With an attractive price point and tons of features one would expect the Epson CX9400 All-In-One to be a big winner. The features are great, but quality often suffers.
The Epson CX9400 multifunction printer, scanner, copier, and fax machine has been receiving a lot of press of late. With significant price cuts, rebates, and other incentives being offered by several online and brick and mortar retailers the CX9400 has been set up to be very attractive to home computer users.
The specifications on the Epson CX9400 are available at many different web sites. Instead of rattling off numbers, this review of the stylish All-In-One multifunction machine will focus on usability, print quality, and scanning accuracy from a general consumer's point of view.
Epson CX9400 Review: Quality of Prints
On standard copy paper the CX9400 does well at printing black and white or color documents. Although the lines and fine details are not as pristine as on a color laser such as the HP Laserjet 2600n, at normal resolution the prints are still very good and more than adequate for most home users.
Home-based publishers or individuals wishing to print proof quality documents may want to consider other printers, but users should also consider that using higher quality paper will often result in higher quality images and this printer is no exception.
Photo printing on the CX9400 is where the true colors of Epson's long lineage come into play. Printing 4x6 digital photo glossy prints at the highest quality setting and using high quality photo papers produces stunning and vivid images with no grain or banding issues. The colors are pure and accurate, often looking even more realistic than on the screen itself.
Multifunction Scanning and Faxing A Mixed Bag
One of the nicest features for the home user is the ability that the Epson CX9400 has to scan and separate multiple photos at one time. If the user has a large quantity of old family photographs to scan they can place up 4 or more photos on the scanning glass at one time and the Epson scanning software will magically recognize the edges of each one, crop it, and scan it into a separate image file. The software is very easy to use, and the automatic sheet feeder makes scanning forms or tax documents a breeze as well.
On the down side the default quality of scanned documents was not very impressive. While it might be possible to improve the scan quality with a little tweaking of the settings the grainy and noisy nature of scanned photos left a lot to be desired. Copies of the scanned image as well as an original are included at the bottom of this article. On a more positive note faxing with the CX9400 was very easy and no problems occurred.
CX9400 Review: A Good Deal for an Entry Level Multifunction Printer
The Epson CX9400 overall is a good deal for the money as long as the user is willing to make a few sacrifices. Epson's product support is always top notch, and when the test unit arrived damaged a replacement was sent out the next day via FedEx.
One caveat: it appeared as though the replacement unit was a refurbished unit rather than brand new as evidenced by the fact that the fax header had already been programmed with another person's last name. Despite all its drawbacks the features do make the purchase worth while for most consumers. As with all electronics purchases however, always hang on to the receipt.
The copyright of the article Epson CX9400 Printer Review in Printers is owned by Chad Criswell. Permission to republish Epson CX9400 Printer Review in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
My last printer was an Epson 6600 and it was wonderful. Unfortunately I
bought the 9400 without reading any reviews and it is a total lemon. It
wastes ink, doesn't recognize genuine Epson ink cartridges, and the color
print quality is variable. Every day I have to reseat a cartridge which
the machine has ceased to recognize overnight. Naturally, each reseating
has to be accompanied by a charging run and nozzle check--all of which
drains the ink supply. Further, the documentation is deficient and worst
of all, Epson has no 800 number for help. Any problem requires a toll call
to California which is then rerouted to Malaysia. Finally, the service
center is NOT 24/7. Epson has lost me as a customer forever with this
turkey. It's just a matter of time before I toss it out even though it
hasn't officially died.
Sep 10, 2008 4:40 PM
Guest :
Unfortunately, this printer will not fax over VOIP!
Sep 30, 2008 12:52 PM
Guest :
They don't tell you this machine starts using the color cartridges when the
black gets low so you have to replace ALL of them to the tune of about
$60.00 - what a rip-off!!
Oct 21, 2008 12:05 PM
Guest :
The CX9400 is a waste of money... It constantly gives errors that it cannot
recognize the cartridges, I have spent more money on cartridges with this
printer than any other printer I have ever owned. I plan to ship this
printer back to Epson with a note and buy a new printer, NOT AN EPSON....
