# Interesting new Kenwood Excelon XR amps



## tophatjimmy (Dec 16, 2005)

Not up on Kenwood's website yet, but Crutchfield has them.

4 channel:
Kenwood Excelon XR400-4 4-channel car amplifier — 75 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield.com

Mono:
Kenwood Excelon XR600-1 Mono subwoofer amplifier — 600 watts RMS at 2 ohms at Crutchfield.com

5 channel:
Kenwood Excelon XR900-5 5-channel car amplifier — 60 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms + 600 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield.com

Much smaller than the old XR's. Surprisingly small in person.


----------



## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

I also noticed some vendors stopped selling the older XR-4S/5S/etc. I suspect the new 4channel XR400-4 is underrated quite a bit. The older XR-4S came with 60amp fuses, and was rated for 4x120watt output. Its European brother KAC-X4D was known to have very clean implementation and the measured output was 4x150watt RMS.

The dimensions of the newer amps are great: effectively 9 by 7 inches. I was looking (passively) for a new 4-channel amplifier, and I was deciding between Alpine MRX-F65, MRP-F300 and PPI P900.4. I guess I'll add this to the mix. The only thing I don't really like is that all connectors on one side. I like power and speaker wires on one side and inputs on the other. I wonder how this amp would compare to Kenwood's X450.


----------



## [email protected] (Jun 12, 2008)

That is weird they went with less power.


----------



## RandyJ75 (Dec 4, 2006)

BeatsDownLow said:


> That is weird they went with less power.


Yeah, wonder why? With a class D amp, you would think they would go UP in power, not down.

Hard to believe the market wanted less power


----------



## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

As I mentioned, I suspect that this amp is quite underrated. The old XR-4S was rated for 4x120watts RMS (4ohm) and came with 2x30A fuse. This one also comes with 2x30A fuse. If you go by fuse size alone, I think it's fair to assume that any class d amp with this fuse is expected for have something like 4x100watts with 4ohm speakers. I'd be surprised if Kenwood skimmed on internal components like the power supply, but left the fuse size unchanged. I do wonder why the power rating is lowish at 4x75. Power ratings is what sells to masses. The physical package looks incredibly good though. I just wish they priced it reasonably. The XR-4S was often priced at like $400 which was hard to justify considering how close this is to Alpine PDX F4 (a popular "premium" amp) and how much more expensive than a PPI P900.4 (a popular "budget" compact amplifier).

The mono block amp also seems underrated. 90A of fusing.. with only 600watt RMS at 2ohm rating? The PPI P900 gives honest 900watts at 2ohm, and it comes with 35A+40A fuses. I could be wrong of course. Fuse sizes do not always give accurate estimate of amplifier power. One counter-example is Alpine MRX-F35. With 2x25A of uses I thought it'd do a lot more than rated, but I just saw a test showing it does 4x69watts RMS with 4ohm impedance.


----------



## ReloadedSS (Aug 26, 2008)

They are interesting. I was thumbing through the Crutchfield catalog, and there's a picture showing the're not much taller than a quarter. Between their efficiency and size, I expect them to be popular. I also like the look of them, and I think I'll like them more after I see them in person.


----------



## bassfromspace (Jun 28, 2016)

I bet they're underrated power-wise.


----------



## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

Love them for their price/power/warranty..


----------



## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

We used the XR-4S on lots of harley's with small stators and small batteries, and they always ran strong, hard, clean, and we never had one shut down. I really liked this amp, and it's brothers XR1S and XR5S. THe 4ch being capable of BiAmping is sweet too.

I'm excited to try these new amps in underseat applications in cars do to it's incredibly low height and overall footprint. We got the mono in stock on thursday, so I haven't gotten to try one yet, but I am optimistic. but for a higher power requirement, I'd still stick with an XR4s, or maybe even TWO of the new model in bridged mode. the new 4ch is still biamp capable too.


----------



## chevbowtie22 (Nov 23, 2008)

I can't wait to see one of these amps in person. While I'm not a Kenwood fanboy by any means I will say I've NEVER had an issue with any of their amps. I'm actually running last years X450-4 on my HLCD's and it is dead quiet.


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

The manuals are available on the Kenwood website now. 

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/UserFiles/File/UnitedStates/Consumer/Manuals/xr400-4.pdf
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/UserFiles/File/UnitedStates/Consumer/Manuals/xr600-1.pdf
http://www.kenwoodusa.com/UserFiles/File/UnitedStates/Consumer/Manuals/xr900-5.pdf

A decent crossover on the 4 channel if you want to go active with a head unit that has time alignment, but not the necessary crossovers. (Kenwood and JVC both have models that come to mind.)


