Kenwood KDC-X859 Car CD / MP3 Player
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Similar in In Dash Receivers
- MP3 / WMA Playback: MP3 Playback
- Player Type: CD
- Controlled Devices: CD Changer Sirius Ready
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Kenwood's KDC-X859 really delivers!
Pros
Bright display, volume knob, D-MASK, MP3 playback
Cons
Layout a bit cluttered, programming of AM/FM presets is not intuitive
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
This feature packed head unit offers many additional features not found on other units, the display is easy to read with the added security/convenience of D-MASK
My Kenwood KDC-X859 was purchased about 1 month after its release at a cost of $375. It can be found for as low as $300 now. At the time I was looking for a head unit that would play MP3 encoded CDs and also be able to conceal itself when turned off.
There are many reasons why I chose this particular model over other models on the market at the time. First and most importantly is the track to track seek time for MP3 CDs. Kenwood head units had the fastest seek times which eliminated the pause between songs that plagued the units produced by other brands. My other reason for choosing this model is the D-MASK feature which conceals the unit's face when turned off, and even allows me to remove the face should I choose to do so.
There are four primary operating modes for this model: OFF, time/date display, Radio, CD. In OFF mode the unit remains closed and appears to be a blank panel. The time/date mode displays the time/date on the screen with no audio output. Radio mode plays AM/FM and gives multiple display options. CD mode is similar to AM/FM with the addition of displaying CD-TEXT or ID1/ID3 tags on MP3 encoded CDs (such information can be scrolled automatically across the display.) The majority of the functions are highly intuitive with the exception of programming presets. The display is VERY clear and easy to read with multiple color options and can be made even easier to read with the tilt function. Audio quality is superb and front, rear, and subwoofer pre-amplifier outputs offers flexible installation options. Built in crossovers allow limited but very effective adjustments of frequency cutoffs for each speaker set. All controls have a very positive feel and the volume knob is much faster than the volume up/down buttons found on other units. Build and overall craftsmanship is top notch and two different trims rings are included to simplify installation.
My only complaint is the brightness of the blue lights on the SRC and Audio buttons as well as the ring around the volume knob. They stand out in the dark and do not dim(when installed the dim feature enabled) with the rest of the display. Besides that, this head unit truly has no other shortcoming.
I highly recommend this head unit to anyone who is looking for a way to play MP3s with the convenience and security of D-MASK. It has never given me any problems and is worth every penny paid.
There are many reasons why I chose this particular model over other models on the market at the time. First and most importantly is the track to track seek time for MP3 CDs. Kenwood head units had the fastest seek times which eliminated the pause between songs that plagued the units produced by other brands. My other reason for choosing this model is the D-MASK feature which conceals the unit's face when turned off, and even allows me to remove the face should I choose to do so.
There are four primary operating modes for this model: OFF, time/date display, Radio, CD. In OFF mode the unit remains closed and appears to be a blank panel. The time/date mode displays the time/date on the screen with no audio output. Radio mode plays AM/FM and gives multiple display options. CD mode is similar to AM/FM with the addition of displaying CD-TEXT or ID1/ID3 tags on MP3 encoded CDs (such information can be scrolled automatically across the display.) The majority of the functions are highly intuitive with the exception of programming presets. The display is VERY clear and easy to read with multiple color options and can be made even easier to read with the tilt function. Audio quality is superb and front, rear, and subwoofer pre-amplifier outputs offers flexible installation options. Built in crossovers allow limited but very effective adjustments of frequency cutoffs for each speaker set. All controls have a very positive feel and the volume knob is much faster than the volume up/down buttons found on other units. Build and overall craftsmanship is top notch and two different trims rings are included to simplify installation.
My only complaint is the brightness of the blue lights on the SRC and Audio buttons as well as the ring around the volume knob. They stand out in the dark and do not dim(when installed the dim feature enabled) with the rest of the display. Besides that, this head unit truly has no other shortcoming.
I highly recommend this head unit to anyone who is looking for a way to play MP3s with the convenience and security of D-MASK. It has never given me any problems and is worth every penny paid.
