Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Chesterfield, MO on 11/28/2020
2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500
0 of 0 found this helpful
Exxeptional
Crutchfield customer from Kissimmee, FL on 11/24/2020
2008 Mazda Mazdaspeed3
Great product. Gave my system a whole new sound.
Pros: Great quality
Cons: Non at this time
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Edinburg, TX on 11/22/2020
2015 Ford F-150 XL
Good features, but it drops my Sync calls!!! Very frustrating!!!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Solid unit
Crutchfield customer from Houston, TX on 11/15/2020
2005 Ford F-150
Pretty simple install. Overall it's a solid unit for the price. No issues as of 2 weeks of use. Screen brightness leaves alittle more to be desired mid day but it's not terrible, can see everything still unless wearing colorized sunglasses.
Pros: Sound quality Touchscreen response Everything works
Cons: Screen brightness on a sunny day
1 of 1 found this helpful
Nice unit
Crutchfield customer from Casper, WY on 11/15/2020
2004 Ford F-250 Super Duty
It is a nice sounding stereo but I really don't like the smooth face control panel. In the sunlight it is very hard to see and I guess I am old school when it come to knobs and buttons.
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2 of 2 found this helpful
KENWOOD ROCKS
Crutchfield customer from Van Nuys, CA on 11/15/2020
2007 Audi A4
Awesome looking Stereo...totally Love the thing...has all the features I need..Now I just got to learn how to use it...and the features!!!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Great Unit!
Crutchfield customer from North Hills, CA on 11/14/2020
2006 Acura MDX
Great unit. Installtion was easy and fast. Thank you to Crutchfield ReadyHarness! Stereo sound better than factory unit. Easy setup.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Roseville, CA on 11/13/2020
2003 Ford Expedition
Fit well in my 2003 expedition, gave the interior a cleaner look. User friendly, didn't have to reference the instructions to much to complete the set up.
Pros: Both android & iPhone compatible, multiple devices can be linked via Bluetooth.
Cons: Only thing that I don't like the the volume knob, too small hard to grab.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Great Head Unit
Crutchfield customer from Dover, DE on 11/10/2020
Outstanding head unit. Fairly easy to set up and use. Love the touchscreen. Nothing less than I would expect from Kenwood. This is my sixth Kenwood Excelon and they've all been great.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Derek from YOUNGTOWN, AZ on 11/9/2020
2007 Nissan Xterra
Installation is pretty straight forward. There is a short YouTube video by Ry the Car Guy which shows how to disassemble the required dash section on the X. For my Xterra, the best option is to reuse the factory metal radio mounting brackets and the faceplate that comes in the Kenwood box as both work perfectly with no adjustments needed. 3 screws line up perfectly on each side mounting plate. I drilled a hole in the top dash cover to run the microphone wire through. Been using the factory radio since 2007 and the oem speakers are now playing sounds they've never played before!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Phillip A from Newport News, VA on 11/8/2020
2011 Chevrolet HHR
This radio was recommended because I listen the AM/FM most of the time and it should have a good reception. It has good reception and sound quality and I'm still trying to figure all of the little things about it. The bluetooth hooked up to the phones real easy and the sound quality is good. If you mainly listen to am/fm you will be happy with this radio.
Pros: Great reception and video still looking at other items
Cons: None
1 of 1 found this helpful
Great unit!
Crutchfield customer from Ocean Springs, MS on 11/7/2020
2007 Ford F-150
Very nice unit!! deliver was fast and the free tech has been fantastic.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Morgan City, LA on 10/28/2020
2003 Ford Excursion
Worked as well as can be expected no issues with the install.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Excellent
Crutchfield customer from Troy, MI on 10/25/2020
Installed in a 2004 Chevy truck. Touch screen is nice and responsive and it loads up my music every time with no issues. Sounds MUCH better than the factory head unit did and with the pac interface/installation kit and a ready harness everything is pretty much just plug and play. I'm not a fan of apple car play personally, and this one doesn't have it so that is one of the reasons I went for this. I also installed a backup camera and it works perfectly every time i put it in reverse. This unit has everything I needed, and in terms of actual quality of the system, it can't be beat. Kenwood's Ecxelon products are top of the line. It really ties the interior of my truck together too. Definitely happy i chose this unit and would recommend it to anyone looking for a nice unit.
Pros: Sound quality Responsive Easy install Bluetooth connectivity Back up camera ready USB port CD/DVD player Volume knob Button color customization Excelon series
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from St Maries, ID on 10/21/2020
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500
Very nice product, and fairly simple install
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Enid, OK on 10/1/2020
Just received the products. Haven't installed them yet but it looks like Crutchfield has done most of the connections to the harness for me!!! Great place to do business. Would give 5 stars but to soon for me to install, gotta work, maybe this weekend.
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0 of 3 found this helpful
Extreme value
Crutchfield customer from Elyria, OH on 9/27/2020
2018 Honda Civic LX
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Renfrew, PA on 9/26/2020
I am not only impressed with my new Kenwood radio for my pick up truck I am extremely impressed with the support that I received from the technicians at Crutchfield wonderful thank you so much Terry Steinheiser
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0 of 0 found this helpful
2002 Chevrolet Tahoe
Rod from Wenatchee, WA on 9/21/2020
2010 Toyota Corolla
Installed this DDX396 unit in a 2002 Chevrolet Tahoe. Installation was challenging but not too bad. Required purchasing a new Dash panel and cutting some internal dash plastic. In service for 10 months. The following is my user review. 1) Stock radio had a time display anytime car was on regardless of radio status. This unit only displays time when it is powered up. Now I have no clock when radio is turned off. 2) Backup Camera does not work unless the unit is powered up. This is not like my newer cars where the camera works even if the unit is turned off. 3) There is a 12 second delay in the Unit powering up. This is a pain when in a hurry to back the car up without the camera working. Plus, there is an interruption in the display a few seconds after powering up. 4) The unit illumination will not dim with the panel light dimming. Verified correct wiring. A real pain at night. 5) The Equalizer displays when I adjust the volume knob. Not every time, but often enough to become a nuisance. 6) The volume knob is too close to the left edge. Difficult to twist with my thumb striking the dash trim. 7) The backup camera quality was poor. Many times it was a total white out. I ended up replacing the camera and it worked better. 8) Difficulty in paring unit with other devices. 9) Nice to be able to change illumination colors and background imagery. I probably would not have purchased this unit had I known these issues beforehand.
Pros: Installation Price Touch Screen
Cons: No Camera or Clock with Unit Off Illumination will not dim Backup Camera Image Bad Delay in Powering Up Problems with Pairing
4 of 9 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Eric from VENTURA, CA on 9/1/2020
2005 Nissan Xterra
Sounds great and the display is great however mine constantly will not connect to Spotify, Pandora, or my Sirius tuner. Wait a while and everything works well again. It's a bit frustrating.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Curtis from FORT GREELY, AK on 8/14/2020
2012 Subaru Impreza WRX
0 of 0 found this helpful
Meh
Ryan from CLARE, MI on 8/6/2020
2014 Chevrolet Equinox
I put this in a 2014 Equinox. I'm kind of torn here. I mean, it's a decent unit. After spending around $500 for this unit and the necessary harnesses, and a call to tech support......, Crutchfield updated the "notice" on the harness page to where it says I'd lose the factory screen AND the "call" buttons. Tech support wasn't much help either responding with "well, it is what it is and if a different harness works for you I guess use that one". On top of that, the "back-up" cam now looks like I'm viewing an image from a point-and-shoot camera from the late 90's. The image is extremely noisy to the point where it's practically useless. The factory screen was clear and noise free. Not sure what the problem is considering there is no way to adjust video gain or any noise reduction. As far as the rest of the unit, like I said, it's decent. The mic is clear and Bluetooth seems to be working well. The screen is kind of prone to glare but where it's mounted in my Equinox, it's not bad at all. However, no amount of screen adjustment fixes the terrible back-up image. The touchscreen works well. There is NO physical "eject" button but you get use to it. In conclusion, I'm kinda bummed about my "Excelon" experience and my Crutchfield experience. Both have left me with a feeling that I should have just stuck with my stock radio...
