Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)Car audio seems to be stuck in an odd spot. Most seem to be saddled with 1990s technology and pathetic MP3 support unless you are willing to buy an Ipod or a satellite radio subscription. I'm still waiting for a car stereo with proper MP3 support, but this Kenwood is pretty close. Let's get down to the pros and cons:
Pro:
* Sensible MP3 support with only a few big limitations (listed below). Other MP3 players I checked out had all sorts of absurd weaknesses like one player that literally dumps all of your MP3s into a difficult-to-navigate list.
* Big and easy-to-read display.
* USB is in the rear so that you don't have a flash drive sticking out of your dash.
* Huge number of settings and options. They not only exist, but the UI of the main panel makes it easy to change the settings.
* The audio is great. In fact, the audio is too good for its own good! You can easily crank up the levels to a point that still sounds clean but overheats the player to the point it enters a safe mode where it lowers to cool down, returns to loud, lowers to cool down again etc...Cons:
* USB cannot even power a small laptop-style harddrive even though my laptop's USB port easily handles it.
* MP3 storage devices are limited to 256 folders. Even though this thing can handle a 32GB flash drive, and probably more, the 256 folder limitation is a significant, and unnecessary, barrier that seems like a relic of the 1980s that will force you to make concessions with your music library. Considering that my 32GB chips are already maxed out, you can assume there will be little point in upgrading to 64GB, 128GB, or higher flash drives during the time you will own your vehicle.
* No mute button! How can there be no mute button?
* Settings are lost when the power is completely cut. No, turning off the ignition will not lose your settings, but you will sometimes find mechanics disconnecting the battery when performing maintance.
* Must use buttons instead of a dial to change the radio station.
* Disc drive is a CD drive instead of a DVD drive. I do not expect video capabilities from this, but considering the CD format is long obsolete and DVD drives handle all of the functionality of those old drives it sure is unfortunate that the disc drive cannot handle MP3 from DVD.
* This complaint is a bit unfair but I have a Sansa Fuze MP3 player that froze the Kenwood and it had to be reset. If you connect the Sansa, then turn on the car's ignition that process seems to screw things up and it causes the headunit to freeze. It happened twice. The Kenwood never said it was compatible with the Sansa Fuze, but it was a bit odd that the Kenwood wasn't designed well enough to at least not crash when unexpected devices are connected.
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Kenwood Kdc-Mp745U CD/Am/Fm/USB Receiver
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