6 Best Kenwood Car Stereo Reviews 2023

It’s been some time since Kenwood has been around. Currently, this brand makes some of the best-selling car stereos in the market. Synonymous with elegance and quality, we know many people live and die for Kenwood.

The best stereo must reflect and incorporate the latest trends in digital tech to simplify how one listens to music, not just high-quality output sound. And the best Kenwood car stereo is usually packed with a little extra in the sound department as well.

In our list below, we’ll examine 6 of our picks among Kenwood stereos that embrace the latest trend and help you decide the best setup for your vehicle.

Just Follow This Table for Choosing The Best Product Very Quickly

Benefits of Using Kenwood Car Stereo

Every car stereo might sound great in one car and not so good in another. A quality car receiver provides you with the features you love while being compatible with the vehicle.

Kenwood car stereos give you all that and more! They provide many double DIN head units for all budgets. Each of their products gives off commercial-grade performance and a stunning value proposition.

In addition, the Kenwood system has a high raw power that churns out the sound you want.

With Kenwood audio systems, your choices are almost endless. There are so many different types with different features that can improve your audio quality tenfold.

Being the top-rated brand out there, installing the newest Kenwood car stereo will also increase your car's value if you're considering selling it at some point soon.

Kenwood car stereo also gives you the most control over the way your music and stereo sound. Having optimal control means you are in complete control of your equalizer and frequency.

Moreover, the rear-view or backup camera and built-in GPS navigation will offer you incredible convenience and safety with better situational awareness.

Our Top 6 Best Kenwood Car Stereo Reviews

Here are our top 6 picks for Kenwood car stereos that might interest you. Have a look!

1. Kenwood KDC-MP378BT Single DIN Car Stereo Receiver

When it comes to single DIN car stereo, this model certainly takes a good lead in the market. It has almost the perfect mix of all the features you need in a car stereo.

Along with that, it includes a CD player with USB and AUX inputs. In addition, the MP378BT model is compatible with iPad and iPhone as well.

The construction of this stereo is made of high-quality materials. It has a 13-digit long LCD screen. Its detachable faceplate has multiple color illumination to match the car's interior if you want.

Moreover, it also features an equalizer with a built-in crossover that boosts the quality of sound. Discerning audiophiles have all embraced this feature.

And what’s more? Even with this single DIN stereo, you can control popular apps like Spotify and Pandora for streaming your favorite music. The hands-free call receiver could also come in handy most of the time.

With its Bluetooth connectivity, you can control this device like wireless remote control. You'll have no problem pairing it with your smartphone either.

However, there is a couple of issues with this stereo model. The first is that some might argue its menu is a tad complicated that requires some getting used to tuning the adjustments. And the detachable faceplate is, although easy to remove, a bit awkward to put back.

Highlighted Features

• Features a CD player
• Includes USB and AUX inputs
• Hands-free call feature
• Bluetooth connectivity from remote controlling
• Can stream from Spotify and Pandora

2. Kenwood KMR-M328BT Marine Digital Media Receiver

Another nice and easy unit from Kenwood is the KMR M328BT. It is also known as a marine digital media receiver. It is one of the latest single DIN stereos to make a hit in the market.

Easily replaceable, this unit will fit right into the place without any issues, unlike our previous model. It has an incredible sound quality and also looks quite cool.

M328 comes with a great Bluetooth connection, so you can control the stereo remotely from your smartphone with a remote app. This app will let you see and control the playlists and all the sound settings.

The marine digital media receiver also receives Pandora and Spotify playlists. However, it has specifically been constructed keeping iPhone and iPads in mind. So, playing Apple music with the iPhone is easy.

The Android fast charge also works well with any Android smartphone with a USB port. If your phone loses its charge in the middle of the highway, there’s nothing to worry about.

Another amazing feature is the Amazon Alexa on this receiver. Alexa has been built into the system for you to play whatever your heart wishes with your voice command. You can listen to audiobooks if you’re a bookworm, hear the latest news, and check the weather.

This item also gives you a real equalizer for ideal tuning improvements. Its changing luminous color is also a mood changer.

Last but not the least, the machine has been created water-resistant to avoid decay. So, you can use it on your boat as well.

Highlighted Features

• Waters resistant to avoid decay
• Unlimited tweaking capacity with rich band utilizer
• Changing LED lights
• Fast Android charging feature
• Apple Music, Pandora, and Spotify streaming
• Built-in Amazon Alexa feature

3. Kenwood DMX120BT Digital Multimedia Receiver

Listen to your favorite track with this latest Kenwood DMX120BT digital stereo. It is our first double-DIN item on the list. Double DIN means it has much more space for the display, and you can easily browse through all the functions in there.

The 6.8" WVGA display screen is touch-sensitive and can be used very easily. There are no lags in the touch sensitivity either.

If you’d like to listen to the radio, you can easily select the radio option on the display that connects the phone to the car radio via Bluetooth. Listening wirelessly hasn’t ever been smoother than this.

There is also a USB port for you to play from your USB memory. Installation of this unit is easy despite being a double-DIN. With its reasonable price, Bluetooth connectivity, radio, it is a good value for the money.

The sound quality of DMX120BT is pretty good when you increase the volume. It has a short chassis and 7 band equalizers.

Highlighted Features

• Control the stereo by just touching the display
• The car radio can stream music from a smartphone to a tablet
• Very easy installation without much complexity
• Car radio has 75mm recessed depth

4. Kenwood DDX26BT Car Stereo Receiver

If you want to upgrade your car audio to a touchscreen stereo, then this Kenwood DDX26BT car stereo could be your best bet. It is a great stereo with both CD/DVD player and a GPS. No wonder people have been calling it the best Kenwood car stereo among the latest models.