----------



## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

We just received a shipment of these this week. Compared to the last generation of XR amps (which I owned all three models of) the new ones are even smaller and more versatile.

The four channel does have the ability to actively xover the outputs between a mid and tweeter. If your source unit has a built in high pass filter, you can build a two way active front end very easily.

Yes the power ratings did drop a bit - but so did the price. These things are going to compete directly against the Rockford Fosgate PBR amps this year for sure. If they are still as clean as the last versions, these amps will be a great value.


----------



## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

Chaos, what do you think about Kenwood X450 amps? Are they comparable? Are they class A/B or some other class of amplifiers?


----------



## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

ZAKOH said:


> Chaos, what do you think about Kenwood X450 amps? Are they comparable? Are they class A/B or some other class of amplifiers?


We put in lots of those. Just your basic A/B four channel, except that two of the channels make more power than the other two. They're good for a set of front components with passive xovers or for your basic full-range front door / rear deck setups.


----------



## PPI_GUY (Dec 20, 2007)

I looked at the XR600 and it looks to be considerably underrated with 90A of fusing. Same for the XR400-4. If they are reliable and clean, I see them being very popular and marketed toward the customer who is considering the JL XD amps. In fact, they offer virtually the same power ratings as JL's most popular three XD amps.
The five channel is VERY enticing as it offers 600 watts @2ohm on the sub channel and 75 to each of the front channels. All in a footprint that is less than 11" wide. Very impressive.


----------



## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Doesn't seem like much heatsink action going on considering the fuse rating/output potential of these little amps! I wonder how hot these will run under normal loads and also when pushed?

It just seems weird/amazing to think about connecting a 4ga. power wire with 120-Amps (potential) into that tiny black box, haha! I just envision a "poof" of (a lot of) smoke and subsequent meltdown. 

I'm sure that they are solid amps, and I'd love to hear what users have to say about them. Also, it would be awesome if you could stack them, but that would probably seriously limit their heat dissipation capabilities. 

But I love all of the choices of amplifiers we have these days!


----------



## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

I think they have a fan.


----------



## PPI_GUY (Dec 20, 2007)

ZAKOH said:


> I think they have a fan.


Yeah, "fan cooling" according to the description at Crutchfield. 
Also mentions a "tilted heatsink". Interesting.


----------



## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

^ Thanks guys. Yeah, I just saw the mention of the 45-degree "tilted" heat sinks and fan-cooling in the specs as well. Also that the power supplies are ~40% smaller.

Might have to give these a shot. I wish the 5-channel had a bit more "rated" power than 60x4, but based on the fusing alone, it seems that it should do about double of that with no problem. But the sub channel is just about right for my needs. 

Would be great to see an independent test on these. If anybody ends up with one of these, please post up your thoughts. Or if there are any Kenwood dealers here that can hook up a SoCal DIYMA brother with a deal on Two of the XR900-5's, please shoot me an email.  Thanks.


----------



## Thunderplains (Sep 6, 2009)

I don't think fusing is that much of an issue with Class D amps.. I was running (2) kronos amps and a Leviathan amp all on 30amp fuses each, never had a pop.
Now I am running the XR1S and (2) 4S, same fuse config, no issues.. And I have to say, the output I have out of this config is amazing. I am confused like everyone else why the drop? Maybe due to shrinking the package down? dunno.. Would like to hear them though..


----------



## Chaos (Oct 27, 2005)

What is the fascination with fuses and power ratings? 

Back in the old days, when there weren't so many different power supplies built into various amps, there was a "rule of thumb" that said 10X the fuse rating was roughly the amount of watts you could expect out of an amp.

These days, that simply is not the case. Besides which, the on board fuse is to protect the car in case of catastrophic failure of the amp, and is not necessarily an indication of how much power the amp can reliably provide.


----------



## Thunderplains (Sep 6, 2009)

Chaos said:


> What is the fascination with fuses and power ratings?
> 
> Back in the old days, when there weren't so many different power supplies built into various amps, there was a "rule of thumb" that said 10X the fuse rating was roughly the amount of watts you could expect out of an amp.
> 
> These days, that simply is not the case. Besides which, the on board fuse is to protect the car in case of catastrophic failure of the amp, and is not necessarily an indication of how much power the amp can reliably provide.


Agree.. And after having several conversations with Mr. Mantz, a lot of people overfuse their setup.. thus the idea of putting a smaller fuse before the amp so that failure never reaches your electronics..

Wasn't this thread about the new Kenwood amps anyways?


----------



## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

We've got all three models in stock! Now I've just gotta find the right customer to try them out!


