Good sound at a reasonable price
Written: Nov 14 '02 (Updated Nov 14 '02)
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Pros: Ease of set up. Kenwood USA support. Equalizer presets allow great sound differentiation
Cons: Any glare negates ability to read controls.
The Bottom Line: This is a good product for someone who just wants a better receiver in their car and doesn't need all the bells and whistles that come with higher end systems.
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| oneharbour's Full Review: Kenwood KDC-319 Car CD Player |
The Kenwood KDC-319 CD receiver has a good balance of quality vs. cost, and installation and expansion are relatively easy.
I decided to install this system myself, and had few problems following wiring instructions or installation in my car.
The sound quality is instantly and noticeably better than any factory system and many after market systems. I tried all sorts of different music, and found it had a good range with either OEM speakers, or my Infinity's that I also installed.
There are preset equalizer settings for multiple styles of music that each have their own button on the faceplate. This makes it easy to find the right sound balance for the type of music you listening to instead of having to shuffle through a list on a menu. You can also make custom preset equalizer settings yourself. There are also settings so you can enter what size speakers you are using in both the front and rear, and it will adjust the sound for optimal quality in that size speaker cone.
The digital display is a lot cosmetic, and not so much functional. The entire blue digital circle on the right of the readout does nothing except display in a tiny part of it which preset radio station you are listening to. The model also does not include a dimmer ability, and I sometimes notice it is a bit bright at night and I have no way to adjust that.
The only things I don't like about this system is that when there is any glare or bright light shining into my car, the entire digital readout in unreadable. Also, the faceplate is a bit difficult to put on. I can do it every time, but I do have to pay attention to where the pins are going into the faceplate. Several times I have thought it was on, but it fell off, and a few other times I almost put it on upside down(and it just about fit).
Overall, this is a good product. It is not expensive, and even someone who just wants a little bit better system can be satisfied with it. The sound quality is good, and having after market speakers as well makes all the music very crisp and clean. There are pre-amp outs, so expansion is relatively easy as well, and this system is set up for Sirius satellite radio, which means you can hook a Sirius receiver into the KDC-319 without any additional dashboard clutter. Kenwood USA Support is great, and when I had several questions, I got email responses within a day.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 140
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Epinions.com ID:
oneharbour
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Reviews written: 3
Trusted by: 0 members
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