Customer Reviews

Kenwood DMX8709S

Simple install and works just as expected. Connects to phone easily

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High hopes, Kenwood is stuck in the past

For me, this head unit did not impress. Many issues, starting with the base noise when Android Auto or Carplay was connected. Seems it has a noisy wifi system. This issue was exacerbated by the gain being turned up on my factory amp by the Maestro unit. I was able to get the noise level down by reducing gain but it was still there. I mention this because the radio I eventually ended up with had much better noise control. It's possible the Kenwood unit has better audio performance, but this was not important to me as I was connecting to my vehicles stock THX system. My goals were to add AA and update what was originally a very high end head unit. I found the Kenwood menus illogical, the graphics dated. Most looked like 8 bit icons from an old Atari. Trouble with speakerphone echo (requiring a reset of the unit to rectify), you could hear the stepping of the attenuation when muting or any time something else broke in. The final straw for me was the stupid warning message box right over top of the backup camera screen. It was dismissable but took a second to pop up. So by the time I move my head to check my surroundings, I had to pause to clear the box. After sending an exact replacement to verify the issues, Crutchfield cheerily took this unit back and I moved on to Pioneer.

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A solid choice if you aren't picky about the little things

Only went with this option as it crossed the threshold for best value and features for radios without a volume knob, which is apparently very hard to find these days from a quality brand. It works well, supports multiple cameras. Could be dimmer at night, could be brighter during the day, could have brighter buttons. Not interested in exchanging it at this time so we'll see how it does.

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Zero customizability

This is the first time in over a decade I purchased an after-market head unit. I did a bunch of research and Kenwood came highly recommended. I purchased this one expecting great things and I am extremely disappointed. The lack of customizability on a higher priced device is mind boggling. During the day the screen is not bright enough. At night it's way too bright. You can't disable ATT when in reverse (if you are using a backup cam). The interface is generally not user friendly. When clicking the volume buttons up and down it makes a weird thumping noise - not sure if this is a defect or intentional to be honest. When muting it fades the audio to silent, then fades it back in when you unmute. I just want it to cut the audio like every other mute button to ever exist. Most of these issues could easily be addressed via software. Seems like there is just no good competition so making sub-par products for after-market radios is just the standard. If this is one of the better brands I would hate to see anything else. I can't believe a company dedicated to making these devices has this amount of features and customizability lacking from a higher priced unit. I would've kicked myself for buying the more expensive Kenwood I almost went with.

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DMZ8709S GPS Antenna Must be connected, (It is!)

The receiver works well 90 percent of the time. Apple CarPlay takes longer than desired to connect and about every 10th start the unit will not recognize that the GPS antenna is attached. If the vehicle is restarted it connects and all is fine. I pulled the radio out and checked the connection. The connector was seated properly. I plugged it back in and it still has the intermittent problem. It becomes annoying because it does not pop up until I am already on the road, so I have to pull over and restart the truck to allow CarPlay and navigation to work. I am about ready to go back to Pioneer.

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Good

Works well, functions great. My only issue is that this unit does not allow for steering wheel control. The harness is set up for it but not the unit. It is uncomfortable to try to adjust volume at speed.

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Nice Upgrade

nice upgrade from base model

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Loud, sound quality, nice screen

Excellent radio, I've always been a kenwood head unit fan and this one does not disappoint! And shot out to crutchfield awesome customer service

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Great features

Love the radio for my 2012 Ford F250! Bluetooth works great and even added a reverse camera! Great install and my advisor was very helpful in the decision after I gave him my checklist! This is the reason I have been buying from Crutchfield since 96! Thanks Again

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Great media head unit.....seems like a very quality unit...fit very nice in the dash of my 2006 honda Ridgeline. Installation was very straight forward....I am a 70 year old guy, haven't installed a stereo in a car in the last 45 years. If I can do it, you can too!!!

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Nice...when it works

It's a very nice sounding unit...when it works. It goes into "initial setup" mode about every other day (sometimes multiple times a day) which erases my custom eq settings and the rear camera view sometimes works. This is the second unit i've had with the same issues... Crutchfield replaced the first one within the 60 day return window. I will be contacting them again to see what I can do to replace this one with something better and trouble-free.

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The upgrade I needed!

