# New 2018 Kenwood Excelon DNX995S



## deadrx7conv (Aug 25, 2010)

Reference Series | excelon | CAR ENTERTAINMENT | KENWOOD USA

I'm shopping for a 994 and hope that they go on sale when the 995's are released. Or maybe I should wait and splurge on the 995? 

Also new Excelon Reference speakers:
XR-1703HR | eXcelon | CAR ENTERTAINMENT | KENWOOD USA
XR-1603HR | eXcelon | CAR ENTERTAINMENT | KENWOOD USA


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## hella356 (Dec 11, 2016)

I was hoping to see the eXcelon Reference Series head units come with digital-out, and without DVD drives and internal amplification. None of these are deal-killers for me, though. Haven't seen any pricing for these units, though.

Not sure what the differences between the old DMX7704S and new DMX7705S are, but those look pretty good for the $.


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## twinrink (Dec 31, 2017)

hella356 said:


> I was hoping to see the eXcelon Reference Series head units come with digital-out, and without DVD drives and internal amplification. None of these are deal-killers for me, though. Haven't seen any pricing for these units, though.
> 
> Not sure what the differences between the old DMX7704S and new DMX7705S are, but those look pretty good for the $.


Agree with you.
Same **** for years.Creativity makes difference!!
I’m sure big dogs like Sony and Kenwood battle with rights and such but nothing exciting coming for years since odr/f1 era.
Dsp is what’s hot now days.


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## deadrx7conv (Aug 25, 2010)

How many pre-amps decks are available nowadays? I miss those. 

I don't need or want digital out since I need to plug directly right into my ancient 1990's amplifiers. DSP is hot but prefer not to have to buy a separate one or even use one if possible. I am only currently willing to sacrifice the volume knob. 

I still like my CD collection even though most has been moved to USB. No Apple/Android/internet/satellite in the vehicle for me and will keep it that way. I can read maps/signs and don't even care for the GPS. But, the GPS home button helps when the Alzheimers kicks in. 

I don't ever use those steering wheel controls. Never needed them before, don't care for them now, and can't stand that HVAC/audio are tied into my steering wheels. Roadrage horn is all the wheel needs. 

Some new cars seem to be dumping double-din for those silly built-in dash do-it-all pop-up screens. How soon before aftermarket headunits are obsolete(or just glove box mounted)? 

Pretty sad that when new car shopping I need to check with AmericanInternational/Metra/Scosche/pac/maestro.... prior to committing. 

I've been absolutely disgusted what automakers have done with their new car interiors and proprietary trash. 

Its either this Kenwood, the Pioneer P99RS, or the Sony GS9...... might just have to retire the flip phone.


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## gumbeelee (Jan 3, 2011)

The new hi res speakes are damn purdy just wondering how they will sound


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


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## Kcmtbr (May 31, 2017)

gumbeelee said:


> The new hi res speakes are damn purdy just wondering how they will sound
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


The specs on those components look horrible (45 w rms vs 180 max) surly that’s a typo and the sensitivity rating look horrible IMO


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

Kcmtbr said:


> The specs on those components look horrible (45 w rms vs 180 max) surly that’s a typo and the sensitivity rating look horrible IMO


Since when does anyone buy speakers based on specs written on a paper? You listen and then make a decision.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

The new Kenwoods did look nice in person at CES. If I had a boatload of money to spend on a new head unit, the capactitive HD touch screen could probably sway me toward the Kenwood. But man, is that a lot of scratch. Especially when you will soon be able to buy a non-nav unit with a capacitive screen for well under $500 from Sony. 

If I could ever get Photobucket to cooperate, I would load up my pics from CES so you could see what the HUs and new component sets look like IRL. 

On the component side from the major brands, I think I was more impressed with Sony and Pioneer than Kenwood. Pioneers new TS-Z65CH has a very low crossover on the tweeter which should make for a much smoother transition from mid to tweeter. And Sony has introduced their new XS-GS1631C 3 way set which ads a 3" midrange and 3 way crossover to their XS-GS1621C component set.


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## Huckleberry Sound (Jan 17, 2009)

gumbeelee said:


> The new hi res speakes are damn purdy just wondering how they will sound
> 
> Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk


I realized over the weekend that I jacked up a speaker in my wife car. I am considering a set of these for a factory replacement.

Have you heard them yet?


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## terryna (Mar 15, 2018)

Pretty interesting posting


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## thehatedguy (May 4, 2007)

We've had the speakers on the sound board for maybe two months now.

Sound pretty good. No crossover on the mid is main beef.


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## Jdmeyers (Jul 16, 2015)

And the rep says, "it naturally rolls off" Lol yep, I know that...


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## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

rton20s said:


> The new Kenwoods did look nice in person at CES. If I had a boatload of money to spend on a new head unit, the capactitive HD touch screen could probably sway me toward the Kenwood. But man, is that a lot of scratch. Especially when you will soon be able to buy a non-nav unit with a capacitive screen for well under $500 from Sony.
> 
> If I could ever get Photobucket to cooperate, I would load up my pics from CES so you could see what the HUs and new component sets look like IRL.
> 
> On the component side from the major brands, I think I was more impressed with Sony and Pioneer than Kenwood. Pioneers new TS-Z65CH has a very low crossover on the tweeter which should make for a much smoother transition from mid to tweeter. And Sony has introduced their new XS-GS1631C 3 way set which ads a 3" midrange and 3 way crossover to their XS-GS1621C component set.


We're putting in a DDX9905S today. I'll see if I have some time to snap some pictures. One thing to consider is that they're the first to market with Wireless Android Auto so although they aren't cheap, you have to keep in mind that feature.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

I did get some of my CES photos loaded. Here are the couple of photos I got of the HD Kenwood DD models. Not great photos, and the display lighting that Kenwood had did not help.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Angrywhopper said:


> We're putting in a DDX9905S today. I'll see if I have some time to snap some pictures. One thing to consider is that they're the first to market with Wireless Android Auto so although they aren't cheap, you have to keep in mind that feature.


I'm considering this Kenwood DDX9905S for an upcoming install. The HD Capacitive TouchScreen looks great and looks like a very fast & responsive GUI?

What was your experience with installing this Kenwood? Did you use the iDatalink Maestro RR? Did everything function as it should?

Did the Android Auto work well? (I realize that the Wireless AA only works with select smartphones at the moment made by Google...Nexus 6P, Pixel/Pixel XL & Pixel 2/Pixel 2XL, etc.) I would be using Android Auto via USB connection and a Samsung Galaxy Note FE (Note 7).

How is Sound Quality through the 5V Preouts?

This is an upper range "eXcelon" HU in addition to being designated "XR" which is Kenwood's highest top of the line SQ designation.

Anyone else with hands-on experience with the DDX9905S or DNX995S (the same but with built-in Garmin NAV)???

Did you test how it handled playing Hi-Res FLAC or DSD files?

TIA!


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## Firedeville (Apr 24, 2017)

bbfoto said:


> I'm considering this Kenwood DDX9905S for an upcoming install. The HD Capacitive TouchScreen looks great and looks like a very fast & responsive GUI?
> 
> What was your experience with installing this Kenwood? Did you use the iDatalink Maestro RR? Did everything function as it should?
> 
> ...


I order one last night I will let you know how it goes.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Firedeville said:


> I order one last night I will let you know how it goes.


Thanks man, that would be great.

Though I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on this to test it out for myself. I'm known to be very picky or finicky about these things, LOL.

And with the SAVE25 Coupon Code from Pacific Stereo, the deal is kind of hard to pass up.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

bbfoto said:


> Thanks man, that would be great.
> 
> Though I'm thinking about pulling the trigger on this to test it out for myself. I'm known to very picky or finicky about these things, LOL.
> 
> And with the SAVE25 Coupon Code from Pacific Stereo, the deal is kind of hard to pass up.


Whoa! That seems to be an absolute steal at $675!


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

rton20s said:


> Whoa! That seems to be an absolute steal at $675!


Yup!  Add CA sales tax for us, but still a smokin' deal. Might have to pick up some new amps as well in order to reap the benefits of the "SAVE30" Coupon Code!


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Well, I decided to pull the trigger on the Kenwood DDX9905S DD Head Unit.

I have never really liked the UI of the Kenwood units, but from everything that
I've read and seen it's a nicely performing unit with less glitches than most.

The only bummer is that I'm 99.9% sure that it's not going to work with my
iPod Classic (30-pin connector). But I still have a Pure i20 laying around, so
I could feed the Helix DSP with the Toslink Optical input.

