Kenwood DNX6140 double din - My review
04-18-2009, 07:50 PM
#1
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Posts: 20
Car Info: '04 WRX
Kenwood DNX6140 double din - Review / Pics added
My Car: 2004 Subaru WRX
I upgraded to this Kenwood unit, previous headunit (Sony GT820IP).
Fit on dashboard: Excellent; perfect my Subaru double-din space on my dash.
Sound Quality: The sound quality on this kenwood unit is not as refined as the Sony (the Sony having more EQ options and settings to play with). I am happy with the Kenwood sound quality, given all the other options you get from the Kenwood unit. FYI: I am running 4 Infinity’s on my doors, 1 Fosgate sub and 2 pioneer amps (4 channel, 1 channel).
Screen Quality: I like the screen quality though I keep it at the original settings for now. (The Pioneer 900bt series does have a brighter screen though). FYI: I decided to go with this unit because of the function buttons and the volume **** which is all on the left side of the screen (I don’t do a lot button switching when I drive but I prefer these buttons as opposed to the small buttons found on the larger screen units.)
Touch Sensitivity: No complaints for now; responsive when you need it.
GPS: Top notch. I previously had a Garmin 760 GPS unit; the built in Garmin on the Kenwood is just as good which is a plus. The kenwood comes with a 2009 map. The map / interface is the same (as it is not sophisticated looking as the Pioneer) but it gets the job done and it’s reliable; the GARMIN GPS was on of the deciding factors when selecting on this unit.
Phone Bluetooth: I just made sure it works but I haven’t had a chance to really play with it. The call sounded good with no apparent static. The Kenwood unit is using the PARROT platform which is one of the better phone – Bluetooth options.
IPOD: The Kenwood functions / menus are easy to use. No issue with loading times (as this was a major problem with the Pioneer units even after their firmware upgrade). Haven’t tried the IPOD Video yet (haven’t heard of any issues with this). MY MAIN COMPLAINT: You have the ability to see the Album art (image is a little bigger than a silver dollar) but it is blurry (pixilated) which sucks. I did research on the net but there is no fix for this yet. Hopefully the next firmware upgrade will address this. ONE ODDITY NOTICED: The IPOD was playing; as I was making a rounded turn to merge onto a highway, the screen switched to the IPOD Video function (as if I touched the screen for this option, which I didn’t). I was able to get the regular IPOD screen back; this oddity happened twice; my friend suggested to slightly loosen the screws holding the radio in place (maybe the unit was screwed too tight to the dash and the force of the turn may have caused a “touch” motion). I did loosen the screws a bit; no problems anymore; I’ve taken some bad potholes and the unit worked fine with no problems as well.
DVD: I played 2 movies; the quality looks great and the menus are easy to use. I did the E-brake mod (grounding the e-brake wire from the wire harness) so I can watch movies as I drive. I don’t normally watch movies driving (safety of course) but it’s cool to be able to play my concert dvd’s as I drive.
REGULAR RADIO: Haven’t touched it yet; probably won’t lol.
Satellite Radio: Using Sirius. It’s functional; simple to navigate. You Have 6 presets per band (A, B, C, etc). Able to see 3-4 lines of info. The visual is very disappointing, which appears to be a norm for Sirius units (unlike the XM units which are more visually detailed).
SYSTEM MENUS: Not very user friendly; even with the booklet in hand. But you have time and patience, you will get the unit configured to your needs. This does not relate to the regular use of the system which is fairly easy to use and maneuver.
Other:
- You are able to change the startup screen and add your custom wallpaper but it’s not as simple as it should be. Between the booklet and internet research, I was able to get it done. (It’s cool having the my custom startup screen as opposed dull kenwood pic; the custom wallpaper for general screen use is nice but since there is so many buttons and options on the screen, you cant really appreciate the wallpaper, unless you put it on standby for some reason. I simple colored background may be the way to go for the regular wallpaper.
- IMPORTANT: Beware this unit has Preout jacks as follows: Front, Rear / Sub (meaning through the menu you have the option to select the second preout for EITHER Rear speakers or for your Sub. My issue was I have a 4 channel amp for the 2 front and 2 rear speakers, and a single channel amp for my 1 fosgate sub on my original setup. With this kenwood unit, I had to make a choice regarding the Rear / Sub. There are several options I could have gone through but I decided on this: Preout Jacks designated as FRONT, SUB; through the wire harness you have the single pre-colored speaker wires which are not being used – using the wires for the rear speakers, I ran these 2 wires directly to the four channel sub. I now have full functionality of the Kenwood EQ and the sub as intended. (although I did my research when deciding on this unit, the rear / sub preout option slipped my attention; the high end kenwood units have the separate sub preout but these units are also a bit more expensive (as those screens are larger, etc)
MY OVERALL RATING: 90/100
Pros: GARMIN GPS, PARROT Bluetooth, fast access with IPOD music; basic menu functions are easy to use. (I am glad I did not go with the Pioneer 900bt even though I could have purchased the Pioneer cheaper through Amazon.). My dash looks great with this double din screen. Price wise, with a coupon code from bensbargins, the unit came out to $734.00 before tax through 6AVE Electronics.
