Home > Consumer Reviews > Kenwood DNX5120 6.1-Inch-Wide Double-DIN In-Dash Navigation with USB/iPod Direct Control/DVD Receiver

This deck was the best decision to buy that I've ever made. It looks great and is very easy to use. The only thing that I will suggest if you decide to buy this deck and want to watch dvds is to get the remote with it, I didn't and I still haven't but I think it will be worth it and I think its only $30. Also IMPORTANT... haha this pissed me off really bad. After you install the deck you come up to the screen with all the options (ex. tuner, dvd, ipod, etc.) you need to go to tuner... there you will hear the radio, obviously, if you installed it properly. Well it did not give me a notice that in order to get sound on the other things like ipod and dvd/cd you need to turn a button on. So you have to go into the tuner and press the "TI" button (have it highlighted red) and then go into ipod and what not and it will work perfect. It will save alot of time, confusion, and frustration. Other than that this was a fantastic purchase, would recommend this deck to anyone.

March 2008 Update.

Have used this system for several weeks now and am even more impressed by how much it offers for the price. Yes, the menus are a mess but once you get used to them you appreciate the features. I have since added the Kenwood backup camera and it works great, day or night.

I recently also installed a more expensive JVC and can say I like the Kenwood better. This is why for vehicle #3 I just ordered another DNX5120. Unfortunately the DNX5120 is discontinued and has been replaced by a more expensive unit that I am not certain adds any new features. I thus went with a refurb but can hapilly say that it looked and works like new.

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Recently purchased this from Amazon as a Gold Box deal. While there are some better units out there, this unit represents an outstanding set of features for the price. You can pay twice as much for another system but you will not get twice as much value.

The hardware itself is an attractive design that looks very much like a factory install (assuming you use the separately purchased dash install kit). I like the fact that it is not a 100% touch screen. Lets face it, having physical buttons for common functions like volume is easier than even the most friendly menu interface.

I installed it myself in a Buick Terazza. In most vehicles, install will be no more difficult than any other receiver. For late model GM (and other) vehicles, keep in mind that you will need to buy an interface box for things like Onstar and another one if you want to keep your steering wheel controls. You do have a couple of extra wires such as one for the parking brake (which you can alternatively just wire to ground although you will then bypass the feature to prevent video from being watched only when vehicle is stationary with parking brake on). The Kenwood instructions were reasonably clear and complete.

The Navi interface is pure Garmin which is both a good thing and a bad thing IMHO. The good news is that Garmin does have a clean, easy to use interface. The routing is probably the best out there. Text to speech is excellent. A review of any of the older Nuvi units will give you a sense for what you are getting. The bad news is that like all Garmins, your configuration options are significantly limited (a trade off to dumbing down the interface). This means that the right 1/3rd of the screen is wasted to tell you the time and your current speed (can not change it, remove it, or move it to bottom of screen). Simplicity is probably a good thing for an in-dash unit, just be aware of the limitations.

The rest of the interface is done by Kenwood and is much, much, less intuitive. I actually had to read the manual to figure out how to turn this thing off. (You would think you push the big volume button, but instead you hold down the src button, or is it the func button?) As another reviewer noted, you will get used to it but it is a jumbled, inconsistent, cryptic, mess. Keep the user manual nearby!

The variety of options available also makes this a good value. HD, bluetooth, XM/Sirius, etc. Some may gripe that it is not all built in but the plus side is that you are not buying features you may never use. I do have the highly rated backup camera on order so will install that soon.

In sum, it is not perfect but I am very pleased with the purchase of this unit and would buy another if needed. I should note that it is far superior to the factory unit in my VW! Not perfect but a great value.

