Kenwood DMX709s Review - eXcelon Sound Quality + AMAZING Value
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ก.พ. 2023
- In today's video @carstereochick breaks down the pro's and con's in this in depth Kenwood DMX709s review. If you want Kenwood eXcelon sound with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, iDatalink Maestro compatibility, HDMI input and along with a sleek, vibrant capacitive touch screen, look no further than the Kenwood DMX709s. This Kenwood eXcelon receiver is HARD to beat in terms of value and sound quality.
This Kenwood DMX709s review covers all the nitty gritty details regarding all the various sound quality control features such as car type, speaker size, 2-way or 3-way network crossover mode, source dependent 13 band EQ, Digital Time Alignment, Volume Offset and more. With updated iDatalink Maestro graphics and that signature Kenwood eXcelon sound that so many are loyal to, it's no wonder this is quickly becoming @carstereochick favorite value priced iDatalink Maestro compatible head unit.
The Kenwood DMX709s also features 2 reverse camera inputs. No special adapters required! You can even benefit from automatic front camera control when packaged with the iDatalink Maestro in select vehicles. Don't forget the micro HDMI input. Want to sit and watch TH-cam on your Kenwood DMX709s? No problem!
Don't forget the icing on the cake - the Kenwood DMX709s is part of that eXcelon family of products which means you get a 2 year warranty and a 5 volt pre-amp output. Did you see the latest video? It IS actually 5 volt. Throughout this video you'll see sneak peeks of the DMX709s installed in a 2019 VW Jetta using a brand new iDatalink kit, the KIT-VW1 - coming soon!
Warning! This video is long because the Kenwood eXcelon DMX709s has TOO many fantastic features to cover in a short period of time. So grab a cup of joe, get in your comfy chair and get ready to learn about all the reasons to love the Kenwood DMX709s.
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Thank you so much for the informative video. You set me straight on a few features I was having trouble with and the manual was not covering them at all. Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much for the encouraging words, I really appreciate it!!! Some people can just be downright mean and rude on YT. Thank you for being so kind. I'm happy you found it helpful :)
I'm a little late to the 709S party, but I'm here now. Just ordered this yesterday from Crutchfield. I was between the Alpine ILX 670 and this one. They're both pretty similar in features but the extra camera and SDS/HD radio did it for me. Can't wait to install this since I've been using one of those inexpensive Android units for a while. No tuning ability for amps and subs. So stoked.
Thanks for the great reviews and tutorials! By far the most clear and concise I've seen on head units.
Nice! Enjoy it :) And thank you for the kind words, I really appreciate it!
I think you are the best in car stereo reviews, cant wait to see your review on the Sony XAV 9000ES
Aw, thanks so much. I really appreciate that. To be honest I'm behind on content creation right now because John got a total knee replacement 6 weeks ago (he's doing great!) and is going back for more torture with rotator cuff repair this week. So my hands have been full! I'm hoping to get back up to speed as soon as possible. Next double DIN review will probably be on the new Alpine iLX-W670 and then the Sony Mobile ES speakers. I'm still not set up yet as a Mobile ES dealer, but I'm hoping to set that up once John is back to installing full time in January.
Best car stereo channel !
🙏 Thank you, very much appreciated!!!
Impressive video, clear and concise. instant subscribe.
Thank you so much!
Awesome video. Thanks so much for covering a lot of the features for this receiver. I was having trouble figuring out to enable the steering wheel controls to toggle through the preset radio stations I already had. The manual doesn't really cover that. I like that the display is nice and bright compared to the last Kenwood receiver I had.
Keep up the good work!
Thank you so much! I'm so happy to hear you found the content helpful. Thanks for watching and taking the time to let me know :)
I had to get a datalink maestro rt universal car radio replacement interface so all my car features would work on the radio
Where are the steering wheel controls mentioned? I’m having the hardest time with those, and the manual is useless.
I've been a Kenwood home unit user since the 70's when no one could compete with the Pioneer Super tuner in cars but the installer sold me on this unit. The sound is great and I am generally happy with the Kenwood. I would really like to see an easy to use dimmer for night driving and a brighter display for day driving when there is to much glare to read the display.
Thank you for posting this video. We just got a DMX709S for my wife's 2013 Subaru Xtrek, and she's getting used to it. The OEM unit just up and died, which is no sweat as it was always a POS anyway. Now she's got Apple Carplay. Will have to check out the audiobooks feature.
Thank you so much for your feedback! I'm so glad you found it helpful :) I hope you both enjoy the new stereo for many years to come!
Does this deck got youtube, and Hotspot connection for data sharing ??
Wow! Lots of nice features at a reasonable price!
Yes, indeed!
