Kenwood KRC-335 Car Cassette Player
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Similar in In Dash Receivers
- Anti-Theft Protection: Detachable Face Panel
- Player Type: Cassette
- Controlled Devices: CD Changer
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Bust out that cassette collection!
Pros
High-quality basic unit with expansion options (CD/Minidisc changer).
Cons
None
Recommended it?
Yes
The Bottom Line:
A great price for a great deck - the best of cassette audio, advanced tuner technology & expansion to a CD/MD changer, you have everything you need!
I have to say that my little two-week odyssey to get a new stereo installed in my truck has been nothing if not interesting. It started with me buying some no-name, off-brand stereo the first time - and then having to have it pulled when it just didn't work. Looking around, I decided I would stick to something with a proven track record, and grabbed the Kenwood KRC-335 system. I have to say I was very pleased.
Features
The KRC-335 is a basic in-dash aftermarket stereo, with the standard AM/FM and cassette deck, but has something that I really appreciate - controls to attach an external CD/Minidisc changer. That means that while I'm loving my tapes right now, I can always go back and add CD capabilities later on if I want.
The radio tuner has all the basics which I won't go into too much depth (scan, programmable buttons, etc.), but the real plus on this unit is how good the tape deck works. Why would anybody want a tape deck in this day and age, you might ask? Well, with a music collection of close to 1,000 records (yes, that's right), 200+ 8-track tapes, and a box of cassette & reel to reel tapes, as well as the usual stack of CDs on top of the stereo that everybody has, I'm well stocked on music. The problem is that if I have a CD player in the truck, I can only play my CDs - unless I am willing to go through the time and hassle of hooking my stereo up to the computer & recording all those analog formats onto CDRs (done it before, not doing it again). A case of 200 blank cassettes set me back a little under $60 with shipping, and with a deck hooked to my stereo, I can now get all my favorite music, from LPs to my dusty old 8-tracks, cranking with me down the road.
The deck has full logic controls, meaning all the functions are electronically controlled - no more having to use your full body weight to eject a tape, or hearing metal pieces clanking together when you try to jam in the rewind button. The deck also features over a half dozen pre-set EQ audio enhancing settings, AND Dolby-B noise reduction for tape! It also has settings that let it play the Chromium Dioxide / FeCr / Metal tapes (Types II, III and IV) that were so popular in the late 1980s as competition with CDs was growing (I have a few of these myself), something not all stereos will do now.
With auto-reverse, you never have to pop a tape out & flip it to play side two, and the deck even scans the tape so you can skip forward/backward like on a CD, without having to hit the rewind/fast forward back and forth to find what you want. You can also repeat a single song, and the deck will automatically fast forward to the next recorded section of tape if silence lasts for more than 10 seconds (you can turn this setting on/off).
With a max 45 watts per channel, this system has more than enough power to blast your music clear and sharp through factory-installed speakers, and even most higher wattage aftermarket systems will be sounding great with this little tuner. A standard removable faceplate is included, along with a remote control for running the deck from the back seat, if desired.
I haven't had a chance to test the CD/Minidisc changer capabilities, since I haven't had a changer installed yet, but the controls look very simple to use & figure out. The display is nice and bright, and has a clock as well (something the cheap no-name brand I bought before this one didn't have). As far as how easy it is to figure things out, let me put it this way: I had the clock set, the EQ optimized for one of my favorite tapes (a copy of my Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits LP, pops, clicks and all), the clock set, and my favorite radio stations programmed to the buttons all in about five minutes and without even looking at the manual. Bravo, Kenwood - a stereo that you don't need an engineering degree to figure out!
Over all, I'd say this is your best bet for any stereo system, based on price, features, and the expandability of the unit. I'll be spending the rest of my weekend going through my records & deciding what to put on tape next!
Features
The KRC-335 is a basic in-dash aftermarket stereo, with the standard AM/FM and cassette deck, but has something that I really appreciate - controls to attach an external CD/Minidisc changer. That means that while I'm loving my tapes right now, I can always go back and add CD capabilities later on if I want.
The radio tuner has all the basics which I won't go into too much depth (scan, programmable buttons, etc.), but the real plus on this unit is how good the tape deck works. Why would anybody want a tape deck in this day and age, you might ask? Well, with a music collection of close to 1,000 records (yes, that's right), 200+ 8-track tapes, and a box of cassette & reel to reel tapes, as well as the usual stack of CDs on top of the stereo that everybody has, I'm well stocked on music. The problem is that if I have a CD player in the truck, I can only play my CDs - unless I am willing to go through the time and hassle of hooking my stereo up to the computer & recording all those analog formats onto CDRs (done it before, not doing it again). A case of 200 blank cassettes set me back a little under $60 with shipping, and with a deck hooked to my stereo, I can now get all my favorite music, from LPs to my dusty old 8-tracks, cranking with me down the road.
The deck has full logic controls, meaning all the functions are electronically controlled - no more having to use your full body weight to eject a tape, or hearing metal pieces clanking together when you try to jam in the rewind button. The deck also features over a half dozen pre-set EQ audio enhancing settings, AND Dolby-B noise reduction for tape! It also has settings that let it play the Chromium Dioxide / FeCr / Metal tapes (Types II, III and IV) that were so popular in the late 1980s as competition with CDs was growing (I have a few of these myself), something not all stereos will do now.
With auto-reverse, you never have to pop a tape out & flip it to play side two, and the deck even scans the tape so you can skip forward/backward like on a CD, without having to hit the rewind/fast forward back and forth to find what you want. You can also repeat a single song, and the deck will automatically fast forward to the next recorded section of tape if silence lasts for more than 10 seconds (you can turn this setting on/off).
With a max 45 watts per channel, this system has more than enough power to blast your music clear and sharp through factory-installed speakers, and even most higher wattage aftermarket systems will be sounding great with this little tuner. A standard removable faceplate is included, along with a remote control for running the deck from the back seat, if desired.
I haven't had a chance to test the CD/Minidisc changer capabilities, since I haven't had a changer installed yet, but the controls look very simple to use & figure out. The display is nice and bright, and has a clock as well (something the cheap no-name brand I bought before this one didn't have). As far as how easy it is to figure things out, let me put it this way: I had the clock set, the EQ optimized for one of my favorite tapes (a copy of my Linda Ronstadt's Greatest Hits LP, pops, clicks and all), the clock set, and my favorite radio stations programmed to the buttons all in about five minutes and without even looking at the manual. Bravo, Kenwood - a stereo that you don't need an engineering degree to figure out!
Over all, I'd say this is your best bet for any stereo system, based on price, features, and the expandability of the unit. I'll be spending the rest of my weekend going through my records & deciding what to put on tape next!
