JVC KW-NX7000 Double Din Navigation with 7" Wide Touch Panel Monitor w/ DVD/CD/USB/SD Media Card & 2.0 Direct Receiver Review

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(More customer reviews)I recently installed a KW-NX7000 in my Honda Civic. Overall it is a pretty good system but it does not really break any new ground either. This is not my 1st GPS, I have installed a Kenwood DNX5120 in my other vehicle and a factory VW Navi in another. I also have various portables from Garmin, Magellan, TomTom, Dash, etc. I will primarlily make comparisons to the Kenwood, the VW system is not worth discussing!
Interface. One big plus I will give to the KW-NX7000 is the interface. It looks good, is intuitive, and is easy to use. Kenwood has good Navi menus (all Garmin) but the rest of the interface is a mess and often requires you to refer back to the manual. With the JVC the manual is really not needed, the whole system is very intuitive.
The navigation itself works very well. It locks signal quickly and presents routes that usually make sense. The database of POI's seems reasonably complete. You do have options for fastest time / shortest distance in both preferences and on a per trip basis.
I am not especially impressed with how the KW-NX7000 displays maps. They are easy to read but kind of dull, often times you are just seeing lines on a white background. Unfortunately, there is no option to show more or less detail. Thus, unless you are zoomed way in to about 600 feet, you do not even see road names, town names, etc., just lines. The 3D view was even more dissapointing as it shows even less detail unless you are in one of the few major metropolitan areas where 3d renditions are presented. I have yet to see it present anything nearly as interesting as the photo on the box! My 10 year old says that my other units maps look more "modern". Although I tend to think Garmins maps look a bit cartoonish, I still prefer them to the blandness of JVC's. I will give JVC the edge in how they present things like speed limits, lane guidance, and other details when you are doing a routed trip. If you are only displaying the map all you get is the map and the time.
The JVC has a feature that menus appear and buttons light up when you hand gets near the screen. This is a nice feature and sensitivity can be adjusted. You can change the screen colors but not the button light colors as you can on the Kenwood or Pioneer units. No big deal but if every other button on your car is red, these will be blue.
Boo-hiss to JVC for not including RDS on FM. This means that the unit does not display the song, artist, or station information. Kenwood does provide this feature. JVC has it for HD Radio only.
I installed the JVC bluetooth module and this works great with my blackberry. Given the price differential between the Kenwood and the JVC, I do think Bluetooth should be built in as it is on the Pioneers.
I have not yet installed the HD radio module as this requires an antenna splitter (KS-U21) to continue getting traffic. Unfortunately, part KS-U21 is virtually unobtainable at this time. I am also waiting on my ipod interface so will have to provide an update on that later.
Physically the unit looks good. As installed in the Civic it looks very close to a factory install. The removable, flip down, screen is a great feature unique to the JVC. The screen is nice and large, defintely bigger than the DNX 5120. However, keep in mind that in some vehicles, the screen will stick out a bit more form the dash than some other units and may thus look more "aftermarket" than some others. I was originally going to install this in a 2nd Gen MR2 and it just stuck out to far for my tastes. In the Honda it sits in a "pod" so this is not an issue.
Install was no harder or easier than any other 2-Din head unit. It does work with the PAC Steering Wheel interface controller.
I do feel that for the price of this unit it should include some additional "standard" features. If it included either Bluetooth or HD built-in, this could make it stand out from the pack and not require another box to hide under the dash. Heck, if they just included an iPod cable or an AV cable it would be nice. Do lifetime traffic instead of 3 months. Just provide something that makes this more than another "me too" GPS. This unit costs a good bit more than the DNX5120 but it does not feel like I got a lot more.
So, is this a good head unit? Absoultely. I think it does everything well. I guess the rub is that it does no one thing great, it just has not raised the bar in any features other than the removable faceplate. Some of this could be revised in software, but the same can be said for every other manufacturer.
If this unit were the same price as the DNX5120 I would call it a toss up. You would be trading some features for others so it is a matter of what is more important to you. Currently it is a fair bit more expensive. If I were to get another GPS today, and it were between these two, I would likely go with the Kenwood.

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This double-DIN all-in-one navigation system gives precise navigation with built-in RDS-TMC tuner, high sensitivity WAAS GPS, and 7-inch wide touch panel. The unit features map coverage of the U.S., Canada, and Puerto Rico, Voice Guidance in 16 languages, Text-to-Speech, 12 million P.O.I, Lane Guide, and Speed Limit Display. Enjoy audio and video (KS-U20 cable required for iPod video playback) from your iPod, USB devices, and SD cards. Experience a new style of operation with the Proximity Sensor--control keys will appear as your hand approaches. The unit is compatible with Bluetooth Wireless Technology, HD Radio, and SAT Radio with optional devices.
Superior Navigation Technology
Built-in Flash-Memory provides quick startup and search, high-speed route calculation, and is resistant to in-vehicle extreme temperatures and vibration.
Millions of Points of Interest and map graphics are Pre-installed for Coverage in the United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada and Puerto Rico.
POI database and Map data are updatable by SD card.
Allows use of navigation functions and listening to various multimedia sources simultaneously.