Just got a DMX709s due to your videos :) Thank you for all this info! I decided to get the PAC module instead of Maestro as its a 2008 Sport Trac, so didn't really feel the need for the extra info it may have. I know the 2008 is limited already with just a factory sub and dedicated amp. I am hoping my parking sensors are not tied into the SYNC system, but at least I will now have a rear view camera! I almost went for the 7709s, but glad I spent the extra $50 for this model. Can't wait to get it installed. Unfortunately I am having to get a 6ft USB extender to put the port in the console. The 3ft would just barely be too short. Hoping no issues with the extra cable length with Carplay.
I just bought this. Do you like it
@@bensalem8032 I do very much like it. I used to be a big Pioneer fan, but sound wise and options the Kenwood is better. The only thing I can agree on is the complaints for the glare as sometimes it can make it hard to see, but in my truck how it sits its not bad. Then I really cannot stand the warning screen for the reverse camera. They need to make an update and take that off as it makes it a safety hazard. Hope you enjoy yours as the price is great for everything you get!
I just bought this and i am impressed with the sound quality. The features are amazing and the audio outputs are high, mid and low, which is weird
What vehicle did you install it in?
Just installed mine and loved it. Junk 2018 F-150 factory replacement after it went black.
So glad to hear you're enjoying the new Kenwood stereo!
Absolutely love the video, I purchased my DMX709S about two weeks ago and transfered my system into my new vehicle, I was wondering if you could go more in depth on maximum clean pre out volts across front rear and sw as you did in the previous DMX709s review as well and any boosting up eq to reach the clean 5 volt.
Thank you so much Keaton! Yes, that is on my list. Not sure if you saw, I did test the DMX709s pre-amp, but mistakenly did so with Apple Sound Check on which threw off the readings. I will be re-doing that testing for this model and the DMX958XR and Sony XAV-AX6000.
Does this deck carry TH-cam, and can it connect to mobile data Hotspot?
I didn't see you go over the "gain" setting at the system level. This is how I overcame the audio clipping in my Harmon Kardon Subaru Outback. I switched the gain from the factory setting of 30% (so a truncated signal getting amplified again by the OEM amp - to 100% to allow all the signal through
Yeah I know it's a long video, but I covered it at 8:08, I love volume offset!!!
Edit - unless you're specifically talking about OEM amp gain adjustment in the Maestro. That's more of a Maestro feature than a head unit feature. But also super cool and I love that Maestro gives us that feature for certain vehicle applications!
I use the 3 way crossover setting on my 706s and it's great. I have my tweeters set to 6.3khz and my mids band passed at 60hz and 6.3khz and then my subwoofer from 60hz down to 15hz (subsonic filter is from the amplifier itself)
It sounds really good. I started using this setup when I had to bypass my DSP due to a ground loop issue and oddly enough I like the way it sounds better without the DSP. I haven't tried the time alignment features yet but I'm very impressed with the crossover from the head unit itself.
That's awesome! I'm glad you were able to get it dialed in properly :)
Nice review, clean, clear, concise.
Really like the labscope capable Flukie :)
Subbed....well....because :þ
Thank you so much for the feedback, I appreciate it!!! And thank you for the sub too ;)
another good head unit.
Thank you my friend! And it was a pleasure chatting with you yesterday ;)
So what’s the difference between the Kenwood Excelon DMX809S and Kenwood Excelon DMX908S?
Nice review. Looking at this model as well as Kenwood Excelon DDX396 for less money. Do you have a preference/recommendation? I’ll be upgrading speakers, adding 5 channel amp and sub. Sound quality is paramount.
Thanks! That's one model I don't carry just because the demand for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto is so high. From a sound quality perspective, on paper the DDX396 has very similar features and functions. I personally haven't heard or played around with that one, but I would expect it to have that signature eXcelon sound quality. I'm not sure about how responsive the screen is or operating system? I found the DMX709s touch screen to be really nice quality in vibrancy and responsiveness and the operating system to be pretty smooth. What do you plan on using for a source? A music app from your phone? CD's? Music you have downloaded to a USB drive?
Thank you for your excellent videos. Between the Sony AX4000 vs the Kenwood DMX809S, anything that sways you? I'd like HD Radio, but I also love physical buttons and a cleaner UI. I'm like 90% Apple Carplay & have steering wheel controls, so the screen (glare esp) and responsiveness are also the main features I look at. It's tough, but glad to see more value at the $500 price range!
You're welcome, thanks so much for watching! Lots of pro's and con's here, it depends what is more important to you. Kenwood will have more vibrant screen, but the DMX809s does not have the high quality wireless LDAC processing so I think for wireless connection, the Sony is probably going to sound better than the DMX809s. From a wired connection, the DMX709s was indistinguishable to the Sony XAV-AX6000 wireless connection. But I haven't done an A/B on the DMX809s or DMX908s (both on order not in yet) with Sony. In Kenwood you have to jump all the way up to the DMX958XR to get LDAC for the highest quality wireless streaming. The Kenwood screen is way more vibrant so I guess it comes down to what's more important to you? Screen quality/vibrancy? Or wireless sound quality?