Awesome stereo, clean look and performs flawlessly. Big thanks to the Crutchfield team for assisting with a couple questions I had on install on a Saturday!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

So far, really good. A noticeable upgrade from the factory touch screen radio on our 2014 Mazda CX-9. Large, clear touch screen. Connects to phones quickly. Apple CarPlay is awesome.

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Updating my Tacoma

Everything I needed to update my 2008 XRunner and more. Had Crutchfield do the wiring for me which made the install truly plug and play.

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Great sound, good features

We bought this unit primarily because it had a bigger screen than our OEM unit. The original was so small that it made the backup camera almost useless. The 7-inch screen is wonderful, although it would be nice if it was a little brighter on sunny days. A big bonus was when we listened to some music. It is a HUGE improvement from the OEM unit even with the original factory speakers. We're also loving the addition of Android Auto. We now have in-dash navigation from the Google Maps installed on my phone, along with the joys of having access to the Sirius app on my phone. We're very happy with the purchase!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Meets expectations, simple enough and the apple carplay is handy.

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Overall happy

Overall, it feels like a quality unit. However, I had some initial issues with the software that made the unit reset on its own three times and I had to reset twice because I stopped connecting to Android auto and just failed. It has now been 2 weeks and I haven't had to reset it. I don't know what happened. Most of the functions are quick to respond and operate well. And I love the additional functionality of having OBD2 information on the display and climate controls. However, the climate control menu is very slow to respond and typically it takes between 5 and 10 seconds to accurately show the changes in temperature and fan speed. The home screen menu is limited on what you're able to display. You basically have four buttons at the bottom of the screen and the rest of the display is just a picture of some sort . I wish I could set more functions on the home screen.

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The old is new again

This unit brought new life to my old ride!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Nice display, simple to use!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Got this for my 2012 Tahoe to get with the times update things. The wireless car play is an awesome feature vey happy.

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Tacoma 2014 Install

Sound is Great . On 2014 Tacoma Going from factory unit to this unit is a major upgrade. This unit has an excellent processor that allows you to adjust for the speakers that you are using and the cabin layout. Speaker locations. I had already changed out my factory speakers with no change in sound quality. But this system bought them to life. This has a built in amp and a built in cooling fan. Plenty of volume for me without an additional amp I mainly bought it to add navigation and hands free operation to my old truck Which all work good. But the sound is where this unit shines most.

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Big upgrade for an older car

Just installed, works great! I have a 2015 Highlander, the infotainment system was not good to begin with. I upgraded to get Apple CarPlay. I previously had not done this because I did not think I could maintain my factory backup camera, but this option did allow for me to maintain the camera, steering wheel controls, and even my USB port in the front of the car. I love that this unit can do wired and wireless CarPlay as my family has a lot of different drivers and wired makes it less confusing when multiple potential drivers are in the car. Install instructions were NOT good, but I bought the suggested install kit which made it all pretty much plug and play (search youtube if you are having trouble or call crutchfield). I missed multiple connectors with the first attempt. Its confusing because some of the OEM connectors don't need to hook back up and seems like there are some unused options on the harnesses for other models of cars I suppose. I am disappointed I couldn't figure out how to get the factory mic to work with the unit but it came with an aftermarket one so I just routed that through the dash so close to the driver and concealed the wires. Routed the GPS antenna across the dash up through the corner speaker cover and that will never be noticed again.

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Solid Receiver

I've only been using it for a week, but so far I'm happy with it. There are many customization options for audio and display. There are no buttons at all, only touch-sensitive controls. I wish they'd make enough space for a volume knob. I'm old and I want the knob back! It's not going to knock you out with power. If you want something that thumps, you'll need to supplement it with an amplifier. Response times for screen changes, volume adjustments, etc are sufficiently fast. Android Auto performs well with no noteworthy lagging, however it is a little slower than some other receivers for connecting/loading Android Auto.

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Avoid Kenwood like the plague! Support Crutchfield w/another brand!

Crutchfield gets five stars, but Kenwood (and JVC) would get 0 if I could. This stereo has had problems ever since I got it. I've sent it in for warranty repair twice. It still doesn't work. When it hit one year old, Kenwood refused to service it under warranty even though the problem persisted since day one! DO NOT BUY ANYTHING FROM EITHER KENWOOD OR JVC. They're basically the same company and they don't stand by their product!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Excellent value for the price!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

This thing is great and I'm going to buy another one for a different vehicle. It completely modernized a 20-year-old Acura with wireless Android Auto, retained steering wheel controls, and hands free phone. My wife adapted to it within minutes. The only caveat is that with three controller adaptors -- steering wheel controls, Sirius/XM, and the line out converter for the Bose -- there was a really bulky mess of wires and little boxes to store away behind the head unit.