Cons: Sound, EQ quality could have been better but regardless, I am happy with this unit given ALL the features you get. Somewhat disappointing is the blurry IPOD album art; hopefully the next firmware upgrade will address this. The shared Rear / Sub preout was annoying but it was my fault for not factoring this in my initial research; I worked around it and so far, my system is running great regardless.
Startup screen
Source select 1
Source select 2
Ipod Screen 1
Ipod Screen 2
Sirius Sat Radio
GARMIN GPS
DVD Playing
Standby
Upclose pic
Console Pic
I upgraded to this Kenwood unit, previous headunit (Sony GT820IP).
Fit on dashboard: Excellent; perfect my Subaru double-din space on my dash.
Sound Quality: The sound quality on this kenwood unit is not as refined as the Sony (the Sony having more EQ options and settings to play with). I am happy with the Kenwood sound quality, given all the other options you get from the Kenwood unit. FYI: I am running 4 Infinity’s on my doors, 1 Fosgate sub and 2 pioneer amps (4 channel, 1 channel).
Screen Quality: I like the screen quality though I keep it at the original settings for now. (The Pioneer 900bt series does have a brighter screen though). FYI: I decided to go with this unit because of the function buttons and the volume **** which is all on the left side of the screen (I don’t do a lot button switching when I drive but I prefer these buttons as opposed to the small buttons found on the larger screen units.)
Touch Sensitivity: No complaints for now; responsive when you need it.
GPS: Top notch. I previously had a Garmin 760 GPS unit; the built in Garmin on the Kenwood is just as good which is a plus. The kenwood comes with a 2009 map. The map / interface is the same (as it is not sophisticated looking as the Pioneer) but it gets the job done and it’s reliable; the GARMIN GPS was on of the deciding factors when selecting on this unit.
Phone Bluetooth: I just made sure it works but I haven’t had a chance to really play with it. The call sounded good with no apparent static. The Kenwood unit is using the PARROT platform which is one of the better phone – Bluetooth options.
IPOD: The Kenwood functions / menus are easy to use. No issue with loading times (as this was a major problem with the Pioneer units even after their firmware upgrade). Haven’t tried the IPOD Video yet (haven’t heard of any issues with this). MY MAIN COMPLAINT: You have the ability to see the Album art (image is a little bigger than a silver dollar) but it is blurry (pixilated) which sucks. I did research on the net but there is no fix for this yet. Hopefully the next firmware upgrade will address this. ONE ODDITY NOTICED: The IPOD was playing; as I was making a rounded turn to merge onto a highway, the screen switched to the IPOD Video function (as if I touched the screen for this option, which I didn’t). I was able to get the regular IPOD screen back; this oddity happened twice; my friend suggested to slightly loosen the screws holding the radio in place (maybe the unit was screwed too tight to the dash and the force of the turn may have caused a “touch” motion). I did loosen the screws a bit; no problems anymore; I’ve taken some bad potholes and the unit worked fine with no problems as well.
DVD: I played 2 movies; the quality looks great and the menus are easy to use. I did the E-brake mod (grounding the e-brake wire from the wire harness) so I can watch movies as I drive. I don’t normally watch movies driving (safety of course) but it’s cool to be able to play my concert dvd’s as I drive.
REGULAR RADIO: Haven’t touched it yet; probably won’t lol.
Satellite Radio: Using Sirius. It’s functional; simple to navigate. You Have 6 presets per band (A, B, C, etc). Able to see 3-4 lines of info. The visual is very disappointing, which appears to be a norm for Sirius units (unlike the XM units which are more visually detailed).
SYSTEM MENUS: Not very user friendly; even with the booklet in hand. But you have time and patience, you will get the unit configured to your needs. This does not relate to the regular use of the system which is fairly easy to use and maneuver.
Other:
- You are able to change the startup screen and add your custom wallpaper but it’s not as simple as it should be. Between the booklet and internet research, I was able to get it done. (It’s cool having the my custom startup screen as opposed dull kenwood pic; the custom wallpaper for general screen use is nice but since there is so many buttons and options on the screen, you cant really appreciate the wallpaper, unless you put it on standby for some reason. I simple colored background may be the way to go for the regular wallpaper.