However, with the Kenwood having 2 USB ports, I will just try to use my 1TB SSD
loaded with all of my iPod's tracks. And I'll see if I can use Voice Commands
to select the tracks.

I'm also interested to see how fast it is with selecting, reading, and loading a ton of
files from the SSD, and how it does with Hi-Res FLAC files and DSD, and if those
will slow down the UI and selection/loading speed like on most HU's.

Interested in the Android Auto & Google Assistant voice commands as well.

Kenwood is sending me the resistor values for the wired remote control or
steering wheel controls so I can make my own Volume Up/Down/Mute KNOB.
I hate those tiny volume buttons on the HU and it's more of the same on the
candy bar remote that they made for this unit.

I've got a lot going on right now so I'm not sure how soon it will be before I can
get it installed. But I'm going to give it a full test on the bench before I even
attempt to install it.

If anybody else is interested in a good deal, I used the "SAVE25" coupon code from
Pacific Stereo so it was $675 + CA Tax instead of $900 + Tax. And they assured me
that I could return it for a full refund if it didn't work out as long as I kept everything
"like new". They are fairly local to me as well.

I'll report back after I get some time with it on the bench.


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## Niebur3 (Jul 11, 2008)

^^congrats on the new HU


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Niebur3 said:


> ^^congrats on the new HU


Thanks man. Now let's see if I keep it??!!  I think I'm a lot like _ErinH_ with this stuff, ha! 

For all of the features it offers, I figured that for $225 off of the normal price it was worth it
to at least give it a shot. We'll see how it pans out. The key thing that sucked me in was the
high quality 1280 x 720P Capacitive Touchscreen. It's about time someone offered this in a
DD head unit seeing that it's 2018!

I took advantage of the Free shipping to save me a trip/gas/time in the SoCal heat, and UPS says
delivery is Tuesday (basically next day). Yeah, I'm a lazy mofo, haha.


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## TomT (May 19, 2005)

Planning to use the same head unit. Have been waiting until I sell some extra amps but this deal might just push me to order.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

TomT said:


> Planning to use the same head unit. Have been waiting until
> I sell some extra amps but this deal might just push me to order.


Nice! Yeah, it's not cheap but at the moment it's a good deal, even with CA sales tax.

And I didn't find any amps or anything else that I wanted or needed while shopping at
Pacific Stereo, but if you spend $1500+ you can save *30% OFF* using the "SAVE30"
Coupon Code.  That's $450 OFF of $1500, which is pretty nice if you are buying a
complete system or some good amps & speakers.  Unfortunately, JL Audio products are
excluded from the deal, as are Alpine Restyle and Wet Sounds products.

I was contemplating a few of the new JL VXi DSP Amplifiers, and that would have been a
really nice bit of savings, but of course they are excluded from the deal. 

And just an FYI, this HU boots up in 5-10 seconds (depending on what's connected to it)
while the same HU with NAV (#DNX995S) takes at least 20 seconds to boot up.

There's still that annoying Pop Up "Safe Driving" Warning Screen every time you power it up,
though.  I wish you could "Agree" one time to opt out of further warnings.


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## jode1967 (Nov 7, 2012)

I have a Kenwood 5901HD that can only read 4997 songs from a flashdrive. I also have a Pioneer 4700bhs that struggles with large flashdrives and often takes around 20-30 seconds to read enough to play from one.
In my truck now is a Kenwood 9903s with the capacitive screen. It will start playing from a flashdrive real quick, but to navigate through some of the menu settings from that drive it needs to initialize it and that can take a bit.
I like the looks of the capacitive screen. Never had any issues with seeing the screen when it was in my 2004 Tahoe- as it sat pretty much square for a viewing angle. The deck is now in a 2018 Nissan Frontier and is at an angle- this makes it harder to see through the fingerprints that inevitably get on the screen. I have not found the maximum drive size for the usb


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

jode1967 said:


> I have a Kenwood 5901HD that can only read 4997 songs from a flashdrive. I also have a Pioneer 4700bhs that struggles with large flashdrives and often takes around 20-30 seconds to read enough to play from one.
> 
> In my truck now is a Kenwood 9903s with the capacitive screen. It will start playing from a flashdrive real quick, but to navigate through some of the menu settings from that drive it needs to initialize it and that can take a bit.
> 
> I like the looks of the capacitive screen. Never had any issues with seeing the screen when it was in my 2004 Tahoe- as it sat pretty much square for a viewing angle. The deck is now in a 2018 Nissan Frontier and is at an angle- this makes it harder to see through the fingerprints that inevitably get on the screen. I have not found the maximum drive size for the usb


Thanks for posting your experience.

Yeah, one of the reasons I went for this new model is because it has a brand new
HD 1280x720P resolution screen that Kenwood specifically designed to have really
good off-axis viewing angles. ALL of the other models besides the new DNX995S
have 800x480 screens, and IME don't have the greatest off-axis viewing angles.

Unfortunately the new screen still seems to be a huge fingerprint magnet.  But
there's a screen contrast/black level adjustment for the vertical viewing angle, in
addition to the screens's physical tilt feature.

To drive the higher-resolution screen and to handle both Carplay and Wireless
Android Auto, Kenwood used a faster processor than in the previous series
such as the 9903s.

Any attached Thumbdrives or HDD/SSD can be formatted in NTFS which should
solve some of the speed/indexing and file number limitations of FAT32.

But when I get this and have a chance to bench test it, I will check all of this stuff
and report back on it's real-world performance.


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## jode1967 (Nov 7, 2012)

In my vehicle, the sun hits it directly once the screen is at an angle and the fingerprints show up real well. 
The usb thumbdrive point I was making is that it is the best that I have used thus far. Every other brand seems to have lower limits on the number of files that can be read. This unit also will start playing from large usb drives almost immediately- others seem to make you wait till the drive is indexed


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

jode1967 said:


> In my vehicle, the sun hits it directly once the screen is at an angle and the fingerprints show up real well.
> The usb thumbdrive point I was making is that it is the best that I have used thus far. Every other brand seems to have lower limits on the number of files that can be read. This unit also will start playing from large usb drives almost immediately- others seem to make you wait till the drive is indexed


Ahhhh...got it! Sorry for my misinterpretation!

Hopefully the 9905S will be at least as good or maybe better. We shall see.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

incoming...


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

*KENWOOD eXcelon Reference DDX9905S FIRST IMPRESSIONS BENCH TEST*


TL;DR...

The Capacitive *HD* Touchscreen (an industry first) is EXCELLENT. It is quick and responsive to touch.

Sound Quality is EXCELLENT and it Plays Hi-Res files up to 24/192 and up to DSD 256 perfectly!

It has 3 Sets of 5 Volt Preouts that are extremely clean. Front/Rear/Subwoofer.

Boot Up Time: Depending on what USB devices were connected, this HU Boots Up from a cold start in 8-12 seconds. That includes having to tap "OK" on the Disclaimer/Warning screen. Not bad.

It has just a few operational shortcomings and the GUI isn't the best IMO (or at least there is a lot of room for improvement here when comparing to a modern Smartphone or Tablet).

I *think* that I'm going to keep it at this point. Though I'm hoping that Kenwood does continue to provide firmware updates for a few of the issues that I discuss below.

There has been just ONE Firmware update provided for this HU since it was released, and I needed to download and install this latest version, which was simple and relatively quick.

EDIT:

This HU Does NOT play Apple Lossless files (.m4a) via USB. It also Does NOT support older Apple 30-pin iPod Classic/Video/5th Gen devices via USB. 



FURTHER DETAILS:

Okay, here are my initial impressions just from bench testing the Kenwood DDX9905S. This is the version w/o built-in Garmin NAV. Note that I haven't actually installed it in the vehicle yet, so I haven't been able to test SWC or other functionality with the iDatalink Maestro RR interface, etc.

This HU is Kenwood's Top-Of-The-Line DD HU (w/o built-in NAV). It is designated as Kenwood's "eXcelon Reference" series or "XR" and supposedly has upgraded "audiophile" electrical components, DAC, and signal path. Here is a YouTube video (not mine) that goes through nearly all of the features, adjustments, source and settings screens...







*• SCREEN QUALITY*

This *HD 1280x720P Capacitive Touchscreen* is among the best that I've used in a DD HU. The resolution and off-axis viewing angles are noticeably better than any other DD HU that I've experienced. Finally a decent screen!

The screen is very responsive to touch and all of the respective actions happen very quickly after initiating a touch input.