Hi, it has been a pretty tight decision. I wondered what did you choose and are you happy with your decision? Thanks
@@orlandosanchez7271 @carstereochick a great Q. I ended up with the Kenwood for the screen! And it's pretty vibrant & bright, though in direct sunlight, it'll struggle (IIRC, you'd a phone w/ 1000 nits to overcome that). I do see why, though, OEM dashes used to have a "hood" over the screen. Now, I do also find the Kenwood UI to be kind of dated and I don't love that, but luckily, I'm in CarPlay pretty quickly. Wireless CarPlay is OK, but IDK, sometimes apps just can't play even local media files, but it seems to be related to poor signal quality, as all internet apps fail, but calls, Apple Maps, etc. work
it's distorting because you have the subwoofer level on 10.... You need to have all settings flat or on 0
Just purchased for my 13 JK Wrangler. A heads up, there’s only one mounting bracket I’ve found that actually works, to a better degree than others and that’s the American International CDK642 Double-Din Brackets.
The plastic façade is very shallow on this Kenwood and there are glaring gaps at the bottom. A foam strip might solve this.
I haven’t tried moving the icons around but using Force Touch might allow placement.
The CDK642 is what we use at our shop as well! I never liked the beveled edges on the original Metra kit 95-6511 kit, although I thought they updated it recently.
Not sure. It’s what was received from a big online audio seller. From experience the blow molds lose tolerances after repeated use and production gets shoddy. I’m pleased with America's product.
I am just finishing up installing this stereo. 2 questions - (1) I need to have my Android phone connected thru the USB to show all of those icons - music, maps, messages, etc? (2) to use GPS is done thru the phone's GPS? If so, what is the external GPS antenna for? New to the channel, looks great!
Welcome! Thanks for watching :) Yes, this model is wired connection only for Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. The next model up from this, the DMX809s, offers wireless Android Auto/Apple CarPlay. Great question, the GPS antenna is designed to improve accuracy when you are using GPS applications with Android Auto or Apple CarPlay. I love this feature because there may be dead zones along a route and this will help improve accuracy along the way. I hope that helps!
I am still using my DDX396 which has a volume knob.
I do appreciate a volume knob! That is one of the main features clients appreciate on the DMX1057XR.
Ayoo 87.9 has came thru for your boy on that bluetooth adapter
Great detailed review! Question about the rear 3.5mm "A/V" aux input...can that be used as an audio only aux input?
Thanks, so glad you enjoyed it. Yes, that's a great question. You can definitely use the A/V in for audio only as an AUX input.
hi, If I use this unit with idatalink in my jeep cherokee 2015, can I retain brake service release and Hill Assist?
Hey I bought a iphone hdmi adaptor to watch youtube on the screen but my usb mirroring feature seems to be disabled in the radio. How do i get my iPhone screen to mirror to this head unit?
Hi there. You're trying to do mirroring for Android through USB, correct? I think the easiest way to mirror either an iPhone or Android device with this radio is to use the micro HDMI input and get an adapter for your phone that goes from HDMI to lighting or USB C. I don't have an Android, but I did borrow my co-workers to demonstrate how to do this and what cables are needed in one of my Sony videos. The Sony has the same type of micro HDMI input, you might find this helpful: th-cam.com/video/8H-Mmxs7ZqI/w-d-xo.html
However, if you want to use the USB mirroring for Android feature (not Apple) you'll need to install an app called "Kenwood's Mirroring OA App". The connection to the radio when using this app is through standard USB charge/sync cable (not HDMI) and Bluetooth connection to the radio. Page 17 of the full owner's manual which can be found on Kenwood's website outlines the steps. I don't know how well the app works? I haven't tried it since I don't have Android, but I hope that information is helpful!
I'm trying to decide between the DMX809S and Alpine ILX-507 any opinion on why one is better then the other? I'll be running a 5 channel JL amp so the clean higher pre-out has me leaning Kenwood, but like the OS system of the Alpine
They're both great sounding options, but you do have more audio control and equalization features with the iLX-507.
The biggest issue with this radio is the reverse camera image. When you are in reverse, the overlay over the video feed reminding you to "Check your surroundings" obstructs the video feed (see 15:39). You can see your bumper, and a 1ft behind your car, but everything further out is blocked by this message. JVC/Kenwood needs to give folks the option to turn off or move the location of this message as some people cannot change the angle of a factory rearview camera.
Yes! I hope they fix this with a software update. It's almost like they accidentally programmed the text box to be for 2 lines. It's MUCH thinner and transparent on other models. At least you can tap the message to make it disappear.
Great video! I purchased this unit recently and cannot find how to get into the "secret" menu to change the boot screen. Has anyone had luck with that?
Good question. I do not know that. Anyone care to enlighten us?