Pros: CD player
Cons: Terrible back-up image
0 of 2 found this helpful
Do not buy this radio
Crutchfield customer from Wichita Falls, TX on 8/1/2020
2000 Dodge Ram 1500
This is the most disappointing piece of audio equipment that i have ever purchased. The bluetooth is absolutely terrible. It will pair so-so with one phone, but not with two. It takes forever to pair and then audio won't play correctly. You can do much better with any other unit. I would give it a -5 if possible. With that said, the installation kit is great and the instructions were great. It shipped fast.
Pros: Good built-in power. Good features. DVD works well.
Cons: Bluetooth is garbage.
3 of 6 found this helpful
2016 nissan altima
Crutchfield customer from Tacoma, WA on 7/24/2020
2016 Nissan Altima
Really good stereo, factory back up cam for my car works good.
Pros: Good stereo, clear sound through stock speakers.
Cons: None so far
1 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Mount Clemens, MI on 7/24/2020
2003 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Easy to use & simple Bluetooth connectivity
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Denham Springs, LA on 7/21/2020
2007 Dodge Ram 2500
Great unit other than the video play capabilities. Can only play early mpeg and avi movies. Most movies today download in an mp4 format. DVDs work but are outdated. Kinda pointless for usb input unless you are just playing music. However, good price for what you get.
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3 of 4 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Buffalo, NY on 7/20/2020
2008 Jeep Grand Cherokee
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Lukachukai, AZ on 7/19/2020
2015 GMC Sierra 1500
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Tuscaloosa, AL on 7/18/2020
Exactly as described. Excellent video and sound quality.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood quality
Jian from SAN JUAN, PR on 7/17/2020
2018 Nissan Versa Note
Sound quality of this head unit is amazing super clear clean and precise lots of tuning options and tools, it looks great, thats a plus ,clear screen and very responsive Kenwood never disappoints.I bought it as open box and it was like new! Crutchfield has become my number one choice for buying audio products, great service, fast shipping
Pros: -Beautiful head unit fits my car like factory -Amazing sound quality as expected from Kenwood
Cons: -User interface can take a while to get use to -Screen might become hard to see on a sunny day
0 of 0 found this helpful
Excellent replacement for my factory audio!
Crutchfield customer from Hopedale, MA on 7/16/2020
Excellent value. Great sound. Lots of features. Replaced my base factory radio that had no features. Needed a hands free unit and it works great with my Samsung S8 active phone. I am so glad I purchased this unit! Installation was easy with the installation kit. I was able to retain my steering wheel controls and hook up my back up camera. The only SLIGHT downsides are that the display is not real bright. If I am wearing sunglasses while driving it's a little difficult to read the screen. The back up camera is a little fuzzy at night as compared with my previous mirror-mounted camera. Otherwise an outstanding, great sounding unit for a very reasonable price. Crutchfield is an awesome company to do business with. My sales associate was Archer and he was extremely helpful! A great purchase experience! I won't buy audio anywhere else! Thanks!
Pros: Excellent sound, features and price. Easy set up with the installation kit!
Cons: Screen could be a little brighter. Back up camera is a little fuzzy at night
2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Roswell, NM on 7/14/2020
2002 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500
It's a nice unit, takes a while to find all the adjustments but after it's all set up it does sound great! Paired this with a Kenwood amp and overall happy with the purchase!
Pros: Great sound, and quality picture. What I expect from Kenwood.
Cons: Slow boot up, takes a while to figure out all the settings.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Great upgrade
Crutchfield customer from Mountain Top, PA on 7/14/2020
2012 Subaru Forester
Overall a great head unit. Definitely increased the sound quality from my Stock stereo in my 2012 Subaru Forester. Works flawlessly except for the Spotify app that will play music but will display "connecting..." on my screen. I believe this is just an issue with my phone and not my stereo.
Pros: Great sound quality, easy to use.
Cons: Spotify is a little glitchy.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Canton, NY on 7/13/2020
2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Great looking Deck, easy install with a nice layout. Easy to navigate around.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
2006 Tundra
Steve from Chapel Hill, TN on 7/11/2020
2006 Toyota Tundra
Installed in 2006Tundra, sounds great. I did put noico 80 mil sound deadening material in the doors. It sounds great. I also installed Kicker 46CSS674 in front doors. Kicker 47KSC6704 in rear doors and a small Clarion XC2410 amp. It sounds great
Pros: Everything
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Sacramento, CA on 7/6/2020
2010 Toyota Corolla
Great receiver. Issues with usb freezing while scrolling through folders. Other than that, excellent sound.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Honestly a little disappointed
Chris from Portland, OR on 7/6/2020
2007 Chevrolet Monte Carlo
I bought this expecting that good Kenwood Excelon quality and I dont think I got it. The touchscreen is nice, some people complain that it's not sensitive enough, I dont have that issue. The screen brightness during the day sucks, it is not bright enough even with the brightness all the way up. I got it because of the volume knob and it's fine but not great. It is easy to navigate and not that slow but sometimes it takes a few seconds to get into a menu but not a deal breaker. I am using an aftermarket amp and it sounds great, can make a lot of good adjustments but there is a catch, it distorts at 20 - 22 and it goes up to 35, unacceptable! The bluetooth is craptaculer, it connects fine most times, sometimes it's a pain, doesnt like to connect to spotify, calling people is nice, that works great but the ringer is always set at max, if you have multiple phones connected it likes to switch from the phone playing music to the one who just made a on/off noise or a notification, super annoying. The rear view camera triggers instantly and the picture is good, the guidance lines are adjustable.
Pros: Nice audio adjustments, parking camera input is great, looks nice, touchscreen with a volume knob, can connect multiple phones at a time
Cons: Distorts at 20 - 22, not very bright during the day, switches phone input automatically, bluetooth is craptaculer
2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from East Haven, CT on 7/5/2020
2009 Nissan Titan
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Libby, MT on 7/1/2020
1999 Volvo V70 GLT
Arrived on time, works with no problems and an easy it was an easy install in my 99 volvo v70. I would buy from crutchfield again.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Exactly what it says it is
Crutchfield customer from Canyon Lake, TX on 7/1/2020
2008 Honda Ridgeline
Bought to replace a lesser Pioneer in a 2008 Honda Ridgeline because I wanted SiriusXM capability. Had Crutchfield wire the harness (for the price recommend to everyone) which saved a LOT of work. Easy install - plug n play except for the sirius antenna.
Pros: Responsive touch screen. Great visibility day or night. Good sound thru factory speakers. Still figuring out programming, but relatively straight forward.
Cons: May be petty, but for this price I expected the clock to be on all the time, not just when the radio is on.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Indianapolis, IN on 7/1/2020
2008 Chrysler 300
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Quincy, IN on 6/29/2020
2005 Chevrolet Corvette
Pretty straight forward install, now i have an up to date radio system in my car!
Pros: A lot of extras with this one
Cons: The harness adapter system is a bit bulky
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Grand Junction, CO on 6/23/2020
Great stereo over all. Love having Sirius back in my truck! The bluetooth connectivity is fantastic as well. (I had a stock stereo in a 2008 Tacoma). Super irritated that I can get any of the USB functionality with a Samsung Galaxy S8 Active though. Kenwood has virtually no support for anything, unless I'm just not looking in the right spot. The built in Audio manipulation is confusing too. But in general I'm completely happy with the purchase, and Crutchfield is always amazing!
Pros: Sirius/XM, Bluetooth calling & audio, usability, Crutchfield supplied me with all the installation equipment that I needed, installation was easy.
Cons: USB connection is worthless on a Galaxy S8 Active, Crossover settings are super confusing.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Great
Crutchfield customer from Detroit Lakes, MN on 6/23/2020
2001 Mercury Mountaineer
It's a pretty solid deck has all the features you really need plus the lights are cool and all for a fair price.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Suffolk, VA on 6/22/2020
2013 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
A world of difference from my old stock stereo. Responsive, tons of options and very modern. Olny con is i need new rear speakers now. They can't handle the increase in power.