However, the screen is still a major Fingerprint Magnet and this does show up quite noticeably when the sun hits the display at the right angle as _*jode1967*_ mentioned above. However, in 95% of circumstances the screen is bright, clear, and easy to see...better than any other DD that I've used. The fingerprints are most noticeable when the unit is off.

The Display has 6 additional Screen Angle adjustments other than "normal" or flat...the Positions are numbered from 0 to 6. Unfortunately, this HU Does Not have the "-1" or Downward Angle position which the DNX995S NAV unit has.

There is also a "Screen Off" function to completely "black out" the screen except for a smallish digital Clock Display in the upper right-hand corner. This makes the screen less distracting for night driving. HOWEVER, the screen's backlight is still ON and overall the display has a noticeable dark gray glow.

It would be perfect if it were a SuperAMOLED display like the iPhone X and the Samsung Galaxy devices, but I am glad to have this feature. A Simple Touch of the screen brings the display back to life.

There are good adjustments for display brightness, contrast, color balance, and a fine tuning setting for vertical off-axis viewing (it's basically a contrast & black level control).


*• DUAL PLAYBACK ZONES & FRONT + REAR BACK-UP CAMERA INPUTS (or Kenwood's Front DashCam)*

This HU is Dual Zone capable. You can play Two Different Sources and route one to the Front and one to the Rear. One of these can be a Video+Audio source.

The HU also has 2 Video Camera Inputs for Front & Rear Cameras, or a proprietary Kenwood Front DashCam + Rear camera input. Picture Quality is as good as the camera can provide through the HD Screen on this HU.


*• USB PLAYBACK, ACCESS TIMES & FILE SUPPORT*

It's very nice that there are TWO USB INPUTS on the back of this Kenwood, and they include good quality ~3ft extension cables for both.

Each of these USB connections provide 5vdc @ 1.5 amps for powering a USB Storage Device or Charging your Smartphone. They are "Quick Charge" enabled (not sure what standard is used).

USB access and playback speed from a USB Thumbdrive, HDD, or SSD are nearly instantaneous! When you touch the USB icon, playback of music file starts immediately and picks up where you left off, even if you were playing another source such as a CD disc.

EDIT: Unfortunately, this Kenwood HU Does NOT play Apple Lossless files (.m4a) via USB. It also Does NOT support older Apple 30-pin iPod Classic/Video/5th Gen devices via USB. 

I tested the USB inputs with MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, & DSD files from 16/44 to 24/192 and up to DSD 256, and they all started playback instantly and did not cause the GUI or HU to lag or stutter at all. I tried a Seagate 2.5" 2TB SATA HDD, a 1TB Samsung Pro SSD, and various large GB SanDisk USB Thumbdrives. All of them worked very fast, with the 2TB drive having just a bit of lag (and I mean barely). :thumbsup: Also, having a large HDD attached to the USB causes the Boot Up time to increase a ~ 2-4 seconds.

However, there was a problem using the 2TB HDD with the particular SATA III-to-USB 3.0 adapter cable that I was using. There was a very noticeable Static Noise _mostly_ in just the Right Channel that seemed to correspond to the USB Adapter's disk access indicator light. If the HU was accessing/reading the HDD and the disk access light was flickering, there was static. If the light was completely off or completely solid, there was no static.

At the same time, this USB 3.0 to SATA adapter would not allow any Hi-Res files to read from the HDD without severe dropouts and stuttering. FLAC files seemed to have the most problems. Some WAV files were okay, while others were not. Again, this is from a large 2TB HDD, not Flash memory or SSD.

There were also some very audible compression/conversion artifacts in the music files that otherwise did play without dropouts or stuttering. These were odd "blip", "blurp" and "woop" sounds, and at this point I was worried because this was the first USB drive that I had tested with the HU!

I switched this USB 3.0 SATA cable to an older USB 2.0-to-SATA III adapter cable and the static noise disappeared and the files could be read from the HDD with no problems, so you may or may not have problems depending on the particular adapter and HDD!


*• USB FILE SAMPLE RATE, BIT DEPTH & FILE TYPE INFO DISPLAY*

Currently the Display only shows information when "Hi-Res" files are being played. I would like to see this information displayed for ALL TYPES of Files, even for standard 16 bit/44.1kHz MP3, AAC, WAV, or AIFF files. So ideally it would ALWAYS show an indication for every File Type that's being played (MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, DSD, AIFF file types, etc) and also display the Bit Depth & Sample Rate, from 16/44 to 24/192 or the DSD rate.


*• NO CD TEXT SUPPORT ???*

I realize that not very many people still use Music CDs anymore, but this is a very Basic Function. There is absolutely No Indication of what CD is loaded in the unit during playback! NO Artist, NO Album, NO Song Title! It just displays, "Track 01, Track 02," an so on. It's pretty much a blank screen! This is a ToTL Kenwood HU! Really Kenwood???


*• NO ALBUM ART for BLUETOOTH Sources* 

This Head Unit Does NOT display any Album Art when using any of my Music Player sources via BT (from an Android Smartphone or Tablet), even when ALL of the many Music Player apps that I use have no problem showing the Album Art. FIX THIS Kenwood! Album Art also doesn't work for 90% of my files via USB, and the Album Art is Embedded in the file (except for WAV files) and also placed within the Album Folder via a separate 500x500 pixel "cover.jpg" image file.


*• DEFAULT GRAPHIC for MISSING or NO ALBUM ART*

The default graphic image that is displayed when there is no actual Album Art to display is very Dated & ugly IMO. I seriously want to place a piece of square, black tape over the screen just in that area so I don't have to see it! 

Depending on what screen view you are on, you can Hide or Expand the Album Art. (There are a few screen Widgets that show the information for multiple "apps" that are running).

I'd like Kenwood to allow us a few options to change this Default "no album art" Image just like the main background image is customizable. Or at least have a simple dark gray background with a simple, modern, white graphic of a musical note on it. IMO this would be much better.


*• NO ON-SCREEN VOLUME or MUTE CONTROL* 

Kenwood, PLEASE Add a Narrow VERTICAL VOLUME BAR with a "MUTE" icon at the very top or bottom (Not just "Attenuate", but a Full Mute to silence!). Place this on the far LEFT EDGE of the Display (for R-H drive vehicles) and make it the Full Vertical Height of the Screen to allow for fine adjustment.

We can rest our hands or fingers on the control button lip at the bottom of the unit and use our index finger to adjust the Volume or to Mute the HU on the Touchscreen.

This Volume Control should be present on ALL of the different SOURCE SCREENS and Widget Screens. It would take up very little space overall if placed at the far left edge & placed in vertical orientation. Everyone I know really dislikes the tiny, physical Volume Buttons on the deck. And I realize most people have Steering Wheel Controls, but still.


*• "FAVORITE" SOURCE ICONS*

Along the bottom of the Home Screen, the display shows FOUR of your Favorite Source Icons along with the icon to switch to view All of the Sources. In the All Sources screen you can Long-Press, then Drag & Move the Source Icons in the order that you prefer.

You place your "Favorite" Source icons in the bottom row of the "All Sources" screen, and then those icons will show up along the bottom of the other display screens as your "Favorites".

Personally, I would like to have At Least 5 "Favorite Source icons" on the Home Screen. But ideally I'd prefer to have SIX Favorites Icons. There is Plenty of space for this. Actually, most of the icons have A LOT of blank/wasted space is around them. My everyday Sources would be, "HD Tuner, Android Auto, Bluetooth Music Source, Hands-Free Phone, USB 1, CD/DVD, iPod".


*• TEXT SIZE*

I get it. Kenwood wants the text to be large, clear, & easy to read. BUT, in my opinion the Text or Font Size is a bit Too Large. And this is coming from an older guy with below average eyesight! For the Settings Menus it is fine. But for everyday Artist/Album/Track info on the Main Source Screens it is just too big and requires too much scrolling to see the full track info.


*• SCROLLING TEXT & SCROLLING SPEED*

Have an Option in settings to KEEP Scrolling the Artist/Album/Track information CONTINUOUSLY! And make ALL 3 LINES of text scroll concurently AND continuously (Artist/Album/Track). We are in a moving vehicle. Why add unnecessary Touchscreen interaction/distraction while driving in order to see this?!?! Also Kenwood might consider using another Font or typeface that is just a bit more horizontally condensed as well.

In Addition, the SCROLL SPEED is VERY SLOW. You have to look at the Screen WAY TOO LONG in order to read longer track and album name information! This is NOT SAFE while driving! I would at least double the scroll rate speed!


