Comments about Kenwood Kenwood Excelon In-Dash Navigation AV Receiver With DVD Playback:

Overall I am very happy with my Kenwood head unit. I purchased it to improve audio quality and provide in-car tools that are essential for me (GPS & Bluetooth).

The unit was very easy to install, however, the Kenwood instruction manuals could be a bit more clear. Fortunately, with all the information on the internet you should be able to find great instructions on-line to install a head unit for your specific vehicle. Make sure to order all the adapter cables and harnesses you will need as you do not want to cut into your vehicles wiring. I purchased a Sirius receiver and a steering wheel control unit to enhance my use of this unit and both work great.

SOUND QUALITY: Excellent! Even with my car's stock speakers the sound quality is amazing, especially compared to the mediocre sound from the stock unit. With top quality after-market speakers I imagine sound quality will be even better. The Kenwood offers a flexible set of controls to tailor the sound to your vehicle environment and preferences, however, I think the "neutral" setting provides a nice open accurate sound on a variety of music.

APPEARANCE: The unit looks nice and the screen has a wonderful, clear image. I have not tried using the DVD function yet, but given how sharp the screen looks it should be nice if in car video is your thing. One negative: the Kenwood's bezel is made from a glossy black plastic which is in contrast to the matte surfaces in my (and most) cars and it is keeps the unit from looking like it came from the factory with your car.

GPS: One of the main reasons for choosing Kenwood is the fact that they integrate Garmin GPS technology into their head units. I have used GPS units extensively and in my experience, Garmin is the best. The Kenwood GPS calculates your route quickly and offers a huge range of functionality. You will not be disappointed with the navigation capabilities and since it is a Garmin you will have software and map updates available over time. I purchased the optional traffic receiver and it is great being able to see traffic delays on the GPS map and find an alternative route if so desired. The only downside to the traffic receiver is the occasional pop-up ad on the screen. It's not intrusive and the traffic service is free because it is ad supported.

OTHER: The unit boots up quickly and you can use all the functions within about 10-15 seconds after you turn on the car. I purchased the optional iPod interface cable and it works well and lets you control the iPod directly from the unit. However, I prefer using a USB drive which provides the same great sound and does not require me to leave an expensive iPod in the car. The controls work smoothly and are very flexible, but they seem like they were designed by engineers rather than designers. You will get used to the controls quickly, but a bit more refinement would have made them amazing. The bluetooth works well and everyone tells me that the call audio quality is very good,

I would recommend this unit to anyone and at the Abt price it is an amazing value for your money.