----------



## Thunderplains (Sep 6, 2009)

D-Bass said:


> We've got all three models in stock! Now I've just gotta find the right customer to try them out!


Without looking at measurments, how do they compare size wise to their predecessors?


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

They're smaller. Especially in thickness. 

XR-4S & XR-1S:
9 1/4" x 7 9/16" x 2 1/16" (235 x 192 x 52)

XR400-4 & XR600-1 
8 11/16" x 6 5/8" x 1 3/8" (220 x 169 x 35)
(44.5% decrease in volume!)


XR-5S:
9 1/4" x 7 9/16" x 2 1/16" (235 x 192 x 55)

XR-900-5:
10 1/4" x 6 5/8" x 2" (260 x 169 x 51)
(9.7% decrease in volume.)


----------



## THEDUKE (Aug 25, 2008)

Replaced a Boston Acoustics GTA-504 with a XR400-4. Amazing difference. These things are awesome.


----------



## Thunderplains (Sep 6, 2009)

rton20s said:


> They're smaller. Especially in thickness.
> 
> XR-4S & XR-1S:
> 9 1/4" x 7 9/16" x 2 1/16" (235 x 192 x 52)
> ...


Damn.. and I thought the XR series i have now was small.. I *W*I*S*H* they would have upped the power while reducing the size. I just don't get why they went the other direction


----------



## PPI_GUY (Dec 20, 2007)

I held the XR600-1 in my hands today. They are tiny! I physically compared it to a JL Audio XD600/1 and the dimensions (width & length) are very close to each other except...the Kenwood is only 2/3 as thick as the XD! 
The amp felt very solid and the cosmetics are good. 
For my purposes the 900-5 seems to be the amp of choice. I really like the 600 watt sub section. I don't think there is anything out there this size with that much grunt for sub(s).
Pretty amazing feat of miniaturization and I would love to see inside one of these little babies! 

As for the fusing...I look at the onboard fusing as being indicative of 'potential' output only.


----------



## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

PPI_GUY said:


> I held the XR600-1 in my hands today. They are tiny! I physically compared it to a JL Audio XD600/1 and the dimensions (width & length) are very close to each other except...the Kenwood is only 2/3 as thick as the XD!
> 
> The amp felt very solid and the cosmetics are good.
> 
> ...



I'm REALLY liking that XR900-5, too. 




THEDUKE said:


> Replaced a Boston Acoustics GTA-504 with a XR400-4. Amazing difference. These things are awesome.


What setup is it driving?

Does it run cool, lukewarm, hot?

Any Hiss or noticeable noise floor?

Reason I'm asking is I would need to bury a few of these in the enclosed front trunk/storage compartment of a Ferrari 360 and can't cut holes for outside venting. It's nice that these amps have built-in fans...that would help somewhat.


----------



## EricP72 (Mar 23, 2008)

nice! if kenwood would put back the dsp from the kac-x4r in these they would be killer! i love the form factor, but i need more power from the sub amp..they really need a 1200w rms amp, maybe a little thicker but same size. oh well they are still nice amps. am i reading correctly that the sub channel on the 5 channel only goes to 200hz? man i needed atleast 300hz. a pair wouldve been perfect for a 3way fron stage.


----------



## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

manish said:


> nice! if kenwood would put back the dsp from the kac-x4r in these they would be killer!



Did you mean pre-amp? I thought these did not have dsp, like most amplifiers.


----------



## EricP72 (Mar 23, 2008)

no the kenwood kac-x4r had a really decent dsp built into the amps. time alignment, parametic eq, and the ability to give those features to another amp via its preamp outputs..was so so nice


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

Manish... I don't disagree, but keep in mind that Kenwood's most power-hungry subwoofers are only rated at 400-450w each at 4 Ohm. So I'm sure in Kenwood's eyes (and what their market research tells them is that) a 600w @ 2 Ohm subwoofer channel is plenty. And yes, it does appear that the sub channel is limited to 200 Hz max. crossover. 

Zakoh, those older Kenwood amps actually did have a built in DSP. Check out page 8 of the KAC-X4R manual...

http://www.kenwoodusa.com/UserFiles/File/Global/Consumer/Manuals/KAC-X4R.pdf


----------



## EricP72 (Mar 23, 2008)

yes ur right rton...but dang atleast make them strappable..lol anyway i guess 600 is the mass market number.


----------



## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

Any updates on these, gents?

I agree it would be sweet to have the DSP in these like the KAC-X4R. Two of the 5-channel amps with DSP would make for a pretty incredible setup. I also wish the sub channel was full range as well, would be great for my 8", 8-ohm mid-basses up front...need them to go a bit higher than 200Hz.


