Kenwood News

Talk Audio recently went to the HQ of Kenwood Electronics and can reveal the new 2009 kit that’s out now….
Kenwood’s line up for 2009 is showing some dramatic design flair. Fashions in electroncs design fascinate me. The way it works is for cool designers to come up with stuff and market it, then the makers ask folks what they thought of it with a view to the design of the next lot. This creates evolution and even the familiar cycles of knobs becoming trendy and then abhorrent and then coming back again!
The main story with the new season’s Kenwood-ness seems to be a look that’s a bit less busy and focussed on sound quality elelctronics rather than solely on blingy displays.
That said the GUIs on the big screen products are crispier and better to look at. A bit less garish yet smart. The easiest thing is to have a gander.

Models out for January/February 2009
AV Kit

KVT-524DVD
Seven inch wide motorised in dash monitor with DVD receiver

DDX-5024
6.1 inch wide 2-DIN monitor with DVD receiver

DNX5240 & 5240BT version
6.1 inch wide 2-DIN navigation with DVD receiver – and ‘BT’ means with Bluetooth

1-DIN Recievers

KDC-W313A/3044G
MP3/WMA/CD Receiver. One 2V preout and a lit up auxiliary audio input jack on the front. S/N/R105dB Dynamic Range 93dB

KDC-W3544W
MP3/WMA/CD Receiver with external media control – controls iPod with additional KCA-iP500 and Bluetooth with additional KCA-BT200. One 2V preout. S/N/R105dB: Dynamic Range 93dB

KDC-W4044UA/G
MP3/WMA/AAC/USB/CD Receiver. One 2V preout. S/N/R105dB: Dynamic Range 93dB

KDC-W4644UY
MP3/WMA/AAC/USB/CD Receiver with iPod control using KCA-iP100 or 101 wire. Also Bluetooth with KCA-BT200. One 2V preout. S/N/R105dB: Dynamic Range 93dB. It can display Russian characters!

KDC-W5544U
MP3/WMA/AAC/USB/CD Receiver with iPod control. One 2.5V preout. S/N/R110dB: Dynamic Range 93dB – here’s where a higher quality CD specification and preout voltage kicks in the range.

KDC-BT6044
MP3/WMA/AAC/Bluetooth/CD Receiver. One 2V preout. S/N/R105dB: Dynamic Range 93dB. This has the Bluetooth built in by Parrot and uses the more regular spec CD mechanism.

KDC-BT6544U
MP3/WMA/AAC/USB/Bluetooth/CD Receiver. This machine adds USB connectivity and a serious DSP chip. Three 2.5V preouts. S/N/R105dB: Dynamic Range 93dB

Amps
KAC-5204
Bridgeable two channel amplifier. Die cast heat sink, so looks solid. Two Ohm capable, speaker level input. 60w x 2@4 Ohms, 175w x 1 @ 4 Ohms bridged. S/N/R 94dB.

KAC-6104D
Class D monoblock amplifier. Die cast heat sink. Bass Expander circuit built in, speaker level input. 200w x1 @ 4 Ohms, 300w x 1 @ 2 Ohms CEA rated. S/N/R 75dB