Pros: Everything.
Cons: Need new rear speakers. Not really a con.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Johnson City, TX on 6/22/2020
2013 Toyota Tundra
Very good design and a complete set of features!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Florence, AL on 6/22/2020
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Bolingbrook, IL on 6/21/2020
2004 Buick Regal
Very user friendly all the options I needed dvd spotify Sirius back up camera it doesn't have a flip down screen which makes installation very easy
Pros: 22 watts per channel x4 and low output s front rear and sub
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Eagle Point, OR on 6/18/2020
2019 Jeep Renegade
Awesome stereo really happy with the quality and the sound.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Agawam, MA on 6/14/2020
2016 Jeep Wrangler
Head unit works great. Instal was pretty straight forward. As others have said is difficult to see the screen in really bright sun. But I also gave it in a JK with no roof or doors.
Pros: Good unit lots of functions
Cons:
0 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Troutdale, OR on 6/7/2020
2004 Chevrolet Tahoe
Purchased this and installed it found the mic input did not work Crutchfield sent me a new one within three days installed that under warranty and system all works perfectly fine love the system the back up camera the radio features And the wireless phone
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Wake Forest, NC on 6/4/2020
2003 Toyota Sequoia
Excellent unit. Easy to install and looks exceptional in the dash.
Pros: Easy to install. Clear instructions.
Cons: Steering wheel controls are a bit difficult to wire and configure.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Very Nice Deck
Crutchfield customer from Marshalltown, IA on 6/4/2020
2012 Ford F-150 Lariat
Very pleased with the sound quality of the DDX396. Wasn't much to install, the Maestro kit was a pain and still is, but no fault to the stereo itself. A lot of adjustability, and really took a week to get it dialed in to pure satisfaction! Have had no issues with screen viewing in any type of light.
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3 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Glendale, AZ on 5/31/2020
2016 Chevrolet Colorado
I installed this into my fathers truck. He's 60+. He finds that it's easy to use and user friendly. He likes the large screen and the CD player. He's is old so the CD player is a plus for him. The install was easy. And I've always liked Kenwood stereos.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Grand Junction, CO on 5/28/2020
2008 Chrysler Town and Country
Incredible improvement over the factory stereo. I love the equalizer and custom settings. With the Maestro, I can see my vehicle info, tire pressure and gauges on my receiver.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Atlanta, GA on 5/28/2020
2007 Dodge Ram 1500
0 of 0 found this helpful
Great!!!
Darrell from El Paso, TX on 5/26/2020
Awesome stereo. It comes with many features and abilities not expected.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Satellite Bch, FL on 5/25/2020
0 of 0 found this helpful
Installation Notes 2005 Gen4 4RUNNER
Jonathan from KNOXVILLE, TN on 5/24/2020
2005 Toyota 4Runner
I just completed the installation. YouTube has some videos on the disassembly of the dash which helped a lot. Don't disconnect the airbag/A/C harness unless the power is off. I read that and I only disconnected it with the power off. Update the firmware via USB from the Kenwood site. Use the stock brackets from the stock radio. Use the Metra brackets 95-8202. Place them at the top of the radio on top of the stock brackets. This will ensure the trim will fit on the left and right of the opening. I could only match one hole to get them on. It's a tight fit, but I didn't need to cut them to get the radio in. Don't use the sleeve supplied with radio. Don't use the trim bracket supplied with the unit. The unit only has one antenna connection. Use the power antenna wire and the blue/white spliced together. The wiring harness was was Metra 70-1761.
Pros: Easy install. Inexpensive.
Cons: Nothing yet.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Bend, OR on 5/21/2020
2006 Volvo V70
Comparing this to a 15 year old Volvo HU-850, but unit is awesome.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Portland, OR on 5/19/2020
2008 Kia Spectra5
Fairly easy to install with the crux adapter. Fits well i enjoy the physical volume knob but with the install bracket its a little close to the edge for easy operation. Easy set up for satellite radio sofar does everything as advertised.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Wimauma, FL on 5/19/2020
2017 Nissan Sentra
Easy to install well worth the money
Pros: Affordable, easy install, good design
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Reinbeck, IA on 5/19/2020
2008 Chevrolet Impala
I really like how customisable the sounds is on this receiver and I like the blue tooth much more than my old head unit. The volume knob is my only complaint. I really wanted a head unit with a knob but the knob is really hard to grip since it's plastic ( my old Blaupunkt had rubber around the edge and stuck out further). And it doesn't stick far enough past the face adapter.
Pros: Great sound. Bluetooth is much better than my old unit.
Cons: Cheap, small hard to grip knob
0 of 0 found this helpful
Solid Unit for my vehicle that was a near perfect factory fit!
Crutchfield customer from Lenoir City, TN on 5/17/2020
2000 Toyota Tacoma
For the sale price, its a good Head Unit. Mine was a seamless install in my 2000 Tacoma! For a rookie audio installer I was, the Crutchfield harness was just color to color for 9 wires, I soldered mine and then heat shrunk them and they are solid connected. The unit took my old OEM brackets and transferred over easily and the unit fit almost like factory!
Pros: Has everything you need in todays car audio world to include adding a back up camera! Love the color choices for lights. Easy Install Has any music service app already in the unit, just pay your fee and listen up!
Cons: No remote which i didn't think I needed but it would have been cool to add to the steering wheel as well.
0 of 0 found this helpful
Bargain
Crutchfield customer from Anderson, IN on 5/17/2020
2006 Buick Lucerne
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
rafael from CAROLINA, PR on 5/11/2020
2005 Nissan 350Z
Good sound
Pros: Lots of feature for the money is the best deal
Cons: None for now
0 of 1 found this helpful
Ford lowest bidder Sync system.
Crutchfield customer from Chassell, MI on 5/6/2020
Replaced factory Ford radio w/Sync in 2016 F450 do to failure of Sync module and expense of new module. As suggested by Paul, almost all features of old radio were available in Kenwood DDX396. Most functions transferred to steering wheel control although some buttons work differently in conjunction with new radio.
Pros: Easy to operate. Aesthetically pleasing.
Cons: Removal of factory radio not as easy as stated. Instructions didn't take into account almost all F450's come with factory brake controller. Difficult to remove to access 3rd and 4th screw holding radio panel on.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Youngstown, FL on 5/3/2020
2011 Nissan Titan
Works and looks amazing on my 2011 Titan. I am impressed with the functionality for the price.
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Caldwell, ID on 5/1/2020
2020 Subaru WRX
i like kenwood gear. the microphone didnt work the tech support told me to give it a good push on the plug, it fixed that. good support
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Matawan, NJ on 4/30/2020
2006 Dodge Ram 3500
Everything I need in a head unit great price
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Excellent head unit!
Crutchfield customer from Mechanicsburg, PA on 4/26/2020
2007 Hyundai Santa Fe
Installed this in my 2007 Hyundai Santa Fe - it fit perfectly with the free wire harness/trim piece that Crutchfield provided. This head unit does everything I wanted and more; the sound sculpting/EQ shapes the music to my liking, and the 5V pre-outs give clean signal to my amp. Touch screen is super-responsive and bright, with lots of customizable display options (I put some of my own pics/images on a USB drive and made them my background image). I also like how I can select what icons I want on the home screen, so I can remove icons I don't use and keep the ones I want. All in all, I'm very happy with this purchase!
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2 of 2 found this helpful
So so ...
Crutchfield customer from Niagara Falls, NY on 4/17/2020
Seems like too many screens needed for what it does. Also, the speaker for the phone option is hit and miss, as well as the backup camera. The initial stereo system functions that came with the car (which we were told were "basic") worked better than this one. You're pretty much right on top of the object behind you before any warning occurs.
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Kissimmee, FL on 4/13/2020
2001 Honda Accord
Worked great? Clear image. Easy setup. Great value!
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0 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Grand Junction, CO on 4/13/2020
1998 Jeep Cherokee
Awesome radio for the price, love how fast it connects to my phone and starts playing music.
