Kenwood Excelon DNX6960 6.1″ In-Dash Double-DIN Navigation DVD Receiver
| Overall rating: |
|
The DNX6960 navigation receiver wraps together navigation, Bluetooth®, and the stellar audio/video performance you expect from Kenwood’s flagship Excelon line. And this high-performance addition to your car’s system fits perfectly in the double-sized opening in your dash.
Features
- AM/FM radio, DVD, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW, CD, CD-R/RW, VCD, MP3/WMA/AAC, MPEG1, JPEG, iPod, USB, Bluetooth receiver with built-in Garmin navigation
- 4 x 50 Watts maximum power with three 5V preamp outputs (front/rear/sub) and crossover system
- 6.1-inch TFT LCD touchscreen display with WVGA 800 x 480 pixel resolution
- Includes built-in Garmin navigation, Bluetooth,iPod connection, USB music streaming, front panel A/V input,output; add Kenwood adapters
- One-year limited warranty
- Dimensions (W x H x L): 6 x 7 x 4 inches
- Weight: 4 pounds
TERRIBLE iPod integration!!
After installing this head unit in my 2008 Ford F150 I got very excited. This really is a classy head unit in most respects. I’ve got my phone paired with the Bluetooth, the navigation seems very nice, Sirius radio sounds very good, even my steering wheel controls seem to work decently with the PAC SWIJACK, but… I used the Kennwood KCA-IP301V adapter to control my 120 GB iPod Classic. Immediately I noticed that it takes anywhere from 5 to 10 seconds (more often closer to 10) to switch forward or backward between songs, or to choose the songs from the list menu. Basically whenever you switch songs the unit freezes for the 10 seconds or whatever, and then resumes. Album artwork loads just as slowly too, which I really wouldn’t mind being quicker, but would sacrifice in a heartbeat if it meant I could navigate between songs quicker. Also, when trying to navigate through my music using the A-Z menu, only about half of the letters actually brings up music that starts with that letter (M gets you O, P gets you R, but L might actually get you L, etc.) In essence, it’s nearly impossible to listen to your music without going crazy. It can literally take you up to a full minute to try and skip ahead 6 songs!!! Try to press track advance twice (which you WILL unconsciously do when the unit doesn’t respond after the first press} and then it freezes up for the 10 seconds, then skips ahead twice – which is fine if that’s what you want, but often I only wanted one song skipped, so you have to press the back button, which starts the 10 second clock all over again! I called Kenwood tech support and was told that this particular new line of head units (2010 I assume) does indeed process iPod functions slower that past year’s models. I was not able to confirm that a software fix might be coming later on, only that the current slow operation is “normal” for this particular lineup. Maybe a software update is coming, maybe not. Who knows?
In closing, if you intend to use your iPod like I do (my CDs never even leave the house any more), then this head unit isn’t even worth the trivial price you’d pay to have it shipped to you. If you don’t use iPod, then I can’t imagine you being unhappy with it.
I would give this product less than one star, but I think if you leave the iPod issues out of the picture, it’s a GREAT player. But if you’re like me and your entire music collection is on your iPod, AVOID AT ALL COSTS! Shame on you, Kenwood.
Almost perfect head unit
I originally chose this unit because I have a car with the Alpine IVA-W505 and although I like the quality the features are lacking extremely. I am a computer programmer and if I may say the user interface of the DNX6960 is awesome. Very well laid out, sources are easily accessible and the touch screen is very responsive.
The built in blue tooth is also awesome! I love the fact that I don’t have to touch my cell phone when I get in the car and when the phone rings the caller id pops up on screen and the music stops. Everything integrates so well it is in my opinion an almost perfect blend of multimedia options.
The reason it does not get a perfect five stars is that using the equalizer is a little tedious and to get the best sound out of it is not that easy. The sound quality out of the box in my opinion is less than stellar and you are better off relying on crossovers on your amp etc. Perhaps good sound is acheivable within the unit itself but it is not apparent to an audiophile like myself.
Overall though it is still one of, if not THE BEST head units I have ever had and I have had them all from Pioneer and Eclipse to Alpine and Clarion.
Not bad
I replaced the Factory unit on my Chevy Truck with this one. The things I love: The bluetooth, Navigation, and sound quality. I love it. I added on the Kenwood CMOS rearview camera and it is awesome.
What I don’t like: You cant hide the sources you don’t use. So if you don’t have Sirius or a Video source, it would be nice to hide them so when you scroll through sources they aren’t there. I also miss my clock. The only clock on this radio is a tiny little display at the top right, and there is no clock when navigating. Also, I used an Axxess AWSC steering control interface. It works great except Kenwood doesn’t seem to have the option to move from Tuner preset to the next. I would like to see that built in so the PROG button on my steering wheel can move from one preset station to the next, like the factory GM stereos do. It is amazing how much I miss being able to scroll through my favorite stations using my steering wheel.
The unit I have been looking for
I was looking at the DNX9960 and this unit to replace the Pioneer F90BT that started to give trouble. I ended up going with this unit because it was much more affordable, the features I were interested in were more or less the same, and the form and screen size were very similar to the F90BT. It is not as modifiable as the pioneer but performance-wise it surpasses the F90BT by far. The interface is easy to learn, however setting the configuration for the optimum sound took a little work. The garmin navigation is my preference – I am familiar with the interface and maps are easily available for any area (I am not using this unit in the US). The pre-outs are 5volt as compared to the 3volts on the pioneer. I am using this with an infinity 5350A multichannel amplifier and infinity components with a pioneer low-profile subwoofer, and the sound I am getting now as compared to the pioneer seems to be packing a little more juice. All in all, I am very satisfied with this head unit and would recommend it to anyone looking to upgrade. GO GET ONE.