Kenwood Excelon KDC-X869 Car CD / MP3 Player
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Similar in In Dash Receivers
- MP3 / WMA Playback: MP3 Playback
- Anti-Theft Protection: Detachable Face Panel
- Player Type: CD
- Controlled Devices: CD Changer Mini Disk Player HD Ready Sirius Ready
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Not worth $400, but a good head unit
Pros
5.0V Gold Preout, Excellent sound quality, sleek design, nice features
Cons
Display options limited, Sirius tuner cumbersome
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
If you're looking for a Kenwood Excelon head unit and the display isn't a major determining factor, this is a great one to go with.
I recently had a Kenwood X717, but someone decided to smash my driver's window and steal it, so I chose the 869 as its replacement.
This head unit is the first I've seen that has the controls on a seperate panel which folds down from the rest of the device. Upon startup, the entire head unit shifts forward, then the controls open straight down, similar to how a door operates on a hinge.
When I first used this, I was surprised at how solid the control piece was - I was concerned that something like that would be flimsy, but it wasn't. The controls are similar to any previous Kenwood head unit, replacing the Volume up/down arrows with a circular wheel (nice touch). If you decide to get this head unit make sure there's enough space in front of/around the head unit to use the control piece. The angle of the display and the angle of the control piece are somewhat adjustable, so if it gets in the way it's likely you can adjust it to suit your needs.
This head unit is also the first to use multi-function keys. Radio preset keys 2-5 also double as menu keys. This interface takes some getting used to, but I was comfortable with it during my drive home from getting it installed.
I'm not a fan of the display - it's easy to read but not as easily configurable as that on Kenwood's older head units. The 869's display offers three display types, but none make the best use of the screen. Displays B and C play this ridiculous animation of penguins and use the bottom-most line (where the multi-function key display is) for a clock and/or frequency analyzer, but the analyzer is in such a small space it's really not useful and serves no real purpose.
The Sirius (satellite radio) control on this head unit takes some getting used to as well. I don't like how its integrated with the display. On my old head unit, I could have the channel name on the bottom line of text and the song title and artist scroll across the top. The X869 does not support that. (if any other X869 users read this and prove me wrong, PLEASE e-mail me @ johnbamber@mac.com) As I mentioned earlier, the display options are limited on this one.
It's a good head unit, don't completely rule it out. When the prices go down, it'd be a great one to purchase if you aren't picky about displays but you want a sleek addition to your car stereo.
This head unit is the first I've seen that has the controls on a seperate panel which folds down from the rest of the device. Upon startup, the entire head unit shifts forward, then the controls open straight down, similar to how a door operates on a hinge.
When I first used this, I was surprised at how solid the control piece was - I was concerned that something like that would be flimsy, but it wasn't. The controls are similar to any previous Kenwood head unit, replacing the Volume up/down arrows with a circular wheel (nice touch). If you decide to get this head unit make sure there's enough space in front of/around the head unit to use the control piece. The angle of the display and the angle of the control piece are somewhat adjustable, so if it gets in the way it's likely you can adjust it to suit your needs.
This head unit is also the first to use multi-function keys. Radio preset keys 2-5 also double as menu keys. This interface takes some getting used to, but I was comfortable with it during my drive home from getting it installed.
I'm not a fan of the display - it's easy to read but not as easily configurable as that on Kenwood's older head units. The 869's display offers three display types, but none make the best use of the screen. Displays B and C play this ridiculous animation of penguins and use the bottom-most line (where the multi-function key display is) for a clock and/or frequency analyzer, but the analyzer is in such a small space it's really not useful and serves no real purpose.
The Sirius (satellite radio) control on this head unit takes some getting used to as well. I don't like how its integrated with the display. On my old head unit, I could have the channel name on the bottom line of text and the song title and artist scroll across the top. The X869 does not support that. (if any other X869 users read this and prove me wrong, PLEASE e-mail me @ johnbamber@mac.com) As I mentioned earlier, the display options are limited on this one.
It's a good head unit, don't completely rule it out. When the prices go down, it'd be a great one to purchase if you aren't picky about displays but you want a sleek addition to your car stereo.