Pros: Plays bluetooth music without touching play
Cons:
2 of 3 found this helpful
My review
Crutchfield customer from Yauco, PR on 4/9/2020
1998 Jeep Cherokee
Se ve perfecto y le da un toque moderno a mi jeep xj. Sonido perfecto. I'm in love with my new stereo! It's looks perfect and sounds awesome!
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3 of 7 found this helpful
Skeptic No More
Crutchfield customer from Harrodsburg, KY on 3/31/2020
I had been very skeptical due to my challenges with the Fender Sound System in my Passat. However, I have been very impressed with the Excelon DDX396 so far. It is user friendly and has great sound quality. Other than some accessories being on back order there have been no issues. Crutchfield staff has been great to work with and they have been very responsive to my needs. Highly recommend using Crutchfield!
Pros: Sound Quality Easy of use Crutchfield Staff
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Love it I always been a Kenwood fan.
Crutchfield customer from Bothell, WA on 3/29/2020
Great Product easy to use. Lot's of features
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0 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Andres from San Juan, PR on 3/23/2020
2003 Toyota Corolla
El radio tiene mas features de los que buscaba. Compre el producto como scratch and dent. Cuando lo abrí estaba literalmente nuevo y me ahorre bastante dinero. El radio lo monte yo mismo siguiendo las intrucciones y lo que no sabia lo busque en youtube. Es un upgrade al radio de fabrica que tenia mi corolla 2003. En sonido estoy mas que satisfecho. Este radio lo combine con bocinas kickers que compre con Crutchfield. Las llamadas que recibo se escuchan bien que era lo mas que me interesaba y tener spotify para poder oir canciones de mi preferencia. The radio has not features than what I was expecting. I bought this unit scratch and dent. It was literally new and I saved a lot of money. I mounted the radio myself with the instructions supplied and had some help via YouTube. It is a great upgrade from the factory radio in my 2003. I combined this radio from some Kicker speakers that I got from Crutchfield. Call quality is perfect which is what I was most concerned about. I also like to have Spotify to listen to my favorite music.
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2 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Bakersfield, CA on 3/19/2020
2003 Chevrolet Tahoe
Love my new system. Love Crutchfield. They are above any customer services i have ever delt with. They are awesome. I buy anything i will look for it at crutchfield first. I don't do revues although I do read a lot of them. I am an exception because I believe in what you guys are about.
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0 of 1 found this helpful
I like it
Robert from Salisbury, NC on 3/17/2020
2005 Lexus LS430
Bought this to replace a sony that came with the truck. I read some of the negative reviews and these are my thoughts on those comments. Complaint #1 - Screen not bright enough,..hmmm I've had no problems with mine. There is an adjustment in 5 degree increments up to 20 degrees to account for possible glare. Mine is fine. #2 - volume knob too close to edge or not big enough? The sony I replaced had exactly the same style, besides, I purchased the optional remote so the knob becomes a non-issue. #3 - lag time on touch screen, definitely there but not a deal breaker. Other thoughts, in the past, the kenwoods I have had allowed me to listen to mp3 files using the music light software in alphabetical order by song title. Unless I'm missing something, it's not available on this model. I give it 4 stars overall based on value and I from an older generation where the mantra was " If not completely satisfied, welcome to the real world, deal with it"
Pros: Price and most of the available features
Cons: mp3 file selection
10 of 11 found this helpful
Mike C. 2013 Ram
Crutchfield customer from Laurel, MD on 3/16/2020
2013 Ram 1500
This is the second unit ive gotten from Kenwood and just love it. It woke up my stock systems amp and I love Crutchfields customer service. Great job guys !!!
Pros: Everything.
Cons: None
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Three Rivers, MI on 3/15/2020
2006 Toyota Highlander
Super easy to install. I never read directions unless I have to. So ...I had to work my way through some how to's. Sound is amazing. Just being able to play CDs again is worth it. So much flexibility. I was going to install backup camera but decided to wait. Pulling the unit out and adding later won't be an issue. Absolutely love it. I recommend this unit to all.
Pros: Everything
Cons: You have to modify the plastic mounting parts provided. Cut a V out with side cutters and your good to go
3 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Richland, WA on 3/15/2020
2006 Pontiac Grand Prix
This stereo is great and it comes at a resonable price
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Savannah, GA on 3/10/2020
2014 Nissan Frontier SV
0 of 2 found this helpful
Great Radio!
Crutchfield customer from Calhan, CO on 3/9/2020
2012 Ford F-150 FX4
Love the radio. It has more features than anything I've had before. Some complaints about visibility in bright light, but I'm not having that issue. It's reasonably bright all the time and I have no trouble with it. Getting the installation kit with it, made the install so very nice. I put it in a 2012 F150. The OEM system sucked so this is a nice change.
Pros: Cost, nice features
Cons: No separate front camera input.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Newton, KS on 3/8/2020
2013 Subaru Impreza WRX
0 of 1 found this helpful
Feature-filled but SLOW
Chip from RINGGOLD, GA on 3/5/2020
2006 Honda Ridgeline
The processor must be a slow one for this unit because when the vehicle starts, it takes a good 10 seconds or more for the radio to "boot up" (I can't believe I'm actually including the words 'boot up' and 'radio' in the same sentence) and begin producing sound. The factory radio was almost immediate in its turnaround from receiving power to producing sound. If it's Bluetooth audio you want right away, you will wait even longer. I have an iPhone 8 - (not new, but not old either). If the radio is set to "BT Audio" when I start the vehicle, it takes upwards of 20-30 seconds for the sound to begin coming through the speakers...and it's not due to cell towers; It makes no difference if the phone is using its own memory or using data via cell towers - it's SLOW! Perhaps my expectations are too high? Perhaps I'm old fashioned? I thought I was upgrading to a better head unit, and in many ways I did; but this delay between initializing and actually producing sound was unexpected and not a fun discovery. The unit's interface is decent but I find myself wanting to always see all options of media instead of just a couple. Yes, you can touch the little icon to expand options but I have to expand it every single time - another annoyance I'll have to overcome. I enjoy having a physical knob to turn for volume and this unit provides it. However, the knob is located so close to the side, you may experience difficulty using it if the radio is mounted deep in the dash.
Pros: Works with siri Has Bluetooth Streams music via Bluetooth Compatible with optional steering wheel controller Packed with features
Cons: Slow - takes after far too long to boot up User interface seems inefficient and clumsy (compared to iOS)
6 of 6 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Springfield, MO on 3/2/2020
2004 Ford Mustang
work good easy to install just wish it had a little more options for the main screen colors other wise no complaints
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0 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Macclenny, FL on 3/1/2020
2006 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Love my stereo. Fit great , easy hook up and sounds wonderful.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Great buy and has high end features love iy
Anthony from Hopkinsville on 2/28/2020
2003 GMC Yukon XL
I bought this receiver with the kit they recommend and also the precrimped harness. I installed in an 03 yukon and WHAT AN UPGRADE . this thing has pretty much everything you could want . Way more power over stock radio . Equalizer is great so much tunablity now . Screen has pretty good pic considering screen size. This radio will do way more stuff than I know what to do with. but spending as much seat time as i do i wanted a good radio and bluetooth . I had a dual before and there is just no comparing the 2. whatever another radio does seems like this one just simply does it better .
Pros: Audiophile quality . Excellent equalizer. Seems well made. Well layed out.
Cons: None noticed so far
3 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Seminole, FL on 2/17/2020
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Camas, WA on 2/13/2020
I've bought my whole set up besides amps from Crutchfield and I've never been disappointed they are the best place for car audio and have the best prices
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1 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Corona, CA on 2/3/2020
1 of 1 found this helpful
Good product
Courtney from FORREST CITY, AR on 1/26/2020
2001 Toyota Sequoia
As always kenwood is top on the line sound quality. I got this head unit installed last week and it sounds amazing. Some functions are a little slow but over all everything works perfectly and I am satisfied. The hands free functions work perfectly I don't have any back feed from the mic and everyone has said they can hear me clear as a bell on the other end.