----------



## Angrywhopper (Jan 20, 2010)

We recently got these in stock and boy are they impressive. Not only their tiny footprint, but they look to be built extremely well. They have a very high end look to them.


----------



## ecbmxer (Dec 1, 2010)

These look like some sweet amps! I might check out a 4 and 5 channel in the future.


----------



## Mathematics2 (May 29, 2012)

I put an XR-5S into my brother in laws car, great amp, zero issues, solidly built & tiny footprint.


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

All I can say is WOW! These guys are tiny. I stopped by a local shop today and got to hold the XR400-4 in my hand. Really is crazy how tiny they are. 

I was also fortunate in being able to see these in comparison to several other amps in the same display case. The dealer had a KAC-X4R, a X600F, and XR450-4 in the same case. It is wild to see how much the eXcelon amp line has shrunk in the last few years. Those older Kenwoods look HUGE in comparison. 

I was looking at the GM-D8604 from Pioneer to power a pair of components and a subwoofer and the dealer suggested strongly to go with the XR400-4. He said the GM-D8604 was clean and powerful, but the XR400-4 was "another class." He said that the XR400-4s are super clean and felt that even though it wasn't as powerful as the Pioneer model it would perform as well or better... even for the subwoofer. (Of course, the XR400-4 would certainly put more cash in his pocket.) 

He also stated that he felt that the XR450-4 was more on par with the Pioneer model, but would still probably take that Kenwood over the Pioneer. Of course, their prices were significantly higher than what you can find any of these online. In fact their pricing for the XR400-4 was higher than MSRP. Par for the course for this particular dealer.


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

I just ordered a XR 900.5 today. I ordered from crutchfield which ended up working out great cause they have half price amp kits. got a sweet kicker 4ga 4 channel kit for half price which pretty much sealed the deal because i have crappy 8ga installed now. I will get it installed and post a review after some usage. I'm super pumped for this amp. It looks small and has the perfect power for my components and id15


----------



## Kevin K (Feb 11, 2013)

Keep us up to date when you get the amp installed. Anxious to hear what you think about it.


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

I definitely will. After my budget system failed to impress me in any way shape or form and I won $2500 last week, I decided just to buy whatever I wanted and do it right.


----------



## wickedego (May 13, 2013)

I actually have a XR900-5 installed in my altima it runs the whole car its a mean lil sucker! Does the job nicely.


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

^^^^ that's what I like to hear! I'm pumped for this amp. It's the most exspensive amp I've ever bought, so it better live up to my goals and expectations. I think paired with the Image Dynamics CTX-6.5cs comps and ID15" sub, it's gonna rock


----------



## hankbot (Jan 6, 2013)

bbfoto said:


> Reason I'm asking is I would need to *bury a few of these in the enclosed front trunk/storage compartment of a Ferrari 360 and can't cut holes for outside venting.* It's nice that these amps have built-in fans...that would help somewhat.


:stunned::bowdown:


----------



## Kevin K (Feb 11, 2013)

What are you running with it?



wickedego said:


> I actually have a XR900-5 installed in my altima it runs the whole car its a mean lil sucker! Does the job nicely.


----------



## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

We have these amps demo'd in our shop. I'd venture to bet they're slightly (but not massively) underrated and they sound really good, but aren't seeming to be very popular - at least I have yet to install one (just the older ones like I have that are now on clearance). I have the previous year Kenwoods and wish I had waited because I need small amps in my application. They also look very good - just like a RF360.3, actually. I might try these if I can demo them against the highest-end Hertz/Audison stuff (n the same set of speakers) and I like what I'm hearing.


----------



## Brian Steele (Jun 1, 2007)

sirbOOm said:


> We have these amps demo'd in our shop. I'd venture to bet they're slightly (but not massively) underrated and they sound really good, but aren't seeming to be very popular - at least I have yet to install one (just the older ones like I have that are now on clearance). I have the previous year Kenwoods and wish I had waited because I need small amps in my application. They also look very good - just like a RF360.3, actually. I might try these if I can demo them against the highest-end Hertz/Audison stuff (n the same set of speakers) and I like what I'm hearing.


For the uninformed, it's all about the visuals.

Bigger amp = more power 
Bigger magnet = better subwoofer

They seem like nice competitors to the Alpine PDX series. Given the option, I might still go with the PDX amps because they use plugs instead of screw down speaker terminals (comes in handy if you want to use the car audio system to power a small PA from time to time ). OTOH, I think an install using the Kenwoods would look a little cleaner....


