Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Rotary volume control and front disc loading (instead of flip down or motorized flip) was the selling point for me.
I bought this head unit to replace the factory stereo for my FJ Cruiser. I
also purchased the HD Radio module(HT300) for this radio. I gave it three stars for
the following reasons:
a. USB Drive - I bought it mainly to have all my music on a USB drive which would
be very convenient(No more changing discs). The Kenwood manual says that it will sort the files
alphabetically if it is on a USB drive, and it will sort the files by the order
in which the files were put in if it was any other usb device(like a regular mp3
player). However, my biggest disappointment was that this head unit does not
sort the files alphabetically on my USB drive. This head unit puts the newest files/folders
at the end of the list and the oldest at the beginning. It's tedious
to find the desired file/folder you want to play when you are driving as you
have to go through the list one by one, since it is not listed in alphabetical
order.
I contacted Kenwood USA's technical support. I told the representative about this issue and told him
if they had a fix for this. The guy just told me that it's not really a problem. Yeah right!
After searching online for a few hours, I found a workaround that will work with this head
unit. Search for DriveSort and install this on your computer. It's a freeware so you don't have
to worry about purchasing it. This software can arrange the files in a USB drive and places them
in alphabetical order.
Note: When you turn on this head unit, it will scan and index all the files
that is in the UBS drive before it will start playing. The more files you have,
the longer it will take. I currently have about 5.7GB worth of music and it
roughly takes about fifteen seconds to load up before it starts playing.b. MP3 files with album art - I purchase a lot of my mp3 files online and most
of them come with album art. If you play an mp3 file on this head unit that
has album art, the music will play immediately, but it takes about 2-4 seconds
for the album art to load on the screen. I personally don't care about the
album art, BUT while the head unit is still loading the album art on the
screen, ALL THE CONTROLS ARE ON HOLD. This means that you can't change a
track, adjust the volume or go to another screen as long as the album art is
still not loaded on the screen. This is a real PAIN as some of the mp3 files
are louder and while the album art is still loading, you can't lower the
volume!c. Graphics - You can load up your own custom background if you choose to.
However, the text on the screen will just block your background image. There
is no option to turn off the text on the screen or turn off the screen. The
only work around with this is to put your background picture on EVERY folder
you have music on and set it to play a slideshow.
Also, the text fonts/graphics could be better.d. Preouts - If you have a 4 channel amplifier, a sub and want to use fading, this
might be a little problem. You only have 2 sets of preouts. 1 set for the
front and 1 set for the rear or sub. The built in crossover that comes with this head
unit is great, but you are limited to set the rear crossover setting as a
rear speaker or a sub.
There is a workaround for this. You can use a speaker output to rca converter
for the rear speakers. You will then be able to use all the builtin crossover
settings (front, rear, sub).e. User Interface - The user interface is decent enough. It's not a steep
learning curve. It might take a little while to get used to, but it's no rocket science.
You will be able to operate this head unit without reading the manual thoroughly.f. HD Radio - I bought the HD Radio kit for this head unit. There is a
difference in sound quality between the analog broadcast and digital broadcast.
However, HD radio quality is still not CD quality, but close. From my experience
on this module, it made the analog receptions stronger. Even stations that had a weak
signal came in a whole lot better. As if it wasn't weak anymore.g. Equalizer - The head unit comes with built in presets and you can have a
custom setting. I have Polk Audio speakers all around and the built in
presets were just to bright for my taste. (I listen to a lot of smooth jazz).
Setting the custom Eq was not easy. The custom Eq contains 3 bands; Low, Mid
and High. Now the tricky part is you have to select the center frequency for
each band. One for your lows, one for your mids and one for your highs. Then
you can adjust the level.Personally, I would have preferred a custom 5
band or 7 band graphic Eq over this. You will have to spend quite a bit of time
to get it right for your taste.
However, If you really want a defined sound for your car, I would recommend purchasing
a 13 band equalizer.h. Manual - The manual that comes with this head unit is very broad. It
doesn't go in to depth with details. It does not give you examples. It merely gives
you the button or the icon and what the button/icon does.
Other than those mentioned above, the unit works fairly well. The response
time when changing to different screens or menus is not super fast, can be sluggish
at times, but it's nothing unbearable.
This my first head unit that has a built in USB port with it. I can't compare
it to other head units that have USB ports as I do not have experiences with them.*** NOTE for installation of a subwoofer ***
If you are going to install a subwoofer with this head unit, you would want to
change the rear preamp setting to SUB to maximize the functions that come with
this head unit. You can ONLY change this setting when the head unit is on STANDBY.
Press the SRC button and scroll down until you see Standy then select it. You can go to the
system setup and change the rear output from rear to sub. Then go to audio setup then
turn the subwoofer setting to on.
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Kenwood DDX514 6.1-Inch Wide In-Dash Monitor with USB/iPod Direct Control/DVD ReceiverThe DDX514 offers innovative and convenient entertainment features like USB Direct Control for iPhone/iPod and front aux input for portable media players. The 6.1-inch touchscreen is easy to read, and with Variable Color Illumination, you can even match the deck's illumination color to your vehicle's dashboard lighting.
6.1-Inch Touchscreen with Variable Illumination The DDX514 puts intuitive control right at your fingertips with a fixed 6.1-inch QVGA TFT Active Matrix Display and powerful, easy-to-use graphical user interface. Customize the unit's front panel illumination with the new variable illumination palette of colors--match your interior tones, dash lighting, or whatever tickles your fancy.
Enjoy Your Favorite Media The DDX514 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 CD-DA discs. It plays back AAC-LC, MP3, and WMA audio files; MPEG1 and MPEG2 video files; and can display JPG images. Throw your files on a disc or a USB device and enjoy them in your vehicle wherever you are.
And, of course, you still can listen to the AM/FM radio. Use Auto Memory to automatically add stations with good reception to presets, or enter them manually. The DDX514 displays FM radio text when available as well as traffic information, and it allows you to enter station names.
Seamless Connection with iPod Video/Audio Connect an iPod using the optional KCA-iP301V cable to enable full video (for iPods with video capability) and/or audio control. You'll supply power to your iPod as well as charge it while you enjoy your music.
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 DDX514'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.
For audio output, the DDX514 has two sets of 2V RCA pre-amp outputs for system expansion (in addition to the on-board 50W x 4 amplifier).
Bluetooth Ready Add the optional KCA-BT200 to enjoy hands-free phone operation or to listen to audio stored on Bluetooth devices.
Hands-free operation of your Kenwood entertainment system allows you to keep your hands on the steering wheel, allowing you better concentration on your driving. Advanced Bluetooth technology provides wireless connection and operation of Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as mobile phones and even phones that can stream music via A2DP.
Navigation Ready Add the KNA-G510 for a full GPS navigation package. Equipped with the latest Garmin navigation technology, the KNA-G510 includes advanced mapping of the United States and Canada and more than 6 million points of interest right at your fingertips. The KNA-G510 is ready for XM Live Traffic feeds. Simply add the XM chip set tuner, subscribe to XM radio, and receive constant traffic and weather conditions with continuous, real-time updates--24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
HD and Satellite Radio Ready The DDX514 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 also can add an HD Radio tuner. When you connect an HD radio tuner, features of the unit are disabled and changed to HD Radio tuner features.
Rear Camera Input The DDX514 is ready for a rear camera, allowing you to monitor behind your vehicle as you back up.
What's in the Box Kenwood DDX514, sleeve, trim ring, wiring harness, installation tools, installation manual, operation manual, warranty card.
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