USB/AAC/WMA/MP3 CD Receiver with Built-In HD Radio
Amazon.com Product Description Car stereo connectivity has come a long way over the years. and the KDC-HD942U is the perfect case in point. At the core of this receiver is legendary Kenwood audio performance, and its list of impressive attributes grows from there. This is the first Kenwood CD-receiver with built in HD Radio and iTunes tagging. In addition, the receiver is both iPod and iPhone ready, Bluetooth ready for hands-free cell phone use, and Satellite Radio ready. Hard to believe all of this comes in one package.
Cutting-edge car stereo technology. Click to enlarge. |
Dial in Your Music
Enjoy your favorite CDs or CD-Rs, or burn a data CD with your favorite MP3/WMA/AAC files and enjoy hours of music on one disc, along with ID-3 tag display for artist and title info.
Awesome-Sounding FM and AM Broadcasts
The KDC-HD942U features a built in HD Radio tuner. HD Radio delivers crystal clear reception taking conventional FM stations to near CD quality and makes AM stations sound like an FM broadcast. More and more stations are offering HD Radio broadcasting with your favorite local stations offering multicasting you get to enjoy more music from a variety of artists and genres. Features 18 FM and six AM presets for your convenience.
Bluetooth-ready: add the optional KCA-BT200 to enjoy hands-free phone operation or to listen to audio stored on Bluetooth devices.
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Includes IR remote. Click to enlarge. |
Add satellite radio or HD radio with Kenwood peripherals.
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Bookmark that Song You Want to Hear Again
When you hear a song that you want to hear again while listening to HD Radio, just use the iTunes tagging function to “bookmark” the song and send data to your connected iPod, which allows you to access and purchase the song on iTunes via your personal computer.
Superb Audio All the Time
When listening to music in a moving vehicle, sound quality can be degraded due to road and engine noise. Kenwood’s exclusive Sound Excellence audio enhancement feature brings out all of the music masked by this noise, and also includes a unique iPod EQ function that improves the sound of any iPod by deactivating the EQ setting of the iPod and allowing you to select an EQ curve optimized for iPod playback in any vehicle at any speed.
Supreme
When a music file is compressed, some frequencies signals are lost, particularly if it is encoded using a low bit rate. The Supreme technology is a Kenwood-original audio compensation technology that compensates for this loss and reproduces music in a more natural form, thereby making it possible to play music recorded using low bit rates (64k to 96k) in an audio-quality equivalent to music recorded using a higher bit rate (equivalent to 128k). Enjoy a natural, rich sound, even with lower compression ratios.
Memorize Frequently Used Functions
Favorite Memory is capable of storing up to six frequently used functions from diverse sources and recalling them whenever necessary. This means those short cuts to frequently accessed radio stations, phone numbers, iPod songs, setup functions, menu, etc. can be easily stored.
Finding Songs on iPod Made Easy
The head units found in the Regular lineup feature an original Dual Search function for iPod music libraries that uses a combination of Music Search and Skip Search to provide faster access to the songs you’re looking for.
USB & AUX Connectors Right Up Front
Certain models have either a USB interface or AUX input terminal or even both on the front panel for added convenience, making connection of external devices with USB or AUX support easier.
Bluetooth Ready
Add the optional KCA-BT200 to enjoy hands-free operation of the KDC-HD942U, allowing you to keep your hands on the steering wheel allowing you better concentration on your driving. Advanced Bluetooth technology provides wireless connection and operation of Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as mobile phones and even phones that can stream music via A2DP.
HD and Satellite Radio Ready
The KDC-HD942U allows you to enjoy SIRIUS (requires CA-SR20V cable + Sirius Tuner) or XM (requires KCA-XM100V + XM Mini Tuner) radio in your vehicle. Enjoy a multitude of channels featuring music, news, talk shows, sports, and traffic information with CD quality sound.
You also can add an HD Radio tuner. When you connect an HD radio tuner, features of the unit are disabled and changed to HD Radio tuner features.
Ready for System Expansion
In addition to the on-board 50W x 4 amplifier, the KDC-HD942U boasts three 4V pre-amp outs for expanding your system.
What’s in the Box
Kenwood KDC-HD942U, sleeve, trim ring, wiring harness, installation tools, installation manual, operation manual, warranty card.
Okay, I think I’ve figured out what some of the folks here have been griping about…and I disagree with most of it, though not all.
First of all, to say this unit is “feature-packed” is like saying the U.S. Federal Deficit is large. I mean, this thing has features the typical consumer is never going to use. And all those features coupled with a spartan onboard control panel is the main reason so many people here think it’s “too hard to use.” It’s really not. But it IS difficult to LEARN to use; once you’ve figured it out (it took me one day, but I’m pretty smart), it’s not bad from there.
To exacerbate things, this thing comes with what has to be one of the worst user manuals I’ve ever seen for a name-brand electronics product. I mean, I understand if you’re buying some off-brand made-in-Taiwan gadget, you’re going to get a manual written in “Engrish.” But c’mon, this is KENWOOD, one of the most popular brands going!
The manual was written by, putting it mildly, someone whose first language is NOT English. For the most part it’s just annoying, if mildly amusing, but there are parts where you have no idea what the writer is trying to say. Couple that with its leaving out a lot of pertinent information – or at least making you dig hard for it – and it’s no wonder some users throw up their hands with this unit.
For instance, it isn’t clear at all from the manual that you have THREE FM selection groups. While it would be obvious from your typical control panel (which would have an AM-FM1-FM2-FM3 button so labeled), there’s no way to tell this from just looking at the blank face of this unit.
The secret to learning how to use and enjoy your KDC-HD942U receiver is THE REMOTE CONTROL. Think of it the same way that you think of almost all consumer electronics for the home nowadays: without the remote, you’re screwed. Most DVD/Blu-Ray players, for instance, are nearly impossible to use without the remote. My DirecTV receiver is certainly that way.
You would never think it, but you’re now in the same boat with your car stereo. Now, why they would give you an UNLIGHTED remote for this I’ll never know, but there you are. You really can’t use this thing very efficiently without the remote, and that’s just the plain truth of it. You can try to navigate through the menus on the unit, but for the most frequently-used functions you’re going to get frustrated. Use the remote.
By the way, with all the hoopla about “texting while driving,” could frequent use of a remote control for your car stereo be more hazardous? Talk about your distracted driving.
At any rate I’ll probably add more to this review as I get more experience with the unit. I’m giving it four stars because it really is impressive, if a bit intimidating.
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*** Product Information and Prices Stored: Mar 08, 2010 13:42:16
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