Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
5 of 6 people found the following review helpful.
Do Not Buy For The GPS!!
By Tee
Do not buy this unit if the GPS is going to be the deal breaker. Garmin, which usually is great brand (I currently own and have owned several of their units in the past) is very much lacking in this unit. I don't know if it's Garmin or Kenwoods fault but it's operation leaves something to be desired. On numerous times during use, It will lock up with a notice that says application error. This is not good thing on a busy expressway, when you have several turns coming up.The screen freezes and you can't do anything else with it until you reset the unit. On several occaisions it has lost all my favorite saved locations; which I have to then painstakingly re-enter. For some reasons unknown, it will go back to 3D view after I set it to 2D track up in the settings screen.Also, even though it says I have the current software version, it is not. The speed limit changed on a major interstate that I travel daily a few months ago. My regular portable Garmin 1450 LMT has already updated it right after the change; but my Kenwood unit says it is still current. I do not know if this is a clunky / buggy version of their navigation software designed for Kenwood; or it is one of their normal versions that is not compatible with Kenwood units. You cannot even update at the Garmin site; it's not supported there. you need to go to Kenwoods site and the look for the update section. Makes me wonder if it will have support or updates acouple of years down the road when they discontinue it... Had I known of the GPS problems with this unit, I wouldn't have wasted the extra cash!
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful.
Best Bang For Your Buck!!!
By blovell863
Did a lot of research on double-din navigation units, and this is the one I decided to go with. The bottom line is, this Kenwood DNX6190HD has Garmin GPS. It works flawlessly, and if there are reviews with people telling you that something screwed up when updating the unit online, then they're stupid for updating it in the first place. This unit, right out of the box is perfect, nothing needs to be changed or adjusted (except for the audio settings). Everything about this unit works perfectly. I've got it in my 06 F150 matched with Infinity Kappa 6x8 Components (front) and Infinity Kappa 6x8 2-Ways (rear). The sound quality is amazing. The picture quality is amazing. Pick yourself up the Koolertron back up camera from Amazon for another $15 and your in business. I definitely didn't want to spend a ton of money on a head unit, but I wanted the GPS, which this unit has the BEST GPS. I have a good friend who purchased an expensive Alpine unit for like $1200, and he wished he bought this one. Don't spend anymore time looking for a head unit. Get this unit for sure.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful.
Great Unit
By Shawn Gordon
I bought this to replace my DDX514 in my 2005 Nissan Altimas (w/o Bose). DDX419 is the direct model replacing the 514 but will be phased out and the DDX470 will be the new model. So far, I really like the DNX6990HD unit. No additional hardware was required in my replacement and install was the same except for the desire to bypass the parking brake safety.NOTE: this unit will be replaced by the DNX690 in late February 2013 with four noticeable changes:+user added custom background image+improved bluetooth app access for Android+slightly wider screen (6.93")-fits fewer older vehicles (won't fit my 05 or my wife's 2010 altimas)Although Kenwood states the boot time is about 27 seconds to the nav warning screen, it's a little less (around 19). Considering two things: this is a multifunction unit and proper driving skills dictate that after buckling your seat belt, checking mirrors, and checking rear view the unit will be ready before getting into gear - it's not bad. The complaint that it takes as long as an "old computor [sic]" is as false as it is humorous.Although Kenwood hasn't fully adopted the Android OS, it makes a great effort to include Android phones via Bluetooth. I am able to stream Pandora, Songza, Aha, Tune in, and several other music apps straight to the radio and use the on screen basic controls to change tracks. The downside is that specific app functions are not accessible as they would be with a direct iPod or iPhone connection. Still, most Android phone users should be pleased enough while others may find d this to be a deal breaker. Suffice to say, Android OS suffers the same "open" software issues any open platform will: each manufacturer will have something proprietary that Kenwood or any other manufacturer will never be able to completely catch up on. So.. Just be aware of that aspect in your decision.I appreciate the split screen viewing. I can have nav on one half and my audio control on the other but the view of both is rather limited. There's no loss in function, but it's usually pointless to split the screen unless it phone and nav. To that point, the bluetooth phone function is good. My wife says I sound like it just speaker phone and she doesn't hear any road noise. I don't have to yell or speak abnormally loud, over enunciate words, or speak slowly for her to understand. Attempting the same with her iPhone however yielded slightly different results. The iOS bluetooth connectivity is spotty, but the call quality is lacking in my experience. I believe this is a problem with iOS and not Kenwood.There are a few snags in updating things. Though I do not require updates, the process is a bit contrived. It requires access to the rear only USB (and installer will leave the dongle accessible), and access to a PC (sorry mac users). This is the only disappointing aspect of the unit - kenwood clearly accommodates apple products well, but does not afford mac users the ability to update the unit or maps from their native systems.Finally, the menus of Kenwood units have always made me wonder why the company doesn't hire a UX/UI designer, or if they ever have. Admittedly its rather unsightly, but the fact is that the menus aren't activated and navigated by touching it with my eyeball, making it a moot point. Users can however swap the placement of menu options. For example, an iPhone user prefers Pandora over HDradio - great, press and hold the Pandora function, then slide it up to replace HD Radio- a menu item defaulted as one of the three primary choices. In addition, the touch screen allows users to touch and scroll as one does on modern smartphones so there's no more pages to punch through. And, settings are very straight forward compared to older units.Is this the end all headunit? Not by any means. The DNX6190HD is Kenwood "value added" GPS receiver of 2012 and is a nice budget model replacement for those looking to gain BT and NAV. For individuals looking for higher output in terms of audio quality and flexibility, consider the DNX6990HD. The difference being and addition 2W in amperage and higher RMS with an additional year warranty from Kenwood (and a few hundred more dollars).
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