Kenwood Excelon KDC-X679 Car CD / MP3 Player

Do you need an in-dash receiver capable of running an involved car audio system? Are you looking for strong radio reception? Is top-notch CD playback with .MP3 and .WMA file decoding a must? Does high-level theft avoidance rate high on your mobile stereo priority list? Well look no further because the Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X679 will fill the bill on all these counts plus more!

Here's what you get with the KDC-X679:
High power output of 22 watts per channel RMS and 50 watts per channel peak power. Not satisfied powering your setup off of the head unit? Not a problem with the 3 sets of 5-volt RCA preamp outputs. One set of front, one set of rear, and one set of non-fading subwoofer outputs assure you of the ability to run a multi-amp system with ease. If you aren't going to connect any speakers to the head unit's speaker outputs the internal amplifier may be turned off to allow for an even cleaner signal to be output to your amps through the RCA preouts.

You get top-shelf radio reception with Kenwood's CR-2 tuner section which boasts an FM Mono sensitivity of 9.3dBf.
One of my favorite local FM radio stations unfortunately broadcasts with a relatively weak signal. I have friends that have difficulty tuning in that particular frequency clearly if they aren't right in town but thankfully this is a nuisance I've not had to contend with using these Kenwoods. Matter of fact - it is not at all uncommon that I can tune in stations clearly that are within 100 miles of home with ease while friends of mine will find nothing but static to be heard on those frequencies.

You get astounding clarity for your compact discs with a CD signal-to-noise ratio of 110dB throughout the frequency response of 20Hz to 20kHz. Instead of the industry-standard 1-bit D/A converter found in most in-dash CD players you'll find a 24-bit Burr-Brown audiophile quality D/A converter in this new high-end Kenwood. During CD playback this unit will display CD Text from properly encoded discs and it will also show all ID3(v.1) tag information (track title, artist name, album title, etc) from .mp3 and .wma files if properly encoded. The zero-bit mute circuit is independent for the left and right channels and assures absolute silence between tracks. (What this means is you'll never hear that annoying background 'hiss' between songs of your CDs again)

Kenwood does not advertise this unit to be constructed with any form of anti-skip prevention buffer memory. Never fear, however, that this means that traveling over rougher roadways will cause your CDs to skip and hiccup. After having this unit in my dash for a few months now I've not had it skip the first time excepting once while playing a disc that had been roughly handled by a friend's child and pretty severe surface scratches were had as a result. I wouldn't expect any head unit to have been able to successfully play this one disc after I discovered the damage done to it after having loaned it out.

If satellite radio is your bit you get Sirius Satellite Radio controls as well though you will need a compatible Sirius tuner and antenna to receive and decode the satellite broadcast signal.

The eXcelon KDC-X679 also includes more than it's fair share of sound shaping ability. Kenwood's System Q EX fills that order superbly. 6 EQ curves are factory preset into memory, letting you to apply the most appropriate curve for whatever type of music you are playing. The preset curves are named "Top 40", "Pops", "Flat", "Easy", "Rock", and "Jazz". There is also a custom curve setting named "User" that allows you to set your own EQ curve and keep it stored as well. You may adjust the bass center frequency (60, 70, 80, 100 or 150Hz), bass level (-8 to 8), bass Q factor (1.00, 1.25, 1.50 or 2.00), bass extension on or off, middle center frequency (0.5, 1.0, 1.5 or 2.0kHz), middle level (-8 to 8), middle Q factor (1.0 or 2.0), treble center frequency (10.0, 12.5, 15.0 or 17.5kHz), and treble level (-8 to 8).

Is all that adjustment possibility somewhat overwhelming for you? That's ok too - the System Q EX is defeatable from the internal menu while still allowing you to adjust the bass, middle and treble levels only.

You'll also find built-in crossovers to keep unsuitable frequencies out of speakers that weren't designed to reproduce them. In the KDC-X679 you'll find built-in high-pass crossovers for both the front and rear channel outputs which affect output on both the speaker outputs from the deck as well as the front and rear RCA preamp outputs. with available cutoff frequencies of 40Hz, 60Hz, 80Hz, 100Hz, 120Hz, 150Hz, 180Hz, 220Hz or totally unfiltered. These cutoff frequencies are independently adjustable for the front and rear channels and have a 6dB/octave slope. The 12dB/octave low-pass crossover for the non-fading subwoofer RCA preamp outputs has available cutoff frequencies of 50Hz, 80Hz, or 120Hz as well as full-range, unfiltered output. There is an adjustable level control for the subwoofer RCA outputs adjustable in 2dB steps from -15 to 15 and as well as turn them off completely. Are you a fan of your stereo creating obnoxious volume levels while you drive? The ability to kill just the bass output at a stoplight to minimize any unwanted attentions from local law enforcement will be a big hit with you. To round it out there is a phase adjustment that allows the user to switch the subwoofer preout phasing 180 degrees.