*• NO SCROBBER BAR!* 

Kenwood needs to include a SCROBBER/Track Progress Bar that shows Track Progess in Minutes & Seconds + the TOTAL LENGTH of the Track!

This is BASIC STUFF on ANY iOS or Android Music Player app or with an on-screen CD Player program. If we are listening to any type of long music track (Classical, DJ Dance/Mixtape, etc.), with the current controls it is PAINFULLY SLOW when trying to Fast-Forward or Re-Wind through a Track!

The Scrobber/Track Progress Bar should be Available on ALL PLAYBACK SOURCES: Bluetooth, USB 1 & 2, CD, etc.


*• PLAYLIST & FAVORITES SUPPORT*

It would be awesome to have a Five Star Ratings system or at least the ability to tag "Favorite Tracks", as well as Playlist Support via a ADD TO PLAYLIST/CREATE A PLAYLIST for USB Sources.


*• GRAPHICS & ICONS*

Many of the GUI's graphics and icons seem very dated, and of poor design. Kenwood, please look at any iPhone or Android Smartphone for inspiration!

I don't mind so much for the icons in the Audio Settings for example, but for the everyday/always displayed Source Icons, they could use a serious modern update. Just simple (but modern) graphic representations are best. I prefer most of the icons and graphics on the Pioneer and Alpine HU's over this ToTL Kenwood.


*• Kenwood's WEBLINK. WTH?!*

As it is, the WebLink functionality is basically useless and redundant. The Android app is absolutely horrible. Even if it did work, I'm not quite sure WHAT Kenwood is trying to achieve with it over Apple's Carplay or Android Auto???

Kenwood, either make this WORK ASAP, or just stop wasting development time on this useless "feature" and put more development time towards improving other functionality & the GUI as per above.

*• HD TUNER*

The HD Tuner works well and the digital broadcast quality is considerably better than standard analog FM.

But the HD Tuner's main source screen just looks overly busy and complicated. Once you get to know where everything is and what it does it's alright. But just looking at this screen at first glance, it's a bit jumbled and confusing.


*• ANDROID AUTO*

Android Auto will work WIRELESSLY with all Google PIXEL smartphones and with the Google Nexus 5X smartphone. At the moment, all other smartphones are not supported for WIRELESS Android Auto. However, when Android 9.0 is released, Google says that Wireless Android Auto will be supported on any Android smartphone. 

Android Auto worked really well WHEN it would connect! But I had constant connect/disconnect issues via USB from both of the USB inputs. It was very inconsistent. Sometimes it would connect on the first try and work flawlessly, and other times it was constantly connecting & disconnecting. I haven't figured out if or what conditions or circumstances cause this.

However this may be due to using my older Samsung Galaxy Note FE (a rebadged Note 7). This phone is the perfect size and form-factor for me. It has a headphone jack, and it retained the physical "Home Button" with fingerprint scanner. I use the S-Pen stylus functionality often for signing business contracts & NDAs, etc, so I've wanted to stick with this smartphone. However, since it has Very Limited distribution in the U.S. market and in general, it is basically an unsupported device by Samsung USA and there have been no firmware updates for it whatsoever. It does load and run the latest version of Android Auto, but perhaps the smartphone's OS is partly to blame for the hiccups?

I do really like the Android Auto functionality, EXCEPT for the available and supported Music Player apps and their GUIs. The main music app is Google Play Music, and Amazon Music, which I'm generally not a fan of. Unfortunately, there is not a Scrobber Bar/Track Progress Bar in the Google Play Music app via Android Auto, even though it is on the actual app that it is playing from on your Smartphone.  You can use the Scrobber Bar on the smartphone, but that defeats the purpose of using the Android Auto app via the Kenwood's DD Touchscreen!

However, Google Play Music does work flawlessly when using Google Assistant Voice Commands to play back your music.  It will play the Album, Artist, or Track you verbally request from your Phone's memory/Local Storage if it is available there. And if not, it will find the track/artist/album and Stream it via Google Play's streaming service/radio stations.

The Google Maps/NAV also works quickly and flawlessly, via Google Assistant Voice Commands and otherwise. Excellent! You also have the choice of using WAZE for navigation and it works flawlessly as well. 


*• APPLE CARPLAY*

Apple Carplay is available on this HU via a wired USB connection. (Note: The new Pioneer AVIC-NEX8400 has Wireless CarPlay).

I'm no longer using Apple iOS devices so I couldn't test this functionality. I will try it soon though via a friend or family member's iPhone. In general, from what I've seen in other videos & reviews, the CarPlay functionality is excellent all around, and IMO the GUI and functionality trumps Android Auto except for not having Google NAV or WAZE. 

The Apple Music app does have a Scrobber Bar/Track Progress Bar, so that's a Big Plus in my eyes!


*• iPod CLASSIC/Video/5th GENERATION 30-pin DEVICES*

They are NOT supported.  However, I had kept the 30-pin iPod adapter cable for the OEM HU in my GF's 2012 Hyundai Santa Fe SE AWD. It has an Apple 30-pin iPod connector on one end, and on the other end it has a combination male USB-A connector & a male 3.5mm stereo miniplug for Aux input to the OEM stereo.

I connected this adapter cable to my 160gb 5th Gen iPod Classic and to one of the Kenwood's USB inputs, and also connected the 3.5mm miniplug on the adapter cable to the AUX input on the back of the Kenwood HU. I DID NOT attach a stereo miniplug to the iPod's Headphone output jack.

This adapter cable Charged the iPod's Battery and sent a Fixed, Line-Level output via the 30-pin connector to the Kenwood's Aux input. The iPod's built-in Volume Control was bypassed. So at least this is better than using the iPod's HP output jack. You have to control all playback from the iPod itself, except for the Volume, which you control via the Kenwood HU.


*• IR REMOTE CONTROL*

This HU does Not include a wired or wireless remote control. You can purchase one separately, but the IR Remote is one of those with a bazillion tiny buttons in a small candy bar sized area.

I purchased an older but brand new Kenwood #RC-547 wireless remote for less than $10 on eBay, and all of the main functions of this remote worked perfectly on this HU.

I'm planning to make my own wired Volume/Mute knob using the proper resistor values for Volume Up/Down & Mute. And if I end up keeping this Kenwood HU, I'm thinking about adapting one of my extra Sony RM-90X Rotary Remotes from the CDX-C90 to work with this Kenwood. I love that rotary remote! It has a very high-quality look & feel and offers eyes-free tactile operation. 











*• SOUND QUALITY !!!* :thumbsup:

Luckily, Kenwood nailed the most important detail, which is Sound Quality! SQ is superb, and I haven't even put the O-scope on it yet, but the 5 Volt Preouts seem Distortion-Free all the way up to full volume (40/40). 

I connected my Neumann KH 120 Studio Monitors and my Beyerdynamic T1 Headphones directly to the Front pair of 5 Volt Preouts, and I was very pleasantly surprised by the SQ that I heard coming out of the Kenwood.

I can control the gain or output level of the Neumann studio monitor's built-in amplifiers so that I could listen for distortion or other artifacts with the Kenwood's volume at Maximum, and all I heard was crystal clear output. 

On familiar test tracks, all of the micro-details, pinpoint imaging, width, and extreme depth were reproduced in the recordings. On DSD albums such as those from Norah Jones and the Stockfisch Records "AYA" tracks, there was incredible depth, clarity, sound stage, and 3D/Holographic imaging. :thumbsup: Many of my orchestral tracks were stunning in their presentation.


*• BUILT-IN DSP*

This unit has a decent DSP Section with EQ, T/A, and X/O. All adjustments are fairly limited compared to a full-fledged DSP, but they are certainly usable. For instance, there is No BandPass capability on the X/O section. See the Linked YouTube video for Details.


*• HU COOLING FAN NOISE*

This head unit has a rear-mounted cooling fan that does run fairly consistently. It is Audible on the test bench, but it seems quieter than most cooling fans on other DD head units, and much quieter than the Clarion NX706!

On my test bench, the HU barely got above room temp. Of course, this is in "open air", and in a 72°F garage workshop, plus I did not have any speakers connected to its speaker outputs.

Until I'm able to actually install this head unit, I won't know for sure if the fan noise will be an issue during quiet passages with the engine off, or if over-heating will be a problem.


OTHER NOTES: 

My main use for the built-in DSP functionality will probably be just to use the Digital Delay (T/A) via the Rear or Subwoofer Preouts to feed the Line-Level RCA Input into 2 Channels of my Helix DSP PRO II in order to gain additional Digital Delay for Differential Rear Fill.