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Kenwood in 2005 GTO

Radio works great and looks great. 2005 GTO is where it went in and the whole kit worked great. Only one small confusion part but not a deal breaker.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

This unit has a lot of features and definitely freshened up the look of my dash

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I'm very pleased

This system was chosen as a "mid-life upgrade" in 2024 for the system in my wife's 2013 RAV4. The Bluetooth in the OEM system had failed and the dealership charged $90 to tell us, "Yep, it's broken. Nope, we can't fix it. You will need to install an aftermarket system." Though I do electronics professionally I have not installed a retro-fit automotive sound system in 20 years and the landscape has totally changed. It took me a fair amount of shopping on Crutchfield's site to choose this system as the best compromise between cost and capability. I chose to trust Crutchfield on the necessary installation equipment from their "best performance" offering. I also made pretty extensive use of their telephone support personnel in the process of coming up to speed on a pretty complex installation which was further aggravated by my wife's inability to stop driving the car long enough for me to comfortably understand and make the install. I had a sum total of 24 hrs from arrival of UPS to drive-away to make the install happen less time to sleep, eat, use the restroom and talk to Crutchfield on their tech support line. Without reservation I can say the Kenwood DMX9709S is a fabulous system, and Crutchfield's documentation and tech support staff were superb. The task was completed in the time available, it worked from first turn-on, and both my wife and I were stunned at the improvement in sound quality with the DMX8709S in the otherwise unmodified OEM audio system.

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Great unit

Great unit! I bought it for the car play and I love it. Built a system for my daughters 2001 Ram and liked the unit so much I bought one for my Jeep unlimited.

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Spot On

When upgrading my 2010 Taco I turned to online forums for help. When it came time to replace the stock stereo most suggested Crutchfield as the go to source. Making that call to talk to a technician was one of my best decisions. They asked me questions as to my wants and needs with recommendations of models to fit them. The order came complete with wiring harness that all I had to do was plug in and play. Crutchfield made this experience very easy along with step by step instructions for installing. Thank you Crutchfield, you didn't disappoint!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Has good sound. It looks good. It's kind of complicated to work.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Just purchased a 2006 corvette Z06 with an older Kenwood headunit that I replaced as I wanted wireless Carplay and this works great.

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Sounds Great

First, This unit was half the size of my old unit. It does a lot more than the old unit. Most of it was pretty straight forward except for the updating part. It doesn't say much. But over all it's set up was easy. It sounds real good with my Kicker 180 watt rms self contained sub woofer and a Skar RP-75.4AB | 500 Watt 4-Channel Car Amplifier. The front speakers are Rockford Fosgate R165x3 and Kicker Series 4"x6" rear speakers. Over all I would recommend this radio.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Very nice head unit

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Worked perfect. Thanks

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Kenwood DMX8709S

This is the second Kenwood receiver I bought from Crutchfield and it is user friendly and easy to install.

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Great Sound Quality and Useability

The Audio Quality out of this radio is way better than my previous radio. This Radio looks very good and intergrates great into the truck (2010 F150). I like the oem features this radio allows you access and utilize, very simpily. The Carplay Connection and Bluetooth connection is flawless and I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for an upgrade.

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Awesome head unit!

With the installation kit It fit really well into the dash of my of 97 c1500. The equalizer is great and the radio has several different settings for various things to help you set it up just how you like. Overall I'm very satisfied with unit. The wireless CarPlay and android auto is an awesome addition into an older vehicle as well!

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Great Head Unit for the price

Works as advertised, exactly what I needed for the upgrade from the factory.

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I got messed up with this order. Thanks Kenwood

Crutchfield did all they could to remedy my situation, so I have only good things to say about Crutchfield. Kenwood, however... I haven't even used the head unit and I'm already disappointed and frustrated with Kenwood. Kenwood packed the wrong mic with the head unit. I had already wired everything through the vehicle, drilled a hole and made a custom mount for the mic, zip tied the wiring all the way to the radio opening. Then I found that the mic connection is not compatible with the connection on the head unit. They are two different sizes. I had to order an adapter. But I called Kenwood customer service to see if the adapter would work and they would not tell me, only that they can only recommend what is in the manual. They offered a new mic but I'm not interested tearing out all my work and reinstalling a new mic on top of waiting for them to ship a new one. If I can, I will update this on whether the adapter worked or not. Overall, this stalled the installation and I have to figure out what to do now that the vehicle has all the guts hanging out of the dashboard. Never buying any Kenwood or JVC product ever again.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Excellent and amazing install.