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3 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Pearl, MS on 1/23/2020
For a entry Excelon Receiver it has a ton of features and a lot of sound adjustments, enough for me anyway. I compared several different brands and was satisfied this unit was for me, plus the price was a factor also.
Pros: Lots of options and adjustments. Easy to navigate the menu and set up.
Cons: This is not a con on Kenwood but on the FLIMSY PLASTIC MOUNTING BRACKETS Crutchfield includes for the installation of your new Receiver! Tried the plastic ones they were so flimsy the receiver WOBBLED like it was on a bed of JELLO so i Trashed them and used the stock ones off my factory radio and no more WOBBLE, they worked Great. Supply better QUALITY BRACKETS.
6 of 6 found this helpful
Kenwood DDX396
Nate from Rockwall, TX on 1/15/2020
2003 Infiniti G35
Great head unit and price point for my application! Kenwood always exceeds expectations, easy to navigate thru menus and super easy installation thanks to the team at Cructhfield!
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Nate from Pine Bluff, AR on 1/12/2020
2011 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Great HU with lots of options for expanding your system. Some of the touch screen controls have a bit of lag, but if you're concerned with sound quality you won't mind. I find the Kenwood units sound warmer than Alpine, and much clearer than Pioneer. The volume increase doubled over the stock HU in a 2011 Silverado, and the sound was noticably improved. Hopefully I'll be able to replace the factory speakers before they blow apart!
Pros: Great sound quality and expandability - it's on sale.
Cons: Nothing major.
2 of 2 found this helpful
The miller report
Crutchfield customer from Smyrna, TN on 1/9/2020
2002 Ford F-250 Super Duty
Real easy setup connects easily to your phone. Install was easy(2002 f250 crewcab)
Pros: Touch screen is very responsive!
Cons: Can't think of any for the radio but the dash kit for my vehicle made the volume knob in a weird location. If someone has the same dash kit for their truck like mine I'd suggest a radio with volume buttons not a knob.
2 of 2 found this helpful
Great value
Crutchfield customer from Oakwood, IL on 1/6/2020
2006 Honda Ridgeline
Nice little in dash, the response to screen inputs is a bit lagging but it doesn't take long to adapt.
Pros: Easy install / operation
Cons: Delayed reaction to inputs. (minor annoyance)
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Frank from Bradenton, FL on 1/1/2020
2017 Ford F-150 XL
Good HU with built-in EQ to tailor the sound to your liking. Screen is not very bright, even at max brightness. I have this installed in a convertible, and it's practically not visible in the daylight, with polarized sunglasses on. Glare is an issue. If I would have known it was this bad, I may have chosen a different HU. I have my wife and my phone both connected to it via Bluetooth, and it doesn't always continue to play the music that it was last playing from. Sometimes have to go in and change the active device after the fact. Also, it takes a bit to get connected to the phone and start playing music.
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Cons: Screen brightness Slow bluetooth reconnect time
2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Manorville, NY on 12/29/2019
2006 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500
Volume knob feels a little flimsy but not bad
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Yorktown Hts, NY on 12/26/2019
Great deck had many in past goes great with my jl amps!
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Fantastic HU for the price!
Crutchfield customer from SAN ANTONIO, TX on 12/22/2019
2008 Jaguar X-Type
Fantastic HU for the price! Purchased this unit and 4 JBL 621F speakers to replace the entertainment system in my 2007 Jaguar X-Type. The DDX396 is extremely customizable to suit your taste and wants in terms of menus, background display, and color of button illumination. When shopping for a HU I knew that I wanted to be able to change the color of the buttons to match my dash lighting, I wanted RDS (Text displaying radio station name, the name of the song and artist). I spent a lot of time studying the owner's manual learning the functions and tuning the unit to suit my preferences before I installed it in the Jag. Sound quality is superb! after adjusting EQ settings and sound enhancing features the 12-year old factory Jaguar speakers sound great Time to actually install it. The Kenwood came as a package deal with everything need to install, I opted for Crutchfield's ReadyHarness service and the quality of the splicing is excellent! Pure "PnP" and well worth the extra money. 'Into each life some rain must fall'... The DDX396 will NOT fit the Jaguar X-Type.. After 3-4 hours of loosening screws, repositioning the brackets, the Jaguar climate control unit, and factory wiring bundles; the back of the Kenwood hits against the X-Type heater/AC matrix. I'm working with Crutchfield in returning the DDX396 and purchasing a DMX706S which is a shallow/slim mount design. Sad because I really like the DDX396.
Pros: 1. Kenwood Excelon 2. Extremely customizable to suit your taste 3. Easy to learn interface controls for the casual audiophile and advanced settings for the the hard core audio snobs
Cons: 1. Won't fit a a Jaguar X-Type. :(
0 of 0 found this helpful
2005 GMC Sierra 1500 crew cab
Crutchfield customer from Orlando, FL on 12/17/2019
2005 GMC Sierra 1500
Love the radio! So much control in audio adjustment. I've been running live sound for 20+ years, so I was pleasantly surprised when I started going through the menus. I was able to set it up without going through the manual, but plan on reading it to see what I might be missing out on. I've installed car stereo equipment in other vehicles less the radio in the past, so I was impressed by the sound difference of this radio with the factory Bose speakers. Bluetooth seems a little tricky switching from my headset to the radio... still playing with that. Takes a little time for the radio to boot up and connect, but that doesn't bother me much coming from factory radio without it. I was able to install everything without cutting out the factory support frame in the back, but it was a pain and took time to get it to fit in just right... I'm stubborn that way.
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Awesome
Crutchfield customer from Crofton, MD on 12/16/2019
2008 Ford Explorer
Easy to use. Great picture. Powerful. Sounds amazing. Tons of setting to fine tune.
Pros: Everything
Cons: None
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Slidell, LA on 12/15/2019
For the price, its definitely a solid performer. Display is crisp as well. I'd recommend this head unit for sure
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1 of 1 found this helpful
Excelente stereo
Crutchfield customer from Las Piedras, PR on 12/15/2019
Excelente stereo y calidad de sonido, la pantalla táctil funciona bien ycalidad imagen buenas.
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Scott from Feasterville Trevose , PA on 12/15/2019
2004 Toyota Corolla
Great dvd/Bluetooth receiver w add watts for a mid level receiver. Solid sound and crisp display
Pros: Great value
Cons: KENWOOD remote app never has worked with this receiver
0 of 0 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Attica, MI on 12/14/2019
0 of 0 found this helpful
Good buy
Armando Serrano from Chicago,IL. on 12/8/2019
2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
Just made this purchase for my 08 Trailblazer SS. Just going to start off by saying, this is a great radio and reputable brand! Highly recommend it. The display is so up to date and a little futuristic for the price (Black Friday deal). Has all the apps and compatibilities that you would want, for a GREAT price. Only reason why it doesn't get the 5 stars is because of the lag on the screen.
Pros: Great display. Awesome up to date features and compatibilitie.
Cons: The system is a little "laggy".
1 of 1 found this helpful
The best
Crutchfield customer from Waverly, VA on 12/4/2019
2013 GMC Sierra
Awesome head unit with an amazing price.The customer service department are the best i have ever experienced
Pros: Great product, simple instructions and great features
Cons: Wish the head unit would fit more flush
0 of 0 found this helpful
Great radio
Crutchfield customer from West Haven, UT on 11/24/2019
2004 Ford Expedition
0 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood is not what it used to be!
jesse from Bedford, VA on 11/23/2019
2007 Ford Mustang
You know I have dealt with Kenwood for over 35 years and back in the day when you owned a Kenwood you had top of the line equipment but not today.I just purchased the Excelon DDX396and installed it in my car initial impression was ok but on the second day the stereo shuts completely down 3 seperate times.after this i started noticeing that at times it is failing to send a signal to the subs at all,it is constantly freezing up and extremely sluggish about taking any command or prompt as to changing from one format to the other.It is sad to say as long as I have been a believer in Kenwood and stood by them and recommended them to other people this will be my last Kenwood purchase.Their product is no longer top of the line in my opinion it is only mediocker and falls into the catagory with the lower end electronics.
