Home > Consumer Reviews > Kenwood Excelon DNX8120 - Navigation system with DVD player, LCD monitor, digital player and radio

I researched the best Double DIN units for a couple of weeks. There isn't much on the web about this unit and where there is there is 1 review that says it's great to 1 review that says it's horrible. This unit was more available for me to get my hands on locally then any other. I played with the pioneer a bit and was fairly satisfied with it's interface. The clarion's review on the web was terrible so i don't even bother. So basically it was either the pioneer (forget the model but it's the one with all the bells and whistles that compare to this unit) or this kenwood.

The pioneer installer actually told me that they wouldn't/couldn't install the unit in my '07 vette. Said it was just too difficult and couldn't be done. These people have installed all my alarms/radios/speakers etc for 15 years now and i trust their opinion. However, i read a couple step by step forum posts that showed it be done. Instead of arguing and trying to talk them into it i went to another installer.

The second installer had the kenwood (8120 and 7120) with some other cheaper non-options for me (Dual and some other manufacturer). The kenwood had the built in bluetooth which was a huge plus for me. I'm very very skeptical of bluetooth units in any car. I have had many and have yet to find one that was sufficient to replace me having to hold the phone to my ear. The fact that this was built in gave me hope as all others are add-ons.

Many reviews said the kenwood interface is bad. I don't see why. It is plainly laid out and functional. I think it just has so many options (bells and whistles) that there are many nav keys to get into them it confuses people. It seems pretty good IMO. Could be flashier but i haven't gotten into all the custom skins etc that can be added so maybe it is.

I added the IPOD and Sirius accessories. They work great. The sirius has a better connection then my sirius handheld stiletto which isn't saying much but worth noting. The IPOD connection works good and clean sound. The interface is kind of bulky but when you're used to the iphone's simple interface what isn't going to be bulky compared to it? (Bulky = boring/simple not alot of features)

So everything works great except for the one thing that i knew probably wouldn't before i ever purchased it. The bluetooth phone. Everybody i've talked to on the other end said it sounded choppy and/or had static. I could hear them just fine and the voice dial seems to work ok. However, none of that matters if the other person can't hear you :P I will prob keep the phone to my ear.

Oh, the NAV works great. I've used several nav systems on phones and in rental cars and OEM version's and this is wonderful. It auto updates the routes instantly and doesn't yell at me for not following it's orders. It adapts rather than freaking out. So far so good.

Bottom line -- I would look at the pioneer a little harder if i went back through the purchase process but i doubt it's BT is any better and i don't like it's nav maps. However, for me, if the BT is better i'd swap in a heartbeat. The BT is very important to me though.

I bought this a few weeks after it first went on sale. Works great, takes some time getting used to the controls and all the different setting you can choose. Bluetooth works good also, sends a request to my phone whenever I start my car. Only took seconds to upload my entire address book from my Katana. Navigation works well also, but havn't used that as much. I was very surprised it had a lot of the small unpaved roads that I sometimes travel on when I was driving. I also bought the Kenwood iP300V to play my iPod (80 GB Classic) through. Which works great, no glitches or freezing during any point. Plays the videos that are on my iPod also. Bottom line no problems so far it's a great product and would recommend this to anyone looking for all these features for a great price.

If you have taken the time to read the reviews on this product and have shrugged off the sticker price, than this item may be for you. It is an awesome product. First off the double din fits and fills out the dash space nicely. The aesthetic beauty and over all look is very eyes catching. Kenwood has placed allot of features in this product. Everything is controllable via touch screen, remote, steering wheel controls and button operation mounted on head unit. I would be typing all day telling you about the abundance of features. Let me give you the exacts of what you need to know. I'm not bashing this product because it's great, not happy about the price but over all it is much cheaper than the 3-6 thousand dollar comparable factory equivalent. If you are buying this for the DVD interface keep in mind state laws. Most states require you to have the installer connect a circuit that only allows you to watch the DVD player when stopped with the emergency brake applied. Go the extra mile and purchase the back up Camera and have it hooked up during the install or it will cost you more to have it done later (the connection is behind the stereo unit). If you don't want to lose your steering wheel controls for the stereo, than go to crutchfield and buy the wiring harness specifically for your vehicle. The remote without a backlight can become a nascence at night because if the many functions it controls. User interface can become a bit complicated at times. The Gamin GPS feature is "awesome". This system is the best out right now and well worth the money. I didn't give it five stars due to price. Other than that great product and would highly recommend.

This product works great. It has everything that your could want. I was able to install this product myself in my motorhome. The only thing I needed to get was a wiring harness to attach to my existing wiring that was in my motorhome. I The maps look and work great and it is easy to switch from the map to the trip, favorite, or gps mode. It has a day and night mode that can work automatically. As for the bluetooth, I had heard that this part of the unit did not work very well, but I have used on several occasions and the person that you are talking too sounds like they are sitting right next to you. They are clear and they have no problem hearing you. I purchased the KCA ipod 300v but I have not had a chance to use this feature yet. I did not purchase the XM to see how it might work. The only draw back that I see with this unit is trying to watch a video on that small of a screen, however if you had larger auxiliary tv, I'm sure it would look much better. I would recommend this product to anybody who was looking to change out their factory radio.

Buy this stereo! This thing will do anything you want it to. It's awesome! Sounds great, easy to use, so many features, wow!