Yesterday I corrected my bone-head cooler move with the stereo. Remember this?
I did a bunch of research on a replacement head unit. The Kenwood DNX773S that I mangled was a top the line unit at the time I put it in back in '17. Everything worked great, and I really like the functionality, sound quality, connectivity, GPS, backup camera, Carplay, etc. After looking at a bunch of options, I decided to stick with the Kenwood. Also hoping that in going this path the connections would be plug and play - I really did not feel like rewiring this thing.
The current Kenwood top of the heap head unit is the DNX997XR. It is nearly identical to my current unit, but also has wireless Carplay (current unit has wired Carplay), and accepts 3 cameras compared to my current 2. So, it's pretty much a direct match. It goes for about $1400.
My only problem with my now broken unit is that it has a pivoting screen for the purpose of adjusting the viewing angle. The screen also drops down and out of the way to insert a CD or to get to the flash drive. The pivot mechanism is complex, and when it gets dusty or grimy it stops functioning properly. Cleaning it to get it functioning again is a pain. Also, the screen always felt a bit fragile to my ham-fisted touch.
The buttons across the bottom of the screen were also a bit flimsy. You can see in the pic above that the button on the right-hand side - ironically, the button which controls the screen tilt - is missing.
Kenwood has a model DNX697S which is one step down from the DNX997XR. The only difference is that the screen is fixed, and it only supports wired Carplay. Everything else is identical - except for the price. It's about 500 clams cheaper.
So I picked up the DNX697S from Crutchfield. Here it is:
And here it is next to the busted unit:
In looking at these photos, I just realized that the new unit is upside down. That notwithstanding, the new unit is identical in size, the screens are the same size, and the buttons are positioned along the left-hand vertical side of the screen. The buttons feel much sturdier than the buttons on the old unit, and are a bit easier to operate in this location.
And all of the connections are identical. Complete plug and play:
Installing the unit was also a piece of cake. When I put in the original unit I built custom brackets, and modified the dash mount such that you slip the unit in, align it with the gray sharpie marks on the dash, and tighten it down. It takes about 10 seconds, and aligns with the dash bezel perfectly every time. After transferring the brackets, and doing just a bit of tweaking, it went in with no problem at all.
And the end result.
Next time I wheel with Victor, I'll be a bit more careful with my cooler...
And I know first hand how un-well Maxxis Razr tires shed the sticky mud.