You did not talk about the mic function, or voice features. When I press the microphone feature below the Home and Menu Icon's i get a pop up that says "voice commands aren't available right now"
Watch your phone when you hit that. It might pop up with google assistant asking for a permission. I've seen that with Android and it can happen if you don't have google assistance turned on or if you have one of its permissions turned off. Normally that would activate Apple's Siri or Android's Google assistant if enabled on your phone.
at the 10 minute mark it looks like you edited out a comment about screen brightness in Android Auto maybe? Is it possible to adjust screen brightness and contrast of Android Auto? Thanks for your great reviews!
Hey there, I actually had to watch it, because I couldn't recall, but I don't see anything I edited out. Right before I moved on to talking about the SiriusXM display, I was talking about how you can customize the general radio display with different colors, background images, etc. The last thing I said was to keep in mind if you're using Apple CarPlay or Android Auto, those interfaces are going to be displayed the same way regardless of what head unit you select. Meaning those background image/color options I was showing are really only applicable when you're using other sources like Bluetooth, SiriusXM or FM/AM. The general brightness/color options I showed at the last part of that segment was just some b roll I added in there, and the adjustments you see there would be applicable to the entire radio, all sources and displays. I hope that helps! And thanks for watching!
@@carstereochick thanks very much 👍👍
might be a dumb question, but the external mic that came with my 709s kenwood unit does not fit into the mic input which is pink / labeled with mic. The mic has a 3.5mm jack.. What am I doing wrong? It doesn't fit snug, and won't stay connected.. ?
There are no dumb questions accept the ones you don't ask! The mic port is definitely pink and labeled mic. You should be able to push it all the way in and it sort of clicks/locks when you get it all the way in. If your mic isn't doing that and is not fitting properly, I'm wondering if the vendor that sold it to you maybe mixed up mics accidentally. I know sometimes when our technicians are troubleshooting an issue, it's not uncommon for them to open up another box to grab a part and test it. Maybe they grabbed the original mic to replace a defective and accidentally put the wrong replacement mic back in your box?
@@carstereochick I managed to get it to click/lock in, and get my reverse camera trigger wire working with my kenwood 709s.
Now the issue I am having is programming the steering wheel control adapter Axxess ASWC-1 to my kenwood 709s I programmed it to 2 red blinks (kenwood) and 5 red blinks (JVC) but it is still not recognizing the radio. Any tips for trouble shooting this?
By the way subscribed your reviews/skill/troubleshooting on these issues are amazing. Appreciate what your doing for the community.
I installed this with the Maestro unit and ford harness adaptors in my wife's 2016 expedition. but we are getting very poor FM and AM reception. I have cycled through the digital, analog, and auto setting to try and resolve but no luck. the antenna cable is plugged into the head unit adaptor, I think its a red RCA jack? The installation guides and videos left a lot to be desired for someone somewhat unexperienced with installation. It's possible if there was a wire that wasn't plug n Play I missed it. Any thoughts on what could be the issue?
It's possible there is an antenna amplifier that needs to be powered up even though it doesn't show it in the Maestro install guide. I'm not sure if you're using the t-harness style adapters from iDatalink? When I looked up a 2016 XLT on our mechanic software it shows from the car side of the harness, there is a Yellow/Orange power lead for the antenna amplifier. If there's nothing on the other side of that Yellow/Orange lead in your aftermarket harness, it may not be getting powered up which means you'll get pretty crummy FM and very little if any AM. Usually coming off the aftermarket radio you would use the solid blue power antenna lead. Kenwood in this case uses the remote turn on lead which is blue with white stripe. That wire has dual purpose though - it can be used to turn on either a stock or aftermarket amplifier or power antenna or antenna amplifier. Which means if your car does have a stock amp, you're already using that wire to turn that feature on so you basically would need to piggy back off that lead and also use it to turn on the stock antenna amplifier as well. I hope that makes sense!
I don't know exactly what trim level you have though so I would recommend buying a vehicle specific schematic from All Data DIY to verify or contact iDatalink directly or maybe even whoever you purchased it from to see if they can confirm that is the correct wire for your trim.
I have a 2005 BMW 3 series with harman kardon system. You mentioned bring Down the volume offset from 0, to help level match with the factory amp. What benefit does this bring? less stress on the stock amp? Thanks!
It helps to level match the two amps. If you leave it at 0, you may find that the volume gets pretty loud pretty quickly with barely turning it up. This is because the signal going into the head unit is already amplified and then gets amplified again by the head unit. It essentially helps to lower the input signal so your volume notches go up at a reasonable pace.
We recently used this in an install on a 2013 BMW X1 where we installed the Kenwood DMX958XR with a 600 watt amp for an aftermarket subwoofer. We had volume offset turned down to minus 3 which really helped us to balance the output from the stock amplifier and the aftermarket subwoofer amp getting the perfect blend between the two. Since we don't have a separate gain control over the stock amplifier, volume offset sort of acts like a gain level adjustment. I hope that helps!