Finding and operating various features on the deck is intuitive and easy with the large, joystick-type button found on the right side of the deck's face that is a match, cosmetically, for the volume/mute button found on the left side of the unit's face. Once a certain menu is accessed from its corresponding button on the face moving the joystick up and down moves you through all the options within a particular menu while left and right movements of the joystick will activate your adjustments. Navigating through your .MP3 and .WMA discs is just as easy with 'up and down' sorting through your folders while 'left and right' will jump through the tracks within that folder. Do you just have one huge folder with around 175 or so different files (songs) in it? You'll find direct track access available via the supplied full-function wireless remote control.

I purchased this model from the 2004 eXcelon line-up as an upgrade from last year's KDC-X569. (See review Here) After re-adjusting the input gain levels on all three of my component amplifiers seeing as the RCA preamp outputs on this new unit more than doubled the output voltage of the previous unit I was able to notice a significant difference almost immediately. It's louder, it's cleaner, and the sonic range is much, much wider.

For me, seeing as I was going from one eXcelon deck to another in a fairly complicated sound system was simplicity itself. All I did was unlock and slide the old deck out of its dash-mounted sleeve, unplug all of the connections from the rear of the unit and move them aside. Then all that was left was to plug everything up to the new deck (wiring harness, three sets of RCA patch cables, and the antenna lead) and then slide it into the mounting sleeve. The entire operation took less than 3 minutes.

Ok - so I know you're asking..."Enough with all the technical mumbo-jumbo...how does it SOUND?!" Well, ladies and gentlemen, I'm here to tell you....it sounds absolutely fabulous. To be completely fair the rest of my personal sound system makes it fairly easy for a good head unit to sound great with the output being processed by three component amplifiers before being sent out to 10 various drivers. (For curiosity's sake - see my personal mobile audio setup by cutting and pasting this URL >> http://www.cardomain.com/id/prowler0573)That being said, however, this deck upgrade was exactly what the doctor ordered. Across the entire sonic range it is all at once louder, cleaner, and more focused. My highs are crystal clear at all volume levels without sounding forced or brassy. My mids are loud and intent while remaining mellow and unmuddled. My lows are deeper, cleaner, and more forceful while retaining their integrity blending into the rest of the overall sound.

Ok - enough about how it works........how does it look?! Kenwood knows that the visual aspect of a new head unit is as important to some users as the performance capabilities and the eXcelon KDC-X679 doesn't disappoint. Here you'll find Kenwood's new "Auto-Slide" faceplate mechanism with a 3-D high resolution display with fluorescent backlighting and 4 tone gradations. The display is divided into 4 sections: Upper and Lower Text Display with two Level Meter Displays (one on each end). The Upper Text Display and Lower Text Display have independently selectable information for each audio source. Press the Eject button and the faceplate will slide down and forward to reveal the CD slot. After you put in a CD the faceplate returns to the original position, flat against the unit's chassis. Is direct sunlight washing out your view of pertinent information? You'll be able to pick one of three faceplate angles to further enhance visibility.

Is this unit destined for a family vehicle? If so you'll love Kenwood's Dual-Zone Audio capability. When an external source is connected (Kenwood's Music Keg, a CD changer, Sirius Satellite Radio, or auxiliary input source) you may choose to play your external audio in a different zone than the internal audio (tuner or CD) source. Additionally you may choose which zone (front or rear output channels) plays which audio source (internal or external).

To finish out the niceties of the Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X679 you'll find a user-settable 4-digit security code which makes it necessary to input a 4-digit code anytime the unit is disconnected from 12 volt power as well as the industry-standard detachable faceplate for anti-theft measures. When the faceplate is detached from the unit a disabled system indicator red LED flashes to alert potential thieves to move along. Be sure to retain the security code if you utilize this feature, however. Once it is activated it cannot be deactivated and the code cannot be reset by the end user.

A final note ~ coming from Kenwood's competition-level eXcelon lineup the KDC-X679 has a 2-year parts and labor warranty in place of the normal 1-year warranty offered with Kenwood's normal line of mobile audio products. Be aware, however, that Kenwood is very particular about what retailers become authorized to carry their flagship line of mobile audio equipment. Most online retailers that offer Kenwood eXcelon equipment are not factory-authorized to carry it and no corresponding warranty will be honored by Kenwood in the unfortunate event of an unforeseen problem somewhere down the line. Beware that that attractive price from (fill in random online electronics retailer here) might become a nightmare should the unit fail while still within the warranty period.

All in all I would recommend this unit to anyone looking for a high-end in-dash receiver capable of running an entire stereo from the front seat. Casual users might find all the adjustments available a bit over-the-top.