- IMPORTANT: Beware this unit has Preout jacks as follows: Front, Rear / Sub (meaning through the menu you have the option to select the second preout for EITHER Rear speakers or for your Sub. My issue was I have a 4 channel amp for the 2 front and 2 rear speakers, and a single channel amp for my 1 fosgate sub on my original setup. With this kenwood unit, I had to make a choice regarding the Rear / Sub. There are several options I could have gone through but I decided on this: Preout Jacks designated as FRONT, SUB; through the wire harness you have the single pre-colored speaker wires which are not being used – using the wires for the rear speakers, I ran these 2 wires directly to the four channel sub. I now have full functionality of the Kenwood EQ and the sub as intended. (although I did my research when deciding on this unit, the rear / sub preout option slipped my attention; the high end kenwood units have the separate sub preout but these units are also a bit more expensive (as those screens are larger, etc)
MY OVERALL RATING: 90/100
Pros: GARMIN GPS, PARROT Bluetooth, fast access with IPOD music; basic menu functions are easy to use. (I am glad I did not go with the Pioneer 900bt even though I could have purchased the Pioneer cheaper through Amazon.). My dash looks great with this double din screen. Price wise, with a coupon code from bensbargins, the unit came out to $734.00 before tax through 6AVE Electronics.
Cons: Sound, EQ quality could have been better but regardless, I am happy with this unit given ALL the features you get. Somewhat disappointing is the blurry IPOD album art; hopefully the next firmware upgrade will address this. The shared Rear / Sub preout was annoying but it was my fault for not factoring this in my initial research; I worked around it and so far, my system is running great regardless.
Startup screen
Source select 1
Source select 2
Ipod Screen 1
Ipod Screen 2
Sirius Sat Radio
GARMIN GPS
DVD Playing
Standby
Upclose pic
Console Pic
Last edited by red_rum; 04-23-2009 at 05:14 PM.
04-21-2009, 10:24 AM
#2
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Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: Bay area, CA
Posts: 80
Car Info: 2006 STI
Awesome review, I just got my STI and it has a really crappy kenwood deck in it. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you pay for this unit?
Edit: sorry, just caught the price at the bottom
Edit: sorry, just caught the price at the bottom
Last edited by ridetillurdead; 04-21-2009 at 10:26 AM. Reason: reader FAIL
04-21-2009, 05:18 PM
#3
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Join Date: Aug 2006
Location: NY
Posts: 20
Car Info: '04 WRX
Yeah, normal price is about $1,049.99 (6ave electronics.com) but the coupon code made it a good deal at $734. I kept monitoring the price of the Pioneer 900bt (approx $579) on Amazon which was my initial first choice. In the end, I decided NOT to go with the Pioneer unit because of the problems with its boot up time; the Garmin GPS on the Kenwood was also a deciding factor for me.
- RE: IPOD album art: the kenwood unit gives you 2 option screens to play your IPOD music (4 lines of info; 2 lines of info). With the 4 lines of info, it gives you the album art pic which is the size of a sliver dollar – image being pixilated. With the 2 lines of info, you get a real small album art pic about the size of a penny – (technically a clear image but too small to notice). I usually get my album art through i-tunes and don’t pay attention to the pic size. I seems like the kenwood unit is not resizing the album art for the silver dollar size pic, but just stretching the small image. Hopefully kenwood comes up with a solution for this.
- RE: IPOD VIDEO: I used trial software (cucusoft DVD to IPOD) to convert the movie “JUICE” as a test run. I’m a novice at this converting stuff but the software is was real simple, just 1 button to convert the flick (no separate programs or plugins to use but they want $30 ; still undecided lol). I used their default image size setting but they give you more options to use (obviously the better quality, the larger the file size). I have a 3rd Gen IPOD and the movie was perfect. The kenwood unit recognized the file and played the movie. Sound was good, image was a little light in color but worked (it’s problaby doing the same thing as with the album art, stretching the movie image); I think I have to play around with the recording options to get the best image.
- RE: IPOD album art: the kenwood unit gives you 2 option screens to play your IPOD music (4 lines of info; 2 lines of info). With the 4 lines of info, it gives you the album art pic which is the size of a sliver dollar – image being pixilated. With the 2 lines of info, you get a real small album art pic about the size of a penny – (technically a clear image but too small to notice). I usually get my album art through i-tunes and don’t pay attention to the pic size. I seems like the kenwood unit is not resizing the album art for the silver dollar size pic, but just stretching the small image. Hopefully kenwood comes up with a solution for this.
- RE: IPOD VIDEO: I used trial software (cucusoft DVD to IPOD) to convert the movie “JUICE” as a test run. I’m a novice at this converting stuff but the software is was real simple, just 1 button to convert the flick (no separate programs or plugins to use but they want $30 ; still undecided lol). I used their default image size setting but they give you more options to use (obviously the better quality, the larger the file size). I have a 3rd Gen IPOD and the movie was perfect. The kenwood unit recognized the file and played the movie. Sound was good, image was a little light in color but worked (it’s problaby doing the same thing as with the album art, stretching the movie image); I think I have to play around with the recording options to get the best image.
04-22-2009, 04:05 PM
#5
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I check these 2 sites daily for coupon codes. I think the 6ave elecrtonics coupon code was from bens bargains.
http://bensbargains.net/
http://www.techbargains.com/
http://bensbargains.net/
http://www.techbargains.com/
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