Pros: I really dont see anything that seperates it at all from way lower end stereos that are way cheaper.
Cons: very poor quality ....what happened with the old Kenwood company this is sad to have to post.
11 of 15 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Beech Island, SC on 11/20/2019
2008 Ford F-350
Good sound quality but a a slight lag time in button response. Back up camera has a black warning box pop up when camera is in use that obstructs screen view. Sometimes I cant get Pandora radio to open.
Pros: Good sound quality
Cons: Button response lag.
2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from San Antonio, TX on 11/20/2019
2007 Nissan Xterra
No problems at all easy install clear sound
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0 of 0 found this helpful
Save your money
Fred from Memphis, TN on 11/13/2019
I've been a Kenwood fan and owner since the early 90's, but this DDX396 may be my last Kenwood purchase. I have connection issues just like many other reviewers. The most annoying is that when the radio does decide to connect, it starts playing from my phone play list EVERY TIME! I can finish a call and my phone play list begins to play (even if I previously was listening to a different source). Listening to the radio is futile as my phone playlist interrupts after 20 min or so when the phone decides to connect. Selecting the radio again will give me a few more min of listening til the phone disconnects and reconnects and... yes the phone playlist begins to play again. The unit does sound great as most Kenwoods do, but I'm discontinuing use of any Bluetooth for my own sanity. The unit is also quite slow all around. If you're looking for a great sounding head unit to just play the radio, this may be the unit for you. If you're interested in any features at all, go for a higher end or different unit than this one.
Pros: It sounds like a Kenwood.
Cons: Bug Rich Feature Free it's slow
6 of 8 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Sherman, TX on 10/28/2019
2005 Dodge Ram 2500
Having a problem syncing phone book and the radio continues to loose connection with the phone
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Meridian, ID on 10/27/2019
KENWOOD is great! Install in my KIA van... not so much. The install kit is recessed so am unable to easily adjust volume knob. Thinking I'll exchange for radio without knob. Otherwise great product.
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0 of 2 found this helpful
Amazing sound for amazing price
Crutchfield customer from Saint George, UT on 10/22/2019
2005 Toyota Highlander
So far so good! I bought this for my 2005 Toyota Highlander, and it is amazing. I would recommend 100%
Pros:
Cons: none yet
1 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Madison, MS on 10/17/2019
2004 Dodge Ram 1500
Easy install. New unit seems to be working as expected.
Pros: Easy install. Sounds great.
Cons: Picked this unit mainly because it has a volume knob. Volume knob seems a little flimsy. Working fine as of right now.
2 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Lancaster, TX on 10/16/2019
I don't have any complaints at the moment. working fine with my fosgate setup. Looks great in my dash
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0 of 1 found this helpful
DDX396 Upgrade
Crutchfield customer from Edgewater, MD on 10/16/2019
2004 Ford F-150
I had a previous version of the Double Din for my Ford. I am really glad I upgraded. This version is much easier to navigate between sources. It is easier to read and the touch screen works very well. The quality of sound and range of frequency is more than adequate for a vehicle. I am very pleased.
Pros: Much easier to navigate
Cons:
2 of 3 found this helpful
Great Company!!!
Crutchfield customer from Gloversville, NY on 10/14/2019
2004 Dodge Ram 1500
The company and Products are awesome! This company and the people that work there really care about the end Product.
Pros: OE Look, Easy to follow directions, A company that knows how to follow up
Cons: I didn't use this company sooner
2 of 3 found this helpful
Perfect
Crutchfield customer from Lancing, TN on 10/10/2019
2005 Ford Mustang
Love this thing...has a ton of options more than I need but all that I want.Startup is a little slow menus can be just a hair laggy but that's all I can come up with on the downside.Provided cheat sheets and adapters made this a breeze to install.Ive seen a few saying it has a recessed knob but I cant tell that at all.
Pros: All the options I could ask for.Looks great.led backlight options.Upload you're own backgrounds.Crossovers EQ just settings galore.
Cons: A little slow on startup.Justta tiny bit laggy on menu swap.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Wilmington
Jason from Wilmington on 10/3/2019
2016 Jeep Patriot
Upon the initial purchase everything worked perfect, after a month or so the head unit would drop the Bluetooth connection, even during the phone calls. Crutchfield tech shipped out another same unit, it did work for a month or less and the same issue came up again. Tech support was awesome as usual and suggested that the app version was old. I updated the version through the link provided by support, now all it will do is Bluetooth the music and never connect with Bluetooth for phone calls. Support will be sending out a 2nd replacement this week and I hope I can come back and change the rating and review for this product. We or I have reset the phone , ( i have even wiped the phone ) undated firmware and multiple resets on the head unit itself. 3rd time is the charm right? Support and sales have been nothing but awesome but that's how its always been with Crutchfield for the past 20 years for me.
Pros: Great prices, tons of features,pretty simple set up even with the Maestro ad-dons.
Cons: Bluetooth for the phone call connection failed on two brand new units.
6 of 7 found this helpful
Perfect purchase
Crutchfield customer from Arlington, TX on 10/1/2019
2012 Volkswagen GTI
Outstanding starting line product for Excelon series. Has all the options i want and the crutchfield price was right for the purchase. Professional installation with no problems. no extras required using all Crutchfield supplied parts.
Pros: Equalizer and USB connection the time delay adjustment is a wonderful plus also installed a rear view camera as the cherry on top of this audio cake.
Cons: None
2 of 3 found this helpful
Bklyn
Joseph from Bklyn on 9/23/2019
had my radio installed today Great Sound excellent microphone sound went walking on your phone radio has so many options well worth the money.
Pros: The best
Cons: None
2 of 5 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Coeur D Alene, ID on 9/22/2019
2005 Toyota Tundra
Nice deck, makes the factory JBLs come to life!
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0 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Findlay, OH on 9/19/2019
1999 Cadillac Escalade
1 of 4 found this helpful
las vegas
thomas from las vegas on 9/16/2019
2005 Ford F-150
Everything was included in my order, to replace stock radio in my truck. The techs at Crutchfield know their business. My questions were answered accurately. Great sound, and looks awesome in my truck.
Pros: Perfect fit, and the sound is great. Nice to have so many settings and setup choices. Even choose the lighting colors to match your interior!
Cons: A few extra mounting pieces were included in the box, but didn't know that right away.
2 of 4 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Englewood, OH on 9/8/2019
1998 Jeep Wrangler
The Kenwood Excelon DDX396 is a fantastic upgrade to my 98 Jeep TJ! It has a ton of features, including a backup camera. After installing this head unit, it improved the overall sound of my system! Great product with great support from Crutchfield.
Pros: Bluetooth is flawless, sound quality is fantastic, the EQ and ability to set crossover points is great, you can add your own wallpapers, tons of features.
Cons: I wish it could store more than 1 wallpaper at a time.
1 of 1 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from California City, CA on 9/8/2019
2010 Toyota Tacoma
1 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Smithfield, VA on 9/6/2019
Excellent product and instructions was very clear and operation is excellent!
Pros: I solderes all wiring connections and was very easy to install!!
Cons: NONE
0 of 3 found this helpful
Perfect
Crutchfield customer from Coalinga, CA on 9/3/2019
Excellent product. Sound is great and set up was easy.
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0 of 2 found this helpful
Overall very pleased
Crutchfield customer from Madison, WI on 9/1/2019
2006 Pontiac GTO
Bought this for a 2006 Pontiac GTO. Overall it is very good replacement radio with decent options. Sound quality is a nice improvement over OEM, the 13 band equalizer and settings make it easy to dial in Only negative observations are the lag when using the touch screen and the inability to select other display layouts when playing music
Pros: Good options for price point
Cons: Touchscreen lag. Multiple display views would be nice
3 of 3 found this helpful
Great Radio Except for the Volume Knob
Sam from Cottage Grove, OR on 8/26/2019
2009 Toyota Tacoma
I like everything about this radio except for the volume knob. And it's a fairly big problem or I would have given it 5 stars. The knob is very small and more importantly recessed in the dash kit to where it is hard to use. I would get the rocker style buttons if I could do it over again, which is available. If you have big hands and a Toyota Tacoma 09 to 15 I would not buy this radio with the knob.
