Kenwood KDC-X994 eXcelon In-Dash CD Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I was getting tired of my stock 2007 Scion stereo's flakiness when controlling my iPod, so I had this installed. Overall I'm happy with this unit; iPod performance is flawless which is what I got it for.
Here's the good stuff:
- Appearance of the unit is nice looking. Although it is shiny shiny, it's not overloaded with bright multicolored LEDs or wacky shapes. And it's easy to change the illumination color to match the rest of your dash lights.
- Sound quality is very good; I went into the advanced settings and tweaked things like the car size, number and sizes of speakers.
- The display washes out a fair amount in bright sunlight, though it is still legible.
- iPod control is straightforward and works well; I'm using it with an 80GB iPod Classic (haven't tried generic MP3 playback on a CD or a USB drive). You can search by artist, genre, playlist, etc., set random/repeat, etc.
- The display is fairly programmable; you can change the color (only one color at a time, thankfully), and also change what kind of information is shown on many screens (i.e. when playing iPod, listening to radio, etc).
And here's the not so good stuff:
- Selecting a radio preset or a favorite (which can be a station or an iPod playlist) is a pain. You have to press a button, look at the unit and turn a knob to select the preset from a menu, and then press the knob in. MUCH too complicated for what should be a basic simple function.
- The manuals go into lots of detail explaining how to access features, but in many cases the features themselves aren't well explained. You get a printed quick start manual (which is so basic it's pretty useless), and the full manual is only provided on a CD (you can also download it).
- I've had trouble getting Bluetooth to pair on two different phones. With my Droid Eris, after that phone was updated it would never pair again no matter what I tried, and the Kenwood oddly was listed as "CK5050N" instead of the correct name in the phone's menu. At the time I figured it was a problem with the phone. After upgrading my phone to a Motorola Droid, no more problems, until I recently did another update on THAT phone, which led back to similar problems (plus the Kenwood sometimes blinking and showing "HF D-CON") but at least this time I was able to overcome the problems after a lot of fiddling - three things I did probably helped; 1) deleted the phone from the Kenwood's bluetooth setup; 2) to pair, left the phone running normally and waited for it to show a pairing request (instead of trying to pair using the phone's or Kenwood's menus), and 3) told the phone to only use the Kenwood for phone functions, not media functions.
- Once you manage to pair though, Bluetooth seems to work fine; an external mic is included. The only annoyance I found is that when you get an incoming call, you only hear loud 'incoming call' tones from the unit if you're listening to iPod, radio, etc. - if the unit is on but not set to an active source, then it doesn't make a sound when you get a call; you have to hear your phone's ringer or feel it vibrate, or look at the unit's display to see that a call is incoming.
- I don't know if this has much to do with this particular model, but I had my installers set up the unit work with my stock steering wheel stereo controls. The controls do work but they're pretty touchy - e.g. pressing volume + for too short a time doesn't do anything, but pressing it a little too long cranks up the volume a lot.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kenwood KDC-X994 eXcelon In-Dash CD Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth

Click here for more information about Kenwood KDC-X994 eXcelon In-Dash CD Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth

Read More...

Kenwood KDC-BT948HD In-Dash Head Unit Car Stereo Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I really like this deck. Since I installed it in place of my stock deck, I'm super happy. My car music life has changed. I still have stock speakers but even those sound better. I'll be putting in a full system later and will update maybe but I doubt it. I have a 2003 Malibu and it fit fine in spite of what other websites told me.
The first thing I was almost disappointed in was the USB. I had looked at this thing in the store twenty times and never realized the USB was out of the back of the unit via a cable. No big deal though and in fact I decided I like not having the USB sticking out of the front. I haven't hooked up anything larger than a 1GB stick yet but it works fine and accesses quickly. Wouldn't mind testing with something over 32GB.
The second thing that I may actually be almost disappointed in (does that make sense?) is the microphone for the phone. It's a wire as well that they recommend you attach to your steering column or something. I forgot to attach it when I installed the deck and am too lazy to get that set up right now. So that means no testing of Bluetooth phone thing. My phone is dumb anyways.
All the other stuff is great. I usually have to set my fade a little to the back. With this deck I just told it what kind of car and speakers I have and it did all that. Everything sounds great. Setting the colors of the deck is fun and distracting. You can customize about everything on the display which I liked. HD radio sounds good and you can keep it from doing that transition thing between non-HD/HD. At least I think I can, maybe I just have great reception. Remote is nice which makes using the deck to control almost unnecessary. You need the deck to set stations and to turn it off but that's about it I think.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kenwood KDC-BT948HD In-Dash Head Unit Car Stereo

Click here for more information about Kenwood KDC-BT948HD In-Dash Head Unit Car Stereo

Read More...

