There are plenty of other features that impress. The display is a rectangular grid of pixels with enough resolution to show mini videos and complex spectrum analyzers. When set to demo mode, the display plays videos of Formula 1 racing, yachting with dolphins in Hawaii, and then becomes a Vegas slot machine.
This display also makes the EQ settings easy to understand, showing a frequency response graph to illustrate what the current setting is doing to the sound. You can set the readout for varying levels of complexity, from plain text to full-screen spectrum analyzer, or a combination of the two. Animated icons will zoom across the screen when you change sources, making it easy to see what source you selected. There are also animations for each of the equalizer presets. One thing about this deck, you can never get lost with this fabulous display telling you where you are at all times.
The faceplate has a pair of semi-circular ridges, one on each side of the display area, that give you anchor points for finding the buttons without taking your eyes off the road. Once you learn where the important controls are located, you can easily run this unit without ever looking at it. The button illumination can be set to green or red. You can angle the faceplate to make it easier to read, and it will remember to return to that position after being turned off. When you shut down the power, you are given a few seconds (adjustable duration) to remove the faceplate for security. If you leave it in place, it rotates 180 degrees, leaving nothing showing but a flat shiny black surface. There is also a programmable security code to prevent use by unauthorized personnel (little sisters) or thieves.
Standard ISO mounting points are provided for ease of installation, and a mounting sleeve is included for non-Japanese vehicles. There are control lines for amp turn-on and electric antenna, as well as the external amplifier control line that is used to change the bass boost on some Kenwood amps. A dimmer control line can be connected to the car's light switch to dim the display when the headlights are on. Two CD changers and an auxiliary input can be connected to the high-density DIN connector provided.
Front, Rear, and Non-Fading stereo outputs for your external amplifiers are given through three pairs of gold plated RCA jacks. These outputs have a voltage swing of 4.5Vdc for excellent signal to noise ratio in the harsh mobile environment. When using the preamp outputs, you can disable the internal power amps for better sound quality. Two-zone audio is an option, allowing you to send the AUX input signal to the rear speakers while still listening to a CD or the radio in the front. This means that you can have a VCR or game console going in the back seat, and still have your tunes in the front.
The equalizer gives you plenty of control over the tone of your system, and can be used to compensate for acoustical problems in your vehicle. Eight dB of cut or boost can be applied at three separate frequencies simultaneously, one bass, one mid, and one high frequency. The bass band can be set to one of five different center frequencies and one of four different Q (filter width) settings. The mid band has four center frequencies and two Q settings. The high band has four center frequencies with a fixed Q. There is also a bass extension mode which increases the cut or boost of the bass EQ by about 20 %. Five presets are built-in (Rock, Top40, Pops, Jazz, and Easy) or you can save your own EQ curves. Each source remembers the EQ settings you set up, allowing you to adjust the sound from the CD, FM tuner, AM tuner, and AUX inputs all separately. In addition, the volume of each source can be offset to compensate for varying gains, especially on the Aux input. The loudness mode is volume-sensitive, bringing up the bass and treble more and more as the deck's volume is reduced. An attenuator function drops the output level way down and then slowly brings it back up when you cancel it.
Built in crossover filters can be applied to each of the three outputs separately. The front and rear outs (preamp and powered) have 12 dB per octave highpass filters which can be set at any of eight cutoff points, while the non-fading preamp output has three cutoff frequencies to feed only the lows to your subwoofer amp. You can also invert the phase of the non-fading output.
An adjustable gain laser in the CD mechanism will read through dirty or scratched discs and adjusts to the varying reflectivity of the different CD formats including CDRs. The transport has a four-point suspension with mini shock absorbers for excellent shock resistance. The usual array of features are present, including user definable disc names, audible fast forward and the less frequently seen audible fast reverse, intro scan, random play, and repeat. CD changers can be controlled as well.
Kenwood's tuner has a circuit called CRSC (Clean Reception System Control) that prevents multipath distortion (which occurs when driving in the city amongst buildings) by reducing stereo separation. There is also an active noise reduction circuit that works in conjunction with the CRSC. The tuner has everything you have come to expect: user definable names, auto-seek, and 24 memory presets for your favorite stations. The clock can be automatically set by tuning in a station with RDS capability.
A remote is provided that gives access to all basic functions, but the advanced menu items must be changed via the faceplate. When entering disc and radio station names, you can enter the alpha characters directly from the remote. An optional steering wheel remote is available to keep the important controls at your fingertips at all times.
As usual, Kenwood's top-of-the-line deck has great cosmetics, sound quality, and features. If you want the best of the best and an MSRP of $600 fits your budget, this unit deserves a close look.
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EQ-Levels |
EQ-Centers |
EQ-Presets |
Loudness |
LPF-HPF |
Bass Extension |