Clarion NX501 User manual

FEATURES
The Clarion NX501 is a full featured double
DIN sized source unit, incorporating an
AM/FM tuner, CD, DVD, MP3, AAC and WMA
playback. It also includes full 2D/3D onboard
satellite navigation, connectivity for your
iPod or iPhone and Bluetooth for hands-free
telephony and A2DP streaming audio. The
6.2” TFT touchscreen provides control and
customization capability for all your favorite
sources and the bright and easy to use GUI
makes day to day living with the NX501 a very
pleasant experience. The unit is priced right
around the $1000 mark in the US and Canada.
There are so many bells and whistles incor-
porated into the unit that listing them here is
impossible, but here are a few of the more no-
table features: The TeleAtlas based map data-
base was created using high resolution aerial
and land based data. The supplied maps cover
all of the United States, Canada, and Puerto
Rico. The mapping data and over 15 million
points of interest are stored on a 4GB Micro
SD card for fast data retrieval. Map updates
are available for purchase online from clarion.
naviextras.com. And, the maps are very cool
too. Just like an old school paper map the
2D mode will show you streets and elevation
by color. If you switch to 3D mode, you can
see the altitude and actual differences in
elevation. You can see valleys, mountains, and
even elevated roads. In selected cities, some
landmarks and buildings are also displayed
in 3D. If you’re not into reading maps, simply
enter your destination on the touch screen
and follow the voice guidance that will route
you to your destination. When it’s time to turn,
the unit will mute your music and announce
the upcoming guidance. The unit will also
alert you to the presence of hazards or school
zones, and you can even enter your own per-
sonalized alert points. Junction View, Signpost
display and Lane Assist are also new features
found on the NX501.
The built-in Bluetooth connectivity is
powered by Parrot and offers comprehen-
sive compatibility with a vast array of mobile
phones, personal music players and PDA’s. An
integrated microphone is built into the front
panel and an optional external microphone for
use in noisy environments is also available.
Don’t think for a minute that the engi-
neers at Clarion neglected the unit’s audio
and video playback capabilities. The NX501
boasts one of the most powerful internal
MOSFET amplifier ever used by Clarion, as
well as 3 pairs of RCA outputs (Front/Rear/
Sub) rated at a full 4 volts. There are also
two auxiliary inputs, one on the front panel
for easy access, and another rear mounted
input for more permanently installed sourc-
es. Speaking of additional inputs, the NX501
is “Made for iPod/iPhone”, and is fully
PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND – PASMAG.COM
36
MULTIMEDIA RECEIVER
CLARION
NX501 TEXT AND MEASUREMENTS BY GARRY SPRINGGAY
// PHOTOS BY MANFUCTURER
REPORT
T
T
E
S
ver the last couple years Clarion has been working hard developing good looking, high performance products that
are in line with what technology thirsty consumers are looking for. In this review we’ll have a look at a great example
of those efforts, the new Clarion NX501.
O