@@carstereochickthank you! I’ve had this stereo installed but I do have a hissing noise coming from the speakers but only when using CarPlay. I updated the firmware and checked the wires/connections, but no luck. Any tips to diagnose?
I'm thinkin of swapping out the JVC KW-M560BT in my 03 Corvette. I'm wondering if this would sound better
Kenwood and JVC are sister companies so they do share a lot of the same tech and features, however, the KW-M560BT has a lower voltage pre-amp at only 2 volts whereas the DMX709s has a 5 volt pre-amp. If you're doing aftermarket amps and speakers, you'll want the higher voltage pre-amp.
CN you check the newer DMx 908s Excelon or kenwood dmx 9708s please not sure what I want might go with jvc kw m 875 bw 7” too. They all have the short chassis too. You think these are among the best 7” ?
I have the DMX908s on order, mine were backordered and last I checked they thought it would arrive some time this month. I can say there is a definite sound quality difference between the DMX709s and the DMX958XR. When I finally get the DMX908s in I will end up doing full review and comparison on that and the DMX958XR, but that all depends on when the DMX908s actually shows up.
@@carstereochick thanks the xr is super nice but kinda pricey trying to stay at 700$ tops
Just got this radio. Can someone please tell me how to turn the Apple CarPlay on?…. I bought the lightning to hdmi and can watch TH-cam but the CarPlay isn’t working or even highlighted on screen.
CarPlay should just be on automatically right out of the box. It's a good idea to just make sure it has the latest firmware. For this model there may be a System Firmware Update and Application Firmware Update. It is a wired connection to the USB port. What happens when you connect an Apple lightning to USB cable directly into the radio's USB port. Does your phone charge, but Apple CarPlay doesn't kick on? If you have a VPN on the phone, that will prevent CarPlay from connecting.
Where can I get the hdmi cable? I can't find it anywhere. Mini hdmi to usb c
I'm not aware of any direct cable like that. Whenever we're doing these types of installs we're usually using an adapter so that we can simply flush mount an HDMI input for the client and then they connect to that using a short HDMI cable and phone appropriate adapter. You might find this video helpful to see all the adapters we usually have to use to make it look clean/flush: th-cam.com/video/8H-Mmxs7ZqI/w-d-xo.htmlfeature=shared
If you want to use an adapter on the USB to go to USB C, you could use this combo flush port from PAC Audio, the MHDMIUSBC.
Did I hear correctly that the GPS antenna can be used rather than the antenna in the phone while using Android Auto or Apple Car Play? Edit, it turns out that this is a feature of Android Auto.
Thanks for answering your own question! Sorry it's been a busy few weeks, I'm behind on responding to comments.
Can I mirror my iPhone to this to have movies or TV shows playing on screen while driving on road trips?
It does have an HDMI input which is designed for us when in park, but all depends on how you wire it. You can see the HDMI input with an iPhone connected at 11:47.
Does this deck carries TH-cam, can it connect to Hotspot sharing from Mobile, also does it have Google search ?
No, it has wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. If you wanted to watch TH-cam you can do that using the rear micro HDMI input and an adapter for your phone - see 11:48
Have you gotten the new DMX809S yet?
I have, just came in last week. I don't know that I'll do a review on it as it's basically the same exact thing as the DMX709s, but with wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto. I hope that's helpful!
Can you show how to plug the micro HDMI cable in the back and what cable or cables are needed to plug into a type C Android phone? Thank you for this review! Just bought this stereo❤🤘
Great idea. I should do that for my next video a lot of people ask about this. You may want to look up the PAC Audio MHDMIUSBC which is a nice flush mount combo kit that will go from the micro HDMI to standard HDMI female and USB C male to female. BUT you would need a USB A male to USB C female adapter for that too. UGREEN makes a good one. I did a similar video with Sony you might find helpful. Same idea, but at the time the PAC combo part wasn't available.
th-cam.com/video/8H-Mmxs7ZqI/w-d-xo.html
Is there an option for a higher model with wireless Apple CarPlay?
Yes, but I had some quirks with one that we sold and that's extremely rare with Kenwood. The DMX809s is the wireless version of the DMX709s. I had issues with it tracking GPS accurately after an April IOS update. Based on that experience, I'd recommend jumping up to the DMX908s or DMX958XR. We haven't had any issues with those.
Hello what cameras would you recommend for this unit?
It depends on your price point. I am a fan of the Rydeen CM-MINY3 (I have one in my Jeep with an older Kenwood) or you can also check out their CM-HD4 which is a bit higher resolution/more premium option.
Do you like this unit over the 7709s and if so why. Thanks
Yes, but they're essentially the same exact thing. DMX7709s is regular Kenwood has 1 year warranty and 4 volt pre-amp, the DMX709s is part of their eXcelon series which is has a 2 year warranty and 5 volt pre-amp.
Wished i could find more information on HD channels. More specifically HD2/HD3 stuff
Do have anything on this?