----------



## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Kenwood head units are kind of a pain - lately I've been having problems with certain models having to be reset a lot after you start the car and we've been putting caps on the power wires to keep them from doing that. But most people come in saying, "I want JL this and JL that" and don't look at the little bitty Kenwoods on the bottom right of the amp rack display.  We do compare them to the Alpines and JL amps and the fact is, they're just as good if not better. The biggest problem I think is that most cars/trucks don't need that small of an amp and the high end builds that you want to hide everything in don't have "Kenwood" on the list of options very often.


----------



## wickedego (May 13, 2013)

Hertz energy 6.5s comps deci 6.5 coax in the rear and a memphis12 ported tuned to what I belive is 32 hrtz (temporary) till my custom trunk with hertz energy 12 is built. The model numbers escape me currently.


----------



## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

sirbOOm said:


> Kenwood head units are kind of a pain - lately I've been having problems with certain models having to be reset a lot after you start the car and we've been putting caps on the power wires to keep them from doing that. But most people come in saying, "I want JL this and JL that" and don't look at the little bitty Kenwoods on the bottom right of the amp rack display.  We do compare them to the Alpines and JL amps and the fact is, they're just as good if not better. The biggest problem I think is that most cars/trucks don't need that small of an amp and the high end builds that you want to hide everything in don't have "Kenwood" on the list of options very often.


which headunit models in particular? multiline display single-dins? If so, there's an update...it's just not posted online yet


----------



## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

We just installed the XR400-4 in the fairing of a Harley Roadglide using the biamping capability on a Hertz HSK165 component set. For a fairing only setup, this match-up is damn impressive. Definitely the best I've heard while keeping the 100% stock look and not molding in extra sets of speakers


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

My XR 900.5 wil be here Thursday. Gonna wait till this weekend to install. Plan is to pull entire interior out and run all wires to perfection.


----------



## hpilot2004 (Dec 13, 2011)

D-Bass said:


> which headunit models in particular? multiline display single-dins? If so, there's an update...it's just not posted online yet


I have a Excelon KDC-X693, is this one of the H/U with a new update? Thanks.


----------



## AStephan (Apr 10, 2013)

Just ordered an XR 900.5, seems to be perfect for my set up.


----------



## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

hpilot2004 said:


> I have a Excelon KDC-X693, is this one of the H/U with a new update? Thanks.


no, your headunit is 5 models years old. they don't even have updates for units that old on their website. I was talking about the 2013 models.


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

Install day! All my gear including the bada$$ XR 900.5. It's very hard to believe that tiny thing is going to run everything! Ill get some pics as I go.


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

Got the kenwood installed, yet might be sending it back due to a stripped speaker wire screw. Barely tightened it and the thing spun on me. Now I can't bridge the amp. On the plus side unabridged on only two of four channels the thing puts out good clean sound. Paired with the ID ctxs comps I was really impressed. The amp is small and very high end looking. Love the recessed wire connections. I didn't get to play around with tuning it too much as I decided I needed a drink after the long day of installation. Plus my stupid power seat decided it didn't want to work anymore so it was stuck all the way forward. Had to spend some time figuring that out. 

I will keep you all updated after some more time with it. I'm going to call crutchfield and see what they say about the stripped screw. See if I can exchange it because trying any other methods of removing the screw.


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

Compared to version one pdx


----------



## Blake (Mar 3, 2006)

Man that Kenwood is a sexy amp.


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

Yes it is. I was so scared to scratch it during installation.


----------



## BKJT05 (Apr 10, 2007)

well good news. i was able to use a easy out to remove the stripped screw. now i can re install and start tuning


----------



## bbfoto (Aug 28, 2005)

^Good to hear. Do you have any idea of the true RMS output on the main channels?

The only thing I don't like about their design compared to the PDX & JL HD amps is the wiring placement/attachment makes it not so good for "stacking" the amps, which would be nice to do since they are so thin.


----------



## EricP72 (Mar 23, 2008)

love the way those amps look. nice and clean.
cant wait for reviews and some numbers. really hoping the sub amp is under rated. would like to have one on a rf power t1 12"


----------



## AStephan (Apr 10, 2013)

I had my XR900-5 for about a week but had an issue with popping sounds when my doors locked/unlocked. I re-ran and replaced my rca's but couldn't get rid of the popping. I switched back to my PPI Phantoms and the popping went away. Kinda sucks because the amp was great, I was running the 4 channels bridged to my JBL MS62's and the sub channel to a W10gti and it sounds great, sub channel was very strong.


----------



## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Try a resistor on the amp turn on lead. See what happens. Any car audio shop should have them. We put them on the turn on lead for factory subwoofer amplifiers when we are installing an aftermarket head unit to avoid turn on pop and apparently your issue, too - though I don't see how that worked, but it apparently does. That or exchange it for another one 'cuz that's some shiznat right there. We have not had this problem at the shop. If these buggers had the same power as the previous Excelon line (of course it'd have to be a little bigger, but that's fine), I'd be all up on 'em like a fat kid on cake. 120x4 FTW.


