Clarion NZ409 (NZ-409)

Good value / Nice Radio

I just received the NZ409 and elected to have it professionally installed instead of doing this myself. Everything I've read online said that the 2003 Honda Civic is pretty "tight" and it may not be easy to do this as an amateur. In addition to the head unit, I also had a backup camera, Sirius SC-C1 Satellite Radio and Blue Tooth installed.

The good news: The Clarion’s menus are pretty intuitive and easy to navigate through the different levels. The radio doesn't need any additional hardware adapters for Sirius. The SC-C1 receiver plugs right it. The receiver display provides nice options for saving the radio and satellite presets. My iPod iTouch was recognized immediately and I was able to navigate through the different playlists easily. I tried the DVD feature and it seemed to work well. The display is sharp and bright (although I probably won't use this much). The GPS works well and the guidance seems to be accurate. It acquires a signal quickly and has a very bright and understandable display.

The bad news: You'll need a USB extension cable if you plan on using this feature of the phone. I got a 6' long extension and leave the wire coiled up in my glove box. The fact that it plays DVD's is nice, but unless you're planning on sitting in your car for 2 hours burning the battery or your gas, you won't get a lot of use from this feature as the parking brake has to be on for this feature to work. I understand it's a safety feature, but it's still something you'll have to deal with. I had some issues with the Clarion Blue Tooth Adapter (BLT370) working with the head unit. Both are Clarion's products and switching the blue tooth unit didn't yield any better results. The book is still out on this feature as no easy answer seems to make this work. Another weird knock on the GPS is the voice of the guidance director. It seems very "electronic" and has the same kind of sound as the box used by people who have had radical throat surgeries. It also takes a bit longer than other units I've used when recalculating your route after a mistake.

All in all, I think it's a great value for all of the features it has. As of right now (2 days after my installation) I’m really happy with my choice of an aftermarket radio selection.