- DVD-Video/DVD±R/DVD±RW/CD-DA/HDCD CD-R/RW Ready
- Built-in Navigation (2 GB Flash Memory Map Storage/Map Coverage: US 50 States and Canada)
- 12 Million Built-in POIs
- TTS (Text to Speach) for Street Announcements
- MP3/WMA Compatible with ID3-TAG Display
I debated buying this NX409 but couldn't resist the price/feature list. While it's loaded with about every feature you could want not all of them work or don't work the way they should.
Navigation:
The GPS doesn't update fast enough so that the vehicle position indicator is not correctly displayed on the map relative to the cross streets especially at speed. The turn by turn voice guidance sometimes says to turn right when you actually are turning left. Many of the POI's are not accurate both for location on the map and also that some don't exist. If you can get beyond the robotic tone and poor text to speech pronunciation...the voice guidance also truncates some road names. Two of the features listed in the GPS menu don't work at all (like the alert tone option when you are approaching your turn). This may be a software bug as they won't even stay selected.
Sirius Radio:
Mostly works well except way too often you'll power the unit up and all the presets you spent time getting just the way you want are gone. That gets old after about the 5th time.
Ipod:
I plugged in my Shuffle to the USB port and it says "unrecognized file format". So I thought I'd check that it's on the list of supported Ipods on the Clarion site. Click on Ipod compatability list and gee..."page not found". At least there's some synergy between their products and the web site.
Other:
The Bluetooth BLT 370 option is a waste of money. Way too often when you start the car it will lock up the radio with a "phone in use" displayed( even when there is no cell phone within a mile of the vehicle)...you then have to shut off the ignition and open the door to get it to power down then restart the car. It sync's up with the phone great but everyone says I sound like I'm calling from the Mariana trench.
The clock setting can only be set manually. When you select your correct time zone and DST to sync the time using the GPS it's off by two hours.
Last but not least Clarion's support both on the web site and by phone is a waste of time.
On a positive note the quality of the audio is very good as is the DVD display.
Buy Clarion NX409 6.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Now
Well, here I go. After 4 months owning the unit ( prof installed ) the screen went blank. Nothing worked. Sent back to Clarion ( my expense having unit removed and shipped to the other coast) and several weeks later received my "repaired" unit back. Clarion claimed corrupt files and a software issue. Ok, fine. Unit worked flawlessly for several more months ( Minus the worthless GPS; if im traveling from Maryland to California I dont want to stop in Orlando along the way. You other owners know what Im talking about) the unit started acting up with the following malfunctions :
1-volume control goes nuts: the unit mutes itself ( in any mode) and changes volume on its own.
2-Dvd's take multiple loadings/ejections/load again before playing. Once your happily through half a movie it just freezes forcing you to eject and start over. When the unit is feeling generous it will eject the disc uncommanded.
3-The info icons across the top ( "mute, antenna strength, etc) have all gone blank
4-The unit emits strange clicking noises while power is on (any playmode)
5-GPS worthless. You will have better navigation by using a sexton and imaging stars in the sky and for you day-walkers, a Cracker-Jack prize compass/ring.
Upon contacting Clarion again, they kindly informed me I was 14 months into proud ownership and no more warranty for me. The owner of the audio shop who installs ( and uninstalls) says he stopped carrying the Clarion brand 18 months ago due to poor performance and reoccurring problems such as mine.
FOR SALE-Clarion NX409 14 months old, works on mondays, thursdays and saturdays, except leap-years, during daylight hours only. Willing even trade for girlfriends, pre-1995 VCR, Michael Bolton front row tickets or a 6-pack of Cherry 7-UP. You pay for shipping/airfare.
Read Best Reviews of Clarion NX409 6.5-Inch Portable GPS Navigator Here
I got my from Crutchfield for ~$350 and am just copying and pasting the review... Some of this may not apply to Amazon.
Just set mine up yesterday after getting some connection accessories from Home Depot. Actually just installed the whole thing in the parking lot of Home Depot. I have a 2005 Nissan Altima and I was able to do the whole job with:
1) Philips screwdriver
2) Electrical tape
3) Exacto knife (because I didn't have wirestrippers. I'd recommend wire strippers because the wires in the NX409 harness are not pre-stripped. If you're desperate, you can use your teeth, I've done that before in the past too. )
4) Wire nuts (not necessary, I just wanted a cleaner install. Electrical tape should work just fine)
The adapter that came from Crutchfield was a little too simple. All it was is literally just a trim piece between the dashboard and the headunit, no brackets, no screws, nothing else. Just a plastic border. So I had to reuse the factory brackets to mount/secure the NX409. Placement was a little tricky too on the factory brackets to the NX409 because there are a variety of hole alignments. I had to try a couple of times to get NX409 centered with the dashboard hole for the double-DIN radioslot.
Items connect:
All speakers
Radio antenna
GPS antenna (the GPS antenna came with a really long wire which I assumed that I should run somewhere to with line of sight to the sky, but since I was in the Home Depot parking lot, I just rolled the wire back up and threw the antenna in the back of dashboard. After turning the GPS on, there seemed to be good signal with me getting a lot of bars and the bars being green, instead of red)
USB cable included in box
Dimmer wire
After installation:
Everything seemed to work fine. The tuner worked and gets clear reception and presets work well. The CD feature works, but it takes a really LONG time to load. I'm talking probably about a full 40-60 seconds to load the CD. On the bright side though, the NX409 does read the song track names and artist names off the CD and display it. The GPS features did take a while to figure out, but you'll get used to it. (But the first address I inputted and actually tried driving to, it got me to a destination that was 2 miles from where I wanted to go....so GPS update is topic that I'm really concerned about. The other 4-5 address that I put in, got me to the correct destinations.) I can't get the damn clock to store right time!! This is driving me nuts. I haven't studied the manual at all regarding this issue, but how hard can it be? Oh and the time on the GPS is different than the time on the tuner...neither of which is the right time I haven't tried the DVD player mainly because I left the green wire from the NX409 (supposed to be connected to the parking brake) unconnected.
It was fairly easy to install but I didn't complete the job 100%:
-Still need to run a USB extension cable
-Still need to go back in to figure out a way to use the DVD player (more research needed)
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Owned over 2 years now, happy but no more.
GPS out of date, very slow respond, old style graphic, lost signal time to time, accuacy is incorrect.
RADIO good signal, just like all the other ones.
CD/MP3 Random sorted (annoying), easier if alphabetically sorted songs and albums, but not in this one.
iPod Just like you pay on iPod, the best thing in this unit.
DO NOT Update with NX509 firmware, it will destroy this whole thing and your Warranty wont cover it.
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I spent 1,000 dollars with all the options. Biggist problem a no brand $100 gps works this gps dose not find anything or take you any where. I now have a Garmin GPS over it so my wife can get to where she needs to go. Everyone says Clarion service is bad. I say what service?