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Worth it!

Stereo loads very well compared to my old Boss unit. Plenty of settings to customize sound. Really woke up my entire system. Had to call about power for my previously installed back up camera but the features of this head unit made up for the lack of install steps for that.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Kenwood never ceases to amaze. The setup was quick and clean, the screen is brilliant, and the wireless and wired CarPlay function flawlessly. I'm excited to have gotten another wonderful product from Kenwood, through Crutchfield who offered fast shipping and easy instruction to make this a fast install.

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Works and Sounds good.

Bought this for my Homda Elemenr to replace an older Kenwood without Carplay so install would be plug and play, and it was. Of course install was easy. Carplay connect time is about 20 sec. Audio settings very configurable, love the timing feature. It is connected to the factory amp, so sound I'm sure could be better with an aftermarket amp. Display is a little dull. Not as bright as some of the new Pioneers of the same price range I've seen..but I bought it for the plug and play install.

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Perfect

Perfect upgrade for my 24 year old C5

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Top notch

Very easy install the format for all the controls are easy to understand and use crystal clear screen very nice radio

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First time customer, completely blown away!

I've long wished my 2016 Toyota Highlander's head unit included Apple CarPlay. As a frequent traveler, I've rented cars with that feature exclusively and finally took the 10 minutes needed to search for a solution. I'd never heard of Crutchfield, but I found them in the search results and was pretty blown away by the quality of their site, even from my phone. I wanted to be certain that I wasn't missing anything before purchasing, so I phoned them, and got to speak with Zane, who shared some great feedback about units that met my specifications, install kits, dash plates, etc. I was on the phone with him in my car. Before I could even start to panic about not capturing all of his recommendations, he noted that I should look at the browser window on my phone, as his photo and a list of recommended parts had just popped up in my shopping cart. I pulled the trigger, and shifted my attention to the install. In spite of Zane's insistence that Crutchfield would supply instructions detailed enough (with his direct line for any additional tech support needed), he also produced a list of nearby installers who they'd already vetted. My package arrived two days later, and their recommended installer made short work of the install for a very reasonable price. I'm a customer for life!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Great radio, great features. Prompt delivery

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Nice works as expected

Nice product with a ton of options. I only use CarPlay so I can't speak about all the options it has. Everything works as expected.

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An upgrade that's an upgrade

I really like the way it works. I had a first generation Android Auto from a different manufacturer. Never did like it. This one is the bomb

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Overall a solid headunit

The Good Overall, I would do this again. The Kenwood unit EQ/Sound settings really adds more depth to the OEM system. The Carplay wireless works like a charm. I did not see any latency as reported by a few others in terms of start up recognition. And the Crutchfield staff made the installation issues bareable. Thank you to Clint, AJ, and Tom. The Bad The installation took about 8 hours in total. 1st issue was the instructions that Crutchfield sent were worthless. If you were expecting a step by step installation manual, that is not it. Plus the downloadable instructions they sent re: the Maestro unit were old and incorrect. This took a few hours to diagnose and almost caused me to give up and return the entire purchase. So do not trust those instructions. After you flash your firmware, print the correct pages on what Maestro has on its website. Next, the Subaru Starlink unit is only required for bypass and the size of that unit meant pushing all the wires in would have caused some unneeded stress on the wire connections. I purchased a bypass plug from Autoharnesshouse to jettison the Starlink unit, and problem was solved. Finally, as you can see from the picture, the Kenwood does not sit flush with the dash kit. Not a big deal but worth noting.

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Happy

Great stereo does everything it says!

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C6 Corvette

Great product fit like a glove.

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Great sound

I installed with the data link and it works perfectly. The Apple Maps is great and the sound is so crisp! Love it!

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Sounds great, Wireless Carplay, Album Art, So Far Great!