POI & Search Options
POI Information can be searched by Address, POI Name, Vicinity, Telephone Number, Map Location or Zip Code.
Store 100 favorite Points of Interest and recall up to 50 previous destinations from the built-in memory. Return trips are made easy by using the preset "Home" Location feature.
Quick Search Feature--Allows up to three favorite POI categories to be set in the immediate menu screen for one-touch access.
Routes can be configured by fastest time or shortest route length and configured to avoid specifi c roads such as Freeways, Ferries or Toll Roads.
Up to 4 Waypoints can be entered--even while in route to the destination that has already been entered.
Ambiguity Search--Compensates for spelling mistakes and eliminates the need to type in entire City or POI information by alphabetically listing the most popular entries for the partially given information.

Convenience Features
TTS (Text-to-Speech)Street names etc. read out in 3 languages: English, Spanish and French.
Customized Message A voice message greets you in the Text-to-Speech language when you power on/off.
Detachable Faceplate Faceplate with monitor is fully detachable for anti-theft security and convenience.
Lane GuideDisplays the correct lane to move into in preparation for approaching turns, highway entrances or exits, or U-turns.
Speed Limit Display & Speed Alert FunctionDisplays speed limit information on screen for the current road location. Selectable Speed Alert Function audibly alerts when the vehicle is traveling faster than the posted speed limit for the current road.
POI Touch-Screen Dialing Utilizes the internal POI database as a business phone book. Bluetooth wireless technology allows one-touch phone number dialing to a selected business or Point of Interest.
Brand Icons Display Familiar brand logos are listed on-screen for easy recognition of POI contents.
Direct Zoom Keys Allows one-touch access to specific aerial zoom level lengths or one-by-one zoom level adjustments
Multimedia Connectivity
Easy Connection for Digital Devices Front USB & AV-IN (mini)
iPod/iPhone via USB + AV-IN
USB Device via USB (Direct-In)
Camcorder via AV-IN (AV Mini Plug included)
Digital Audio Player via AV-IN (AV Mini Plug included or Audio Mini Plug)
USB Plug and Charge--Charge USB devices such as cell phones and digital audio players.

USB 2.0 for iPod, iPod Video, iPhone
Allows Direct iPod/iPhone connection using the iPod USB charging cable.
Connect Portable Hard Drives, Digital Audio Players and USB Flash Memory devices for added music selection options.*
Easily scroll through song files and layered categories.
Digital audio transfer provides the highest sound quality from iPod, iPhone, and connected USB devices.
iPod/iPhone Video display and control possible using the KS-U29 iPod Video adapter.**
USB Plug & Charge--Use the built-in USB port to charge your portable devices such as Digital Audio Players and Cell Phones.***

CDs, DVDs and More Enjoy your favorite CDs or watch some video on DVD, DVD-R/RW, DVD+R/RW or VCDs.
You can also enjoy your favorite WMA/MP3/WAV/AAC audio files, or take in MPEG1/2 videos or JPEG images, from disc, USB device or SD Card.
Grow Your System With three gold-plated preamp outputs you can add plenty more to the KW-NX7000's 50W x 4 MOSFET amplifier. You can also send the composite video output to a rear video screen, and use the gold-plated AV input to connect gaming systems or other devices.
Easy Operation Easy operation with 7 inches wide touch panel display and detachable faceplate security.
7" wide TFT Display is motorized with a low reflection surface that minimizes screen glare from sunlight.
Large screen area allows full name display, splitscreen information and map views, and easy multimedia functions operation.
Faceplate with monitor is fully detachable for anti-theft security and convenience

Proximity Sensor Unique Proximity Sensor Function and Touch screen allow for easy operation.
Full on-screen map is displayed while in navigation mode.
Proximity sensor will detect as your hand approaches to operate.
Unit changes to operation mode and Menu, Zoom and Function keys are immediately displayed on-screen.

Real-Time Traffic Tuner Provides Real-Time Traffic Update Conditions on-screen:
View relative traffic speed on selected highways or along the current route.
Shows high congestion areas due to accidents or construction.
Helps to calculate accurate travel time to destination.

Allows the option to reroute around congested areas automatically or continue on current route. Works directly through the vehicle's existing antenna so there is no need to purchase additional equipment Includes a 90 day free trial subscription to the RDS-TMC Traffic Service Network (Real-Time Traffic Subscription Service = $60 per year).
POI Downloads Street Director Assistant
Easy Point of Interest Update--Get the latest P.O.I. Information from the internet using your computer, save it to SD card, then add the new P.O.I. to the navigation system.

What's in the Box JVC KW-NX7000 Receiver, trim ring, sleeve, face case, remote control, GPS antenna, wiring harness, installation hardware, installation manual, instructions

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