Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Let me start off by saying that I value quality reviews ssoooo much and I will not purchase a product without extensive research. That being said, I also will not write a review unless it really "wows" me. This radio went above and beyond my "wow" factor.
I wish there was a button for something higher than 5 stars because that is what it deserves. It is so incredible that it shocks me to come on to amazon.com and not see 100+ reviews for this item.
Let me get the negatives out of the way so I can rave about the positives. There are two negatives and one could partially be due to me configuration in my car, but it was not that easy to install. I had the same issue with another aftermarket radio so I am guessing my 2002 Nissan Altima is a very picky car and not kind to me when I ask it to accept a new unit. The other "negative" is that the TomTom Duo seems to have a cold because there is a glitch that keeps making it reset instead of shut down when I turn off the ignition. I read a lot of info on a forum and figured out that apparently V 6.550 is a good version and the update 6.553 which is what I have has some glitch in the data which sits on the SD card that comes with the TomTom. My recommendation is to STAY WITH v 6.550 if yours comes with it. I am trying to get 6.550 so the glitch goes away. Check out [...] ...tons of information regarding this problem. It honestly is not that big of a deal because all you need to do is remove the SD card from the unit and power off the device so I could careless and don't really consider it a negative.
Now on to the positives. Where to start? The sound quality is incredible. Very clear, no distortions, and you have the option of adjusting the bass, mid, and treble. Obviously your in-car speakers are going to help produce that great quality of sound, but I just switched out my JVC HDR-1 and let me say there is a world of difference between the two (with the same speakers). I do have a Bose system so keep that in mind, but comparing apples with apples I am astonished how much better the Eclipse does with producing perfect clarity. Secondly is the USB. For people adamant like me for wanting a front USB port to plug in a non-iPod device, you know that there is only about 4 or 5 units that come with one in the front. I prefer USB over auxillary because it is a direct connect and you are going to acheive better sound quality from your unit that way. Well Eclipse does it again with the wow factor because it picks up all my songs from the device and displays it on a nice 3.5" TomTom screen. I can choose artist and then see all my music right on there. Oh and btw you have to be very careful with choosing a unit that has a nice touchscreen because I have tried some other units that require me tapping like crazy to move to the next page. The TomTom is very responsive and I can fly through the menus. Next on the list is bluetooth handsfree...if you are looking for a wow factor then you will experience it right here. It is very loud, very clear, and the microphone picks up anyone in the car. Talk about incredible. It syncs so easily and required no effort to dial and talk. Only problem was it said it synced my phonebook but it didn't. This is really surprising because I have a Verizon Wireless EnV and I know Verizon has cripple bluetooth so I am sure the TomTom is going nuts trying to sync it to begin with. In any event the Bluetooth works amazingly and you will wonder why you never had it in your car. Here is a tip to you buyers...the volume control for both the navigation and the Bluetooth calling is on the TomTom itself...not the scroll wheel. If you are on the map screen simply tap the bottom left and the volume control pops up.
This device is when the phrase "different strokes for different folks" comes into play. There are some audiophiles that want a million adjustment options from a Pioneer system so they can fine tune every single decibel. This device was made for the everyday consumer. The reason why iPod is the hottest selling mp3 player is not because of sound quality (because every single website agrees Cowon and Creative win that battle), but because they are just so easy to use with one scroll wheel. Well that is what you can easily tell Eclipse and TomTom tried effortlessly to accomplish. It is INCREDIBLY EASY TO USE! The buttons are self explanatory and big to press quickly, switching between USB, radio, and navigation is extremely simple, and the quality right off that bat is almost perfect so all you need are the bass, mid, and treble controls to fine tune it. This is what I call a design masterpiece. Eclipse and TomTom I bet got together and said "let's make a device that is so easy a caveman could do it." When you are on the road you don't want to squint at the screen or fiddle with the nobs...you want to just enjoy your music and drive safely. Mission accomplished. Also think about how extremely well this was designed that they made it undockable so you can safely take your TomTom with you and not worry about a break-in. You can even take your TomTom to your computer and update it whenver you want. This device should be under anyone's Christmas tree. I could go on forever about this device because I am still shocked and in utter glee, but until you install one for yourself, you won't appreciate it. I never reviewed my JVC HDR-1 because it was "ok" but not thrilling and I had nothing to be excited about. This puppy will be staying with me for as long as I have this car and most likely my next. I finally feel like the $500 I paid for it was worth it! Fantastic work Eclipse/TomTom...you have outdone yourselves.
Ed
P.S. If you need further assistance you can contact me at [...]. Just give me enough time to respond to you, it may take a day or two.
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