Pioneer DEH-2100 CD Receivers

Pioneer DEH-2100 CD Receivers 

DESCRIPTION

CD Receiver with Direct EQ, MOSFET45, Supertuner® III™ and Detachable Face Security™

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-10 of 11  
[May 03, 2002]
WhtCastle
Model Reviewed: DEH-2100

Strength:

45x4 is ample power if you keep stock speakers. Detachable face. A PAUSE button (MUCH better than a MUTE).

Weakness:

1 pre-out, 3 EQ settings and you dont even know exactly what it DOES with the EQ, can''t play with audio all too much

For the price that I paid, I would say no, cant be beat. I dont listen to radio AT ALL, so I cant really comment on that aspect. For it''s retail price though, I would say: get something else. Only has 1 pre-out, the 3, count em, THREE, EQ presets dont do much more than make bass distorted. Only has bass or treble settings, can''t get all to specific with the audio. The load/eject is great, as stated before; plays CDR very nicely as well, and has fairly good skip protection. If this was around 100$ cheaper, I''d recommend it alot more. But if you are willing to pay 200+, go with Alpine or Eclipse, simple as that

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Jul 12, 2001]
Charlie Wong
Model Reviewed: Pioneer DEH-2350 (Yr.2001)

Strength:

Sound quality. Cheap!. Plenty of juice (good usable power). Attractive design. Clear, legible and bright 'easy-to-read' multi-colour LCD display. Fantastically smooth & silent Load/eject mechanism. Useful "PAUSE" function. Speaker "thump" protection when switched "On" or "Off". Solidly built "CD Transport" - No skipping, ever!

Weakness:

Detachable face is not secured in place - wobbles. Face "snap-in" and "pull-out" process unrefined and crude. Button activation is not positive enough. No direct track-access. 'Random' selection is not '100%' effective. 'Track-Repeat' function is flawed. Elapsed-time tracking 'memory' flawed. Difficult to turn "Off". Many 'unnecessary' features.

(IMPORTANT NOTE: My review is for the Yr.2001 model of "DEH-2350", made in neighbouring Malaysia in the monthof March 2001. I'm sorry this review has to be included in the "DEH-2100" thread. I don't seem to be able to 'create' a new product line for DEH-2350)

This is my second CD/receiver installed. (My Panasonic was stolen during a burglary). No regrets getting this cheaper and more powerful Pioneer unit.

Let me first elaborate on the strengths...
The sound performance of the 2350 is astounding. For so little money, i get to enjoy reasonably great performance from this MOSFET 50W x 4 unit. There is no real need to get a separate power amp. This is a high current design, i think. I turned the volume way up to "Level 22" (Max : Level 30) and the music is still wholesome and with no trace of brittleness and audioble distortion/clipping (to me at least). At Level 22, it is already deafeningly loud! I get most enjoyment at around Levels 15 ~ 19, when the amp is far from clipping and the music flows with authority and with plenty of substance/detail. I noticed when the music gets too loud (on some recordings, they were made on the 'loud' side even at low volume settings), the LCD display would dim a little during those heavy bouts of bass passages. Time to ease the Vol. control if you want the 2350 and loudspeakers to last ...

HF performance is very good, perhaps a shade too 'tizzy' for my personal liking, even on 'Flat'. I never listen to the 2350 on those "Super Bass", "Powerful", "Natural", "Vocal" EQ modes. (These are fixed settings). I find them 'over-emphasised' and unreal. Best listened at "Flat" EQ setting (or even downplay the tones at Bass -1 or Treble -1).

Midrange is superb! Voices and acoustic instuments are really really fluid and sweet. Very articulate. The 'decay' of acoustic guitars is believable and natural, with plenty of bite and body. Doesn't sound thin or papery. Good show! (The EQ is always at Mid "0")

Bass response. Overall, it is very good. Erring a little on the boomy side (could be due to my cheap 6x9s at the rear deck). No sweat, drop the bass by one level to "Bass -1" and your problem is solved.

The load/eject is exceptionally smooth and silent. I believe the CD transport is made by "Sanyo" and it performs like a dream. In my entire experience with the 2350, the track has NEVER jumped/skipped, not once, even on really bad roads. Built like a rock. Sturdy! Yes, there is one feature you will really appreciate - the "PAUSE" button. Restarting is precise and quick.

The start of each track begins at "Absolute Zero". What the $#%? as I saying? You see, i've toyed with friends' CD/receiver, and there are a few units that doesn't start at the precise "0:00" position on new tracks when you jumble up the order of play (say, on 'repeat' or 'random') They start playing at the "0:0.17" position (for example), where the 'head' of the music is truncated! With the 2350, you hear everything that was encoded in the CD. Nothing less. (Shouldn't ALL Compact Disc Players do that?)