Some of the things I've discussed here are commonly supported on competitor's head units and/or on all of our Smartphones or Mobile Devices. These are just my thoughts to actually bring Kenwood's ToTL car audio DD Head Units up to 2018 standards.

But as far as pure Sound Quality is concerned, IMO it's a winner at this point, especially being able to play Hi-Res PCM and DSD files natively.

Anyway, that's it for now. I'm hoping to have time to actually get this in the car soon.

- B.B.


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## TomT (May 19, 2005)

This is a great review, thank you!

I’m looking at having the same unit installed, probably this month. I’m all Apple so I’m definitely looking forward to any added thoughts once you get a chance to test with an iPhone.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

TomT said:


> Did you post and then delete? I got the full text of your review in the notification email.


YUP! That was just "placeholder" text. See above for my severely edited "First Impressions Review".


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

I have recently purchased the DNX893S. I have the exact same complaints. It says display off but it does not turn the display off. It just removes images. The backlight ist still on. That's just ignorant. For me I'm considering returning it just for that. I always blackout my screens. Anyway, my point is that since the unit I purchased is a year or two model years older and they haven't addressed any of the issues I wouldn't hold your breath.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Small Update Regarding *Android Auto*.

I've been having some serious USB connection issues when trying to use Android Auto with my particular Galaxy Note FE smartphone and this Kenwood deck.

When I plug the USB-A to USB Type-C cable into my smartphone, it constantly connects/disconnects/reconnects/disconnects, literally every 2 seconds, and _continuously_. I've tried about 4 different cables as well, both the Samsung OEM cable and 3rd party cables.

MAJOR FAIL here, and although my Smartphone is not the latest model, it _is_ running the latest version of Android Auto from the Google Play Store.

Every once in a while, perhaps 1-in-20, or at random, it will actually connect with no problems whatsoever and work as it should.

However, the functionality of Android Auto via the Kenwood deck is still very limited compared to using my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 phablet as a direct source feeding the USB HEC input on the Helix DSP Pro MK II.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

bbfoto said:


> Small Update Regarding *Android Auto*.
> 
> I've been having some serious USB connection issues when trying to use Android Auto with my particular Galaxy Note FE smartphone and this Kenwood deck.
> 
> ...



*ANDROID AUTO*:

Unfortunately I haven't had too much time to test this HU more thoroughly. But I do have a few updates.

There was a recent Google Update for Android Auto which improved functionality and speed/fluidity a bit when using Android Auto on the Kenwood Head Unit.

And I think that my problems with AA constantly disconnecting/reconnecting/disconnecting have something to do with how I have my Lock Screen Options configured on my Galaxy Note FE (7) smartphone. So it's probably not a problem with the Kenwood Deck or AA itself. I need to try Android Auto without a Lockscreen or Unlock security enabled on my smartphone, and then enable a Lockscreen security setup one by one to see what works and what doesn't.

Like any iPhone or Android smartphone, there are now multiple ways to Unlock your device, and mine currently has the Iris Scanner, a PIN, and the Homescreen Button's Fingerprint Scanner enabled for security.

Also, ALBUM ART does show up on the Kenwood's Display when using all of the different Android Music Player apps that I've tried with Android Auto. :thumbsup: This list includes Google Play Music, Media Monkey, Amazon Music, and Musicolet (my favorite so far). Unfortunately the USB Audio Player Pro app is not supported when using Android Auto. 

Album Art still hasn't worked at all when playing back files via Bluetooth Streaming. However, the BT Streaming sounds fantastic via Apt-X BT. 

Voice Commands in Android Auto:

So far, any Voice Commands/Android Assistant commands via voice to initiate music playback such as saying, "Play Pink Floyd", etc ALWAYS default to opening and playing music on Google's Play Music app (which is my least favorite). 

IIRC, this is similar to Siri voice commands when using Apple CarPlay, which will only open music or podcasts, etc using the Apple Music app.

Google NAV works great via Android Auto! I still prefer how Google Maps/NAV are displayed on the smartphone's screen, but the AA display and interaction on the Kenwood display is excellent. And Voice Commands to initiate a destination, or to search for/add another stop along your main route work perfectly. :thumbsup:


*USB MUSIC FILE PLAYBACK*:

I recently tested my older _Transcend TS-RDF8K USB 3.0 Multi-Card Reader_ with both of the rear USB inputs on the back of the Kenwood.

This reader has slots for standard SD cards, Micro-SD, Compact Flash (CF), and MS Pro/XC & MS Duo memory cards.

I tried an older Samsung PRO+ 128GB Micro-SDXC card and a Samsung 128GB EVO Select Micro-SDXC card, along with a Lexar Professional 64GB 1000x UHS-II SDXC card.

All of these memory cards and the card reader worked perfectly in the Kenwood. Accessing the files was instantaneous and there were no hiccups, dropouts, or stuttering while playing back all types and resolutions of files. And all of the cards were fully loaded with files. (It will also playback most types of common Video Files from the USB if you do the simple Parking Brake Bypass).

However, with the Multi-Card Reader, the Kenwood would just show and access One Memory Card at a time. You can't switch between the memory cards if more than one is inserted into the card reader. And it seemed to default to the Micro-SD card first if there was both a Micro-SD card and a standard SD card inserted at the same time.

Still, this is great for friends riding with you or if you are at a GTG or competition because you can play music off of nearly any type of Memory Card via both USB inputs. So I will probably keep one of the USB Inputs as a regular USB Type-A female input jack for USB Thumbdrives/HDD/SSD, and the other USB input will have the Card Reader attached.

You Can switch between the Two different rear USB inputs at any time via the main USB Input screen, though this function is in a small "hideaway" side menu on the main USB screen. One USB input cable is Black, and the other is Grey. For Apple CarPlay I believe that you can only use the Grey USB input.


*GUI and DISPLAY*:

With a bit more time and familiarity with the DDX9905S, the UI is growing on me a bit, but I'd still like to see the improvements that I mentioned in my Mega Post above. 

And this Kenwood display is so much better compared to the usual cheap @ss 800x480 resistive touchscreen displays that all other DD head units use.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

*Another Update regarding ANDROID AUTO connectivity when using the DDX-9905s.*

So Android Auto is now working really well with my particular smartphone (Galaxy Note FE/refurb'd Note 7) and it keeps connection.

The issues with the Connection to the HU are almost entirely down to the *USB Data/Charge Cable* that is used. 90% of the cables that I tried would either not connect and start AA on the HU, or would drop the connection randomly and usually not reconnect.

It also helps to go into your smartphone security settings and "Keep the Phone Unlocked When Connected to Android Auto".


Below are Links to the USB cables that I tested and that actually do consistently work with the Kenwood eXcelon Reference DDX-9905s and my Samsung Galaxy Note FE (refurb'd Note 7) that uses a USB Type-C data/charging port: 

*1.5ft Black RND Power Solutions brand*
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B072JCL7JC/

*1ft Silver/Gray braided JXMOX brand*
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07HQHL6ZK/

*3ft Red & White A-Plus brand "DASH Fast Charge" capable for the newer OnePlus smartphones*
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01ILWWWZ4/

I tried A TON of other cables that would not *consistently* keep the connection or even initiate AA at all, including the Samsung OEM cable that came with the Note FE. Only the ones I Linked to above work perfectly. In general, cables 3ft or longer will not work, except for the ones that I linked to.

I usually have really good luck with the _Anker_ brand cables (they are generally my favorite for their quality & longevity, plus they offer Free Lifetime Replacement) and the 3ft cable Linked below did work about 95% of the time...

*3ft Anker Powerline+ II Braided Black or Red*
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07G114FZ7/


Now that Apple CarPlay supports Google Maps and Waze, I think that it's really "the way to go" with these Head Units. IMO it's a much more polished and simpler/usable GUI, which Apple has always been best at. 

The Main Things that I'd like to see improved on both Android Auto AND the Kenwood's GUI are:

• A "Scrobber Bar" timeline or track progress bar for the music player apps that you can tap or drag to change position within the track. The Kenwood only shows the Total Track Length with no indication timewise of where you are in the track, and no way to *quickly* jump Forward or Back within a long track (classical or mixtape) other than the slowish FF & RW buttons (which also give you no indication of where you are timewise, not even a visual representation).

• Display Album Art when streaming from Bluetooth (at least on Android devices).

• Ability to Change the Default Album Art Graphic that is displayed when Album Art is missing.