Basically if the channel you're listening to is available in HD and offers multiple channels HD1, HD2 or HD3 you will be able to use the channel up/down arrows on the screen to cycle through the sub channels.
I have available channels in my area (Houston, TX) but they do not show up on this radio. Have yet to figure out why or what to do to make them work@@carstereochick
Have you checked the receive mode? I wonder if it's set to analog only. You can turn HD on/off in case you're in a fringe area and find it annoying going in/out. Maybe it's turned off?
Can you change the name of the Bluetooth to something like "Roy's Kenwood" ?
Great question. Under the connections menu there is a section that says Device Name, but it appears set to DMX709s and I don't see a way to select and change it.
Hello, Are you going to review the Kenwood Excelon DMX 908S?
Eventually. DMX958XR review is next. My DMX908s are on backorder at the moment. I might see them later this month.
@@carstereochick Great video as always. But I would like to make a request for your next video about the excelon dmx958xr if you allows me. First as you know I bought one and I would like to know my limits before I get distortion. On the previous video the iPhone feature was On so maybe now being louder the distortion appears sooner 🤔. I'm just asking because even when this video for the 709 was funny and refreshing, it didn't have too much of the technical stuff.
Also if you could share your opinion of the 958xr and if it is worthy paying the difference in price against the 709. I mean. If it sounds better? Because that's what I'm looking for. The best sound quality that I can get.
Also if you have any opinion about any other brand please feel free to share as I really believe in your judgment after seeing how much experience you have in car audio systems.
As always thanks for the great content. I can't wait to watch the next one.
Thank you Reyniel! I was going to do the DMX709s testing today, but got busy at the shop and ran out of time so I'll do the DMX958XR test next instead :) I haven't had a ton of time to play around with the DMX958XR, but I can tell you this much. I was showing a client the Sony XAV-AX6000 - which in previous comparisons with the DMX709s, I found them to be pretty indistinguishable, they were pretty much neck and neck even though I was comparing a wired DMX709s to wireless XAV-AX6000. So this client and I are comparing the XAV-AX6000 to the DMX958XR mainly for picture/screen quality in his convertible and then we listen to them both and we look at each other like, "Oh, yeah, the Kenwood sounds better too! Let's go with that one." So far the only thing I think would sound better is if you plan on going toslink out with the Stinger HEIGH10 to a Helix DSP amp. My husband John has that in his Jeep and I'm a bit peeved because now his Jeep sounds better than mine! But the DMX958XR sounds great and I do think it's better performing than the DMX709s. I do want to do some more A/B comparisons with it against the Sony as well as the DMX1057XR I have on display too. Lots on my list!!! But DMX958XR pre-amp/distortion test is definitely next up.
@@carstereochick Thank you so much for the advice. I'm feeling much better going with the DMX958XR now that you recommend it 👌.
For the other components I went with the AudioControl D-6.1200 + the Morel Elate Carbon Pro 63A and the AudioControl LC-1.800 + JL Audio CLS110RG-W7AE.
Sadly I pass my return window on crutchfield so I can't go with your full recommendation. I have everything in the boxes waiting for winter to be over to start with the installation myself.
For the cables I went with knukonceptz 1/0 kit and the RCAs.
I'm on NJ and I'm thinking on bringing it to you guys for tuning after I finish the installation. Where are you guys located?.
Sounds like a sweet set up!! I love those Elate Carbon Pro's, they're absolutely amazing!!! What kind of car is it going into? We're in Brookfield, CT, we'd be happy to help with tuning :) Not sure where in NJ you are, but for reference, we're about 90 minutes +/- from Ramsey depending on traffic. I used to make that drive to M Rothman, a parts distributor that used to be over there.
Besides the the ugreen hdmi adapter.
What adapter connected to the iPhone
Great question. It's called an Apple Lightning Digital A/V Adapter - I will add a link in the description for you because I'm not sure if YT will let me post it here.
I’ve had this unit for about a month. Mine keeps saying dc wire offset or sometimes it just turns off. Checked all the wires but nothing’s touching. It will be fine for a few days then do it out of the blue. 🤷🏽♂️
That is the internal amp overheating and usually we see that error if A) you have one bad speaker and it's basically seeing an open circuit/too low impedance. Just one faulty speaker will cause this. Or B) if your aftermarket or stock speakers are lower than 4 ohm such as JBL, Infinity or even some stock VW Jetta speakers are only 2 ohm. Anything below 4 ohm will also cause it to overheat and show that DC wire offset error. It will reset after cycling the ignition, but it's telling you something is going on with one or all of your speakers and causing that internal amp to overheat.
@@carstereochick the internal amp is not being used. I’m using a mono amp for subs and 4 channel for my components.
