New Pioneer SXT-C10PS Is A Retro-styled ‘Cassette Deck’ Head Unit

New Pioneer SXT-C10PS head unit released in Europe recently hides powerful and modern features underneath its classic retro style and looks.

Avid modern classic car enthusiasts know how difficult it is to find replacement audio head units. This is largely driven by the rise in demand for new aftermarket units with massive screens sizes plus smartphone and tablet-like functions.

Despite so, consumer electronics giant Pioneer saw its car audio division recently produce a new retro-styled offering that promises to bridge this ever-widening tech gap between new-aged screens with classic analogue head units.

Called the Pioneer SXT-C10PS, this single-DIN car audio head unit is meant to stand as an ideal replacement part for modern classic cars that still came primed with this ‘standard’ radio and audio interface in their dashboards.

In fact, Pioneer ditched the temptations of a massive touchscreen interface for a classic dot-matrix digital display panel that’s less than half the size of this unit’s front ‘face’. Matching that too are physical – and tactile – buttons plus a rotary volume knob.

The real party trick with the SXT-C10PS though is what’s primed above the dot-matrix display noted. Here, you’ll find what looks like a classic cassette tape deck slot, but is actually a flip-up cover that hides very modern interfaces underneath.

Underneath its flip-up 'cassette tape deck' cover, this head unit boasts modern USB 2.0 and 3.5 MM AUX ports. There's even app-enabled Bluetooth phone and audio playback functions primed, and more.

Pop the cover open and users are greeted with a USB 2.0 (USB-A) port plus a 3.5 MM AUX audio input. Even more impressive too is the presence of Bluetooth connectivity that brings app-enabled hands-free phone and audio playback functions.

This deliberate retro, old school design, plus the ability to run off any car’s typical 12-volt power supply, means the Pioneer SXT-C10PS won’t look out place when primed in the centre dashboard consoles of any car made in the 1980s, 1990s, and early 2000s.

Other key technical details of the Pioneer SXT-C10PS includes the presence of RCA pre-outs for front, rear and subwoofer channels, each boasting peak outputs of 50 watts thanks to an internal MOSFET amplifier – relatively ‘standard’ parameters for any car audio head unit.

Next comes functions like the built-in 13-band equalizer, DAB+ digital radio, time adjustment to dial in staging, high-pass and low-pass filters, as well as RGB illumination that lets you match the glow of the head unit to your dashboard lighting.

Presently, the new Pioneer SXT-C10PS head unit detailed is open for pre-orders in Europe ahead of a planned launch in Oct. As for price, this unit is listed with a figure of €399 – approx. RM1,916.

Yes, that’s not exactly ‘cheap’, but we reckon avid modern classic car fans and owners wouldn’t mind said premium given all the modern features provided without sacrificing on classic, retro aesthetics and style.