Pioneer CD-MC20 Auto-EQ Microphone for Car DVD Receivers, Original Version

Sometimes it pays to read the reviews and follow their advice...this isn't one of those times! After reading the reviews, I almost decided to not buy this Mic. Heck, even car stereo installers I'm friends with, told me it was a waste of money. Well, at least one has eaten crow! Like almost everything dealing with electronics, you have to follow a set procedure to obtain the best results. Pioneer Auto-eq is no exception to this rule. There is a demonstrative improvement in sound quality with auto-eq on....it cannot be denied.There are a couple "tweeks" that I would suggest; first, get out of the car. Once the countdown starts, get out close the door. I found that the results were much better without my presence mucking up the sonic landscape. Also, the placement of the Mic is paramount and should not be taken lightly. Follow the directions!Oh and the system turns off the hpf on the front speakers, I turned it back on and left the setting where the computer placed it. In fact, the only thing I changed was,I moved the subs lpf a bit up to cover a small gap I felt was in the mid bass range... of course, that was caused by my turning the front speaker hpf back on so.... At the end of the day, I believe this to be an awesome product, especially for those that aren't well versed in the setting of an eleven band eq.

This microphone does exactly what it's supposed to do. With a compatible Pioneer receiver, it calibrates the equalization and what most reviews fail to mention and maybe even more importantly, time alignment! A car interior has notoriously bad acoustics and on top of that you don't sit in the middle, so proper time alignment and balanced EQ is very important for getting balanced sound and the most enjoyment out of your system. For the negative reviewers that claim that there's no bass after calibration, that's not the mic's fault but only shows how so many people's ears have been conditioned to prefer boomy, exaggerated bass and consider that normal. Even if you are a "Bass Head", please give the calibrated sound a chance! Let your ears readjust over time and appreciate all the other beautiful sounds in the music previously obscured by the boom! You won't regret it! For only around $20, it's not perfect but gets results pretty close to much more expensive professional equipment can do but it takes only fraction of the time and hassle! if you still think the bass is lacking, you should at least use it as a starting point and moderately adjust to taste.Happy Listening!

The CD-MC20 is probably the best kept secret in the AVIC lineup. If you're not too sure how to equalize your system manually or the preset equalizations' just aren't cutting it for you, then this is your answer. It comes packaged with no instructions so you'll have to revert back to your actual head units manual for specific setup instructions.Once you find your specific instructions, set up couldn't be any easier. The whole process takes about 6-8 minutes ad must be done in a quiet environment.When finished, the result is undeniable. You'll be able to toggle the auto equalization setting on and off in real time to hear the difference between your old settings and the new auto ones. It's absolutely incredible the difference you'll hear and the clarity is amazing.Now if you're an audiophile who knows how to tune your stereo, this probably isn't for you and you may not get much out of it. But for those of you who have no clue, definitely spend the $20. You will not regret it!

It works for my Pioneer home receiver. If buying this for home audio use, you will probably need an extension for it in order to get it to where you would want it for a living room. I happen to have one. But the included cord is too short unless it for a car or a very shallow room.Worked fine, I just dedicated a star for the cord.

Well it really jacked up the phase of my dash full range speakers and sub. I had to re eq it. was not satisfied. then backed off the time alignment settings. Initially the auto setup had my sound stage really "flat" and harsh sounding and the sound was mono and eminateing from my dash. ... SO I reduced the distances of my door and dash speakers. aproximated my sub and reversed the phase ( Auto had set it at 96" and it was right behind my seat - 24" at the most). played with the EQ off memory of what my studio monitors sound like. And the sound quality is now decent and imageing from middle of windshield and return of some stereo effects which tend to be sutle with modern mixes and vocal "doubling" and harmonizing..... fundamental problem with the idea and design of pioneer NEX auto eq is the very small confines of a vehicle and the single point measurement for all speakers....which creates a dull/flat headphone like stereo image with it's worse aspects, and none of the good ones.#######the best way to tune your sound system is to use a tape measure to each ear and tune (eq) the sound right after watching a movie and playing previews on youtube on your phone and match the sound quality/balance."pioneer md20" Time alignment is going to give you a headphone effect. "time alignment" came into vogue with the speaker cabinet itself (driver distances from each other) and sub location. It should not really be applied to all speakers in relation to sitting location. OR You Will get a headphone effect which flatens the imaging, spatial content and imaging...summer '19 update... placed mic on headrest per pioneer directions (not stereo shop's floating location per youtube)flat on the headrest gives you a boundry , omni mic effect. Much better eq adjustment for my dash speakers. Play with the time alignment settings. I now have pretty good sound. I often change between just using my dash speakers and mixing in my doors. Prefer the authenticity of just dash. but with very careful door blending and tie alignment I get a pretty big and cohesive sound stage