Author Topic: Do I dare buy a gray market Kenwood stereo? (Read 7788 times)

Sly Bob · « **on:** October 29, 2009, 07:22:07 PM »

I'm looking to get a new stereo for the car this Christmas. My lovely Denise wants Denise (the GXP) to have a nice system so I am looking at the DNX9140 from Kenwood. It has voice activation and looks like a sweet unit.

My quandary is that I don't know where I should buy it. It costs about $2000 at the big box retailers and $1900 at Crutchfield.com but you can get what I believe is the same unit at many places for about $1200.

http://www.gosale.com/4981835/kenwood-excelon-dnx-9140-in?gclid=CM2LrJ-u450CFQEhDQodzEh0DA

Should I get it for $1200. I suspect that's without a Kenwood warranty as they are not authorized retailers.

elff · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2009, 07:50:10 PM »

The benefit of Crutchfield is you will get everything you need to seamlessly mount it in your kappa.
If the other locations are reputable and come with harness adapter and mounting kit,
or, if you can find those and still save money, then i would be worth it.

Personally, I don't mind spending a little extra with Crutchfield. I have always had them at least drop the price a little if there was a better price as they try to be competitive.

Sly Bob · « **Reply #2 on:** October 29, 2009, 08:16:54 PM »

I have little doubt that I can find all the bits that I need on line. Have to do a little more research to figure out exactly what those bits are however.

A $700 difference between Crutchfield and some of the other retailers is a pretty big gap.

elff · « **Reply #3 on:** October 29, 2009, 08:35:59 PM »

That's why u talk to them.

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #4 on:** October 29, 2009, 09:47:51 PM »

They also discount on all the additional equipment you need to make the install and offer free items. Build a parts list at Crutchfield and see what I mean. then delete the radio and see the cost savings. Don't forget the Steering wheel interface PAC-SWI???? GM Bells and whistles box, Antenna adapter and mounting bracket. Of course the backup camera

lil goat · « **Reply #5 on:** October 30, 2009, 07:52:45 AM »

Crutchfield does some nice package deals, you can get all the add on stuff elsewhere for the same as there discounted price if you look, start with Amazon. There are many advantages to Crutchfield price is not one of them. You can get that unit on Amazon for $1269 it is fulfilled by Pacific Stereo they have been around a very long time, Amazon will stand behind it if you have problems, you can get stuff from Crutchfield through them too. I have been going back and forth between the Kenwood and the Eclipse AVN726E (the one Skyjack got and reviewed)for months, the Eclipse is only $1299 at Crutchfield and even less elsewhere.

Sly Bob · « **Reply #6 on:** October 30, 2009, 09:45:46 AM »

I can buy the Eclipse AVN726E locally for $1099.99 in Canadian dollars until tomorrow but I do love the voice activation and the Garmin nav on the Kenwood.

Buying a package at Crutchfield saves about $100 rather than buying the parts individually from them. I guess what it boils down to is this...

Should I expect to have a problem with a unit that I buy from someone other than an authorized dealer and take a chance? Are Garmins problematic?

lil goat · « **Reply #7 on:** October 30, 2009, 11:32:36 AM »

The Kenwoods are pretty solid, you can get the Eclipse for a lot less than that I found it for $799 but not sure about the vendor, The Kenwood from Amazon as a front end to Pacific Stereo I would have no reservations about. I looked at who has built in Bluetooth, who has add on, how much to add the Sat radio and stuff like that to see what the real cost was, I looked at a Clarion until I saw what all the add on's totaled. The Eclipse has the best rated GPS out there, even better than the Garmin but it does not have the voice interface, it does have text to speech. It has built in Bluetooth, and iPod control and the sat add on is reasonable, but there rear view camera is expensive! I like them both, I am sure you will be happy with either one. The Kenwood has a cheaper sat radio interface than the Eclipse if you plan on adding.

