Anyone have any experience with a Kenwood DNX5120?

Amazon resellers seem to be selling at a good price ~ mid $600s.

Looks similar with to the Pioneer D3 and I know thats popular on this board.

Volume **** (i dont like volume buttons), no motorized door to deal with, and Garmin Nav and the usual DVD play, backup camera, blue tooth, ipod module additions available.

I dont think it comes with a remote, but i've never used one in my vehicles anyways.

Any feedback?

 

I bought the DNX5120 about 3 weeks ago. It is a great unit. However I am only using the Ipod option, no rear cam, bluetooth, Sirius, XM or traffic info. Install was a breeze and so were the updates. There were updates available from both Kenwood and Garmin, and actually there is yet another small update from Garmin on their page, but since they are cumulative and it does not look all that important Ill wait for the next one.
I had been researching for almost a year and read a lot on blogsites and any reviews I could find. I had decided on the DNX7100, but this one fits my needs perfect. I like the volume button, screen size is nice and so is the price!! It takes a couple of hours to get to know it. I was a little nervous after reading quite a few negative opinions others have on Kenwoods interface. But in my honest opinion it is fine. There are a lot of options, so it takes a few windows to get to them all. But I was going wherever I wanted within a day or two.
The Ipod works great. However I have not been able to look at pictures stored on it. Songs and videos are fine, and control of the Ipod is easy and quick.
DVD is good, Garmin is just Garmin...nothing better out there so not much more to say. I like all the option one has, such as size of map/info fields on the screen, the four mile counters, which of course I played with and set to count: Oil, Fuel, Today and Garmin. Of course I have the reg. trip counter on my cluster, and since I always zero it at fillups the Fuel field in the Garmin will likely become "Trip". Each counter can of course be reset whenever. Just like the Kenwood part of the unit the Garmin interface is vast, but maybe no one complains about it because so many are getting used to using them, or, you dont really have to dig in too deep to get good use from it.
Radio and reception is excellent. I am getting better reception than with the OEM, same antenna. So, overall almost no complaints. But there is one. The OEM sounded considerably better. At least if you are not cranking volume to say 13+. Its feels (to me) like the audio part is very flat below 13 (even 15). The loudness makes a difference, but not nearly enough. So for someone like me, (lets just say that I wont admit to being "over the hill", but perhaps "on the hill"...hehe) this was a big disappointment. I like full sound, with a nice bass, but have no need to advertise as I listen. So now I am considering adding a self powered mini subwoofer, but thats another 150, give or take. I know Kenwood could have done better !!!!

Considering the one (rather big) complaint that I have I would rate the unit at 8.5 out of ten. But it is a VERY nice unit.

ps. I have another regular single DIN Kenwood radio/CD player in my wifes Jeep, and it is the same in the audio department, very flat and unexciting at lower levels.

 

I just installed mine (http://www.presenting.com/KenwoodInstall.pdf). I just put in the rear camera last night as well.

I have no complaints . . . yet

 

I just bought one Yesterday and it is coming in Thursday. Question for jahnke:

I saw on your pdf that you bypassed the DVD to play while driving by grounding the light green wire from the head unit... Is that all you have to do to bypass the DVD or is there something else? I am really wanting to figure this out bc I know you can also not change coordinates on your nav unless the do this. Thanks for the help!

 

Educate me please.
Does this come ready to go for the navigation, or is there as add on
unit to buy? I thought I saw somewhere that an add on unit costing
around $250 with the GPS antenna was needed.

 

This unit has built in Navigation, no cd or anything... The DDX512 is the unit that is nav READY that you have to buy the $250 add on.

The differences in the name is hard to see at first but you definitely want to go with the DNX5120 NOT the DDX512

 

I have the DNX5120 and im very pleased with it. Great buy!

 

Another question, does the dnx5120 come with the cord (if there is such a thing) for the usb thumb drive? I am going to want to connect my 8gb flash drive to it through the usb and thought it would be nice to run the cord to my glove box. Is there such a cord for this system and does it come with it? Thanks a bunch!