Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I just purchased this headunit from Amazon 7 days ago. I am now packing it for a return. I absolute love the interface, scrolling/swipe, and features. I can't, however, deal with the issues. It seems like Clarion got to a beta stage and just rushed it to release.
PROS
Gorgeous interface
Swiping / Scrolling is seamless
iPhone like usability
Comes with Sirius, BT, Nav, and iPod cables !
CONS
My issues are:
1) The Clarion advertised RCB199 external microphone does NOT work with the unit. This was confirmed by Clarion's technical support themselves. The gentleman on the phone said that an engineer is making a hardware change to fix the issue. Even so, it is unacceptable for Clarion to advertise this optional mic if it does NOT work with the unit. What were they thinking? I spent hours trying to figure out how to get it to work all to find out that they lied in the product description!
The internal BT mic picks up too much road noise on the highway and is unusable.
2) If you do not shut off the unit while on Sirius, then Sirius will NOT work when you turn on your unit (most of the time). You have to hold the power button down and reset the unit to reset Sirius. This is a major inconvenience. Clarion technical support said that "they are working on it" but it is "a problem with the Sirius tuner" and a software update "probably won't fix it." This is a major inconvenience.
3) My navigation antenna broke after 6 days. I pulled the cord out and it was not pinched or damaged in any way. Clarion offered to replace it (if I paid shipping) but this was my last straw and I decided to return the headunit. Why should I have to pay for shipping and send a part back if it's 6 days old?
4) Here and there, the iPod jitters and has a 1/2 second lag. It disrupts the song. This has been reported on other reviews. I have tried three iPod cable and another iPod with no success. It is most definitely a software error.
5) This headunit is BLUE. Absolutely everything is blue. For a retail price of $1,000, I should be able to adjust the color to match my dash. When the unit boots, the LEDs turn red so they actually used multi-color LEDs but didn't give us the option of changing them. In addition, you CANNOT change the wallpaper for iPod, Sirius, BT, etc. You can only change the source wallpaper which you are never on. Also, if you import a wallpaper and select a default wallpaper, you automatically lose you imported wallpaper forever. I called Clarion and they said no update is planned--Blue is here to stay.
6) Dimming works fine, but you cannot dim the buttons. At night the bright blue buttons are distracting and strains your eyes.
Minor issues:
It takes 4-5 clicks to change the subwoofer level. This is dangerous if you want to turn it down for a bass-intensive song while driving.
You cannot change the splash screen.
Nav is slow to start (music starts very quickly)
The previous model, the NX500, has no firmware updates so I doubt Clarion will fix these issues with their new model. I'm looking into a competing product (X930BT, NT3HDT, DDX series) and will never consider Clarion again. That is how disgusted I am with all of these issues.
Click Here to see more reviews about: Clarion NX501 6.2" Double-DIN Navigation Multimedia Control Station
Clarion's NX501 offers all the features of the NZ501 in a 2-DIN package--a premium audio/video navigation unit with built-in GPS navigation, built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling and audio streaming, and USB, iPod, and iPhone compatibility. iPod video playback is also available using an optional cable (CCA748). The unit is also Sirius Satellite Radio and HD Radio Ready (including the iTunes tagging feature) with additional hardware. With built-in GPS navigation, the flash memory allows for quick response and access to navigation maps and multimedia options. In addition, you'll get massive expandability with 3 sets of preamp outputs and an additional set for full two-zone operation.
Premium in-dash navigation unit with advanced high-resolution widescreen VGA touch panel display. Click here for a larger image
No comments:
Post a Comment