.: Kenwood DNX9960 Review |
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When it came to selecting an all-in-one navigation/entertainment head unit for my 2011 Tacoma, my priorities were as follows:
1. GPS Navigation
2. Extensive iPhone interactivity for hands free calling, audio, and video
3. Voice Recognition
4. Steering Wheel Remote compatibility
5. All-In-One Entertainment
Kenwood, Alpine, and Pioneer all marketed impressive flagship Navigation and Entertainment head units in 2010. I did the research and decided on the Kenwood DNX9960. Here are the pros and cons on each unit that pushed my selection of Kenwood’s offering.
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Cons:
- No voice recognition
- Alpine programmed their own GPS navigation. The reviews on this software are very poor. The chief complaint is lack of detail in driving instructions, and poor route calculating ability.
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Pros:
- Best In-Vehicle iPod/iPhone Compatibility
- Fastest processor
Cons:
- Pioneer also programmed their own GPS navigation. Their reviews for this software are similar to those of Alpine.
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Pros:
- Kenwood partnered with Garmin for GPS navigation, resulting in a superior product.
Cons:
- Inferior processor speed.
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Because my priority was GPS navigation, Kenwood’s partnership with Garmin was the clincher. The GPS navigation has all the features one would expect from a flagship unit produced by one of the top competitors in GPS navigation. It is customizable, and very intuitive. Voice driving instructions are extremely detailed. For example, "In .7 miles, take exit 10, left, to H201." This makes navigation possible without ever taking eyes off the road. The routes are well-calculated even here in Honolulu, which boasts the most difficult navigation in the nation. High-visibilty locations like Waikiki even have 3D images. Garmin's prestige also improves thier ability to provide quality points of interest. The software's ECORoute feature assists in calculating the environmental impact of routes. The DNX9960 Garmin interface comes with a NAVTeQ Traffic subscription which is very handy for detecting and bypassing traffic jams. Please note this feature is a free subscription but does include advertizing pop-ups.
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The DNX9960's integrated Parrot Bluetooth is the coolest part of the unit's iPhone compatibility. It lets me have substatial access to my iPhone's features without even taking it out of my pocket. These include making and receiving calls and accessing Pnone Book Contacts and lists for Missed Calls, Outgoing Calls, and Incoming Calls. It also includes the ability to listen to whatever audio is queued up in the iPhone's iTunes as well as the ability to select alternate listening choices. All of these features are accessible by both the DNX9960's user inteface and voice control. The Bluetooth also features noise cancelling with a microphone that may be installed anywhere in the vehicle.
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If the iPod/iPhone needs charging, or access to video content is wanted, an optional adaptor (KCA-iP301V) from Kenwood is required. If Bluetooth is turned off or not connected, phone features of the iPhone are not made accessable by this adaptor. A Bluetooth connection is still required to make calls or view contacts.
The voice recognition allows hands free access to nearly every function of the head unit. This level of voice control will take some training. For this, Kenwood provides downloading of a separate Voice Command Table. My experience is that without reviewing this table and taking some time to get used to the system, voice control on the DNX9960 is a little disappointing.
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Steering wheel remote control is available through a second party adapter. I chose PAC SWIJACK. This adapter allows me to use all of the remote control buttons on my steering wheel.
The DNX 9960 really is an all-in-one in-vehicle entertainment system. DVD playback is great and even features surround sound. This is a fun feature to use on a date parked on the beach. The unit even has two AV inputs for a gaming unit, etc. and one AV output for showing video on another screen. The tuner works great. With the applicable adaptors, Sirius, XM, and HD radio are all supported. I am particularly taken with the unit’s USB interface. This allows me to plug in a 32GB thumb drive and access tons of audio files and view their album art without ever plugging in my iPhone. The head unit has much better audio output than the stock head unit did. I am very impressed with the sound, even without any speaker upgrades.
The primary complaint in reviews on the DNX9960 is processor speed. The unit does take a while to boot up, and there is a bit of a lag when using the top menu. The slow boot time more or less cancels out the usefulness of the optional reverse camera, as I have usually backed out of my driveway and driven 20 yards down the street by the time the head unit is up and running. As my Tacoma already has a reverse camera built into the rear view mirror, this is not an issue for me; however, if the reverse camera is a priority, this could be a deal-breaker.
Another common complaint in reviews on the DNX9960 is the user interface. My opinion is contrary to these reviews. I like the user interface. It is fun and user friendly. I had very little difficulty figuring it all out. The user manual cleared up the one or two difficulties I had. I like the album art music selection tool. I had to do some work embedding album art in some of my audio files to make this work well. See my article on this process. I also really enjoy the option to use a custom background. It took some doing to get an image file worked up that looked nice as a background. See my article on this process. The option to match the backlighting on the units buttons to those on my Tacoma’s dash also helped make this aftermarket head unit look like it was meant for my Tacoma.
I looked into having this unit installed professionally and got bids from $150 to $300. In the end I did a lot of research and set myself up to do the installation. This saved me money and also gave me the ability to do things just the way I wanted them. See my article on DNX9960 installation to save the money and do it yourself.
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