PERFORMANCE AUTO & SOUND – PASMAG.COM
38
CLARION NX501
AMPLIFIER
CEA-2006A Power per channel (all channels
driven,@ 4 ohms) 18.6 watts/ch x 4
A Wtd S/N Ratio (ref to 2V/1W @ 4 ohms)
Amplified output -81.1dBA (CD)
THD+N @ 2V/1W @ 4 ohms 1kHz 0.03%
Frequency Response (-3.0dB) 20Hz – 20kHz
PREAMP SECTION
Max Usable RCA Output Voltage 4.5Vrms Frt/Rear/Sub
A Wtd S/N Ratio ref to full output voltage -88.0dBA
Output Impedance 152 ohms
Frequency Response (-3.0dB) 20Hz – 20kHz
MEASURED SPECIFICATIONS
compatible with all iPhones, iTouchs, iPod Nanos and Classics as well. Simple Control is
a selectable feature that lets your passenger play DJ, and control the tunes via the iPod
while the track and album art is still displayed on the unit. Even better, when connected
via the USB cable, the DAC in your iPod is bypassed, and that task is taken over by the
NX501’s built-in 24Bit D/A converter for maximum fidelity. If you use something other
than an Apple product, no worries, the included Aux inputs and USB port will allow you
to easily connect virtually any storage device or player.
Dual zone controls provide the ability to have different audio and video signals play-
ing at the same time, an excellent feature when you want to listen to music, and the
kids want to watch a movie via an overhead or headrest monitor. The feature list goes
on, but by now I think you get the idea!
CONTROLS AND ERGONOMICS
Okay, for me the controls and ergonomics are what makes or breaks a source unit.
Regardless of how many features it has or how great the specifications are, if it’s a pain
to use, I won’t even consider it.
When it comes to ease of use, the Clarion scores quite well, with large intuitive
icons and controls and an excellently designed rotary volume control. The touch
screen does require a firmer touch than I’m used to, but once I became used to how
hard I needed to press, it worked very well. I could access all the sources, and make
all the setup and adjustments without needing to continually refer to the manual,
which I appreciated.
When watching a DVD, the video clarity was excellent, and the picture is adjustable
for brightness. There is also a selection of wallpapers to choose from, and the option
of being able to import your own photo from a USB drive, but when I attempted to
do that, the unit would not recognize my photos on the drive. The resolution of the
pictures I happened to have handy were simply too high – they need to be formatted
to 800x480 pixels.
While making the initial setup adjustments,
I noted that the internal amplifier can be
turned off for installations using all external
amplifiers, which provides maximum perfor-
mance from the pre-amp outputs.
To help get your system tuned, the NX501
comes with built in low and high pass cross-
overs, at frequencies of 62, 95, and 135Hz.
The low pass filter affects the subwoofer
outputs and the high pass filter controls the
front and rear outputs as well as the output
of the internal amplifier.
A built in DSP controlled three-band EQ
is included for further tuning, and comes
with three preset curves, or if you prefer you
can customize your own tuning. The equal-
izer provides adjustment for one of three
frequencies in each of the bass, mid and
treble bands. The filter Q is also adjustable,
in four steps. A feature Clarion calls “Magna
Bass EX” emphasizes the very lowest couple
of octaves, and really pumps up the very deep
bass. The effect of this circuit is controlled by
volume settings and reduces as the volume
is increased for a better balanced system re-
sponse. If you have a car with factory steering
wheel controls, an optional wired interface
will plug into the NX501 and enable retention
of the factory controls.
Check out more exclusive
content at www.pasmag.com

CLARION NX501
WWW.CLARION.COM
CLARION
LISTENING
So how does it sound? In a word, brilliant. With the NX501 as the source in my reference
system I really put it through the paces, trying every available source and all kinds of music.
Throughout the listening session it never missed a beat, delivering exceptional clarity and
musical realism. Sound staging was distinct and accurate, and the overall tonal balance was
spot on. On very quiet passages, the NX501 was dead silent, contributing zero audible hiss to
the systems noise floor. The AM/FM tuner performed very well, with the AM reception just a bit
weaker than normal, but the FM section was great, with clear strong reception even of some
difficult local stations. CD and DVD performance also proved to be excellent, although the
mechanism does take a few seconds longer than some others to load and play a disc initially.
iPod control and sonic performance proved to be very competitive as well, with my only minor
gripe being the layout of the GUI,
I would have preferred a bit more flexibility in the available adjustments.
All in all, the sonics of the NX501 are among the best I’ve tested in some time, and although
the display was easy to use and easy to read, (some information like track time is very small)
I have been spoiled by more customizable units that allow me to choose the ability to show
certain information and hide other stuff, to scroll things in larger fonts, change overall back-
ground colors, and to move touch screen based control buttons around to find a configuration
that suited me. If these customizable options aren’t important to you, you’ll find the NX501
GUI’s completely acceptable.
ON THE BENCH
What the unit lacked in terms of user customizability it made up for in spades on the test
bench. Very flat frequency response, very low distortion, low noise, good output impedance,
and excellent stereo separation make the NX501 one of the better performers my bench has
seen in the last year or so. The unit will play an all high bits track at full volume without clipping
the actual 4 Volt pre-amp outputs, and even the CD mechanism is ruler flat from 20Hz to
20kHz. If you are connecting an amplifier to your source unit, this Clarion has one of the best
pre-amp output sections currently available. It’s just uncommonly good.
CONCLUSION
In terms of performance, feature sets, and general functionality, the Clarion NX501 is
tough to beat. I love the rotary volume control, and the incredibly good pre-amp section. It
combines all the modern technology and convenience features into a single product that re-
ally sounds great. Yes, it’s maybe not quite as customizable from a GUI cosmetic standpoint,
but if you are serious about your sound, there aren’t many other choices that come this
close to sonic nirvana.
www.pasmag.com/clarionnx501
www.facebook.com/ClarionUSA
twitter.com/Clarionusa