Just got this installed yesterday and can already tell I'm going to have a lot of fun with this. Replaced a 12-year old Kenwood head unit purchased from Crutchfield in 2012. That one was quite expensive (to me) at almost $900, but it included a CD-player. I might miss that - time will tell - but I've adjusted to OK to online life between Tidal, SiriusXM, Pandora, etc. My phone connected right away with no issues, and it's nice to not have to be wired for Apple Carplay. Installation was pretty straight forward, and my Crutchfield advisor saved me some money letting me know the wiring harness and steering wheel control could be reused from the previous installation. And, since that installation already had the Sirius radio tuner, I didn't have to route the GPS antenna or microphone (same connectors so I could reuse them) so installation was pretty easy between the installation instructions provided (and watching a couple of YouTube videos). Thanks Crutchfield!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Great fit in my 05 Yukon! Such a great upgrade. Seamless wireless Apple CarPlay when I start the vehicle and the fit looks great in the vehicle!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Receiver is awesome. Works as advertised.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Great product. We had it professionally installed so can't review that process. Crutchfield was great to work with also. They included directions in the email for installing in our truck so that was very helpfull to our installer for reference with our vehicle.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

It does what it's supposed to do and looks great.

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If I can do it, you can too!

It was time to replace my OME Rockford Fosgate system on my 2015 Nissan Xterra Pro4X. The navigation system could no longer be updated as Nissan ceased to that after 2017. My wife recently bought a new Toyota RAV4 with Apple CarPlay, I found that CP was vastly superior for navigation. I settled upon a Kenwood product, I'm an amateur radio operator and I'm familiar with the quality their products. Crutchfield made this easy with the proper harnesses. Only one hiccup, the instructions lacked the proper connect for automatic cut in for the backup camera and the need for the ground loop isolator to eliminate a thumping sound when switching from CP to over the air radio. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm in my late 60's and I haven't installed a car stereo in 50 years. The techs were most helpful and patient walking this old dinosaur through these issues. Bottom line, the stereo looks great and sounds even better than my OME Rockford Fosgate.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Amazing product

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Perfect Upgrade

Very happy with the radio. Bought my son a 2011 Chevy Silverado that did not have Bluetooth. With the help from the friendly Crutchfield associate, I got the right radio for my truck. The Apple car play is perfect for my son. He now has hands free. Which makes it safer for him out on the road. And the radio looks great in the dash. Amazing upgrade for the truck.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Radio install took 15 minutes. Steering wheel controls took 3 hours of tech support and it still doesn't work. Both Crutchfield and Axxess thing it's a bad out of box unit.

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Great all around stereo

Great head unit, it checked all the boxes I was looking for, wireless android auto connects before you leave my driveway, and sounds amazing!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Tuner is not the best, the stock radio picks up stations better. Not easy putting your own background on, still can't figure it out. Camera turns off while backing up have to rely on the stock camera in the rear view. Not the best radio.

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Terrible Head Unit

Garbage! CarPlay cuts out all the time! Firmware update bricking the head unit! DO NOT BUY THIS!!!

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Crutchfield response on 3/13/2024

Justin contacted our Tech Support team, and they sent out a replacement right away. Whenever you encounter a problem with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Tech Support team. Lifetime tech support comes with every Crutchfield purchase.

Happy

Love it over my stock radio. Crutchfield customer service is 2nd to none!

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Great radio with lots of good features

Much better than the stock radio we had in our Sienna van. The firmware update process didn't go as expected even following the manufacturer's instructions. If you do update the firmware make sure to use a usb drive that is 4GB or less and it should go off without a hitch. The audio tuning is very flexible and our speakers sound so much better now. I think this radio puts out about twice the power as the stock radio. We use Apple car play and it has been amazing so far. Coming from a very old pixel display this is quite the jump forward. We bought the Maestro RR unit to go along with the radio and it made pretty much all our other features from the car available. The steering wheel controls work perfectly and now we can see a visual picture of our tire pressure numbers.

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3rd times a charm!!!!

Head unit works great. It took three different attempts to get it the stereo to work, but Tech Support were very helpful and walked through different options to get the stereo to work properly. I had a different model and brand the first two attempts, but Crutchfield took care of all my issues and found the correct head unit that works with the system in my vehicle.

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I would say mixed

Excellent sound, nice display. Works well with Car Play. The menu interface leaves something to be desired and it has no mute button, at least one that I can find. Not sure I would buy this unit again.