This is clearly the best all-in-one head unit on the market right now, especially considering its relatively low price. BUT - IT IS NOT COMPATIBLE WITH THE 4TH GENERATION IPOD!!!! Simply won't work. Kenwood will admit this if you call them. I found it also dooes not work smoothly with the iPhone, but the Kenwood rep claimed that it does, so your mileage may vary. But if you have a 4th gen ipod (the apple web site can tell you which is which) don't buy this unless you want to buy a new ipod too.
I did use this for several weeks with friend's ipod, so will say that it is pretty good, and looks better by virtue of the fact that the competition is terrible. This product family just has not matured yet - UI is still a problem. For example, there is no single button to stop all sound - the volume button mutes, but not entirely, so if the music was loud to begin with, it remains quite audible. There is still too much reliance on menues, and why there are no "pause" and "next/prev track" hard buttons, or at least screen buttons that are always there, is a total mystery. Eventually Apple will probably put these companies out of business, but until then, be prepared to be midly annoyed by the poor design choices made in the UI if you buy this.
Outside of these annoying (and easily fixable) UI glitches, it does work well. The nav is good (though with its own UI shortcomings), the display and touchscreen are excellent, the software is quick and responsive, and the amp was sufficient to cleanly drive my speakers.

I bought the DNX5120 in March 2008 and for the most part have been happy with the exception of three very major issues:

1) When I bought the unit, Kendwood had not yet released the XM satellite connector needed to connect the stereo to the XM antenna...had to wait two months for that. Unfortunately, all of the "Kenwood certified" installers who I spoke to did know that, so when I had it installed it took 4 hours and 2 calls to Kenwood support before we finally found out that the connector had not been released yet. So, when it we released, I had to pay for installation a second time. I still don't understand why release a satellite radio deck and not have all of the components ready. Oh yeah, I forgot to mention that their website made no mention of the fact that all of the necessary components were not available in the installation requirements...I read it before I bought the stereo to make sure that this type of thing didn't happen.

2) Kenwood's customer service blows! When dealing with the issue above I never received any returned phone calls or emails. So, when I did not hear back from Kenwood after a couple months of trying and finally having my stereo installed (again!) with all of the necessary components, I filed a complaint with the Better Business Bureau. Suddenly, I get a call from Kenwood apologizing profusely and then they send me a bag of Kenwood gear to supposedly make up for the $800 in installation fees I had incurred, but would not agree to a rebate or even a coupon for the additional component that I had to wait for.

3) The software started to get buggy. Just the other day, my wife and I are on our way to meet some friends in a city that we don't know very well and the navigation maps won't load...which means no GPS. So, the next day, I check the Kenwood site and find out that there is a Navigation update that should correct this error. It was supposedly some software glitch that should be taken care of with this firmware update. I follow the insructions, pop the disc in my stereo and let the install run, but it freezes up. I wait for an hour and nothing! The instructions say not to turn off the power during the install or it could cause problems. Great! So I call Kenwood tech support who tells me to reset the system...doesn't work. So the only other alternative I am told is to send it in to get fixed. AAAAAARGH! Now I have had to pay to uninstall the stereo and ship it to Kenwood to get fixed. Oh and the kicker is, I find out that this is a common problem when installing the map updates, but Kenwood wants me to pay for it despite the fact that the whole issue stems from a glitch in their software!

Honestly, I wouldn't waste the time with this stereo. At this point I have not met many people a year out or more who have not had some issue with this unit. I don't I am ever buying Kenwood electronics again. To be quite honest I am considering a class action lawsuit.

First, navigation is bad. It cannot find a Costco store in Van Nuys, a Whole Foods in Sherman Oaks and many similar stores that have been there forever. Selecting a "favorite" location takes several clicks, and you have to wait till the unit is completely ready. If you don't sit in your parking space for a whole minute after turning on the engine, this means you are going to make this series of button clicks while driving. Ouch.

Next, media playback. The forward/backward rewind buttons are disabled if you are playing files from a USB or DVD media. You can skip the track, or go to the start of the track. Absolutely unacceptable.

Last, bluetooth. About once a month, the KCA-BT200 unit (required for bluetooth connection) will lose pairing with the phone. You have to watch if it has connected to the phone every time you start the car (not visible from the NAV screen), and reset the connection - again, a long and painful process.