Kenwood Excelon DNX6960 6.1" In-Dash Double-DIN Navigation DVD Receiver Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)UPDATED REVIEW: My earlier review only gave this unit 4/5 stars because it wouldn't download the address book from my iPhone 3G. Please read on and see how this issue was resolved.
I got this unit yesterday at Mickey Shorr (Canton, MI). They installed it in my 2006 Eddie Bauer Ford Explorer in about an hour and I was off and running. The iPod integration is top notch. Using the touchscreen controls I instantaneously scroll back and forth between songs. So for the guy who installed this unit in his F-150, I'm not sure why you're experiencing the latency issue of 10-15 seconds to scroll to the next song, or go back one track. I feel bad for him because I'm thrilled with the speed and ease of use. The GPS is from Garmin who I believe to be the best. GPS in the unit is very accurate and could NOT be easier to use. Overall, with 15-20 minutes of fooling around I was able to master all the controls of the DNX6960 and same with my wife (since it's in her car).
I formerly had an issue with the unit in which it couldn't download the address book from my iPhone 3G (software version 4.1). The phone paired with the unit instantly (AWESOME!) but would not download my address book. The letters "DL" would show up at the top of the telephone screen for 3-4 seconds and disappear. This told me the address was being downloaded, but the address book touch screen icon was still greyed out. Low and behold, by mistake I found where the installer hid the bypass switch and it was set to "ON." So I figured this meant the unit was in bypass mode, meaning the parking break IS BYPASSED from having to be engaged to watch videos and download the address book. Apparently not because when I flipped it to the "OFF" position just for the hell of it, the address book touch screen icon became active. I said if I was able to figure this out I would let everyone know and rate the unit 5 stars. So here we are. I figured it out and I have no reluctance giving the Kenwood DNX6960 5/5 stars. I hope this helped someone out who was experiencing the same issue.
AC

Click Here to see more reviews about: Kenwood Excelon DNX6960 6.1" In-Dash Double-DIN Navigation DVD Receiver

Getting there is now more fun thanks to eXcelon AV navigation systems. With full-featured navigation from Garmin, a brilliant 6.1-inch touchscreen, support for a variety of media, and expansion options aplenty, the Kenwood DNX6960 will keep on track and well-entertained.

Navigation Features
3D Building Map 3D Building Map displays realistic images of prominent landmarks and buildings in major North American cities. This function provides an appealing birds-eye view that makes getting to your destination more enjoyable.
Lane Assist with Junction View Enjoy advanced notification using Lane Assist with Junction View: As the name suggests, Lane Assist guides you to the appropriate lane to be in for upcoming directional changes such as at junctions or interchanges, and Junction View displays a view of upcoming road details to enable smooth driving as you approach.
Built-in NAVTEQ Traffic Data (Requires KNA-NT100) NAVTEQ provides real-time traffic data for over 80 major cities in North America. This means that if traffic is congested up ahead, the navigation system will automatically re-navigate the route to get you to your destination in the shortest amount of time.
Additional Navigation Features
Easy-To-Use GUI (Graphic User Interface)
Over 6 million points of interest
Program Up To 500 waypoints For long trips
Text-To-Speech (TTS) Voice Guidance (English, French, Spanish)
Selectable 2D or 3D Map Display
Track Log Display
Trip Computer
ecoRoute

