Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not bad for the price, May 5, 2009
I've had this product for a few weeks now, and find it to be okay...I wouldn't rave about it, but it's not a bad product, either. I bought it because it has lots of bells and whistles. Here's my critique of each of them:
HD Radio
Works great - when I can get a signal. The radio receiver seems much weaker than the radio I replaced. I had to buy an antenna booster to get the quality up to where the old radio was - and that's just the analog stations I'm talking about. If you are in or near a big city where there are lots of HD radio stations, it works great. If you're out in hilly countryside like I am most of the time, it's not so great and most of the time the radio keeps switching between the analog and digital signal for the radio station I'm listening to, which can be a bit annoying.
IPOD Control
It works. I wish I had more positive feedback about this, because this was a primary reason for me purchasing this unit. In between songs, you can hear the ipod disk "spin up" to access the next song - it's faint, but still audible. Also, control of the ipod from the head unit is not very easy. You use the volume knob to scroll through songs/artists/etc. on the head unit - no fast scroll like the ipod has, so it takes some time to get to the artist/song/album you want if you have a LOT of music on your ipod like I do. It has tagging capabilities, but I haven't used it so I can't say how well that part works.
Bluetooth Integration
This part I like. It works really well with my Blackberry Pearl. Every time I get in the car, it finds my Blackberry, whether it's in my hand, pocket, or backpack. If I get a call, it mutes whatever is playing, the call rings on my car speakers, I press the little phone button on the head unit, and the caller is talking to me through my car speakers. People on the other end have no problem hearing me through the built-in microphone - even while zipping down the highway at 70 mph (with windows up, of course). And when I'm done, it goes right back to where I left off with my ipod or CD or whatever. Really cool. Dialing could be a bit easier, though - you have to use the remote control to enter digits. I use built-in voice dialing on my phone anyway, so no big deal for me.
One other thing this unit does is streaming audio via bluetooth. I tried to use Pandora on my Blackberry using the bluetooth streaming audio, and it's okay, but the sound quality can be a bit "choppy". I get much better performance using a cord between my Blackberry and the aux input jack on the head unit for Pandora. I'm not sure if the choppiness is caused by the head unit or my Blackberry - it's definitely something to do with the bluetooth connection, though.
I haven't used the USB functionality yet - probably won't since I have an ipod. But you can apparently listen to MP3's and such on a memory stick through the USB port. I have used the CD player a few times - works fine.
Faceplate is all plastic - feels a little cheap when you're pressing the buttons, but hey, it is a cheap unit considering all the stuff you get. That's what got me to buy it. Installation was a snap.
Bottom line - if you're not that concerned with quality and would rather just have all the bells and whistles, this unit is definitely for you. If you want really great quality, you're not going to get it with this unit.
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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
All the features you need., March 31, 2009
I bought this stereo because it was one of only a few other models that have the Bluetooth, HD Radio, and Aux/USB/ipod Trifecta. Price wise none of the others come close. Typically other stereos require a special cable connected to the back of the stereo and require you to drill through your dash or have wires exposed under the console. The fact that this stereo has USB on the faceplate is really one ups the competition.
My area has 14 HD radio stations and you really can tell the difference when the HD signal locks in. Disc play back is what you would expect from any other player. The Aux and USB work great.
My favorite feature is the integrated Bluetooth. Pairing with my phone was a snap and receiving calls is simple and easy. Your music is muted while the caller id information (name and number) is displayed and when you end a call sound resumes. The microphone has good pickup and I have not had any complaints from people saying they could not hear me. I did not have to raise my voice either to talk.
There are only a couple of issues I have that warrant 4/5 stars.
1) The display is very difficult to read during the day time unless it is in direct sunlight (think black and white gameboy)
2) The display options are limited in that you cannot display the station call sign or song data while also displaying the time of day. You have to choose between seeing the station number and time, or station call sign and song name.
With that said though, these are only real minor issues and all of the other positive features outweigh them by far. I would recommend this to anyone, and would purchase again if I had another car.
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
XHD 7714, January 8, 2009
I picked up this product on the strengh of it being able to satisfy all of my needs while driving. First you will need to read the manual to navigate all of the levels to fine tune the unit. The HD radio is a nice bonus feature and automaticly switches over from analog when it finds a signal for that station. The CD works flawlessly, but again you need to read up on how to search (MP3 files/titles). I was a bit upset that the USB did not work with my Smart Phone (blackjack II) but the USB does work fine with my 2gig mem stick. The best for last, The built-in bluetooth works awesome, (again read the manual on set-up). This unit has a lot to offer and can make your drive time a real pleasure and ease once you get it fine tune to your other gagets. This is an update of my review, I have been using this unit for about a year now and it still works as advertised. I have worked out the issues with my smart phone and it works both via Bluetooth and direct USB connection. With this unit I wish I was still commuting to work (2 hours each way), with the wide selection of music I can listen to and ease of use it would be a real pleasure on the road.
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