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Old 06-21-2016, 10:13 AM   #1
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The Kenwood has to go...

Okay, Kenwood DNX890HD (out of warranty) is almost non-functioning. Exhausted web searches to see if there was an easy diy fix. Bottom line--no diy fix that anyone figured out. Contacted Kenwood and explained problems--navigation data disconnects within minutes, Bluetooth connection difficult when changing devices (takes several tries, resets because radio locks up, etc.) They said to contact a national support center. I did that and explained the problem. Before I could complete the last sentence they said it had to be sent in, with a minimum repair charge of $125 plus return shipping, and that most receivers were repaired for that price or less. Okay, not too bad. Sent the radio in as instructed. Get an email stating the radio needs some replacement parts--total parts and labor $450. Told them to send it back and they charged $35 diagnostic fee plus return shipping. So, I'm done with Kenwood. Even when it was working fine, the radio reception was a joke. If you weren't within 10 miles of a radio station, you got nothing.
So, contacted Crutchfield. Great people to deal with. They have several options for replacement that aren't Kenwood. Has anyone had one of the Blaupunkt navigation receivers installed in your Airstreams? They seem to offer all of the bells and whistles that Kenwood and Pioneer offer, but a much lower price. Anyone have a good/bad experience with Blaupunkt? Crutchfield says they're good, but Pioneer is better. Customer reviews are about the same for Pioneer and Blaupunkt.
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Old 06-21-2016, 10:23 AM   #2
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Kenwood is awful. The 2017 AI has a new Fusion RV-IN801 Infotainment Center. Time will tell how it performs.
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Old 06-21-2016, 01:40 PM   #3
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Yeh, I am not happy with mine either. It is the newer version for 2016 but still buggy at times and difficult to use. I may replace it with something else. Send me PM if you are interested in buying the one I have when I replace it.
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Old 06-21-2016, 02:27 PM   #4
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I contacted Fusion that provides the new AI unit and was told it would have to be purchased through Airstream.
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Old 06-21-2016, 04:09 PM   #5
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I can't find much information on the Fusion. Saw a picture of it online in an interior shot of a 2017. It does appear to be made just for Airstream.
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Old 06-21-2016, 06:07 PM   #6
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Originally Posted by Aircruiser View Post
I can't find much information on the Fusion. Saw a picture of it online in an interior shot of a 2017. It does appear to be made just for Airstream.
Agree - I also looked for the Fusion shown in pictures of the new 2017 Interstates - with no luck finding anything. The Fusion products I did look at seem to have great capabilities.

- - Mike
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Old 06-21-2016, 06:26 PM   #7
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http://www.fusionentertainment.com/c...N801_OM_EN.pdf

This is the owners manual for the RV-IN801
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Old 06-21-2016, 08:25 PM   #8
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Looks like an excellent unit as far as features go. We'll have to wait for the reviews to come in to know how reliable it is.
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Old 06-21-2016, 11:58 PM   #9
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Looks like an old fashioned device without any support for Apple Car Play or Android Auto.

It too runs Android internally so I am worried about its reliability and speed.

Fusion does have a decent reputation in marine world so probably a good box but for me integration with Android Auto is a must for access to much better navigation, traffic, etc.
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Old 06-22-2016, 11:45 AM   #10
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Of all head units I've owned- Alpine, Audiovox, Clarion, JBL, JVC, Panasonic, Pioneer, and Sony- my preference is Alpine for simplicity, ease of use/user friendly, features, and clean amp and pre-amp. I'm not sure about radio reception because I never listen to AM or FM radio. I listen to CD (rarely), Bluetooth (from iPhone/iPod/iPad) or SiriusXM (rarely). The navigation is outdated on my Alpine and I don't think it is worth the money to upgrade. I use the navigation on my iPhone or a Rand McNally road atlas.
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Old 06-22-2016, 11:54 AM   #11
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Kenwouldn't

Related topic rant
My Kenwood mostly works but operationally it is confoundingly awful.
The "touch" controls need to be pounded a few times hard to work.
The menus are clunky and non-intuitive
Tuning stations is a chore when you are traveling outside your presets.
The multi-function remote is even harder to use

I got a 2013 Ford Escape a while back and you could adjust the volume and tuning with a KNOB...how space age! And you won't believe it, but it works.
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Old 06-22-2016, 02:03 PM   #12
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The Kenwood is really bad.
I had one in a Ford Taurus.
You have too many functions in one "rotary encoder".
Adjust the volume when you hit a bump in the road it goes to equalizer and crossover and takes forever to get back.
Needless to say that crappy unit stayed in the Taurus (also crappy) when I sold it.


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Old 06-24-2016, 01:07 PM   #13
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I replaced the Kenwood in my car with a Pioneer a year ago. The Pioneer always works, the controls are logical and the radio is able to clearly receive AM and FM stations. The Kenwood was just the opposite.
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Old 06-24-2016, 03:02 PM   #14
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I had bad luck with Pioneer in the 80's and never got over it. Alpine is my choice now.
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Old 06-24-2016, 03:20 PM   #15
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The most annoying complaint I have about the Kenwood in my 2015 (and there are many) is there is no easy mute control. When you want to temporarily kill the sound, you have to go to the main menu and touch "Standby". Then you've got to go back to the main menu and again select the source (Sirius, CD, etc.) to go back to where you were. Almost every other brand I've seen has a simple Mute button. Also, the Kenwood must be partially connected somewhere to the vehicle electronics, and not very well, because you have to monkey with the parking brake before the on-screen keyboard pops up. And if the parking brake is set, then you can't rotate the driver's seat. Airstream fun......
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Old 06-24-2016, 04:02 PM   #16
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Quote:
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The most annoying complaint I have about the Kenwood in my 2015 (and there are many) is there is no easy mute control.
I don't know which model you have, but on the remote control or the bottom button bar, you may have an ATT button. ATT(enuate) is how Eurotrash say "mute"
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Old 06-24-2016, 04:15 PM   #17
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I went ahead and ordered the Blaupunkt 840 New York. It doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of the higher end units (no satellite radio or carplay), but the 640 version (essentially the same) had mostly positive reviews with none of the issues of the Kenwood. Plus its navigation maps include Canada, which we need. Even some Pioneer models on the Crutchfield website had function issues similar to Kenwood. I'll post later how well the Blaupunkt works.
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Old 06-24-2016, 07:52 PM   #18
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I don't know which model you have, but on the remote control or the bottom button bar, you may have an ATT button. ATT(enuate) is how Eurotrash say "mute"
Thanks for the tip. I believe I tried that, but the remote is so confusing anyway that I gave up. I have the AI in the storage yard right now, but I'll try your suggestion when I go over there in a few days.
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Old 06-25-2016, 04:02 AM   #19
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The Alpine remote is very simple, intuitive, user friendly.


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Old 06-25-2016, 08:45 AM   #20
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The Kenwood in my 2016 died on the drive home and would freeze on the launch page. The dealer replaced it as they too couldn't figure out what was happening. In my opinion it's a POS and i wish I could I just have the traditional Mercedes head unit in there, which I intend to ask about when I take the rig in for annual service.
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