----------



## AStephan (Apr 10, 2013)

sirbOOm said:


> Try a resistor on the amp turn on lead. See what happens. Any car audio shop should have them. We put them on the turn on lead for factory subwoofer amplifiers when we are installing an aftermarket head unit to avoid turn on pop and apparently your issue, too - though I don't see how that worked, but it apparently does. That or exchange it for another one 'cuz that's some shiznat right there.


I wish I would have tried that, unfortunately I returned the amp today, seems like if the PPI doesn't pop, the Kenwood shouldn't either.


----------



## Kevin K (Feb 11, 2013)

What are the specs on resistor to use?


----------



## EricP72 (Mar 23, 2008)

anybody bench that sub amp at 2 ohms yet?


----------



## Coppershot (Jun 24, 2009)

manish said:


> anybody bench that sub amp at 2 ohms yet?


x 2.

What exactly are the DSP features of these amps? Im looking at the manual and only the 4 channel can run bi-amp or 2 way.

I am more interested in the 5 channel, but it there is no bandpass feature like the other cheaper popular amps. 

Also the xr900-5 manual states current consumption at 80A but the amp caries 3 x 40A fuses. So are the specs under rated?


----------



## Changchung (Aug 15, 2012)

I finish a install two days ago, I try to refer the customer to buy a pair of these, but the price was too high for him

Their are really small


----------



## EricP72 (Mar 23, 2008)

can somebody bench theses? the four channel and the sub amp. and those with the sub amp can they push a rf t1 power 12"? im thinking of 2 of those subs and 2 of these kenwood sub amps.


----------



## Boston18 (Sep 24, 2008)

How's the SQ of these amps? Comparable to?


----------



## tnaudio (Mar 4, 2012)

The resistor on the turn on lead is for Ford amp turn on. The oem system uses 5v for turn on and when you hook an aftermarket radio the 12v turn on output makes it pop.


----------



## mtuhuskyfan (Jul 10, 2013)

May have found my next amps, an XR900-5 with an XR400-4 would work great with a 3 way front stage and sun. Bridge the XR400-4 on a set of Anarchy, the 4 channels from the XR900-5 on the midrange and tweeters and sub, may have to try this. Any dealers here that sell to board members for good prices?


----------



## mtuhuskyfan (Jul 10, 2013)

Any dealers on here?


----------



## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

I would bridge the 5-channel for the mid-bass (150 watts per) and then use the 4-channel for the mid-range and tweeter (75 watts per), but that is up to you. Personally I'd like a little more headroom with the vocal and high-end range and I think 150 watts for midbass is solid and 75 watts for the mid/upper-end a good spot to be though I honestly wish the 4-channel put out a rated 100x4. I suspect these amps are accurate to their rated wattage (that is to say, not notably underrated) but can attest that they solidly deliver at least their rated wattage from demos/installs. I do not have a way to validate that claim factually but it is a certified amp.


----------



## mtuhuskyfan (Jul 10, 2013)

sirbOOm said:


> I would bridge the 5-channel for the mid-bass (150 watts per) and then use the 4-channel for the mid-range and tweeter (75 watts per), but that is up to you. Personally I'd like a little more headroom with the vocal and high-end range and I think 150 watts for midbass is solid and 75 watts for the mid/upper-end a good spot to be though I honestly wish the 4-channel put out a rated 100x4. I suspect these amps are accurate to their rated wattage (that is to say, not notably underrated) but can attest that they solidly deliver at least their rated wattage from demos/installs. I do not have a way to validate that claim factually but it is a certified amp.


Well, my midrange will be Fountek FR88EX 8 ohm version, so probably get around 30-40 watts from the XR400-4, but that is more than enough for those drivers. Midbass will stay as my Rainbow Germanium 6.5s and tweeters either stay with the CSS LD25X or go with the Vifa NE25VTS. I think that would be more than enough power for everything.


----------



## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

are you doing all the crossover points in a processor?


----------



## mtuhuskyfan (Jul 10, 2013)

D-Bass said:


> are you doing all the crossover points in a processor?


Yes, looking at getting a RF 3sixty.3 or Zapco DSP-Z8 depending on prices for both.


----------



## mtuhuskyfan (Jul 10, 2013)

I also want to ask how hot these amps run as I have been told they run really hot and would overheat in a tirewell false floor.


