Clarion ARX6570z

Price Paid:  $200.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
 Clarion ARX-6570 RZ/2000

Summary:
In one word - superb !!!

Strengths:
Good quality sound with MB Quart speakers.Powerfull !

Weaknesses:
None

Price Paid:  $100.00

Summary:
I would look at this radio's controls alot before you buy.But overall a great product at my price (The price I put was for a B stock refurbished)Thanks.

Strengths:
Like the Z EQ thing it has made it possible to remove my noisy Radio Shack EQ(What Garbage they Sell it should be illegal!) and still adjust until I buy another EQ.The overall sound quality is awesome. Also like the fold down screen that hides the tape deck.Being able to label radio presets in nice since I have 3 simulcast stations I follow on the way to work I can glance and see what sation is currently tuned in.

Weaknesses:
The report below is right on the Money about the controls(I really hate that no timeout auto escape from features)I can add that the installation was hampered for me in my 98 Jetta because the fuse holders were to close to the back of the radio(When will they build these into the radio Chassis!!!)I had to modify harness alot to compensate.

Similar Products Used:
good old Kenwood 930 was easy to use and controls made sense. Would of had more problems installing because of big square fuse holders/noise suppresors.

Summary:
Paid $250 for it, and am happy with the sound and electronics quality. The interface issues are quite annoying, to me. If you are in the market for a nice looking, and nice sounding unit, this is a great buy. But, make sure you play with it for a while and decide for yourself if the interface is worth it.

Strengths:
I bought this unit for its feature list, and because it had a CD changer control, which most modern players have. This unit (unlike the 5xxx series) has a dot-matrix display that provides clearer text readout. The Sound quality is great, as is the internal amplifier, since it is currently driving my Boston and Clarion speakers quite well. The unit came with the remote control, though I find the rotary volume knob much easier to use than the buttons on most radios.

Weaknesses:
The controls take some getting used to. For example, with a 12-disc changer, accessing discs 7-12 means you have to hold down the 1-6 button for about 2 seconds. In addition, once the CD is selected, the player will not tell you the name (even if you programmed it) of the CD until it is loaded and playing, which makes it hard to find the CD you are looking for, unless you memorized your slots! The buttons are not clearly labeled, so it's hard to know what button does what - for example, the "A-M" button changes the bass, treble, and fading functions. Once in one of these modes, you use the rotary knob to adjust the value. What's weird is that the radio doesn't return to the normal state after adjusting - you have to press "A-M" until you are back to the regular display. These types of interface issues are all over this unit - it's not very easy to use while driving.

Similar Products Used:
Sony, Pioneer, Alpine, Panasonic, Aiwa radios. As mentioned above, the interface of this model leaves a lot to be desired.