Nov 3, 2008 7:42 PM
Guest :
I would kindly like to agree with my other printer users of America. Yes,
the ink runs out quickly, and if even 1 ink cartridge is low, you CAN NOT
print. Even the manual states that the printer will not print if 1 ink
cartridge is low. Then what is the point of buying a printer. I'd rather
find my old HP printer from 1995. Those things weighed as much as a pile of
bricks, but at least they were dependable. I am now boycotting Epson. I
wouldn't even sell this on Craigslist or Ebay. In fact, I might sell this
to Epson and see how much they would like to buy their own faulty product.
Nov 5, 2008 4:45 PM
Guest :
I spoke w/tech support today via the NON-toll-free line 562-276-4382
explaining that I only wanted to print in black, though my blue cartridge
was dry. He explained over and over that all ink cartridges must have ink.
I think this is absurd. Any quality printer should allow a person to print
in BLACK only or in grayscale, at least. Nope, not with this one. I asked
him if their was a return policy for not being 100% satisfied with the
product. He explained again that I needed to replace my ink cartridges.
Thanks, I got it. Click and drag this printer to my recycle bin so maybe it
can be reborn as more ink cartridges.
Nov 18, 2008 6:40 PM
Guest :
I have a cx9400fax and it is total GARBAGE!!! I will NEVER buy another
Epson product as long as I live. It burns through ink cartridges like thay
are water and if 1 ink cartridge is out you cant do anything!!!! No scan
No Fax it is crazy!!!!! Im going to make it my lifes work to see that
everyone I know never buys an epson product.
Dec 6, 2008 1:58 PM
Guest :
I bought this printer about 3 month ago, now the original ink is empty,
bought a new ink, but the printer cannot recognize the new ink. very
disappointed. already change a lot of new ink, but still not working. not
recommended to buy this printer. may be because this printer is cheap, but
a lot of problem.
Dec 19, 2008 12:22 PM
Guest :
I can't scan on my cx9400 Epson printer because I am low on ink. This
doesn't make any sense. I don't need to print anything, I just want to scan
in some pictures for a website I am working on. How do I get around this?
Feb 17, 2009 2:45 PM
Guest :
This printer is absolute crap. DO NOT BUY. The ink problems are one thing
but I've has a supposed paper jam for the last two months. Can't print.
Can't find the paper jam. Huge waste of $$$. Absolute crap. Never again.
Mar 24, 2009 4:44 PM
Guest :
I actually think the functionality and the of the features are an excellent
concept, however, I think it's crazy to have to buy a color cartridge when
you want to just print black when the black cartridge is full. HP can do
it, and most other ones, why not Epson. also the fact that it shuts off
faxing feature when there is no ink. you can use the scanner, the card
reader, etc.. just cant fax. .this makes no sense to me. all because it
goes into error mode. I guess what do you expect for a 80.00 new printer..
I just wished Epson would lower the price of the ink cartridges a bit
more.. You know where always going to need ink.. If any updates or patches
to the software are available, could someone please let me know ? otherwise
I would have to think on buying another Epson and do more research on it.
Of course... maybe spend more to.. gbstr2009@hotmail.com
Apr 21, 2009 5:15 PM
Guest :
DO NOT PURCHASE!!!!This is my last first and last Epson. The CX9400F is a
very average performer, which is what I expected for $100.00, and I have
accepted that. The situation with the ink is nothing short of criminal
extortion. As others have noted, the unit will not function if one of the
cartridges need changed. They cost about $18.00 each at the big office
stores.Maybe a little less in a package deal. They are NOT normal size
cartridges. The ink runs out very quickly. I have tried numerous
after-market inks, but the printer goes into error mode when it can't
recognize the cartridge. The last straw was when I changed the black
cartridge and suddenly the printer won't recognize the blue cartridge,
which was working fine and still has plenty of ink. Anyone in need of
a big paper weight?