----------



## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

They'll get hot, but I haven't run into any issues yet. but, you never know


----------



## Bjg49 (Jul 13, 2013)

tophatjimmy said:


> Not up on Kenwood's website yet, but Crutchfield has them.
> 
> 4 channel:
> Kenwood Excelon XR400-4 4-channel car amplifier &#151; 75 watts RMS x 4 at Crutchfield.com
> ...


Have an xr900-5 sitting getting ready to install. Can't wait to hear how it sounds! Waiting for LOC and amp kit. Ugh.... 

I know people have asked.... But I am so curious if and how under rated they are and overall sound quality. 

I think my plan is to run a set of german maestro components that I currently just have on the factory amp, making a Decision on a set of two good 8 inch subs. 

Considering bridging the front and rears to put a lot of power to my separates, but concerned about sq bridging 

Look forward to reading more people's opinions!


----------



## Changchung (Aug 15, 2012)

Bjg49 said:


> Have an xr900-5 sitting getting ready to install. Can't wait to hear how it sounds! Waiting for LOC and amp kit. Ugh....
> 
> I know people have asked.... But I am so curious if and how under rated they are and overall sound quality.
> 
> ...


Post some pics when you install it and let us know how this work and sound...


----------



## macssuck (Jan 4, 2009)

The 900-5 looks interesting. Has anyone checked for FM interference on any on any of the models in this line? My current class D amp kills most FM stations in my accord and would like to use the radio once in a while.


----------



## asoggysponge (May 14, 2013)

mtuhuskyfan said:


> I also want to ask how hot these amps run as I have been told they run really hot and would overheat in a tirewell false floor.


I borrowed a friends 400-4 for testing and it's currently taken place of my PC450 under my seat. It gets extremely hot after half an hour or so of listening at moderate volume, so hot in fact that I cannot hold my fingers on it for long. But even after three hours of continuous moderate volume it does not go into thermal/protect. 

If I were to get one (and after using it I'm definitely considering it), I'd put a fan or two on it, even if it's open to the air I have yet to get out my DMM and test it, I will post up once I do. Sound is just as clean as my PPI. Form factor is great, it takes up a lot less room, and is very sexy. It's also pretty lightweight, not sure if that's good or bad, but I'm guessing it does over rated power anyway.


----------



## Thunderplains (Sep 6, 2009)

sirbOOm said:


> I would bridge the 5-channel for the mid-bass (150 watts per) and then use the 4-channel for the mid-range and tweeter (75 watts per), but that is up to you. Personally I'd like a little more headroom with the vocal and high-end range and I think 150 watts for midbass is solid and 75 watts for the mid/upper-end a good spot to be though I honestly wish the 4-channel put out a rated 100x4. I suspect these amps are accurate to their rated wattage (that is to say, not notably underrated) but can attest that they solidly deliver at least their rated wattage from demos/installs. I do not have a way to validate that claim factually but it is a certified amp.


I second this. I own the previous edt. of these amps and they are killer.. But if I was to do it again, this is how i would run it.


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

macssuck said:


> The 900-5 looks interesting. Has anyone checked for FM interference on any on any of the models in this line? My current class D amp kills most FM stations in my accord and would like to use the radio once in a while.


Any chance your current class D is an older Phoenix Gold SD? SD800.4 in particular? My local dealer mentioned this amp being notorious for this issue. So much so that PG was doing no questions asked with their dealers for a time.


----------



## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

Thunderplains said:


> I second this. I own the previous edt. of these amps and they are killer.. But if I was to do it again, this is how i would run it.


I'll actually be doing this exactly in my Silverado. I have the 5-channel, just waiting on the 4-channel to come in stock at the shop. It'll be a full 3-way active setup. So far I have a 2-way active setup using just the 5-channel and I am happy with it overall. The processor is a 360.3. I haven't done much tuning at all other than safe crossover points and aside from the tweeters being grossly overpowered and whining about it at higher volumes it's sounding good. The midbass is a CDT M6+ Gold (underpowered) and it's knocking out some pretty good kick that I can feel in my leg. I'm going to try and put Peerless 8's in the door and bridge the 5-channel. Both amps will go into where my center console bucket seat storage thing is. I'll post pix when I'm finished.


----------



## sirbOOm (Jan 24, 2013)

I have zero FM interference. My 900-5 is about 3 feet from the head unit and there'll be a 400-4 there, too. I expect no such issue. I have an Alpine HU that does both regular and HD tuning and I'm pretty far from Atlanta most of the time and pick up the same stations the same way. In rural areas (i.e., driving from Atlanta to Champagne-Urbana), I don't pick up anything but country music, which is like pulling hair out individually to listen to, but that's totally normal. Well, I once got a gospel station... got me some Jesus.


