Review The Pioneer AVH-280BT In-Dash DVD Receiver

I purchased the AVH-280BT primarily as a screen for a backup camera that I was installing in my 2007 Honda Accord. However, I also wanted to use the opportunity to take a look at how far I wanted to go in improving my car stereo situation – I was using the stock radio and an AUX adapter I had hooked up a few years ago.

When shopping, I considered the higher end models that offer things like CarPlay, HD Radio, satellite radio, AppRadio, GPS navigation, etc. Honestly, unless you really need any of these things, I would pass. CarPlay is in its infancy, requires a usb connection to the phone, and the reviews have been less than stellar. AppRadio frequently breaks with new iOS updates. The GPS units provided in these stereos can’t hold a candle to native phone apps like Waze. I guess HD radio and satellite might be interesting, but it seems unnecessary to me given the plethora of internet radio options via the bluetooth connection to your phone. Bluetooth was really my only must have feature.

Setup was no different than any other car stereo – crimp or solder the wires from the radio harness to the vehicle harness, plug and play, and you’re good to go. I also connected the AWSC-1 to preserve steering wheel controls, this took me a bit longer due to issues specific to my vehicle, but I eventually figured it out.

In using the AVH-280BT the last week or so, I think this model is great for the 90% or so of people that want to modernize their older car’s stereo setup, or upgrade a newer car’s basic stereo to something more exciting. The backup camera images come through nice and clearly, and the screen has a nice viewing angle. Bluetooth (including phone calls) and the iPod connection work great, although on my iPhone 6, I’ve found Bluetooth to be more reliable in terms of displaying album/artist information. AM/FM stations come in just as strong as the stock radio, and FM displays audio information, too. I haven’t tried to play DVDs.

The UI is hideous, yes. But, in perusing the radios from various manufacturers in store, ranging from the high end models to the low end – they were ALL that way. Obviously this is one of the primary problems that CarPlay is looking to solve… but the reliability and convenience factors just aren’t there yet. The UI is usable, and fairly intuitive, but it ain’t a work of art.

One note: setting up Bluetooth and/or playing DVDs requires a connection to the parking brake. Yes, Pioneer locks you out of the Bluetooth pairing menu unless the parking brake wire is connected and the brake is engaged. Making this connection would have been very difficult for me to do. Instead, I installed a manual switch, one end connected to the radio’s parking brake wire, and the other connected to ground (I just used some spare wire to splice into the radio’s ground cable). Flicking the switch emulates the electrical response of engaging and disengaging the parking brake, which makes the radio happy.

Overall, I highly recommend the AVH-280BT for anyone looking to upgrade their car’s audio system. It does not have the features that the higher end models have, but most of them are gimmicks anyway.