Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've owned the FZ501 for a few weeks now, and overall I'm pretty happy with the purchase. For the $130 I paid, it's a crazy good value. You just don't find good receivers at this price that include iPod and Bluetooth capability. I'm surprised so many receivers still include CD players. Who still uses those?? :) Just keep in mind there are some compromises that go along with the low price.
Pros:
-If you like simple, minimal design (and I very much do), this is a great looking unit. The single silver nob with a light blue glow behind it should blend nicely into most cars. Blue is all you get, however. You can't change colors. That minimalist approach also means you have to spend some time learning all the ways to push (up, down, left, right), twist, and click that big button to get things done. Once you get your head around it, it's fine. But if you want separate buttons and nobs for features, this isn't the amp for you. It's a bit like learning the iPod for the first time. You do a lot with a small number of controls.
-Solid, low noise amp. I drive a semi-noisy sports car with a big engine. This puts out plenty of power to the 6 stock speakers. The sound that comes out is clean and clear, with no distortion that I noticed.
-Digital radio tuner pulls in stations well and puts out good sound
-Front facing USB/iPod connection and Aux jack are very handy and easy to use. I like the way a small plastic door slides to hide/reveal them, keeping the design clean.
-It works with the newer iDevices, including the iPhone 4. If you want iPod/iPhone compatibility, be sure to do your research before buying. Just because it says it supports iPods doesn't necessarily mean it will support your device - always check.
-Overall, the Bluetooth features work well. It pulls in your phone directory and displays the name of the caller when you get an incoming call. It will connect automatically to your device, so you don't even need to think about it. And it lets you play music if your phone/device supports A2DP. One issue tho: you can't just tell it to support audio only(for example, if you prefer using your bluetooth headset for calls). That was an issue for me when I'd get a call on my iPhone; it would default to using the speakerphone built in to the receiver when I wanted it to go to my headset. You can pretty easily push a button on screen to change you 'source' to the headset, but that's a hassle when you're driving. On the audio side, it's amazing how you can just turn on your car, it links to your player, and you can just start playing music without fiddling with settings. Keep in mind tho: no matter what Bluetooth stereo or device you use, the sound will not be as good as a wired USB or Aux connection. Even if you're not an audiophile, if you crank up the volume very much, you'll notice the difference in quality. It's not _bad_, it's just not as good as a wired connect.
-If you have steering wheel controls, the optional interface adapter works very nicely. Being able to change volume / mute / go to the next track on my iPod was nice. However, when using the radio, the track skip buttons just changes the frequency up/down, not the presets. What brilliant person thought to set it up that way??
Cons:
-You have to use a button on the remote to change the display from the radio station or track playing to see the clock. Seriously. If you just want to look down and glance at the time, keep that remote handy. It boggles my mind why they made that choice.
-The display itself is somewhat minimal. It has to scroll a bit to give you full song titles / album names / etc. It would have been nice for them to incorporate a bigger display that shows more at once. (Like the clock!)
-It only supports Sirius, not XM Satellite tuners
-No rear USB/iPod connection for folks that want to keep cables discretely hidden.
-No removable face plate to discourage theft.
-The inability to separate headset and music functions on Bluetooth mentioned above.
-I had some occasional Bluetooth drops or the connection didn't happen automatically without turning the unit on and off. The fault could be with the stereo or my iPod. Overall, this has been a pretty rare problem.
-The steering wheel control limitations mentioned above (thought that might be partly the fault of the 3rd party that makes the steering wheel interface cable).
Bottom line, I definitely recommend the FZ501 for the price.
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Clarion's FZ501 is a mechless digital media receiver receiver packed full of connectivity options, with a unique single multi-way controller, direct iPod/iPhone control, front USB and AUX with sliding cover, and built-in Bluetooth for hands-free operation and audio streaming. It also offers room to grow, with two pairs of 2V preamp outputs on top of its 50W x 4 MOSFET amplifier, and the ability to add HD or SIRIUS satellite radio.
A mechless digital media receiver receiver packed full of connectivity options. Click here for a larger image
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