin - although we suspect most would prefer the result from a set of human ears and educated tuning.

MEASQ competitors have been waiting anxiously for a product of this nature evident by all the hype and speculation in discussion on this product in the message forums. Unfortunately MEA is still waiting for the delivery of this product to the Australian shoreline so we can put the product through its paces and give a real world review on just how powerful in its tuning capability and quality audio reproduction it really is. In the meantime we believe the DEX-P99RS's arrival is imminent and with an Australian RRP of $2199 we think we'll start seeing this unit achieving great results in sound quality competition very soon.

Contact: Pioneer Electronics Australia
Web: www.pioneer.com.au