I know both these units are good and would be happy with either one of them, but still having a hard time deciding. I can get the Pioneer Avic Z2 for $1100.00 at a local high end electronics store, they are closing the car audio dept. and have 1 left that they want to unload. The Kenwood 8120 due out this month is an awesome unit, with 5 volt preouts etc. What do you all think?

 

I would wait for the Kenwood IMO.

 

<---Pioneer fan. Just make sure if you do decide to get the pioneer, that it was never a display unit. Ive had audio places try to sell me their last remaining units for a cheaper price...and in most cases they were display units that they had boxed back up...thats why they are the "last one" especially in the case of a store closing its audio department!!

Be careful my friend they gotto liquidate all those assets somehow!

 

I love my Z1and Z2.

 

Kenwood

 

Alpine IVA-W205 with the PXA-H701 pwns...

 

Go with Pioneer. I have a z2 and love it. I wouldn't go with anything else.

 

Put the Z2 in last week...LOVE IT!!! I've always been a Pioneer fan anyway, but I would recommend the Z2! I got mine for $1059, free shipping and it's a brand new unit. Soundfactorypro.com is where I got it from and the customer service was awesome!! I ordered it on a Friday night, and it was here Tuesday at noon.......from New York to Florida. If you decide on the Pioneer, I would suggest those guys to buy from!

 

Thanks NinjaZ! Ill keep that in mind.

 

I will be installing my pioneer avic d3 soon. I is the best bang for the buck but I am pretty sure most of the big deals on it are gone for now.

 

Just some thoughts…

• The Pioneer AVIC Z2 is replaced with the newer Z2X device, so that is probably why you are getting a discounted price.
• There seems to be a reported preference for Pioneer’s operational interface (the application software).
• Kenwood’s gps implementation is superior (better application software and much faster performance).
• The availability of refurbished units can be interpreted to some degree as a measure of reliability. There are many refurbished Pioneer devices, but hardly any refurbished Kenwood products. Certainly the number is driven by the how many devices are sold, but the difference between Pioneer and Kenwood is too wide, indicating that Kenwood devices have a higher reliability. That is probably due in part to the fact that Pioneer uses a HDD while Kenwood has a flash drive (no moving or mechanical parts).

--Spike

 

Isn't the Z2X just the Z2 with the bluetooth and rear view camera added in the package??! That's the only difference in description I see from Crutchfield, Sonicelectronix.com, and carstereo.com. I would hope that the Z2 alone would be at a discounted price over the same unit with 2 $100 each add-ons. As stated earlier, I've always been a Pioneer fan, and wouldn't buy anything from Kenwood over Pioneer. Not bashing Kenwood, I just prefer Pioneer over them.

 

Just get the Z2. Don't listen to him. Yes they are discontinuing the Z2 but not for the z2x. They released the z3 and it is the exact same unit with a firmware upgrade, which just means updated maps pretty much.

Heres a link:
AVIC Z3

And at avic411.com they will most likely be releasing an image of the z3 hdd shortly so we can update our z2s to z3s.

 

^^ When a manufacturer adds a letter to the end of a model designation, you can be sure this is a “dead” product, soon to be replaced. That does not mean it is a poor purchase decision since the device often has some improved application software and is often bundled with a couple of extra “goodies.”

Large “box sellers” such as BestBuy and CircuitCity call the shots these days and no longer allow excess inventory, so this is a way to keep the product alive and saleable. That makes the Pioneer AVIC Z2 a great buy. It’s not dead technology, but instead a very good purchase decision.

--Spike

 

Personally I really have enjoyed the Pioneer products I have purchased more than the kenwood I have bought. Never had issues with either one, but I have just enjoyed the pioneer more.

 

I’m interested in your opinion(s) since I write application software.

What is it that makes you prefer Pioneer?

--Spike