• Smaller Fonts & Text overall for Folder/File/Track Names. And when searching/navigating through your giant file & track list, the display only shows 6 titles at a time. I'd like to be able to see maybe 10 or so.

• Faster Scrolling of the Track Name text (it's painfully slow IMO). And if a smaller font was used (as per above), less scrolling would be necessary.

• A setting to have the text Continuously Scroll (great for longer track names, especially Classical, which may be all the same text on the front end of the track name).

• Smaller Source Icons on the Home Screen. There are currently 4 Source icons available along the bottom of the Home Screen. Ideally I'd really like to have 6 available.


There is more listed in my previous Mega-Post, but those are my main niggles with this HU. Though it still ranks as one of the better HU's overall in terms of GUI and especially SPEED & FUNCTIONALITY.

And I'm still really happy with the SQ of this unit, which is obviously the most important factor.


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## TomT (May 19, 2005)

Such a great review and follow up! 

I’m hoping to have a 9905s and an iPhone XS Max to play with by the end of the year.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Thanks for the update Billy. I'm really considering taking the plunge on one of these after I get some other stuff sorted. Especially if I can find another deal like you did. 

TomT, if you pick one up, let us know how you like it using the iPhone with CarPlay. I would be doing the same with an iPhone X.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

rton20s said:


> Thanks for the update Billy. I'm really considering taking the plunge on one of these after I get some other stuff sorted. Especially if I can find another deal like you did.
> 
> TomT, if you pick one up, let us know how you like it using the iPhone with CarPlay. I would be doing the same with an iPhone X.


In ErinH's build thread he mentioned that he was really happy with the Apple CarPlay functionality and used it all of the time. Though I can't remember which iPhone he is using at the moment. And I think Erin scored a deal on his HU as well from somewhere other than Pacific Stereo.


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## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

bbfoto said:


> In ErinH's build thread he mentioned that he was really happy with the Apple CarPlay functionality and used it all of the time. Though I can't remember which iPhone he is using at the moment. And I think Erin scored a deal on his HU as well from somewhere other than Pacific Stereo.


$900 seems to be the current going rate. Sonic Electronix shows a few in stock with a $100 mail in rebate. Couple that with my "hutsell" discount and it knocks it down to $756 after rebate. Not $675 like Pacific, but still a pretty good deal.


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

bbfoto said:


> In ErinH's build thread he mentioned that he was really happy with the Apple CarPlay functionality and used it all of the time. Though I can't remember which iPhone he is using at the moment. And I think Erin scored a deal on his HU as well from somewhere other than Pacific Stereo.




I was using the iPhone 6s with my kenwood 9905s until about 3 weeks ago when I upgraded to the iPhone XS. No difference that I noticed, though, in regards to CarPlay functionality. 

And yes, I love CarPlay. That’s predominantly the way I use my headunit. I’d say 90% of the time it’s CarPlay. The other 10% is via my USB drive (maybe more when I add new music to it). But since I upgraded to a 512gb phone I can store almost my whole library on it and use the heck out of CarPlay; shuffling through 12k+ songs without any issues and lightning (no pun intended) fast track skipping.


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

I'm being serious when I ask why do you use Car Play or Android Auto? I can't stand either. I really gave Auto a chance. They are just to limiting. I have a Moto Z2 force. I can control every aspect of my phone via voice control so no need to touch it or take attention away from the road. I'm just curious if there is something I don't know about.


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## ErinH (Feb 14, 2007)

I don’t know what to say to convince you to like it if you already have tried and didn’t like it. 

I just know that I find it easy to navigate the larger screen and the well-laid out buttons and options.


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

That's the kind of answer I was looking for. I did like that. I'm just curious if they was some feature or use I don't know about. A lot of people seem to want Android Auto.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Theslaking said:


> I'm being serious when I ask why do you use Car Play or Android Auto? I can't stand either. I really gave Auto a chance. They are just to limiting. I have a Moto Z2 force. I can control every aspect of my phone via voice control so no need to touch it or take attention away from the road. I'm just curious if there is something I don't know about.


I understand exactly where you are coming from. Both Android Auto and CarPlay _are_ somewhat limiting compared to what you can do directly with your Smartphone...especially with Android devices because the GUI & apps are so customizeable! But CarPlay & AA have to be limited due to the legalities associated with in-vehicle use. 

Regarding the overall GUI, the variety of available music player & streaming apps, customizations, touchscreen quality, voice commands, & SQ, etc, I far prefer using my Samsung Galaxy Tab S2 8.0 phablet as my source. But integrating it into the system is way more complex in most aspects....SWC, Backup Cameras, AM/FM Tuner (if desired, though no HD Tuner available), etc.

And to play CDs (which I still like to do occasionally...yeah, I'm old skool) I have to use a separate portable Sony Discman in my center storage compartment connected to my DSP via Toslink.

It all works amazingly well, but it's a complex setup that is nowhere near the "Plug N' Play" functionality of a good DD HU.

However, this Kenwood deck is really the first ever DD HU that I've been even remotely satisfied with as my Main Source Unit. It pretty much does it all...and well. The GUI is not my favorite, but it works well regardless.

And you don't _have_ to use CarPlay or Android Auto if you don't want to. It will still do pretty much everything I need it to do and your Smartphone can just operate independently as you'd like it to, or connect it to the HU via really good quality BT for Music Streaming and/or Hands-Free Calls and still be able to use all of its amazing voice commands and control.

HTH


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## Theslaking (Oct 8, 2013)

What's funny is all navigation units are illegal according to written law. Any moving picture. But I'll move on as I have derailed enough.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

ErinH said:


> I don’t know what to say to convince you to like it if you already have tried and didn’t like it.
> 
> *I just know that I find it easy to navigate the larger screen and the well-laid out buttons and options.*


In that regard, IMO Apple's CarPlay is way better than Android Auto.


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## slizzap (Nov 18, 2018)

Hey guys,

I just created an account to join the discussion as I bought a DNX995S shortly after it was released. I've been in talks with various people at Kenwood to discuss issues I'm having. I agree 100% with all of the GUI complaints everybody has mentioned, and I have even brought up most/all of these complaints with their support, such as text too large, auto-scroll option for text, adding scroll bars, display track length, etc. The bigger issue to me is FLAC playback, and is the reason I'm here.

There are a *LOT* of bugs related to FLAC playback. To start, let me just state that overall I'm happy with the HU. I've learned to live with most of the quirks for the most part, but I'd like to see GUI tweaks made. The screen is beautiful. The sound quality is amazing, and sounds great with all my amp/speaker components, and that's really mostly what matters. However, there are numerous bugs with the handling of FLAC files. I'll break down what issues I've been having, what I've reported to Kenwood support, and where I'm at right now. I'm wondering if others can confirm that they're having similar issues as well, but Kenwood has already confirmed some of the items I've brought up. They've even asked me to send them a copy of my USB flash drive, which they copied, tested with, confirmed the issues, and sent off to Japan for further testing. This is the last email they sent me on August 9, 2018:

"Thank you for sending in your drive so we can try to get to the root of this problem. I was able to also duplicate this with our units here at the center. We reported this issue to Japan to see what can be done to resolve this. I also will send them your music content so they may troubleshoot this issue with our Kenwood mobile Engineers. THANK YOU FOR THE FEEDBACK. I have shipped back your PNY USB drive today via UPS Ground and should be back in your possession shortly."

To start, let me state that all of my testing has strictly been done with FLAC files. My entire collection is now FLAC, so I haven't performed any in-depth testing with MP3 files, so I'm unsure if this is *only* problematic for FLAC or all music files. My USB flash drive is 512 GB and has been tested with both NTFS and exFAT file systems, and both exhibit the same behavior. My entire collection is approximately 270 GB, with ~650 album folders containing ~9000 FLAC files, and a separate folder for "singles" with ~500 individual songs. Everything is tagged properly with album art, artist, album, date, track #, etc. When I first contacted support they suggested I install the latest firmware, as it came out in late May 2018 about 1 week after I reported these issues. That firmware update did not fix any issues that I reported. There has been no new firmware update since.

Now, let's dig into what issues I've discovered and reported so far:

*FLAC playback issues:*
1) Repeat function is broken (see pg 37 of manual). There are supposed to be 3 states for the repeat function: File repeat, Folder repeat, and Repeat all. Folder repeat and Repeat all do the exact same thing. Repeat all should go to the next album after the current album completes, but it repeats the same album/folder. This makes it necessary to always manually select another album after one completes. This has worked properly in every previous Kenwood navigation model I have owned. Just to confirm, the icon showing on screen is the circular arrow with the word "All" at the bottom right. I've tried multiple times cycling through the options, but that doesn't help. After months of listening to music, testing has been largely inconsistent regarding to whether or not it goes to the next album upon completion.