Apr 26, 2009 3:49 AM
Guest :
this is biggest ink hog i have ever encountered. also the alignment feature
is a total waste of time and ink. printing pictures is the joke of the
century. no help from epson on alignment either. the company should recall
these monsters and give people their money back but you can bet that isn't
going to happen. another thing concerning ink is the fact that when i
purchase a high capacity ink cartridge direct from epson, the high capacity
looks exactly like the regular cartridge, nothing on it to tell you it is
high capacity. looks identical to the regular cartridge. like every one
else i wuold like to know why epson set this thing up to use color ink wnen
you are only printing in black. this thing is a ripoff, never will i
purchase another epson product, anyone who offers no more support than
these people offer deserves to bite the dust. goodbye epson and good
riddance.
May 13, 2009 6:24 AM
Guest :
The ink is what costs us the consumer. I used to use brand name ink but
was forced to switch to compatible ink cartridges because of the
substantial dollar savings. One source I found is www.InkTechnologies.com.
They have great pricing, same day shipping and free shipping if you spend
over $75 on an order.
Jun 1, 2009 3:05 PM
Guest :
I agree with evryone and wish i would have seen these comments before
purchasing this absolute waste of money mashine that never performs simply
tasks and constantly wants more ink. I think Epson owes all of us the
money back, that is much cheaper than loosing all these customers for
lifetime. But how do we get a hold of someone with deciding power? any ideas?
Jun 16, 2009 1:19 PM
Guest :
BUYER BEWARE. I've had the CX9400 for less than six months and in a rage
threw it in the garbage last night. It sucks color ink like there's no
tomorrow, even when nothing is printed in color. One of six cartriges empty
and you can't print anything, period, including black & white, or
send/receive fax's. Its a scam and an insult. Even though it worked
perfectly well, I refuse, on principle, to send one more penny epson's way
for ink. I'll never buy another Epson product in my life.
Jul 11, 2009 9:25 PM
Guest :
Can't even print black and white because it is out of Cayan!!! I should
still be able to print black and white!!!
Jul 21, 2009 9:28 PM
Guest :
Ink is a big ripoff from EPSON here ..Just buy the ink refill on ebay and
it is very cheap 16.00$ for 4 bottle and you can fill up about 40 cardtrige
so it cost about 40 cents each also so you dont have to run to the store
like nut for INK again ..who care about the picture quality now ..who care
about printer damage now.Who care about Epson ..After i am done with this
junk i will put it in the gabage and i will never touch any Epson product
again.
Jul 21, 2009 9:35 PM
Guest :
Get INK refill on ebay and it is very cheap..
Jul 22, 2009 2:51 PM
Guest :
I'm having the same problems as some of the other posters... low ink level
means no printer whatsoever. Totally absurd. I just bought a new black
ink cartridge and can't print a black & white letter because my blue
cartridge is low. Even my cheap-o $35 Lexmark would let me print in
b&w if my color was low/out. Epson = fail.
Aug 11, 2009 4:22 AM
Guest :
Agree with everyone. Epson is garbage. How they think suckering people over
ink will ever make them buy anything from them again is a mystery. I never
use colour printing, but mysteriously the colour cartridges run out after a
while and it refuses to print. The only way to get it to do so is buy a
whole set of colour cartridges, even if i never use them. Crap rip off. It
hasn't crossed their tiny minds that it is cheaper to buy a new printer
from a better company than it is to buy their extortionate cartridges. Bye
bye epson, and good riddance.
Oct 4, 2009 12:26 PM
Guest :
While their printers are GARBAGE, you have to understand that the
accounting department has determined that enough people will keep buying
the overpriced Epson ink and they will make money selling garbage!! So for
the minority posting here, sucks to be you, Epson doesnt care, and if your
printer does work for a minute, you can get really cheap ink on Ebay. Other
than that, stop buying garbage Ink Jet printers!! Laser printers do all of
the real color printing in this world, NOT ink jets!!
Jan 27, 2008
