Pioneer's Second Annual Sound Build-Off Competition Commences

LONG BEACH, CA - February 26, 2008: Following a successful event last spring in Tucson, Arizona, Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. today announced the second annual Pioneer Sound Build-Off. Twenty-two of Pioneer’s Premier nationwide retailers, including the top five that participated in last year’s event as well as the People’s Choice winner, are being challenged to build the best sounding demo vehicle using select Premier-branded audio equipment.

Participating dealers are given six weeks to install the provided audio system in their own demo vehicles and will then be evaluated based on International Auto Sound Challenge Association (IASCA) rules. The vehicles entered into the competition will converge at Pioneer’s Dealer Road Show held in San Diego on Saturday, April 19, 2008, where dealers will vie for cash prizes, bragging rights and the prestigious title of the 2008 Pioneer Sound Build-Off Champion.

“The Sound Build-Off competition is designed to showcase Pioneer’s high-end Premier car audio components, while encouraging our retailers to put the focus back on the importance of sound quality,” said Larry Rougas, vice president of marketing and product planning for the Mobile Business Group at Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. “Last year’s event created a buzz among our retail community, causing other Premier dealers across the country to request the chance to show what they can do in this year’s contest.”

Pioneer’s Premier nationwide dealers invited to this year’s competition include Al & Ed’s Autosound, All Star Sound, Avenue Sound, The Buzz Shop, Car Concepts, Car Fi, Car Tunes Stereo Center, Cartronics, Competition Sounds, Custom Sounds, Extreme Car Audio, Horizon Audio, Installations Unlimited, Kaoss Audio, Newport Autosound, Paradyme, Sixth Avenue Electronics, Sound Sensations, Sound Station & Security, The Specialist, Sportchassis and TNT Audio.

Each participant will receive the following Pioneer Premier products: one new DEH-P800PRS single CD player, one PRS-A900 4-channel amplifier, one PRS-D1200SPL mono amplifier, one pair of TS-C720PRS 6-1/2-inch component speakers and two TS-W3001D4 12-inch subwoofers. Participants are required to install all supplied components, adding no other manufacturer’s audio products to the overall system.

To ensure fair judging, IASCA rules for the Pro Class standard will be used by three certified judges to evaluate and score each vehicle based on three categories – (1) installation creativity, (2) installation safety and (3) audio quality and performance. At the start of the competition, owners are given the opportunity to present their vehicles to the judges to identify the highlights and uniqueness of each installation. The three certified IASCA judges will be Will Adcock, Harry Kimura and Moe Sabourin. The highest cumulative score will determine the winner of the event.

Pioneer’s Mobile Business Group is known for offering the kind of in-car products that make driving more enjoyable by providing high quality audio and video, advanced connectivity and ease-of-use. Its focus is on the development of new digital technologies including audio, video, navigation and satellite radio, while maintaining its strong heritage in products for car audio enthusiasts and sound competitors. The company markets its products under the Pioneer and Premier brand names. When purchased from an authorized dealer, consumers receive a limited warranty for one year with Pioneer products and two years for Premier products.

Pioneer Electronics (USA) Inc. is headquartered in Long Beach, Calif., and its U.S. Web address is www.pioneerelectronics.com. Its parent company, Pioneer Corporation, is a leader in optical disc technology and a preeminent manufacturer of high-performance audio, video and computer equipment for the home, car and business markets. The company focuses on four core business domains including Blu-ray Disc and DVD, display technologies, navigation and Digital Network Entertainment™.