Now for the bad news
Physical attributes. The face unit is not 100% secured on the main body. It wobbles to the touch. I think the fit should be improved. (The Panasonic was examplary). The attaching plastic bits and self-locking mechanism is a spring loaded design and will deteriorate over time and with wear & tear. I need to force the unit off the docking plate to have it removed. A better design should have been employed here.

In my abode, we cannot put in two cars in the garage. My car is always parked outside. Stupid me - I left the face of my Panasonic intact on the unit, and i lost the whole player to a thief. I now have no choice but to remove the face each time i park. After many attach/detach exercise, the 'wobbleness' has increased noticeably. Not Good. As posted by a fellow reviewer below, I dread to think when will my face unit jump out when i hit a pothole?

Each and every buttons on the 2350 is stiff and have not enough positive 'feeling' in them. I have to push them with considerable force to activate them. Switching the unit off is a chore as the button has to be depressed for at least one second. With its stiffness, the 1-second pressure on the button sometimes 'loses it grip' and I inevitably switch to FM broadcast instead of turning the unit off! Frustrating!

There is a lack of use on the preset stations numbers on the face. It only activates the Station Memory in "Radio" mode. During CD play, you cannot have direct-track access, simply by pressing "3" for Track #3. You have to 'scroll' thru' using the "" button. Primitive in Year 2001!

When "RANDOM" play is activated, and you do not like Track 3, and you wanna skip Track 3 to another random track by pushing ">", guess what Track appears (the next "random" track of course, i hear you say) Nope!...Track 4 plays instead. Silly!

The 2350 has amnesia! If you are on Track 6, elasped time at "2:53" position and you decide to listen to the 6 o'clock news on FM, you hit the "SRC" button (for 'Source', which is also the same button for "On" and "Off" !)to switch to FM mode. So far, so good. Six minutes later, you had enough of depressing international news, and you wanna lift your spirits a little by reverting to Track 6 of the CD you were playing. You now hit the "SRC" button once again...and Track 6 continues at "2:41" or "3:08" position. It loses track of time! Something is not right here.

Track on "REPEAT". You wud expect the "REPEAT" mode to be continued, unless you want it off. So, if you're half-way thro' a track on "Repeat" and you want the start of the track to be heard again, you hit the "<" button. Fine and Dandy, the track re-starts, but...it will no longer repeat at the end.

It has many features that are really not useful to the average listener. Things like "FIE" Front-image-enhancer where you alter the sound of the rear speakers altogether, and differing levels (Hi,Mid,Lo)of electronic "Loudness".

To sum up, the 2350 still get top marks from me. The sonic qualities is very very good, and the inclusion of a fine 3-tier tone control (with equal six steps either way up/down for Bass, Midrange and Treble) makes this sub USD150 player a very good bargain for a car CD player.

I recommend the 2350 to those looking for reasonably strong performance on a budget. (I have introduced two other friends to purchase the 2350, after they heard it in my car)

Similar Products Used:

Panasonic CQ-DP303W (rated 40W x 4)Good unit, but not as dynamic as the DEH-2350

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
4
[Aug 23, 2000]
Karl

Strength:

GREAT!! Replaced my stock Honda tape deck.... I love the MOSFET 45.

Weakness:

Display is weak.... but what do you expect for this price.

I like this deck. Makes my 6.5" Clarions sound good! I also am running 2 Pioneer 6.5"s and I don't recommend those speakers at all. Haven't heard it skip yet!!!! Not much else to say... I recommend it.

Similar Products Used:

factory honda

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 16, 2001]
Barry

Strength:

works in the cold, plays CDRW, problem free...

Weakness:

could use a seprate "on"="off" button..

I burn a lot of CDRW , and have never had trouble using them with this reciever...Speaker choice should be a concern, be sure to choose decent speakers because of the quality of this deck...The speakers I bought don't match the quality of the system, and I have to replace them...I have owned the receiver for over a year, and it works even in the winter when the temperature inside the car was well below 0 degrees.Pioneer DEH-2100.Great unit...

Similar Products Used:

A lot better than a radio...

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 01, 2001]
Brian

Strength:

Decent amp, plays CDRs perfectly, good tuner, very good cd load/eject mechanism

Weakness:

Electronic volume control, would prefer a rotary control. Noticable delay when turning the unit off

Bought it at an after Christmas sale for $177 CDN. All in all I'm pretty happy with it. I'm in my truck 10 hrs/day and it has performed very well.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood, Panasonic

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Feb 21, 2001]
Cody Bilderback
Model Reviewed: 1983 Chevrolet Celebrity

Strength:

Sleek look to it, adds a good punch to the 4 speakers in the car and absolutely pounds my subs when turned up.

Weakness:

the detachable face seems a little flimsy btu otherwise a great looking cd player.

I have had theis for a little over a month now and absolutely love it. It has great sound and good looks for a cheap price. i would recomend this product to anyone looking for a great cd player at a reasonalble price.

