[dentman]

I was considering the pioneer 3100/4100 series that many have bought and installed here on CF, but I think i prefer the all in one source route, as the docking station looks like a thieves' treasure chest to me.

Sooo, Im considering this kenwood 6140 | Sonic Electronix Search

if anyone has experience or comments I would love to hear them, thanks.

 

[adamjt]

I have been looking at the 6140 as well. Have you found a cheap traffic receiver that will work on it? That's one thing stopping me. It also seems to me that the Pioneers have a lot better Ipod controls. I read a review on Crutchfield saying that on the Kenwood 6140 you really needed to rename your mp3 files on your Ipod to find/search them easily....which is how my x993 Kenwood was when I had my Tundra and it drove me nuts.

 

[dentman]

i googled and found this
Garmin | Traffic
ill look into the ipod connectivity. That would be a deal breaker for me, i hate using itunes for any music config.

 

[k_mcbride]

I am going to go with an eclipse avn unit. I have had a couple of eclipse dvd players in the past and i loved them. They are a little more technical than some other brands, but once you figuire out how to use them it just makes them that much better!!! I had a kenwood in the past and had a couple of problems with the screen, so i try to stay away from them. I also had a panasonic and it worked very well but unfortunately I dont think Panasonic sells DVD players anymore. Definately do your research before you buy, thats alot of money to spend and not be happy with it.

ECLIPSE DVD-Video/USB Multi-Source Receiver/ 7inch Wide Screen Monitor/Navigation/ Built-in Bluetooth wireless technology AVN726E | Fujitsu Ten

 

[Avplayer]

i love my pioneer avic z2 so i'd prolly go with them in the future....one word about sonix electronix...great place. check there ebay site before u place the order since there ebay prices tend to be lower then call them and just ask em to price match it

 

[dentman]

I am going to go with an eclipse avn unit. IDefinately do your research before you buy, thats alot of money to spend and not be happy with it.

ECLIPSE DVD-Video/USB Multi-Source Receiver/ 7inch Wide Screen Monitor/Navigation/ Built-in Bluetooth wireless technology AVN726E | Fujitsu Ten

Be advised Eclipse has pulled out of the consumer stereo market. I was told by 2 different shops in my area about how eclipse got shady mid 2009 by pulling stock from the distributors, and then this past week annouced they are no longer selling product to distributors. I dont know how deep it goes, whether they are having money issues or what but the 726E looked very appealing until i heard about all this.

Also, the camera port is proprietary so you have to buy the 200 +/- dollar camera from eclipse.

 

[dentman]

ok so i just ordered the kenwood 6140 from 6ave.com they came recommended from kenwoodusa.com as an authorized internet seller so the warranty will go thru. they had the cheapest price too, at 691. although they charged tax so it ended up being the same price as sonicelectronix but includes the warranty. i ordered a wiring harness, trim bezel and ipod cable from crutchfield for 70 bucks. saved about 100 bucks by ordering from the 2 different sources. keep ya'll posted on the outcome.

 

[steve500]

You could get a BYBYTE.COM - Infotainment Solutions high resolution LCD with touch screen that mounts great in the dash.. get yourself a netbook running at least XP with the intel GMA950 video processor and intel Atom processor. Install centrafuse from Centrafuse™ | A Whole New Way ... endless possibilities from there! Plug the netbook into the touchscreen monitor, wire it up to your amplifier, hardwire a 12v-19v power supply, wire the ignition to the sleep-switch on the pc, you're gooooood to go.

If computer shi* isn't your thing, i then just recommend an all-in-one installation from kenwood/pioneer/etc,,

 

[Wet Dog]

I love(d) my JVC kw-nx7000... awesome stereo with great features. Unfortunately, two days before I left for the middle east it was stolen, but I plan on getting another when I get back stateside.

 

[EarlThePearl]

The one thing that draws me to the Kenwood DNX6140 is the Garmin GPS software. I think Garmin has the best navigation. I'll probably end up with this unit as well.

 

[adamjt]

Let me know how the DNX6140 ipod controls are once you get it installed. I'm also curious if you really only have a 3 band equalizer or if you can change the frequency of the bands, like some of the other kenwoods.

 

[dentman]

hey adam, it looks like you can change the gain and frequency of the bass mid and treble independant of whatever signal your sending to the subs.

ipod controls arent too bad. simulates what you see on (ipod)screen. playlists artists albums podcast etc etc. minor learning curve to navigating the buttonology. i thought for sure though the iphone video was working but now it says no signal. not sure if ive toggled something off in the endless sub menu's.

ill try to answer whatever questions you guys have about this unit, so far i think its pretty cool but it takes hours of interaction to fully understand how the unit will react in a specific situation. that kinda sucks.

The one thing that draws me to the Kenwood DNX6140 is the Garmin GPS software. I think Garmin has the best navigation. I'll probably end up with this unit as well.

Earl the GPS is by far the best feature of this unit. ive spent several hours fartin' around with the bluetooth and ipod cable interface but i gotta tell ya man, the gps fired up and runs perfectly. no messin around with aything it just works right outa the gate.