AV Features
Control of iPhone, iPod and Video Playback The DNX6960 is compatible with iPhone and iPod models as well as video playback. In addition to conventional searches for playlists, artists, albums and genres, additional search commands can also be performed for music videos, TV shows, movies, video playlists, etc. via the convenience of Voice Control Command.
Flick Through and Browse A function similar to iPod�s Cover Flow is now featured on the DNX6960, allowing users to flick through and browse for music albums, video titles, photographs, etc. on connected media; the contents or titles of selected sources on the screen can also be viewed.
Split Screen An improved GUI makes split-screen operation easier to operate. For example, the split screen displays two different screens side by side while the primary and secondary screens allow you to toggle between two frequently used screens via touch-screen operation.
Built-in Bluetooth The eXcelon DNX6960 comes equipped with built-in Bluetooth capability to enable handsfree operation so you can keep your hands on the steering wheel where they belong and concentrate on the road ahead.
6.1-Inch Touchscreen with Variable Illumination The DNX6960 puts intuitive control right at your fingertips with its 6.1" TFT Active Matrix Display and powerful, easy-to-use graphical user interface. Customize the unit's front panel illumination by choosing from a large palette of colors--match your interior tones, dash lighting, or whatever tickles your fancy. Selectable wallpapers and customizable backgrounds offer further personalization.
Enjoy Your Favorite Media The DNX6960 is a media powerhouse, letting you play your favorite CDs and DVDs, along with several digital audio and video formats. The unit accepts DVD, DVD+R/RW, DVD-R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, VCD and DTS-CD discs. It plays back AAC, MP3 and WMA audio files; MPEG1 video files; and can display JPEG images. Throw your files on a disc or a USB device and enjoy them in your vehicle wherever you are.
And of course, you can still listen to the AM/FM radio. Use Auto Memory to automatically add stations with good reception to presets, or enter them manually. The DNX6960 displays FM radio text when available, traffic information, and allows you to enter station names.
USB Direct Control You can enjoy your favorite music, video or images from USB devices like flash drives or MP3 players. When connecting a USB device, playback starts automatically. When a battery-powered USB device like an MP3 player is connected to this unit, it also gets a charge, so it's ready to go with you when you exit the vehicle.
Input and Output In addition to the iPod and USB support, you can use the DNX6960's front auxiliary A/V input to connect external audio/video sources like video game systems.
The unit also features an A/V output for sending content to an additional screen in the vehicle.
Plenty of Power, Room to Grow The DNX6960 features an on-board 50W x 4 MOSFET amplifier, but also offers three sets of 5V preamp outputs (front/rear/subwoofer) for building your system.
System E's+ Crossover System A single IC that allows the user to select from 8 different high-pass filter crossover frequencies plus pass-through, with independent selection for front and rear outputs. This makes it easy to optimize the performance of all amps and speakers in a car audio system without needing an external electronic crossover. System E's+ also incorporates a phase switch and low-pass filter for the non-fading output. The low-pass filter has selectable cutoff frequencies of 50Hz, 80Hz, 120Hz and Through.
System Q EX Sound Control Five factory pre-set equalization curves (Rock, Top40, Pops, Jazz and Easy, plus a flat setting) and three speaker matching curves (OEM, 6x9, 5/4 plus a flat setting) that can be combined to give the user extreme flexibility over the sound's tonal character. The preset curves include midrange contouring, giving music more clarity and presence. System Q EX allows the user to modify the preset curves by changing the amplitude of the bass, midrange and treble compensation, and the Q of the bass and midrange compensation. The new curves can then be saved as presets for future recall
HD and SAT Radio Ready The DNX6960 allows you to enjoy SIRIUS (requires CA-SR20V cable + Sirius Tuner) or XM (requires KCA-XM100V + XM Mini Tuner) radio in your vehicle. Enjoy a multitude of channels featuring music, news, talk shows, sports and traffic information with CD quality sound.
You can also add an HD Radio tuner (requires KTC-HR300). When you connect an HD Radio, Tuner features of the unit are disabled and changed to HD Radio tuner features.
Rear Camera Input The DNX6960 is ready for a rear camera, allowing you to monitor behind your vehicle as you back up.
What's in the Box Kenwood DNX6960, GPS Antenna, Sleeve, Trim Ring, Wiring Harness, Installation Tools/Hardware, Installation Manual, User's Manual, Navigation Manual, Warranty Card.

Get 21% OFF

Click here for more information about Kenwood Excelon DNX6960 6.1" In-Dash Double-DIN Navigation DVD Receiver

Read More...

Brand New Kenwood Excelon Kdx-x994 In-dash Cd/mp3 Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth, 5-line Full Dot LCD Display and Ipod/sirius Satellite Radio/hd Radio Ready Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Kenwood has a real winner here.
5 band EQ plus time alignment; sound restoration; 24 bit DACS, and a display that can match most or all interior light colors......
This deck sounds great; and truly makes your stock speakers sound great.
This is in my woman's car now; as I went old school Clarion in mine.
Honestly; this offers more features than the Clarion, but the Clarion sounds a hair better in my car.......
This pairs with your phone for phone calls and music streaming.
If listening to the radio (FM), it actually displays the songs being played......
The remote is nice because it allows you to switch folders on your thumb drive instead of having to reach up and do this on the deck.
All in all..... 4.75 stars........
Buy this deck..... (shop around, refurbs are a good bargain)........
You will be happy.

Click Here to see more reviews about: Brand New Kenwood Excelon Kdx-x994 In-dash Cd/mp3 Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth, 5-line Full Dot LCD Display and Ipod/sirius Satellite Radio/hd Radio Ready

Click here for more information about Brand New Kenwood Excelon Kdx-x994 In-dash Cd/mp3 Receiver with Built-in Bluetooth, 5-line Full Dot LCD Display and Ipod/sirius Satellite Radio/hd Radio Ready

Read More...