Oh really? And all the speaker leads coming off the radio are totally separated and taped or crimped off??? With it apart, I would wiggle speaker each lead not being used coming off the Kenwood harness. Almost sounds like there could be one with a faulty pin causing that. If that were the case, you could probably duplicate it and figure out which one is not seated properly by tugging/wiggling each one. I have seen this issue before, not common, but not unheard of.
That and also maybe re-grounding the radio. I don't know what kind of car this is in, but I have seen cases where the Metra car harness had a ground lead in it and clients wired it up to their radio thinking there was in fact a ground there, but when you followed the pin to the car side there was no ground wire on the other side. In that case, just having the antenna connected can sort of ground the radio poorly enough for it to work so perhaps check and make sure there is a ground on the other side of that harness OR try re-grounding the radio.
LASTLY - if possible, when it occurs, check the what's happening voltage wise with a multimeter behind the radio or straight at the car battery. If you can, check it on the constant, accessory and remote. If there is an issue with your alternator and your battery is getting over charged (seen this one too) if you're getting over 15 volts, that could also cause this issue. If there is an issue with one of your amps, it's possible something could be back feeding on the remote and cause the issue too. Good luck Albert, I know issues like this can be frustrating trying to chase down!
Yes ma’am all the wires are separated and taped. It’s a single cab dodge Ram. The wires were already cut no harness. I had another kenwood in there for years and no trouble. It’s weird cause I went to work and it was fine. Get in my truck after work and it was completely shutting off. Now it’s fine. Voltage is good. Someone told me to add another ground. Might try that.
Hi Albert - just saw something about this in a private FB group I'm in. Apparently this is an issue that I just haven't run into yet. They suggested putting a couple 20 ohm resistors on the front speaker lines that are not being used. I have done a lot of testing on this unit on a bench and haven't run into it, but apparently they are working on a software update. It may not effect all models. Until then, you can try putting some load resistors on the front speaker leads and see if that does the trick.
When i check tha max outputs of my estéreo Kenwood exelon dmx 907s 😅 i used 1 kilohertz testtone and no distorted but when I set my gains of my amplifier dsp audiocontrol D-4.800 they shows distortion. When i put music even my amp for subs of my estéreo wy 😂😅
I've seen your comment 3 times, but every time I read it, I don't quite understand it. Are you saying the pre-amp is clean (which it is) but when you check the signal at the speaker level on your amp it's distorted? Lower your gains until it's clean. Or are you saying it's distorted no matter what the gain level? Then it could be how you have your settings in the DSP.
@@carstereochickWhen I use a 1 kilohertz tone to check the maximum volume of my stereo I turn it up to volume 40 without distortion but when I play music I get distortion on the DSP from my stereo when I play any type of music I use audio control d-4.800 my Subwoofer level is 0 to
Could be something up with your test file. I ran into issues with Apple Sound Check and Android Absolute Volume effecting output levels of various tracks stored on my phone. Are you using a high quality FLAC file downloaded to a USB drive for testing purposes? Or are you playing a test track through an app like Spotify for example? And how do you know it's distorted when you play music, are you seeing the clipping indicator on your amp?
Audio Control states in their manual, "If the LED comes on during normal operation, you should adjust the level of the audio signals before they reach the
D-4.800."
Additionally right after that it states: After an interview with the lead engineer included the words “differential calculus,” and some hieroglyphics on a chalk board, the technical writer’s eyes glazed over and he had to be brought
round with a nice cup of tea and two donuts with sprinkles. LOL I love Audio Control. Their manuals are the best!!!
@@carstereochickYes, when I play music on TH-cam music app, sometimes I get distortion from my stereo, it shows me on my dsp audiocontrol D-4.800, also from Rockford Fosgate Prime, it has a distortion detector and the distortion light turns on, but aller the focus didn't turn on at maximum. volume on neither amplifier is strange, no. Up to volume 27 I can raise it and there I could raise it to 40
@@carstereochickI use the galaxy s21 ultra cell phone and I use an app or I also use TH-cam premium that I pay for, I set the 1 kilohertz tone
Can someone help get rid of static/background noise?!
You shouldn't have any static background noise. Do you mean on all sources? AM/FM? What year, make and model vehicle? If you're going speaker level in to a stock amplified system you can use volume offset to lower the output and possibly eliminate background hiss. That would only be applicable if you installed this in a car where you retained a factory premium amp speaker level. Otherwise you might have the wrong installation parts/wiring harness.
@@carstereochick I did install over a factory amp system in my 2012 civic si. Brought it to a local guy and he did some splicing with the supplied harness and fixed it!
Does it turn up and down easy/fast?
The volume controls are touch buttons which are responsive but if you press and hold volume up, it will pause at 15 and then you have to tap it after that. I think that's just something all Kenwood models do to prevent accidentally jacking up the volume.
@@carstereochick thank you
Nice video.. It will show album art if it's wired into the USB, and using anything but the regular OTA radio meaning no album art. But if it's wired using Spotify, Iheartradio, Amazon music, yes there's album art. Please show me how to get album art onto my HU if I'm incorrect.