2) Link Search functionality is broken. Shown in this YouTube clip: https://youtu.be/Dqib3X1OjNs

3) Some artists/albums do not show up in Category List -> Albums (Shown in the bugs compilation video at the bottom of this post)

4) Every once in a while, when a track finishes playing, the next track will start but the display will continue to show the previous track’s information. For example, once I was listening to an album and track 4 finished playing. Track 5 started, but the display continued to show track 4’s information. I did not try to do anything with the head unit such as press skip/track forward or backward to try to correct this. It went about 30-45 seconds into track 5 when I shut off the car since I reached my destination. When I get back into the car and started it up, it started playing track 4 from the 30-45 second mark (how far it went into track 5). 

Reproduced and shown in this YouTube clip: https://youtu.be/sJj9dJ64NUg

FYI – At the tail end of this video I select a song and then the screen goes to “No Media File” and then the video stops. After I stopped the video, I disconnected my flash drive and reconnected it. It restarted the KMFDM track “Apathy” after reconnecting. A few minutes later the track information displayed what is likely to be the very first album/track on the drive (track “01 – Supernaut” by 1000 **** DJs, on the Supernaut album), even though the KMFDM track was still playing. I pressed the skip/track forward button and then the Supernaut track started playing. Very strange behavior.

*System/GUI issues:*
1) "Kenwood Traffic Powered By INRIX" mobile app does not automatically connect. The app is always running on my phone, but in order for navigation to connect to it to start pulling traffic and fuel price information I always have to manually open the app on my phone and wait for it to connect. Pretty inconsistent with how/when it starts showing traffic information.

2) Text size is unnecessarily big. Complete track/artist/album information almost never fully fits on the screen. On some screens when scrolling through albums it's sometimes difficult to differentiate between different albums. It only needs to be large enough for the driver and passenger to read the text, it doesn't need to be large enough for the driver in the car behind me to read the text. It would also be nice to be able to customize what information is shown on screen, or simply be able to click on a button to display more information. I sometimes like to know what year a song/album was released, and duration of the song is always useful.

3) Track information does not automatically scroll upon selection. Previous Kenwood navigation units would automatically scroll the information once upon load if the track name is longer than what could fit on screen, but the DNX995S does not automatically scroll and I see no option to turn that feature on or off. Because the text size is so large, I'm constantly pressing the scroll button with each track loaded to read the track information.

4) There is no usable scroll bar. There's a tiny scroll bar to the side that shows you where you are relative to the entire list, but you can't use it to scroll up/down quickly. This is very frustrating when you have thousands of albums or artists.

Here is a video compilation of various bugs:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VtdibAahgZU


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## hella356 (Dec 11, 2016)

Great info, slizzap. Thanks.


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## Dumple (Dec 16, 2010)

Damn that sucks I have the 9905s and have not experienced a single one of those issues assife from some of the GUI stuffs. I have flac cd rips, MQA files and all assorted bitrates and what not between 16-44.1 thru dad 256 and I have not had a single issue.

I'd like to see a track scrubber and the volume limiter removed.


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## slizzap (Nov 18, 2018)

Dumple said:


> Damn that sucks I have the 9905s and have not experienced a single one of those issues assife from some of the GUI stuffs. I have flac cd rips, MQA files and all assorted bitrates and what not between 16-44.1 thru dad 256 and I have not had a single issue.
> 
> I'd like to see a track scrubber and the volume limiter removed.


I will say high bit-rate FLAC files play beautifully for me as well. The first Kenwood model I owned that supported FLAC files was the DNX771HD. It didn't officially support high bit-rate FLAC, so normally when one of my high bit-rate albums started playing it would either lock up the unit or in some cases would sound very static-y. It also could not play gapless between FLAC files, which really bothered me. So I'm extremely happy that the DNX995S plays all FLAC files gapless, so tracks that should mix together sound seamless when it switches tracks. I've tested as high as 24-bit/176khz and it sounds great.


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

slizzap said:


> Hey guys,
> 
> I just created an account to join the discussion as I bought a DNX995S shortly after it was released. I've been in talks with various people at Kenwood to discuss issues I'm having. I agree 100% with all of the GUI complaints everybody has mentioned, and I have even brought up most/all of these complaints with their support, such as text too large, auto-scroll option for text, adding scroll bars, display track length, etc. The bigger issue to me is FLAC playback, and is the reason I'm here.



Great post!

I just wanted to quickly let you know that I've had a few of the same issues that you've described regarding FLAC playback, but I haven't had the time to fully and precisely document them and submit it here and/or to Kenwood. Hopefully I'll have a bit more time to do so soon!

If you don't mind, please PM me with your Contact(s) at Kenwood (email) and I will submit my "report" to corraborate your findings and my own as soon as I'm able to.

Unfortunately, Kenwood's history in providing updates is ONLY to provide "Bug Fixes" for significant issues, and in my experience they WILL NOT make any GUI or Feature Updates whatsoever unless it HAS to be done in order to fix major bugs (that they are actually legally liable for due to what the unit was specifically advertised to do). 

It's too bad, because we all know that the GUI an UX could be SO MUCH BETTER with this unit. I'm hoping that they at least address the major FLAC playback issues that you've outlined, as my experience has been somewhat similar.

I also have my Right Channel Static issue back when playing files from USB storage devices (outlined in my Mega Post with my Bench Testing findings). Unfortunately, the Static is not limited to just FLAC files as it also happens on some WAV files. It doesn't matter if they are Redbook 16/44.1 or Hi-Res files, it's just somewhat random. Though it seems to correspond with the memory storage controller/disc read access light flickering on/off. It has happened with USB Thumbdrives, HDDs, and SSDs.

I've been meaning to try a USB Power Filter (like one of the small in-line iFi devices) to see if that cures it, but IMO it should be handled by the Kenwood's internal circuitry. It's also strange that it is only in the Right Channel 95% of the time, but occassionaly also affects the Left Channel. 

Since this "USB Static" also showed up when testing the DDX9905S on my bench, I don't think that it is an install-related issue.

Please post if you have had this Static issue or not?

Anyway, thank you for posting your detailed report on the FLAC playback issues and GUI niggles.

I have also posted some of my issues in the comments section on the YouTube videos from Kenwood and from user reviews hoping that they would gain more attention and serious consideration from Kenwood due to spreading the "bad news" to the wider audience on YouTube.


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## slizzap (Nov 18, 2018)

bbfoto said:


> If you don't mind, please PM me with your Contact(s) at Kenwood (email) and I will submit my "report" to corraborate your findings and my own as soon as I'm able to.
> 
> …
> 
> Please post if you have had this Static issue or not?


I haven't experienced any of the static issues that you have reported. However, I only use USB flash drives and have not attempted to use any type of external hard drive. I wanted something with a small footprint and something that was less likely to be impacted by the elements. Have you tried using both grey and black USB cables attached to the HU for your USB drive? Curious if there's any difference between the two. It also might be worth looking at the power specs of your external drive, as the manual states the maximum power supplied by the USB cables are DC 5V / 1.5A.

I'll send you a PM with my Kenwood support contact info.

Edit: I tried sending you a PM but got the message "bbfoto has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space."


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

slizzap said:


> I haven't experienced any of the static issues that you have reported. However, I only use USB flash drives and have not attempted to use any type of external hard drive. I wanted something with a small footprint and something that was less likely to be impacted by the elements. Have you tried using both grey and black USB cables attached to the HU for your USB drive? Curious if there's any difference between the two. It also might be worth looking at the power specs of your external drive, as the manual states the maximum power supplied by the USB cables are DC 5V / 1.5A.
> 
> I'll send you a PM with my Kenwood support contact info.
> 
> Edit: I tried sending you a PM but got the message "bbfoto has exceeded their stored private messages quota and cannot accept further messages until they clear some space."


Thanks for trying to PM me. It looks as if the site admins have lowered the PM limit.  If you don't mind, try sending it to me via EMAIL.

EDIT: Got it, thanks!


My music library is mostly 16/44 Redbook FLAC rips from my CD collection, but also a lot of other FLACs up to 24/192. Though my collection also includes a mix of some 320kbps CBR MP3, WAV, and DSD files.