Pros:
Cons: Small recessed volume knob
4 of 4 found this helpful
Simple with Many Features
Nicholas from Mount Calvary, WI on 8/25/2019
2008 Chevrolet Silverado
Radio is installed in a 2008 Silverado 2500 regular cab pickup, along with an Audiovox ACA800 backup camera, Kenwood KFC-1665S speakers in the front door, and Polk DB+DB462 speakers behind the seat. The radio does a great job with sound, and the many adjustable options allow you to fine tune exactly how and where you want sound. The display is very responsive, although a bit difficult to see in sunlight, even with adjustments to the viewing angle. I believe in my truck if it could adjust to 30 degrees, it would be perfect. Reverse camera image is clear. It switches to different sources quickly, pairs and functions with my Galaxy Note 8 excellent, and connects and functions with my iPod classic via USB just as good. The main reason I went with this radio was because of the volume knob, however when installed half is almost behind the dash. That said, it is still usable and does well. Overall for under $300 dollars, this radio offers just about everything, with the exceptions of built in navigation.
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2 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Beltsville, MD on 8/21/2019
2009 Ford F-250 Super Duty
Love the radio. Simple installation and is very user friendly.
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0 of 1 found this helpful
sounds good
Crutchfield customer from Floral Park, NY on 8/20/2019
2011 Buick Enclave
works pretty good sound alot better than previous radio
Pros:
Cons: you have to hit button on radio to use voice recognition
1 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Lk Havasu Cty, AZ on 8/19/2019
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Quality tuner, touch screen works flawless, very nice radio for the money
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1 of 3 found this helpful
Great stereo gave new life to old truck
Crutchfield customer from Mcminnville, OR on 8/14/2019
2010 Toyota RAV4
Great stereo. Has tons of opetions. I install in a Rav 4 with the factory JBL system and it make it come alive. IT's never sounded so good.
Pros: Sound quality, options, easy to use
Cons:
1 of 4 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Yonkers, NY on 8/13/2019
2004 GMC Sierra 1500
Great radio for the price. Would definitely recommend this unit.
Pros:
Cons:
1 of 3 found this helpful
Do yourself a favor and buy something else
WIllie from Lake Jackson, TX on 8/11/2019
2011 Chevrolet Tahoe
Not too happy with this unit. I've only had it installed for about 3 days and the Bluetooth connectivity is absolute garbage. 95% of the time it won't connect. Bluetooth music streaming is the main reason I purchased this unit. The only reason I gave this two stars if because of Nemo my customer service rep was awesome. May be returning this Kenwood for something else
Pros: Fit and finish are great. Crutchfield's Ready Harness program was a big help.
Cons: Bluetooth doesn't work most of the time.
10 of 12 found this helpful
Stock Replacement
Charles from Headland on 8/10/2019
2013 Toyota Tacoma
Crutchield recommended the DDX396 for my needs. Boy, did they get it right. The system, and accessories to include trim and harnesses came and worked as promised for my 2013 Toyota Tacoma. Great install directions, no trimming needed. Great job and thank you. Did all work myself.
Pros: Perfect Fit, sounds better than stock.
Cons: None yet, wonder why!
1 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Brooklyn, NY on 8/6/2019
2001 Subaru Outback
It's very functional and easy to use. Does everything I want it to!
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3 of 5 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Sidney, MT on 7/22/2019
Everything seems to be working fine so far just installed it this weekend
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1 of 5 found this helpful
Nice
Crutchfield customer from Tuscaloosa, AL on 7/21/2019
2006 Lexus GX470
Nice radio... a lot better than factory. I do get the daytime glare, but possible because of a lock of visor trim to block the light. It does drop the Bluetooth too often.... while my phone is mounted next to it. I would probably return for that reason, but the installation is done. I don't want to risk tearing up my trim...
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3 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Red Oak, TX on 7/21/2019
2016 Toyota Tacoma
Great working head unit with a lot of options.
Pros: Android auto, spotify controls, cm capabilities.
Cons: None
4 of 7 found this helpful
why i didnt do this sooner?
Crutchfield customer from Jordan, MT on 7/19/2019
love the head unit, 4 stars because hard to see screen if sun is behind you. I paid the extra to have vehicle harness pre wired, Well worth it. 4 screws and 2 clips and done.
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6 of 7 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Round Rock, TX on 7/15/2019
2004 Ford F-150
The Kenwood DDX-396 is everything it is advertised to be! With a little help from Crutchfield tech department the install was easy!
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5 of 6 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Coatesville, PA on 7/14/2019
2013 Toyota 4Runner
Install was very easy took less than an hour Sound quality is great And retained all the factory features which was very important to me,steering wheel control USB/AUX port
Pros: Easy install Retain factory controls Great sound/features without breaking the bank
Cons: Haven't found any yet...really Very happy
6 of 6 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Enid, OK on 7/10/2019
2007 Pontiac Grand Prix
The player works great and was easy to install. My support helped out greatly and was very knowledgeable about it.
Pros: Easy to install
Cons: None
1 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Spring Creek, NV on 7/7/2019
2009 Dodge Ram 2500
Great product has a lot of options you can use and control and a great video and picture resolution.
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1 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Greenbelt, MD on 7/5/2019
works ok. Nothing to write home about. It's a nice radio.
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1 of 6 found this helpful
Sounds great, incredible unreliable.
Corie from Fairborn, OH on 7/3/2019
2019 Honda Accord Sport
I bought this receiver a few months ago. The installation was cake, it looked great and sounded even better. Fast forward a few days after installation and it starts to freeze and hang up and not respond until I've cycled vehicle power and forcibly turned the radio off. It has continued to do this for whatever reason. Come to think of it, ALL of my Kenwood head units have done the same thing, with the extra feature that this one doesn't have a detachable faceplate to lose connection while pressing a button under normal use (my BT958HD did that DAILY). To top it all off, this has got to be the single slowest head unit I've ever used, browsing through USB is like using an Alpine with an early iPod connection. I had a rough day at work and was cranking some tunes in my car, a 2018 Civic sport hatchback. I put Infinity speakers in it so it sounds pretty good for not having a sub or external amplification. I'm cruising along and the radio just shuts off. I press the power button and lo and behold, it's decided to give itself a factory reset. Given my rough day, I punched the unit and of course shattered the screen. TL;DR. Finally decided that Kenwood has let me down FAR too many times and the replacement cost of the LCD and touch digitizer for this unit comes to $30 shy (before shipping) of what I paid for the whole thing, NEW. It was great but now it's Sony time. You couldn't pay me to choose Kenwood anymore.
Pros: Sound quality, looks.
Cons: INCREDIBLY slow, extremely unreliable, UI freezes up constantly, glossy plastic is a dust magnet, poor quality parts.
10 of 11 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Paso Robles, CA on 6/28/2019
2012 Ram 1500
Cannot see the display during daylight. Too much glare. I will be researching for an anti glare film I can apply to see if it works. Not sure with touch screen. I had better reception from my stock radio.
Pros: Very user friendly when I can see the display. Works great with aftermarket rear camera.
Cons: Glare of screen
5 of 9 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Mcconnelsville, OH on 6/25/2019
2015 Chevrolet Sonic
Don't have much of a thought. Played with it a little, nice radio.
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Cons: Tim Sanders
1 of 8 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from North Augusta, SC on 6/24/2019
2013 Toyota FJ Cruiser
Overall it's a good unit, just wish it would fit better.
Pros: Quick connection to spotify, easy operation
Cons: Fitment, lack of customizing button color
0 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Jeffrey from Baltimore, MD on 6/20/2019
2013 Toyota Camry
Great stereo overall. Excellent sound, running to an Alpine KTP-445u and six Kicker speakers in a 2013 Camry Hybrid. Tons of customization options. Volume dial (duh). Shout out to Crutchfield for awesome service. Readyharness is SUCH a lifrsaver and keeps me loyal by itself, but the tech support I got on this one was 2nd to none. I can tell you guys love what you're doing.