I think I understand your statement, but correct me if I'm wrong. If you are streaming Bluetooth wirelessly - that is correct, no album art. If you are connected wired to the USB, then you will get all the graphics and album art that come with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. You will also get better sound quality with the wired USB connection.
4/6/2024 - How do you turn OFF the radio?
Press and hold the home button for a couple seconds. There's a little tiny power indicator icon right next to it in the top left corner.
4/7/2024 - Your suggestion is to turn off the unit so that the phone functions will be disabled. my question is how do you turn the AM FM radio off yet leave the rest of the unit operating including navigation, voice calls, texting.
What you're looking for is called Standby. Scroll to the second page and select Standby.
409s vs ilx-407? 🙏
Hey there. You mean DMX709s vs iLX-407? They're very similar, but each has their own different pro's and con's. I did do a full review on the iLX-407 too, not sure if you saw that. The iLX-407 only has a 5 band graphic EQ, DMX709s has 13 band. I would say that the graphic user interface is prettier/more intuitive on the 407, but if you're mainly using Apple CarPlay/Android Auto - that is the same on every AC/AA compatible head unit. If you're looking to build an audio system, personally I'd prefer to have the 5 volt pre-amp and the extra fine tune control with the 13 band EQ on the Kenwood DMX709s. Either way, they're both workhorses and quite reliable. We've had plenty of happy clients with both models ; )
@@carstereochick 🤯 Thank you !
How do you get the micro hdmi to work, I used an adaptor but no luck
Do you have the parking brake wire connected? No video will be displayed unless that is wired up. Also if you're going to an Apple device, you have to use the official Apple Lightning Digital A/V adapter. I've never seen a generic version of that adapter work.
How does it compare to a pioneer 4660 nex ??
Hey Jerome, it's been awhile since I've sold Pioneer mainly due to the chip shortage and supply chain issues. They were the most affected by that out of all the brands I carry. The last time I had/sold a Pioneer was 2 years ago, the 4600NEX. And when supplies got so tight on their products I was honestly hesitant to buy the few I could find because of worry about warranty/service issues. If they didn't have any radios in stock, what would I do for clients if they had a failure in the warranty period? Well, if it's after 30 days, that meant sending it out for repair only which could take 6-8 weeks.
In general I've always found Pioneer to have a great mix of features and have loved how easy it was to customize their layout. Yet from a sound quality perspective, I always found them to be a bit harsh on the top end compared to Kenwood. Also I believe the 4660 is only 4 volt and this one is actually 5 volt. I love having the higher voltage, especially on my sub channel. So I think the Pioneer has much nicer graphics, a more esthetically pleasing user interface, but from a sound quality/utilitarian perspective, I'd prefer the DMX709s. I do have plans to try and test them again because a lot can change in a couple years.
Doesn’t work with the iphone
Bluetooth
I'm confused. Is that a question or a statement? If you're having trouble connecting your iPhone, which iPhone? I had no trouble with my iPhone 11.
You can connect an iPhone, Android or even a Bluetooth iPod for that matter to stream music, but as I mentioned in the video it is a wired connection only for Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. When you connect through Bluetooth you will not see any apps on screen, but whatever you open up and play from your phone will play through the stereo and at least show you the artist name, song title, podcast name of whatever it is you're streaming. But it's a pretty basic display much like the FM/AM Radio display.
If you want to connect CarPlay wirelessly you would need to step up to something that supports wireless CarPlay like the Kenwood DMX908s or DMX958XR, Alpine iLX-507 or Sony XAV-AX4000 or XAV-AX6000. Wireless CarPlay is done with both a Bluetooth and WiFi connection to the radio. This radio only has Bluetooth. I hope that helps!
EDIT - I forgot about the DMX809s, that's basically the next step up. Same exact layout/operating system, but with Wireless CarPlay/Android Auto.
That is one of their models that use all boss/Pyle internals. Not good. Very sluggish and poor display. Excelon to avoid.
This model is made by their Singapore team which is different than the team in Japan. As far as SQ goes this unit is nearly indistinguishable from Sony's XAV-AX6000 so the audio quality is definitely there even though the operating menu's are not pretty. It's no DMX958XR, but it's certainly not anything like Boss, Pyle, Power Acoustik, etc. I'm just curious, where did you get that info from?
Luckily, I have not had any issues with responsiveness. I've even had clients express say they were pleasantly surprised at how responsive it was considering the price point. At $450, from a sound quality perspective, for an iDatalink Maestro compatible model, I would take this any day over the Alpine iLX-407 (sorry Alpine, 5-band EQ just isn't enough). And the screen is way brighter than the Sony XAV-AX4000/6000.
Did you buy one and have a bad experience with it? Or do you sell or install Kenwood at a shop? I'm totally curious because I've had good luck with all the ones I've sold and have not experienced any lagginess or quality issues like I see with the Walmart brands.