Blaupunkt vs Pioneer Car Stereos: Which Should You Choose?

Choosing the right head unit for your car’s audio system is critical. 

The head unit will still dramatically impact sound quality and usability, no matter how much you spend on other components like speakers and amplifiers.

Pioneer and Blaupunkt are both well-known car audio brands, but which one should you choose?

Blaupunkt’s head units are significantly cheaper than Pioneer’s, but it’s worth spending the extra money on the quality and performance you get from a Pioneer.  Both brands have been prominent players in the car audio space for decades, but Blaupunkt isn’t the brand it once was.

Read on if you’re torn between buying a Blaupunkt or Pioneer car stereo.

This article will discuss the backgrounds of both companies and compare some of their products to help you decide which head unit to choose.

Is Blaupunkt a Good Brand?

Blaupunkt’s products are not as good as they used to be, as 100% of their production is outsourced to China.  Compared to other popular car audio brands, Blaupunkt is much cheaper and, unfortunately, cannot boast of having the same quality it once had.

Blaupunkt was first established in 1924 with its original name, “Ideal.”  Robert Bosch AG then bought the business in 1933, and in 1938 the company name was changed to what it is now. 

The brand name and emblem were inspired by the blue dot sticker manufacturers place on headphones to indicate that they passed quality inspection.

As Germany’s top car audio producer, Blaupunkt became standard equipment in luxurious German automobiles like Audi, Mercedes Benz, and BMW.

The brand’s association with high-end cars gave it a sense of prestige.  However, Robert Bosch AG sold the company to Aurelius AG in 2009.

GIP Development SARL of Luxembourg now manages Blaupunkt, and their product lineup caters more to the mass market than a high-end niche.  

Is Pioneer a Good Brand?

Pioneer is a good brand and produces some of the best equipment in the car audio industry. Pioneer created the first component car stereo, where you have a head unit that amplifies the sound to speakers discretely fitted around the car.

The founder of Pioneer, Nozomu Matsumoto (Japanese), started building speakers from his garage in 1937, but the brand name was only adopted in 1961. 

Since its inception, Pioneer has focused on video products, home audio, and car stereo equipment.    

True to its name, Pioneer has contributed many firsts to the car audio industry, such as

• The first car CD player (1984).
• The first integrated consumer GPS navigation system (1990).
• The first car DVD player (1996).

Pioneer remains a prominent player and leader in the car audio space.

The brand continues to evolve and innovate—it invests 7% of its profits in research and development.  

Blaupunkt vs Pioneer Car Stereos

Blaupunkt and Pioneer make various car audio products, such as receivers, amplifiers, and speakers. 

However, there is a significant price difference between both brands.

Despite being known as a relatively high-end brand that catered to luxury car brands, Blaupunkt’s products are now more affordable. 

You can expect a price difference of at least a hundred dollars between a Blaupunkt and Pioneer head unit with similar specifications.

Blaupunkt Dakota BP800 Play vs. Pioneer Dmh-1770NEX

If you’re looking for a head unit that offers Android Auto and Apple Carplay, you can get the Blaupunkt Dakota BP800 PLAY for slightly cheaper and the Pioneer DMH-1770NEX for more.

Despite the price difference, both head units have the same screen resolution and power output. 

The Blaupunkt has a slightly bigger screen, but the Pioneer has more preamp outputs, a broader equalizer, and a better version of Bluetooth.

The table below shows the specifications of both head units for easier comparison.

However, if you put specifications aside, the Pioneer’s sound quality and the screen’s responsiveness are significantly better than the Blaupunkt’s.

Blaupunkt Seatle 660 vs. Pioneer Dmh-241EX

If you can live without Android Auto and Apple Carplay, you can save money by choosing between the Blaupunkt Seatle 660 and Pioneer DMH-241EX.

The Blaupunkt costs almost half as much as the Pioneer.

Both head units have a 6.2-inch touchscreen, but the Blaupunkt has more station presets and a CD and DVD player.  The Pioneer’s main advantage is a higher power output and phone mirroring capabilities through Weblink.  

The table below shows the specifications of both head units for easier comparison.

Despite how close the numbers on the spec sheets may seem, a head unit should always be judged on its sound quality and usability.

With that in mind, the Pioneer DMH-241EX is the head unit that comes out on top.

Conclusion

Blaupunkt may seem like a compelling choice given the fact it offers comparable features at a fraction of the price. 

However, the performance of a head unit goes beyond what’s quantifiable on a spec sheet.

Unfortunately, Blaupunkt is not the same brand it used to be in terms of quality and performance. 

Pioneer has established a solid reputation for building high-quality car audio products and has stayed true to its roots. 

They continue investing in research and development, which is evident in the products they sell.