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Love it

Great unit easy to work and sounds great crossover and eq function well.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Everything I was looking for and an easy install! Carson was a huge help in deciding which unit to purchase. I had a couple of issues after install but Clint in tech service helped me out there too! All and all a great experience, I would definitely recommend Crutchfield to everyone. Excellent service too to bottom! Thank you

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Clean look, straightforward install, nice sound

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Decent Receiver

I installed this unit on a 2015 Silverado 1500. I wanted to add Apple Play and Android Auto features to my truck as well as upgrade my entire system's speaker system. I purchased this Kenwood head unit along with the Maestro upgrade so as to keep as many factory options as possible. The unit is overall good but I do have alot of difficulty seeing the screen in high sunlight situations. I purchased a screen cover with anti-glare and it helped a great deal but still not nearly as visible as the factory unit was. Also, for whatever reason, from time to time when initially starting my truck, the unit will not connect to my iPhone and says something along the lines of needing GPS installed on the head unit in order for Apple play to work. I definitely have the GPS antenna installed that came with the unit and the connectivity issues are intermittent. This is not a huge problem for me because the factory unit would have problems connecting from time to time as well. It isn't a phone issue I don't think because there are times when my wife's phone will not connect either. I did not leave the USB port accessible but I wish I would have because my Android phone is too old to connect wirelessly. I may fix that eventually. Overall, I am glad I purchased the unit. I may upgrade to a larger screen size eventually. This isn't an issue with the head unit as much as it is a problem with me not reading the dimensions before purchasing :-) Side note, Crutchfield is awesome!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Great headunit with a wonderful picture and responsiveness. its easy to navigate and easy to learn.

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Great Upgrade

Bought this to upgrade my factory JBL radio in my 2006 4Runner. Works great, fit looks good. Nice to have all the new technology features in my old car.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Very nice unit. Easy installation great sound! I was not disappointed

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Love this receiver so far

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Works

Occasionally it disconnects but I think that's a problem with my phone. I'm 16 years old and wanted to make an upgrade to the sound system before I put subs in and this does that. Makes my 2005 ford sport Trac sound clearer and basses louder. Overall I'd recommend

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Installed easy works great looks even better.

Purchased to replace the original OEM stereo in our 2005 chevy avalanche . Install was easy instructions good. easy to use and understand. Looks great too! sounds great! the wife is very pleased.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Head unit is good. Operating system seems a little less intuitive than an equivalent pioneer. Crutch field is great though! Been ordering from them for years.

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Great system!

This is an amazing system and works well in my Tiguan R-Line with premium Fender sound system using the Meastro iDatalink converters. Only this is you failed to provide a harness to connect the back-up camera!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

I bought this for my 2003 Silverado and took the easy road by getting the ready made harness. Everything works perfectly with my factory Bose system. Wireless apple car play is worth it!

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Great product. It does everything that I want it to do.

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Decent

Good first impression. Seems like good quality. The unit is slim to allow for wiring space behind and it is more than enough power without a secondary amp. The usb wire is way too short. Has hdmi functionality but ohh yeah - buy our hdmi Kenwood brand wire for another $50. Not very much customizable options, Kenwood changed their module for personalizing the boot/start up/ splash screen that previous models allowed. They are now hiding that ability from customers of 2021+ (?) models. Would have went with another option if I knew before installing.

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Highly recommend Crutchfield

Kenwood DMX8709S , fit my 2011 Ford F150. It was an easy install, Only had a couple of issues that were quickly resolved with Crutchfield Tech support. Radio functions as it should and it is a big upgrade from the stock radio. It seems a little slow to load and is slow to respond to commands, but that's likely because its a 500 dollar digital receiver and not a 1200 dollar receiver. I recommend adding the maestro and the additional harness unless you are a professional installer. It is user friendly, looks , and sounds good. Found a work around on the factory mic, See Cons.

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For a Sprinter Revel

Just what I was looking for to replace the factory equipment in my Sprinter Revel. Now I have Apple Play.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

I love Kenwood receivers. This is the 3rd one I've installed and had. Never disappoints. The wireless CarPlay is seamless. Had to come up with a way to start the radio with no USBs plugged into the back. If there was one plugged in, the unit would be in an endless loop of the splash screen. But once I figured out a solution, I'm loving the radio.