DeepBlueGXP · « **Reply #8 on:** October 30, 2009, 11:37:14 AM »

Tech support is fantastic with Crutchfield, Chuckdoc's Kenwood was bad and we had to get a replacement. Also everyone who has a kenwood has had their steering wheel interface malfunction and no longer works. Whip, ChuckDoc, Joe Jr, Cheers...

elff · « **Reply #9 on:** October 30, 2009, 11:38:19 AM »

I have the Kenwood 8120.
It's the same as the kenwood you are looking at just without the voice control.
From a radio point of view, I think it's amazing. The look and interface IMHO is better than the eclipse.
[I have a friend who has a Eclipse AVN726E installed in his CTS]
GPS-wise
The Eclipse is better than the Garmin. IMHO, Garmin is resting on their laurels and have fallen behind the newer GPS companies. They have a lot of errors that you just don't get on a Tom Tom or the Eclipse.
I'm hoping the 2010 Map update for the Garmin fixes alot of that, but I am not holding my breath.

If not, I have to make a decision, Keep a head unit that I really like for using as a multimedia home
or
Switch to one that isn't as polished for multimedia, but has better GPS

Joe - Quick FYI - My Steering Wheel interface on my Kenwood has been Flawless with zero problems. Hopefully Murphy doesnt read this forum

Sly Bob · « **Reply #10 on:** October 30, 2009, 01:14:33 PM »

Map updates could be an issue with the Eclipse? I know that new maps will be available annually from Garmin but from what I have seen on the Eclipse site, don't know how you would get updates years down the road.

As with anything there are going to be tradeoffs. The GPS will be a priority as I am not getting a sat radio unit and I often prefer the sound of the Solo RCD over the sound of the radio, CD or DVD.

lil goat · « **Reply #11 on:** October 30, 2009, 01:36:51 PM »

I had no idea there had been so many issue's with the Kenwood, about a thousand years ago when I was an installer, I had nothing but problems with Kenwood stuff, but that was a LONG time ago way before GPS. I am most likely going Eclispe anyway for the saving $400 I can get a decent amp to go with it. There are lots of good places to buy equipment and lots of bad as well. I would make sure that whatever you buy and wherever you buy it they are an authorized seller, if they are there not should be an issue. There are even authorized sellers on eBay, check with the manufacturer to make sure.

elff · « **Reply #12 on:** October 30, 2009, 03:42:39 PM »

I didn't either.
Kenwoods do come with a 2 yr warranty.

Sly Bob · « **Reply #13 on:** October 30, 2009, 08:36:00 PM »

A 3 year warranty if you buy it at Crutchfield.

I have do some research to see how available map updates will be for the Eclipse units.

IBDRINKEN · « **Reply #14 on:** October 31, 2009, 06:15:15 AM »

sorry to thread jack this but deep, im having the sterring wheel comtrols problem as well, is it the harness.

Sly Bob · « **Reply #15 on:** October 31, 2009, 09:36:54 AM »

Quote from: IBDRINKEN on October 31, 2009, 06:15:15 AM

sorry to thread jack this but deep, im having the sterring wheel comtrols problem as well, is it the harness.

Did it ever work? If not and you have a PAC interface, this could well be the problem.

http://www.pac-audio.com/PACProductData/SWI-JACK/3_Tech_Briefs/swi-jack_tech_bulletin_001.pdf

IBDRINKEN · « **Reply #16 on:** November 08, 2009, 05:34:50 AM »

yes it did work and does everyone in a while. I bought it from crutchfield

Sly Bob · « **Reply #17 on:** November 08, 2009, 08:12:18 AM »

And don't buy the one from Peripheral Electronics thinking that it will be any better. That unit is nothing but a PAC unit in a different box. They are made by PAC.

http://peripheralelectronics.com/products.aspx?ProductID=207

Sly Bob · « **Reply #18 on:** November 08, 2009, 08:16:55 AM »

I have decided that I may as well wait 'till spring to do the stereo. The car is put away anyway, the new models will be out in the spring and by then they will be cheaper and with more features.

Then I will have to go through this all again.

Johnny-Longtorso · « **Reply #19 on:** November 08, 2009, 11:16:11 AM »

My (other) car is loaded with gray market Alpine and I had zero issues sourcing it.

LiquidPT · « **Reply #20 on:** November 08, 2009, 01:09:25 PM »

Quote from: Sly Bob on November 08, 2009, 08:16:55 AM

I have decided that I may as well wait 'till spring to do the stereo. The car is put away anyway, the new models will be out in the spring and by then they will be cheaper and with more features.

Then I will have to go through this all again.

I'm waiting till after CES...

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Author Topic: Do I dare buy a gray market Kenwood stereo? (Read 7788 times)

lil goat

lil goat

lil goat