Similar Products Used:

Aiwa CDC-X207 not as much bass and blinking lights

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Dec 30, 2000]
John See
Model Reviewed: Pioneer DEH-2150

Strength:

Simple design without any extravagant gimmicks or complicated/distracting display. Plays CDRs really well, even defective ones with holes in the media (skips those parts).

The one touch tuner (BSM) is a very useful function especially if you're constantly going on long distance journeys and don't want to go through the hassle of re-tuning 6 stations everytime you cross the stateline. Couple that with the 3 FM channels and you have easy access to coverage for 18 FM stations!

Power..power and more POWER. 45W x 4 gives custom amps a run for their money. Enough to power an 8 speaker system.

Cheap. Consider the above strengths and the fact that you're getting one of Pioneer's better no-nonsense single-CD models.

Weakness:

Not too newbie friendly as there is no noticable on/off button. Also lacking certain features like Front Image Enhancer (FIE) or more EQ presets.

The front side panel might be a little flimsy but I think it's more of an installation issue. Once my mom claimed the front panel popped off by itself when she opened the glove compartment. Might've been an accident but I'd suggest tapping around the unit to check for a sensitive front panel release mechanism.

This isn't exactly a weakness but a few users of the DEH-1100 model reported that the unit gets hot quickly. Personally I haven't had a problem with overheating though; and it actually has a built-in overheating indicator!

All round very good sound, many claim it sounds better (and is cheaper) than its Sony or JVC counterparts. I'd recommend this to anyone who's looking for a replacement to their car's stock receivers. Also an excellent upgrade from cassette receivers.

Having a CDR recorder around the house is an extra bonus since, unlike many other CD receivers, this one's CDR friendly. Make sure you bring a couple of recorded CDRs to test before you purchase ANY player! Best ones to test are those recorded from MP3 onto cheapo $0.25 discs.

I know it's cheaper than what most of you might get but that's coz it's made right here in my hometown. So before any purchase you should consider the locality of the nearest service center.

Not to condemn this model but if I were more patient I'd have held on to my cash a little longer for the new DEH-2350; it has a more "millenium-ish" design as well as more features like multicolor LCD, FIE, 5 preset EQ and more.
And by the way, that one packs MOSFET 50W x 4; time to plug in your sub directly!!!

Overall, I'm giving this CD receiver only 4 stars because I have been "enlightened" with the knowledge that a new and better revision is out *sigh*. Other than that and if you can't wait that long for the DEH-2350 to reach your shores, this one's a buy you won't regret for years to come.

Similar Products Used:

Proton Wira Blaupunkt stock AM/FM cassette receiver

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
5
[Oct 26, 2000]
Dan
Model Reviewed: Pioneer DEH-2100

Strength:

Excellent value.
Good sound, especially the CD player.
CDR compatibility.
Nice clean look and layout.

Weakness:

Only 1 year warranty compared to the more expensive Premier line's 2 year.
Lacks enough power for a "serious" audio system.

I paid $169 with a free installation at Best Buy, and I'm very happy with the purchase. The tuner and overall sound quality is a small improvement over the factory deck in my Taurus, with the extra power providing cleaner and better sound with the factory speakers.

The reason I got the unit, though, was for the CD player. That's where the Pioneer DEH-2100 really shines. It's a very nice sounding CD player, and does not seem to skip at all, with the added bonus of CDR compatibility. Really an excellent performer in my opinion.

I'm looking forward to upgrading the factory speakers soon, and would expect the overall sound to improve even further with the extra MOSFET amplification I now have.

Bottom line: Good performer, good quality, excellent value. Highly recommended if you are looking for a reasonably priced CD Tuner.

Similar Products Used:

Factory Ford Taurus AM/FM cassette deck.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jul 30, 2000]
Bryan
Model Reviewed: DEH-2100

Strength:

Terrific sound, looks classy, solid feel, and takes a hefty beating before it will skip.

Weakness:

Absolutely nothing.

I paid $161 and installed it myself which was very easy. This deck has everything I require - powers four speakers very well, has no cheap feeling buttons or ridiculous gimicky features, solid detachable face, Pioneer quality, and it just looks nice. I was satisfied already, but when I went off-roading it blew me away what kind of beating it would take before it would skip - these decks sure have come a long way in the last few years.

Similar Products Used:

Factory Nissan, Honda, Mazda, Chevrolet and Pioneer

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Jun 19, 2000]
Scott

Strength:

Plays CD-R discs with excellent sound and quality with no skips or blips. Enhances the sound and output from all speakers in your car.

Weakness:

A little difficult to understand how to set program clock and presets at first.

I just purchased this cd reciever and I love it. Purchased because my old cd player would not play my CD-R discs. The sound is unbelievable. Great sound and volume without need for an amplifier. Equalizer options are great for an added boost. It blows away my old cd reciever. Purchased for $225 from Audio Express with only a $1 install.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood KCD-3005

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
Showing 1-10 of 11  

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