Regarding the USB Static noise issue, I've tried two different 2.5" bare 1TB & 2TB SATA HDDs, and a 1TB bare SATA SSD. All three, combined with either a USB 3.0 2.5" Enclosure/Case (Zheino, Amazon #B015FMBPAQ) or SATA-to-USB 3.0 & 2.0 adapters, are supposedly well within the 5V 1.5A power spec. I tested all drives with a few different SATA-to-USB adapter cables (both USB 2.0 & 3.0) that are Linked in my Mega Post. I experienced the noise with all combinations.

And I've tried the above with both the Gray & Black USB inputs, and with & w/o the included Kenwood USB Extension Cables.

HOWEVER, I did NOT have the Static issue when using an inexpensive portable 2TB Toshiba Canvio Advance 2.5" external USB 3.0 HDD (#HDTC920XL3AA). :thumbsup:

So, it seems as though the Static problem is not the HDD or SSD itself, but specifically related to the actual USB-to-SATA adapter CABLES, or the controller chip that is in the universal USB 2.5" drive Enclosure.

I also do not have the Static issue when using USB Thumbdrives, so at least that is an option. But because this HU is so fast when accessing and playing back from USB storage, I would like the option of using all of my _existing_, larger 1TB & 2TB HDD or SSD bare drives for my in-vehicle music collection. 

I have an extensive music library and am constantly buying & adding new music to it almost daily. It is MUCH faster to transfer files back-&-forth between my main PC Music Library server when connecting a bare 2.5" HDD or SSD directly via SATA III than to most USB 3.0 Thumbdrives.

WONKY USB PLAYBACK ISSUES:

Just yesterday evening, using a USB Thumbdrive that was already inserted and had been used for music listening the previous day, I got in the car and the DDX9905S HU started playing Asante Hunter's "Home" track.

HOWEVER, the Head Unit display showed the Album Artwork & Track/Artist/Album information for the Tyler Mire Big Band's "Sapphire" track. :/ For reference, the Asante Hunter track is MP3 and the Tyler Mire track is 16/44 FLAC and are each in their own folder in the root directory.

When I pressed the "<<" icon to restart the track from the beginning, it started playing a completely different track by Steph Johnson. :/ But when I pressed the ">>" icon, it then started to play the Tyler Mire track. :/ The USB Playback was set to "Shuffle Play" during all of this.

I had this happen again. The HU was playing a 16/44 FLAC of a Sophie Millman jazz track while displaying the Album Art and Artist/Album/Track information for a Dredg track from the El Cielo album, also 16/44 FLAC. :/


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## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

*IMPORTANT*:

For all of you out there who own the 2018 Kenwood eXcelon *DDX9905S* or *DNX995S*, there are new *Firmware Updates* for these head units as of April 24, 2019. 

Here are the Links:

Firmware Updates | KENWOOD eXcelon DDX9905S

Firmware Updates | KENWOOD eXcelon DNX995S


I haven't installed or tested the new update yet, but will do so soon and will report back on the changes that I'm able to discern.

Kenwood lists the following on the update page...

Improved Functions (24.04.2019):

Improved WebLink Function.
Improved Android Auto Function.
Improved iDataLink Function.
Improved Stability of Performance.
Improved Navigation Function (DNX995S only)


Also...it looks as if there is a April 2019 Firmware Update for nearly every currently available Kenwood head unit, so check the support page for your model!


And if you also use the iDataLink Maestro RR interface unit, it's a good idea to check for firmware updates for these as well.


*CORRECTION FROM MY MEGA-POST REGARDING BLUETOOTH FUNCTIONALITY:*

In my previous Mega-Post/Review, I think that I incorrectly stated that these units have the Apt-X Bluetooth codec. AFAIK, these 2018 XR models use Bluetooth v4.1 and do not support Apt-X. Bluetooth functionality is still excellent and sound quality is good, but not "Apt-X good".

And AFAICT, the updated 2019 models also do not support Apt-X or Apt-X HD, even though they now use Bluetooth v5.0.

This is kind of a bummer for head units that are touted as being "Hi-Res" and their top-of-the-line "eXcelon Reference" products. FYI, I'm going by what Kenwood has listed in the website Specs section for the 2019 "XR" models (DNX996XR & DDX9906XR).


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## slizzap (Nov 18, 2018)

Funny you should mention this. I looked over my emails and found that I sent in a USB drive with sample music to Kenwood support back in mid-August 2018. Since then I have emailed support and the individuals that I have been communicating with 3 times (10-26-2018, 2-2-2019, and 4-14-2019)...nothing but crickets. Not a response or even an acknowledgment. I happened to notice last weekend that a new firmware was released. It contained an extremely generic description of the list of fixes (included in your post), but I was hopeful anyways. Upgraded the firmware and...

Of the known issues I've reported, it so far appears that some of the minor quirks/issues have been addressed, and one major one has *not* been addressed.

I'm going to specifically call back to my original post:
https://www.diymobileaudio.com/forum/5625835-post48.html

*FLAC playback issues:*
1) Looks good so far, so it may be fixed. I'll have to test this to confirm, but I've been listening to a lot of music this week and it always goes to the next album. This problem was inconsistent to begin with.

2) This may have been a slight mistake on my part. If you watch that video as I go through the Link Search, selecting "Artists" shows other albums by the same artist. I was thinking in my head "Similar Artists", but it actually means the artist you currently have selected. If this was properly named "Artist" I probably would have picked up on that. Same thing applies for "Albums"...I was expecting that to be other albums by the same artist, but it's the album you're currently on. Again, if it was named "Album" (not plural) I might have picked up on that. Lastly, selecting "Genres" the exact same applies. It shows other artists in the same Genre. However, not all bands in the genre are listed here. That's because they still have a problem with the music database...see #3 below. I'll consider this particular issue a non-issue.

3) Still broken and something I consider to be a *MAJOR* issue. After the firmware upgrade, I plugged in my USB drive and I found certain music was still not in the database. The example I'll use, since it's short and sweet, is the band "Tool". In Category list mode, Tool does not exist...not a single album, and I have 5. I have to go to Folder list mode to find their music. I went so far as to restructure my music collection on my USB drive. Instead of doing "<Artist> - <Album>" for each folder, I did "<Artist>"\"<Album>" folder structure. I even looked through certain albums and found 2 that had special characters (For example, the squiggly line over an "N" in "Senor"). I tried removing these, and then with the new folder structure plugged in the drive...similar issue as before in that it would say "Creating Database" but never finish. I think I let it run for a solid 45 minutes before I decided to call it quits, shut it down, and reboot. It then created the database (supposedly) within a few minutes of it restarting. Tool was still missing. Yes, all my tags are correct...and immaculate I might add. No file tag issues a factor here at all. I suspect maybe it has an issue with special characters. If I ever get motivated I might use a tagging tool to replace any special characters and see what happens.

4) I have not yet seen this problem occur since updating the firmware, and it was happening pretty frequently.

*System/GUI issues:*
1) Still a problem, and still extremely annoying. If I want traffic updates, I have to plug in my destination on the NAV, then start the app on my phone, and simply wait for it to show "Connected". After that, I generally see traffic information populate within a few minutes. Extremely annoying bug to deal with. My phone is a Samsung Galaxy S9 (Android). This should not be an issue, but it is. And so I rarely bother using it unless I'm going somewhere specific where I expect traffic.

2) No changes. Still annoying.

3) No changes. Still annoying.

4) No changes. Still extremely annoying.


In the end I'm just so annoyed with how support has handled this process. It took them 8-9 months to release a new firmware since I reported all these bugs, and the best they could do is a couple minor quirks. The music database issue is a MAJOR issue for me.

While I may get motivated to troubleshoot further, it's probably just for my own curiosity. I shouldn't be doing troubleshooting for them. When I bought this unit I was seriously contemplating looking at other head units like Clarion and Pioneer. I've had 3 or 4 Kenwood units over the years, and more and more they were having various issues/design flaws that annoyed me, but I ultimately decided on the DNX995S. At this point I'm pretty certain that this will be the last Kenwood head unit I ever purchase.


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## slizzap (Nov 18, 2018)

After a few more weeks of listening to music I can say that not a single one of the bugs I reported has been fixed.

I figured out the rhyme/reason for the repeat functionality issue. If you use Category List to search for an album and then play that album, it's forever stuck on that album unless you manually browse for and select a different album. If you're in Folder List when selecting an album, upon completion of that album it will go to the next album and/or artist. So, if you tend to listen to entire albums, using Category List is annoying. That plus the fact that it's not properly cataloguing my entire library forces me to avoid using Category List altogether.


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