Pioneer Unveils DMH-SF1000, Japan’s First Aftermarket 10.1-inch Floating Display Audio Unit with Dolby Atmos Support

Pioneer will launch the Carrozzeria DMH-SF1000 in Japan in May, a 10.1-inch floating display audio unit that the company says is the first product in Japan’s aftermarket car electronics industry to support Dolby Atmos. The product is a 10.1V HD/Bluetooth/USB/tuner/DSP main unit and will be sold at an open price. The DMH-SF1000 enables Dolby Atmos playback even in existing vehicles that were not originally compatible with the format. By combining Dolby Atmos spatial audio technology with Pioneer’s proprietary in-cabin sound-field optimization feature, Auto Time Alignment & Auto Equalizer, the unit can reproduce Dolby Atmos tracks from Apple Music via Apple CarPlay with immersive, three-dimensional sound using only the four-channel speaker setups common in many vehicles. The unit also includes Pioneer’s new Stereo Spatial Sound processing technology, which expands two-channel stereo sources into a more spatial sound field. This allows users to experience a wider, spatial presentation even with non-Dolby Atmos music or music played through Android Auto. The effect can be adjusted in three levels, LOW, HIGH, and MAX, and can be switched on or off with a shortcut key. A Luminous Bar mounted above the 10.1V HD display lights up in sync with music and route guidance. Features include Music Ride illumination that reacts to songs, Route Guidance Support that lights up for navigation turn prompts, startup effects, and constant lighting, creating an in-car entertainment space that combines sound and light. For usability, the DMH-SF1000 supports the dedicated PxLink app, allowing users to select frequently used controls from more than 40 operation keys and place them across up to three pages on a smartphone screen. This enables control of the unit from a smartphone while Apple CarPlay or Android Auto maps remain displayed. When using Apple CarPlay, the unit also offers Split Screen, which displays shortcut keys for the unit and compatible apps on the same screen; this feature is not available with Android Auto. On the audio side, the unit uses high-quality components including a fully customized high-performance 48-bit dual-core DSP, and offers tuning features such as time alignment, a 13-band graphic equalizer, and network mode to build an optimized in-cabin sound field. It also supports Advanced Sound Retriever for compressed audio enhancement, Full HD video playback from USB devices, and high-resolution audio playback. Other features include wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a 1DIN floating structure compatible with 473 vehicle models, WebLink support, high-resolution audio playback with downsampling, factory steering wheel remote compatibility, support for the ND-BC300 HD rear camera, support for factory rear cameras with parking guide lines, an AV input terminal, and RCA rear monitor output.