Panasonic CQ-RX400N

6th March 2008 Adam Rayner

Another £20 on the price of the unit below this one and again, you get an increase in function. However you do not get any significant increase in appearance of the display. It is still an FL unit but looks a little prettier with an amber backlighting and buttons that now glow in the more sexy and desirable blue LED. Direct connection and control of iPod is the real story and though you can see the ‘Made for iPod’ logo on all the units’ cartons and they work via the System Up connection, the CQ-RX400N can accept an iPod directly into its faceplate-mounted port. It has this USB port hidden under a rubbery covering on the front drop, just above a feature that used to be seen as cool for those with Cassette deck Walkmans, a 3.5mm stereo audio tip-ring-sleeve microjack socket. These days it is used for the audio output of all the ‘other’ digital music players that can send a simple stereo audio signal to be played as an auxiliary item. An Infra Red remote control is included, as is a hard case for the removable faceplate. However, despite saying so in their press release (which we published in the news section) the USB wire is not included correctly stated in the manual bijou error, there, then.
It has front and rear RCA output sockets on the back but does lack a third set that I would have expected to see as a natural progression to front/rear and Subwoofer or non-fading output even if they couldn’t include a subwoofer crossover or control system for one within the unit. Although the CQ-RX400N is sold at a lower price than some, as a CD range topper, I would have expected to see some sort of low frequency amplifier feed on there. Perhaps having less space on the chassis would have meant that his would have had to hang out of the back on a cord as before but a subwoofer amplifier will not really be bothered with minor extraneous noise, which tends to be in the higher-than-bass frequencies, so wouldn’t have been much of an issue. In any case an awful lot of amplifiers have pass-though RCA systems these days, so even the lowly CQ-RX200N can feed a shedload of modern amplifiers.
– New Arc Evolution design detachable faceplate; blue button illumination
– 4 x 50w MOSFET amp
– SQ3 (3-band Sound Quality Equaliser) Low/Bass +/-12dB @ 60Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz or 200Hz
– SQ3 (3-band Sound Quality Equaliser) Mid +/-12dB @ 500Hz, 1kHz, 2kHz or 3kHz
– SQ3 (3-band Sound Quality Equaliser) High/Treble +/-12dB @ 10kHz, 12kHz, 15kHz or 18kHz
– 2V/200 Ohms preamp-out (front, rear)
– Bluetooth ready (with Bluetooth unit CY-BT200N)
– AAC/WMA/MP3 playback from CD-R/RW discs
– CD changer control
– CD Text
– System Up connector on rear for addition of single unit or CY-EM100N expansion module for up to four
– Front USB input
– iPod ready
– iPod USB direct control
– Front AUX input 3.5mm (music port)
– 18 FM and 6 AM presets
– Signal to Noise Ratio 96dB
– Infra red remote control included
Review by Adam Rayner
The looks of this deck are not significantly more appealing than those of its ï¿½20-less brother, the CQ-RX300N. The main difference is in the ease of appending an iPod to it. Whereas you need to go into the rear plug hole of the cheaper decks, via the System Up port and either just connect your iPod there or else add an industry-leading-for-VFM connection system box (most other manufacturers hideaway audio-visual add-on facilitator units are hugely more complex and costly than many need ï¿½ Panasonicï¿½s is particularly sensible and capable for itï¿½s relatively low cost.) and so be able to add up to four devices, you simply get an iPod to USB wire and fling it in the hole.
Panasonic reckon that a 2M or less USB 2.0 lead is best for the ‘normal’ USB mass storage type drives and you need a USB for iPod wire finishing in a Type A male connector for the Appley-ness. The system inside the CQ-RX400N behind that USB port can support 5th Generation iPod version 1.2.1 (although video playback is not possible, since CQ-RX400N isn’t an AV unit, of course) and 1st and 2nd generation iPod nano version 1.3.1 & 1.1.3. It will of course, like all USB systems, send power to the battery of your ‘Pod while you are driving but when you stop and turn off the ignition, you must disconnect. Otherwise it will stay on and empty your skinny wee HD’s guts of all its battery power. Panasonic state that it’s best not to hook up things like remote controllers or headphones to the iPod while it is connected to the head unit as it mightnï¿½t work correctly.
In a world with some really sexy and much more expensive iPod car products, the Panasonic CQ-RX400N is a refreshingly simple fling-it-at-it sort of solution at a keen price. In fact the whole range we have looked at have that in common. The entire trio of machines, the 200, 300 and CQ-RX400N alike are all an amazingly keen value for money package. You do get a lot for your money with Panasonic.
There are some iPod persons who will recoil from anything that doesn’t look like a competition install and not like front-entry and trailing wires yet I feel that despite the fact that you need to place your iPod carefully in a cubby of some sort within your dashboard (so many different places in so many different cars) and be dern tootin’ certain that the wires are not going to get you entangled with your steering wheel and having you end up in a ditch or around a lamp-post, this is going to be a popular item amongst those who have mates with ‘Pods. It’s all very well getting into a friend’s car and wanting to play your tunes on their system, but if their iPod is too deeply embedded within the fabric of their car to easily change the ‘Pod from one to another, complete with all the other machine’s content, playlists and taste, then you are reducing possibilities. I can see this being a popular deck for those who really care most about the tunes and who likes what, rather than pure joy-of-possession type purchasers.
Sound Quality 8.0
Appearance/Display 8.0
Ease Of Use/HMI 9.0
Features 9.0
Value For Money 9.0
Overall rating 8.6