Pioneer AVH 3400NEX Review – Is This Your Dream Head Unit?

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What do you do when you have a single DIN slot and many options?

Well, the market is flooded with all kinds of car stereos. For some reason, most of them are double-DIN units. What are your options if you have an older car with a single DIN slot?

Pioneer caters to your needs. I mean, there are other manufacturers, but most of them don’t have the kind of track record Pioneer has.

This is why I’ve written the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX Review. By reading this review, you will know for a fact if this head unit is the right solution for you.

One of the customers reported that they had installed this car stereo into Mercedes made in 1999. I’ve read another feedback where they have mounted it into a 1990 Mazda. I don’t get how these cars are still running. Never mind that imagine adding hands-free control into an old car like that.

And it works flawlessly. The almost 30-year-old car has a backup camera and built-in Bluetooth. Not to mention streaming music from multiple sources. Back then, CD’s were brand new.

All in all, you can modernize an older car with the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX head unit.

OK, let’s get this Pioneer AVH-3400NEX review started.

Here’s the bird’s eye view for this head unit.

Who is the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX for?

The Pioneer AVH-3400NEX car stereo caters to a distinctive audience. This is unit requires a single DIN slot. So anybody who has an older car with a single DIN slot can use it.

No matter when the car was made, it’s the era of smartphones. You will receive calls and make them as well. So why not make it as safe as possible? With the help of Siri and Google Assistant, you can even send text messages. Siri Eyes Free will read and reply to your text messages.

Since both phone makers are supported, it’s a good choice for families where both phones are present.

What about music and radio?

No more cassettes!  (What’s a cassette?)

It comes with a CD/DVD player, and you can enjoy music from apps like Spotify and Pandora.

What can the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX do for you?

The simplest way to answer this question is to say that it brings your car up to date.

A new car with fancy tech is out of the question for most people. So why not get the fancy tech on a budget?

By getting the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX car stereo, you gain access to both Siri and Google. You can make and take calls. Both assistants (Siri Eyes Free) can read your text messages and even reply after dictation.

This will make driving safer. Let the assistants handle the phone, and you focus on the road.

Speaking of safety, this head unit comes with video input and camera input. This means you can mount a backup camera, so parking becomes safer and faster. I highly recommend it for trucks and vans.

The Pioneer receiver comes with SiriusXM ready. Add your account, and you’re ready to listen to your favorite shows.

The touch screen is simply beautiful. The screen size is  7” wide, and it has everything you need. Plus, you can personalize it.

I love to use Pandora, and my wife is a Spotify fan. Luckily this unit has them both. With iPhones and Android devices you can do audio streaming.

Key Features:

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Pioneer AVH-3400NEX shortcomings

Pioneer is known to have great car stereos. Now we all know that the perfect head unit doesn’t exist. In this chapter, I will tell you everything that’s wrong with this digital receiver. Hopefully, you will still want it after reading this chapter.

Since it’s a single DIN unit, the big display needs to be hidden somewhere. The motorized pop out seems to be slow. Maybe I’m an impatient person, but I’ve expected a snappier unit.

Are you planning to install it yourself? Brace yourself. There are lots of wiring needed. Not to mention the miles of wires you need to handle if you want all the bells and features.

There are many HD radio stations in my area. Sadly this head unit doesn’t support it. I got used to listening to CD quality music and shows.

It has a USB port — something weird I’ve noticed. You can’t delete files from the flash stick (USB device). Why is it blocked? It’s an odd choice.

My last observation would be that certain files can’t be played with this stereo. If you have movies in MKV format, you need to convert them. I usually use MKV because they are smaller in size.

There are a few minor bugs with the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX HU, but they are not that important.

How To Get The Most Out Of Pioneer AVH-3400NEX?

There are two roads to go down. You can DIY it or take it to a pro. I always take the pro approach. If you want to do it yourself, prepare for the miles of wires to handle.

Once everything is in place, you might want to consider two add-ons. One would be a gadget called iDatalink Maestro. This black box allows you to keep your stock steering controls.  This way, you can enjoy true hands-free control. By adding the iDatalink Maestro to the stereo you will be doing hands-free calling without touching your phone. This device is sold separately.

Besides the hands-free control, it gives you diagnostic info about your car. I always check the tire pressure and other stuff before hitting the road.

A law was passed, which forbid drivers to watch movies while driving. Pioneer abides by the rule. Actually, they went overboard. You are locked out of certain settings while driving. For example, if you want to change the Equalizer settings, you have to pull over. Not that easy on the highway. Since we’re talking about the EQ it’s good to know that you can tweak the sound quality to your liking. It has a 13-band graphic equalizer. It will take some time to get it perfect and it’s so worth. If you don’t want to mess around with the graphic equalizer choose one of the presets.

There’s a hack for it. All you need to do is bypass the e-brake. Do keep on being a responsible driver.

The other thing you can do is install a backup camera now I’ve already mentioned this above. It doesn’t come with the package it’s sold separately.

The last thing I highly recommend is personalizing your head unit. You can add custom background images. Plus, you can set the lighting, so it matches the interior.

Pioneer AVH-3400NEX Review Conclusion

As you can, the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX is a great stereo to have. Even old cars can be brought into the 21st century. By adding this head unit, you will get all the bells and whistles you’ll ever need.

We have reached the end of my Pioneer AVH-3400NEX review. I hope you have learned something valuable from my post.

As always, I’m open to suggestions, so feel free to reach out. If you are looking for an alternative I highly suggest the pioneer avh-3300nex.

Catch you next time.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):

Does this Pioneer DVD receiver support built-in Bluetooth connectivity?

Yes with this in-dash receiver you can enjoy all the benefits what built-in Bluetooth can give you. For example hands-free calling will be easy. Also both Apple Carplay and Android Auto will work with your smartphone integration. With the assistant by your side hand-free calling will be available without touching your phone.

Can I use Appradio mode with Android Auto Compatible ?

Appradio mode is extremely buggy so no matter what phone you will use it will let you down. It doesn’t matter if you have Apple Carplay compatible Android Auto device it won’t work. I understand Pioneer wants to control everything but AppRadio mode is a disaster.

How big is the screen size for this AVH-3400NEX DVD receiver?

With this DVD receiver you are getting 7″ wide touch screen. This screen size is big enough so you don’t have to squint your eyes. Plus the touch screen is easy to use.

Is there Android Smartphone Integration with this Pioneer DVD receiver?

Yes there’s full Android Smartphone Integration with this DVD receiver. All a Android devices will work if the have Bluetooth connection.

Does the Pioneer AVH-3400NEX DVD receiver has audio video output?

Yes with this Pioneer stereos you can connect to an external monitors because it has audio video output.

What a good alternative for this unit?

The best alternative would be the pioneer avh-3300nex. Since the pioneer avh-3300nex is an older generation it’s cheaper. Not only that it works just as well as big brother. If you’re on the budget I highly recommend the pioneer avh-3300nex.

How can I customize this car stereo?

There are 5 display colors and 112 color combinations. The display screen is nice and big.

Can I use Android Auto and Apple Carplay?

Yes both Android Auto and Apple Carplay is supporterd. You will enjoy excellent sound quality when using Pandora and Spotify. Other smartphone apps run smoothly and features Apple Carplay.

Last Updated on November 2, 2023 by Brian Beasley