i have my opinion, i think clarion is the best, pioneer is a great hu and they been out there for decades, also their other technologies are good too, but clarion really focuses on hu only and speakers so thats why their sq is almost 100%
I guess it comes down to personal opinion, the high end of the two brands would be comparable, and stuff like controls/aesthetics comes into consideration then.
better should be defined by what you like to see and hear from a HU...I like the way Alpines sound, but can't stand the way the functions work...Pioneer sounds great too and I like the controls...etc.
As long as you're not going with the lowest model of the good brands and staying away from the crappy brands I really don't think you can go wrong today.
Just do lots of research and see which one has most (cause one will never have all) of the bells & whistles you want and go with that one.
thanx guys for your opinions, i give respect to all pioneer fans, but for some reason, just like what jexx said clarion has good optimedia screen and nice features