Kenwood Excelon KDC-X889 Car CD / MP3 Player
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Similar in In Dash Receivers
- MP3 / WMA Playback: MP3 Playback WMA Playback
- Additional Features: Animated Display
- Anti-Theft Protection: Detachable Face Panel
- Player Type: CD
- Controlled Devices: CD Changer HD Ready Sirius Ready XM Ready
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The sound and features of this stereo are amazing!
Pros
Sound, features, display, ability to fine tune sound
Cons
None so far
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
I would buy this unit because it has a lot of features and the sound is great.
I have used Kenwood products for over ten years now and have always loved them. From home rack systems to surround sound entertainment systems and car stereos I have always liked their clean lines, great sound, and dependability. With that said; I have been researching quite some time for a new stereo for my truck (2002 F-150 x-cab). I looked on eBay for a long time, because I wanted an older model Kenwood that had push buttons for the volume, I also wanted an eXcelon unit, then I decided I wanted one that would play mp3's. After numerous older units going for either too much (in my opinion) or without all required components, etc…I checked out Crutchfield since I had known about them for years and I found this unit in their refurbished area for just 219.99 with free shipping and all the accessories I needed. I was not sure about the rotary volume button and the joystick control on the right side but now that I have it installed I love it.
Now for the features, the instruction manual is lengthy because of all the features, and you have to watch which section you are reading because the manual covers other models as well and certain things only apply to certain models. The 889 does not have adjustments for bass and treble, (the 789 does) instead you adjust the speakers independently via an equalizer or other preset methods. This unit is so customizable with the sound it may seem overwhelming as others have said, but just read them clearly and you will start to remember what each button does after playing with it a little bit. There are other features such as security, RDS, and it even has the ability to measure g-force on acceleration, braking, and cornering. There are five different screen options to choose from as well and you can add your own pictures or file clips to display. The unit also has advanced codec drive that you can set with two different English voice options to speak the file name of the mp3 you are playing with the provided phat noise software.
The sound is great and I will definitely be buying new speakers soon because the stock ones are restricting the fullness of the sound. With the stock head unit, they sounded muddy no matter where I set the bass and treble, and with this unit they sound better, but you can tell they are the restriction now. The remote control is nice as well and you can control just about everything from it. There is also a nice feature to this radio called dual zone audio control; it allows you to play one source on the front set of speakers and another source on the rear set at the same time. Beneficial I am sure if you have an SUV or a mini van with kids or something. You can also adjust the volumes independently. It is HD radio ready and can control an optional Sirius tuner from the head unit. You can also control a Kenwood amplifier from the head unit or a CD changer. There are a lot of features that I did not touch on, but that would take several pages to do so.
Bottom line; this is a great stereo with a ton of features that can sound rich and full on its own or phenomenal as the basis of a top of the line system.
Now for the features, the instruction manual is lengthy because of all the features, and you have to watch which section you are reading because the manual covers other models as well and certain things only apply to certain models. The 889 does not have adjustments for bass and treble, (the 789 does) instead you adjust the speakers independently via an equalizer or other preset methods. This unit is so customizable with the sound it may seem overwhelming as others have said, but just read them clearly and you will start to remember what each button does after playing with it a little bit. There are other features such as security, RDS, and it even has the ability to measure g-force on acceleration, braking, and cornering. There are five different screen options to choose from as well and you can add your own pictures or file clips to display. The unit also has advanced codec drive that you can set with two different English voice options to speak the file name of the mp3 you are playing with the provided phat noise software.
The sound is great and I will definitely be buying new speakers soon because the stock ones are restricting the fullness of the sound. With the stock head unit, they sounded muddy no matter where I set the bass and treble, and with this unit they sound better, but you can tell they are the restriction now. The remote control is nice as well and you can control just about everything from it. There is also a nice feature to this radio called dual zone audio control; it allows you to play one source on the front set of speakers and another source on the rear set at the same time. Beneficial I am sure if you have an SUV or a mini van with kids or something. You can also adjust the volumes independently. It is HD radio ready and can control an optional Sirius tuner from the head unit. You can also control a Kenwood amplifier from the head unit or a CD changer. There are a lot of features that I did not touch on, but that would take several pages to do so.
Bottom line; this is a great stereo with a ton of features that can sound rich and full on its own or phenomenal as the basis of a top of the line system.
