Google Chromecast comes to Onkyo AV gear

Integra DRX-7

A new firmware update for Onkyo’s AV receivers and speakers will be bringing Google Chromecast support to the devices. The update will be coming to Onkyo’s own branded gear and those under Integra and Pioneer, which are both owned by Onkyo. Once the update comes, it’ll make it easier for you to stream music from your Chromecast-enabled smartphone apps and through Google Assistant and Google Home using voice commands. You can see a full list of supported devices here.

Source: HD Guru

Pioneer outs portable HD audio player

There’s a resurgence of HD audio players and Pioneer’s introducing its own take on the trend with the XDP-100R. Made with aluminum, it houses two circuit boards. According to Pioneer, one of them is for the operating system and another for audio components to help “eliminate the effects of digital noise.” It supports lossless FLAC, MQA, ALAC, and DSD audio up to 11.2MHz.

This Android-powered player comes with a 4.7-inch 720p display, 32GB of internal storage that you can increase up to 256GB via two microSD slots that each support up to 128GB. It’s going on sale in Japan later this month for around US$700. There’s no word yet on a Western release at the moment though. But it does seem to be on the affordable side, especially since Sony’s NW-ZX2 HD audio player costs $1,200.

Source: Wall Street Journal | Via: Gizmodo

CES 2015: Pioneer brings Android Auto to NEX series

Pioneer wants to be one of the first to bring Android Auto to users. With the second-generation NEX series in-dash multimedia receivers, they have done just that. The AVIC-8100NEX, AVIC-7100NEX, and AVH-4100NEX all have Android Auto integrated. They are compatible with Android Lollipop devices. The AVIC-8100NEX is the top-of-the-line device at US$1,400 and features a capacitive touchscreen. The AVIC-7100NEX costs $1,200 and has a resistive touch display. Lastly, the AVH-4100NEX is without Pioneer’s on-board navigation software and retails for $700. You can interact with the panel via the 7-inch touchscreen or through Google’s voice command system.

These three new NEX models also still support Apple CarPlay, AppRadio mode, Mirrorlink, and Bluetooth connectivity. The AVIC models even have Here Maps integrated. The new receivers are said to hit the market in March 2015.

Source: CNET

Pioneer expands Apple CarPlay compatible lineup with AppRadio 4 for $599

CarPlay is Apple's iOS for vehicles that puts the power of iPhones in cars and enables various entertainment, navigation and even Siri integration features hands free. A lot of these features are coming to CarPlay enabled cars but for those of us who love their older cars and want to make them smarter, Pioneer's AppRadio 4 line of head units brings the goods.

Pioneer announced that the Apple CarPlay-compatible fourth generation AppRadio 4 (SPH-DA210) has shipped and is currently available at Canadian retail at a suggested retail price of $599. Here's a demo of CarPlay in action. Hit jump for all the details.

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