Pros: Excellent sound customization options 5(?)v pre-outs (it's listed as 5v here but I thought all excelon are at 4v). Connects directly idata Maestro. Overall tremendous value. I've spent all week tweaking various settings and getting lost in sound customization options. It's almost a road hazard to operate, there's so much to tweak.
Cons: Laggy menus. Sometimes bluetooth playback will cut out when you do other stuff in the menus. Clearly the CPUs in these things were leftovers from 2013. Also laggy input from the steering wheel controls, although that could be the Maestro's fault because the volume knob is instantaneous.
5 of 5 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Helena, AL on 6/15/2019
2006 Toyota Tundra
Great product, very easy to install and operate. User friendly controls and great sou d quality in bluetooth phone conectivity.
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0 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood does it again with top quality and features
Crutchfield customer from Tyrone, PA on 6/13/2019
2007 GMC Sierra
I have to give Kenwood, a big thumbs up on this head unit. The install is so easy and the sleek look looks like a factory unit. The sound quality is amazing, the functionality and ease of setting up couldn't be any easier. What I love best about this is the built in equalizer. Makes any song come to life. The option to add a back up camera, video gaming system, amplifiers is the reason why I purchased this product. Everything is plug and play. The use of the microphone when you are connected via Bluetooth and talking to a stored phone contact is top notch quality, hearing through every speaker in your vehicle. My probe connects pretty quick via Bluetooth and there isn't a complaint that I have against this product. I like how you can match the colors to vehicle dash colors so it doesn't look odd. You can even upload a picture for the background if you'd like. The price of this is well worth it. So, go out there and order yourself any Kenwood product. You won't be disappointed.
Pros: Ease of control, user friendly, looks great, sound quality with adjustable equalizer, everything is perfect
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4 of 5 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Woodridge, IL on 6/10/2019
2004 Ford F-150
Fit easily into the 2004 F150 I own. I needed a good BT unit for hands free calls, but the added ability to use it for Amazon Music was a nice surprise for longer roadtrips. Easy to navigate and pair with devices. It's pretty straight forward from installation to setup of all the features. I also enjoy the touchscreen, but the "old school" me still wanted the knob for volume. Best of both worlds. It does take a few moments for the unit to turn on and become operational, but that is a minor inconvenience. I haven't noticed any BT issues at all with this unit. All calls are crystal clear and I haven't lost a call yet. My Iphone X pairs every time I get in, no issues with that either.
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3 of 4 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Charles from Albuquerque, NM on 6/6/2019
1996 Pontiac Firebird
Fits and looks great in my '96 Firebird. Installation was a piece of cake. This is what i've needed all these years to make my 10 speaker system come alive.
Pros: Customizing the display, features, sound, ease of installation.
Cons: Can't seem to get my new MP3 players to run via the USB, reading more, I'm sure it's operator headspace...
2 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Trenton, FL on 5/29/2019
2 of 4 found this helpful
Nice unit for the price
Timothy from Toledo, OH on 5/29/2019
2009 Mazda 3
Nice touch screen receiver for the price. Used to upgrade factory Mazda 3 stereo. Added lots of capability including bluetooth and the ability to run a backup camera.
Pros: nice functionality, controls and visual customization
Cons: none identified yet.
1 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Proctor, MT on 5/12/2019
2012 Jeep Wrangler Unlimited
Great head unit! Easy to use and looks good too! Thanks Crutchfield for the Excellent customer service in helping select the perfect stereo for me!
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4 of 6 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Charlotte, MI on 5/11/2019
2007 Buick Lucerne
Very nice unit with easy to use controls. I do like the volume knob on the face. It has enough power to make use of my speakers and I'm quite happy with it so far. My ipod and phone work flawlessly with it so far and the added benefit of the plug and play harness and unit to keep my steering wheel controls made the install easy and just add to the experience of dealing with Crutchfield. The only issue so far is it locked once already and I had to shut the car off and re-start it to get working again. I hope this was a one'sy but if it happens again I will be in touch with your team and am not worried about whether I will be taken care of as I know I will.
Pros: With the addition of the specific harness the install was incredibly easy for such a complicated wiring job. Especially with the addition of the idatalink to retain my steering wheel controls. Sounds awesome and does everything I need it to do.
Cons: Has locked up once requiring the car ignition to be cycled, stop and restart, in order to get it functioning again.
5 of 5 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Austell, GA on 5/4/2019
Overall it's a great head unit still learning my way around it and all it's functions love the display and that you can change the back ground color also
Pros: Very reasonable price for what it is
Cons: No remote
2 of 4 found this helpful
Amazing
Crutchfield customer from Bridgeport, IL on 5/4/2019
Absolutely love it, and as always excellent service from Crutchfield.
Pros: Everything
Cons: Nothing
1 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Templeton, CA on 4/25/2019
2006 Dodge Ram 1500
Nice unit. Still having issues with the iHeart Radio feature getting stuck in a buffering loop. While running the app on my phone and connect with BT works just fine.
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1 of 3 found this helpful
excelon DDX396
Jerry from Portland, OR on 4/19/2019
2015 Ram 1500
Had this unit installed a couple of months ago. The only "glaring" flaw I found, (and it would've been real deal killer had known about it prior to purchase) is that in bright daylight conditions, the images on the screen are invisible unless you crank your head clear over to the center of the dashboard so you are looking at it head on, taking eyes off the road. Very dangerous situation, I think. It doesn't even have to be in direct sunlight, just has to be bit bright outside. With the Kenwood name, one would presume that their engineers would've noticed this situation and selected a more appropriate non glare glass for the screen. Our other vehicles (Chrysler and Ram) have OEM units mounted in the dash and they don't have this issue. What good is the unit if it has to be a cloudy day in order to easily read the screen. Inept engineering. I would steer people away from this unit unless it's cloudy all year long in their region of the world.
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13 of 16 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Oak Creek, WI on 4/15/2019
This is a GREAT HEAD UNIT !!!
Pros: Has it all
Cons: NONE
1 of 3 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Gresham, OR on 3/31/2019
2008 Chevrolet Corvette
Went with this stereo for the physical volume knob and absolutely love it. Mainly use spotify, usb,and the radio and the Kenwood sounds great. Appreciate the fine service as usual.
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5 of 7 found this helpful
Great quality for the price.
David from Hudson, NH on 3/26/2019
2005 Nissan Frontier
I have always been a fan of Kenwood products. This deck has everything I need Bluetooth, ability to play movies for my rear screen and play my cd's that haven't been moved over to my iPods yet. I highly recommend this deck.
Pros: Bluetooth, ease of use, easy install, ability to play movies and cd's.
Cons: Haven't found one yet.
1 of 2 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Cory, IN on 1/20/2019
2004 Jeep Wrangler
Solid performance you expect from Kenwood. Seamless Spotify integration via Bluetooth without the quirky Android Auto integration issues of Kenwood's more expensive units.
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6 of 6 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Russellville, AR on 1/14/2019
2016 Ford F-250 Super Duty
Great receiver..DVD player has great clarity
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2 of 5 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
jason from Loveland, CO on 12/29/2018
2004 Ford Expedition
Great head unit to replace the factory unit in my Expedition. Sound is much better, and plenty of adjustments.
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3 of 4 found this helpful
Kenwood Excelon DDX396
Crutchfield customer from Las Vegas, NV on 11/30/2018
2016 Ford Transit Passenger
Screen is hard to see at daytime from drivers seat. Access interface did not detect my vehicle model so wiring has to be modified. Overall good head unit but not great.
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10 of 10 found this helpful
I like the analog volume control and the adjustable angle
Verne from Kalamazoo, MI on 11/28/2018
Unit has the dual phone features that I was looking for and they are easy to implement. Spotify works great and the charging function is a plus.
Pros: Bluetooth for two phones Spotify USB charging
Cons: none I know of
6 of 7 found this helpful
DDX396
Bob from Newark, DE on 11/25/2018
2004 Chevrolet Silverado 2500/3500
Great Double DIN BT unit! Much faster than older models. Love the volume knob!
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2 of 3 found this helpful