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Nice head unit for price

Fairly easy to install for a novice in a 2013 Toyota Prius. Installed two weeks ago and radio works great so far with Apple CarPlay. Installed with an iDatalink Maestro RR to preserve some functions and steering wheel controls. iDatalink instructions were wrong at some points but Crutchfield support was super helpful. I bought an open box item and it came with the wrong microphone but support was helpful and shipped the correct part quickly at no cost.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Sounds great amazing All app works

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Great product.

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Recent installation

Just installed it and it was easy to install and get set up. Great product!

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Player reboots randomly

When driving in certain areas in Las Vegas, Nevada the player stops and reboots on it own.

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Crutchfield response on 9/5/2023

RayAnthony, we're sorry you're having issues with your receiver. While your order is beyond Crutchfield's 60-day return policy, please feel free to reach out to our Tech Support team for help, or for information about the 1-year warranty on this deck. Lifetime tech support comes with every Crutchfield purchase.

Excellent

Excellent product and harness easy instal.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

GREAT RADIO , WORKS SUPER WELL WITH ANDROID AUTO, WOULD RECOMMEND CRUTCHFIELD TOO ALL WHO ARE LOOKING FOR A GREAT CAR STEREO, AND SUPPORT TO BACK IT FROM START TO FINISH

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Kenwood DMX8709S

Crutchfield made it very easy to install and instructions were clear.

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Huge Upgrade from Fatory uConnect

This thing is great and fit perfectly in my 2017 Ram 1500 with the associated dash kit that Crutchfield has available. Huge upgrade from the factory uConnect system in several ways. Firstly, the factory radio was not able to push enough power to the aftermarket speakers I put in the doors and dash. At higher volumes the music became garbled and distorted which was frustrating. This head unit alone provides enough power to play music louder with clarity. The bass is even more crisp and full due to this unit in comparison to the factory uConnect system. Secondly, the factory uConnect navigation system was awful. It would take me on nonsensical routes to my destinations, have me going in the wrong directions, and often would not even have proper guidance if you were further out in the country or away from populated areas. The wireless CarPlay that this unit provides is a godsend.

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Perfect unit!

Great unit! Tons of settings and because it is not as big in the rear I believe it would be much easier to use in newer cars that need the extra modules to work with steering wheel controls and other OEM features.

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Kenwood DMX8709S

The pre wired harness made this super easy. If this is an option for your install do it! The directions provide by themselves are extremely vague, utube was the life saver here for how to disassemble the console and dash.

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Disapointing

I have been using this stereo for about a month and a half now, and unfortunately, it has been quite a disappointing experience overall. Approximately 60% of the time, I encounter glitches that result in music playing from my phone instead of the stereo. Additionally, Spotify often displays a black screen, and there are instances where CarPlay fails to open at all. Moreover, the unit frequently fails to connect to my OEM gauges and the steering wheel buttons become non-functional. On top of that, the connection is sometimes completely lost due to issues with cell towers. I often have to totally restart my truck to get it to work. Considering the price I paid, which was around $800, I had expected this stereo to perform even the most basic tasks, such as opening apps, without any problems. Unfortunately, it has fallen short in this regard, and I find myself regretting not sticking with my OEM barebones head unit. In addition to the disappointing performance of the stereo itself, I must mention that the faceplate sold by Crutchfield for the 2nd gen Tacoma is subpar. I highly recommend opting for the Scosche faceplate available online, as it offers a much better fit.

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Crutchfield response on 6/12/2023

Conrad, we're sorry you're having issues with your receiver. Whenever you encounter a problem with anything you purchase from Crutchfield, please contact our Tech Support team right away. They can help you solve the problem or set up a return/exchange within 60 days of purchase. Lifetime tech support comes with every Crutchfield purchase.

Kenwood DMX8709S

Super happy with the unit, very clear screen and easy to navigate menus.

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Dmx8709s

Great product all the options I was looking for and always order my head units from Crutchfield! Only place I know with such a great customer satisfaction policy!

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Nice But Could (Should!) Be Better

The specs tell you otherwise but this receiver doesn't seem to have much FM range. Also, the screen is so dark that it is very difficult to see (you need to remove your sunglasses if you're going to make adjustments!). Finally, the volume buttons are tiny and hard to press correctly when the vehicle is moving.

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Crutchfield response on 5/24/2023

Donald, we're sorry you're having issues with your receiver. If the problem continues, please just reach out to our Tech Support team for help. They can help you solve the problem. Lifetime tech support comes with every Crutchfield purchase.

Sounds Great

You Tube video's made the install very easy

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