----------



## D-Bass (Apr 27, 2012)

we mount these amps 2" from headunits in harley's and they don't affect radio reception a bit


----------



## Donanon (Sep 13, 2013)

I'm new here. Glad I found this thread as I was on the lookout for an amp and after reading through I've ordered a Kenwood 400.4...should be here the middle of next week.

Cheers, D.


----------



## Changchung (Aug 15, 2012)

macssuck said:


> The 900-5 looks interesting. Has anyone checked for FM interference on any on any of the models in this line? My current class D amp kills most FM stations in my accord and would like to use the radio once in a while.


I never hear something like that... What amp do you have???


----------



## moneyfornothing (Dec 11, 2013)

Do these amps have balanced inputs? Coming from a HU with balanced RCA's.


----------



## HereticHulk (Nov 8, 2009)

manish said:


> anybody bench that sub amp at 2 ohms yet?


Did anyone ever do this?

I was thinking about picking up one of these refurbished from Crutchfield to run a single 12W3v3-2.

I had planned to run it active using a perfectly good Soundstream Tarantula TRX1000D @ 800W RMS (2 OHMS), when the sub is rated at 500W RMS. I wasn't sure if that is too much power for that sub? Any opinions?

ETA: This will be in a sealed fiberglass enclosure. I am seeing some contradicting info from JL Audio (via Crutchfield) *"power handling: 100-500 watts RMS (1,000 watts peak power)"* and solely from Crutchfield: *"To drive this single subwoofer, we recommend a mono amplifier rated between 375 and 750 watts RMS at 2 ohms. For more information, please refer to our article on How to Match Subwoofers and Amplifiers."*


----------



## gstokes (Apr 20, 2014)

$260 for the factory refurbished version of the 5-channel, 60 x 4 @ 4~ and 600 x 1 @ 2~ is ideal for my system but sadly they didn't think to offer a Bandpass filter on channels 3 & 4 which makes it utterly useless in a full-active configuration..

Kenwood Excelon XR900-5 5-channel car amplifier — 60 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms + 600 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield.com


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

gstokes said:


> $260 for the factory refurbished version of the 5-channel, 60 x 4 @ 4~ and 600 x 1 @ 2~ is ideal for my system but sadly they didn't think to offer a Bandpass filter on channels 3 & 4 which makes it utterly useless in a full-active configuration..
> 
> Kenwood Excelon XR900-5 5-channel car amplifier — 60 watts RMS x 4 at 4 ohms + 600 watts RMS x 1 at 2 ohms at Crutchfield.com


Not utterly useless, you just aren't going to use the amp's onboard crossovers to go active. As long as the crossovers are defeatable (preferred), or at least far enough outside of your desired crossover as not to affect audible response, any amp is workable for an active setup using an external crossover or DSP. 

And as cheap as some of the offerings are from MiniDSP and others are these days, that barrier to entry to an active system is quickly diminishing.


----------



## gstokes (Apr 20, 2014)

rton20s said:


> Not utterly useless, you just aren't going to use the amp's onboard crossovers to go active. As long as the crossovers are defeatable (preferred), or at least far enough outside of your desired crossover as not to affect audible response, any amp is workable for an active setup using an external crossover or DSP.
> 
> And as cheap as some of the offerings are from MiniDSP and others are these days, that barrier to entry to an active system is quickly diminishing.


My head unit has time alignment so that eliminates my need for a DSP and pretty much dictates that my amp must have a BP filter, everybody has their preference but that's mine..


----------



## rton20s (Feb 14, 2011)

gstokes said:


> My head unit has time alignment so that eliminates my need for a DSP and pretty much dictates that my amp must have a BP filter, everybody has their preference but that's mine..


Understandable. You can pick up a stand alone crossover for under $100, but I would probably just spring for a MiniDSP 2x4. I think that would be a better option than relying on amp crossovers which can (not in all cases) be somewhat inaccurate. The higher level of adjustability in crossover and EQ are probably worth the price of entry on a stand alone DSP.


----------



## gstokes (Apr 20, 2014)

Bjg49 said:


> Have an xr900-5 sitting getting ready to install. Can't wait to hear how it sounds! Waiting for LOC and amp kit. Ugh....
> 
> I know people have asked.... But I am so curious if and how under rated they are and overall sound quality.


I really don't like LOC's and avoid them like the plague, if I was you an amplifier with high level inputs would take the place of that Kenwood..

CEA 2006 compliant means it puts out what it says on the box, it's not an indication that the amplifier is underrated and chances are good it puts out real close to advertised power which is 60 x 4 @ 4~ and 600 x 1 @ 2~


----------