It will play your CD and DVD with high-res music files with built-in support for WAV, FLAC, WMA, and MP3 files. The sound quality is also top-notch as its treble and midrange notes are crystal clear with minimum distortion at high volume.

What’s interesting here is that this stereo lets you pair up to 5 devices at a time. This means you can stream music from anyone’s device. And speaking of streaming music, Spotify and Pandora stream here flawlessly as well. The system will pause music till your voice or video calling ends and auto-resume it.

You can connect both Android and iOS to the DDX26BT car stereo as the remote app works equally well on both. It also features a USB port to allow rapid charging to your Android smartphone.

You can add two cameras to this display stereo for front and back. Kenwood DDX26BT also has a built-in Garmin and HERE navigation software and map data – showing maps of the US, Mexico, Canada, and more. Its high-sensitivity GPS receiver gives you so many placement options as well.

Highlighted features

• Smooth touch on 6.2” display screen
• CD/DVD player with high-res music
• The pairing of up to 5 devices at a time
• Fast charging USB port for Android
• Built-in GPS navigation software and map data
• Can be connected to two cameras

5. Kenwood DPX504BT Car Stereo Receiver

This car stereo combines the user-friendliness of simple car stereos with modern voice-controlled innovations. It is the most versatile of most of the stereos on our list, as our Kenwood DPX504BT review will show you below.

For one, it features the Alexa app that you can use through the phone. Just pair your phone with the Kenwood stereo receiver and dictate to Alexa whatever you want to hear. With voice commands, you can listen to the radio, news, weather forecast, music, and many more.

When you pair multiple phones to this receiver, you can quickly switch between them for hands-free calling and add little fun to the playlist by picking your tunes.

Additionally, the AUX input for a portable music player is also included in this stereo. It also gives you all kinds of radio options and connects Pandora, Spotify, and even Sirius XM radio. Besides, this stereo can also pick up all the local AM and FM stations as well.

In terms of sound quality, there is no challenge. Kenwood DPX504BT features a dynamic 13-band graphic equalizer to ensure you're always enjoying to the fullest with the right tuning. There are also three pairs of RCA preamp outputs for additional amps in the system.

Highlighted Features

• CD/DVD player with AM/FM tuner
• Features voice controlling with Alexa app
• Can pair multiple smartphones simultaneously
• Android control through Bluetooth and Apple control through USB
• Features 13 band equalizer with 3-pairs of preamp outputs

6. Kenwood KDC-BT562U CD Car Stereo Receiver

Our last pick is the Kenwood KDC BT562U. We’ve again come back to another single DIN stereo receiver. However, it incorporates Bluetooth AptX for better sound quality from your smartphone. Unlike our previous single DIN stereos, it can also act hands-free.

Instead of a wired route, you can connect KDC-BT562U through the front panel USB as well. The stereo receiver handles all formats of files like WMA, MP3, AAC, WAV, etc.

The sensitive AM/FM radio player comes with a CD player, which shows a classic look. Besides, the radio features a SiriusXM satellite module which you can control and play as you like.

Pairing the stereo with the smartphone lets you use it hands-free. Simply touch the dedicated ‘phone’ button whenever you have an incoming call while the phone is paired with the stereo.

Kenwood provides an impressive sound amplification technology which you’ll notice if you’re an avid listener. The eight preset EQ setting and the 3-band equalizer lets you adjust tones for separate sources.

It also comes with three pairs of RCA preamp outputs. Finally, the multiple color adjustments are also interesting.

Highlighted Features

• Single DIN CD receiver with radio
• Button illumination with various colors
• Handsfree phone usage and wireless streaming
• Android music playback feature
• Pandora and iHeartRadio Internet radio control

Comparison Chart of  Kenwood Car Stereos

Things to Consider Before Buying Kenwood Car Stereo

Every car requires a unique combination of stereo components, and the Kenwood car stereo systems have all the combination components you need. Still, it can be helpful to know which features you must be looking for to custom-tailor frequencies to your car.

Installation

It plays a huge role since installing a car stereo is a fairly invasive process involving removal of the current stereo, wiring and powering, etc. Depending on the complexity of the stereo, the installation will cost you from $50 to even more than $200, which is a big sum of money.

Therefore, before buying your new stereo for the car, keep in mind the installation process as well.

Understanding DIN

You'll see this term being thrown around a lot while discussing car stereos a lot. DIN is simply the standard unit of measurement of the size of the radio chassis. Typically, a Kenwood car receiver comes in 'single DIN,' which is sized around 7x2 inches, and 'double DIN' sizes that have around 7x4 inches.

The single DIN models are found in older cars having traditional radios and CD or Cassette players. Modern double DIN players offer touch screen options due to their bigger measurements.

Compatibility

It is another big consideration to make since a stereo should be complementing the vehicle's factory features and not inhibit them. No matter whichever model you pick, make sure that it is equipped for the functionalities offered by your car.

There are features like steering wheel controls or CD/DVD players in head units you could look for if you’re interested. Besides, other audio modifications should be compatible as well.

Besides, the best Kenwood receiver will have a front, rear, and subwoofer with rearview camera inputs that are compatible with the display.

Power Ratings

Without the external amplifier which dictates the power ratings, the output becomes only the sound, nothing else. There are two types of power ratings: max power output and continuous power output.

The max power output is the maximum power that the stereo can emit in a short time. And continuous power output is the amount of power that is emitted at a constant rate.

Besides this, the control of this sound is also important, which is done with the help of a built-in equalizer. The higher the number of bands there is in the equalizer, the more you can customize the music frequency.

Display

Display plays a huge role in the Kenwood music system that gives you interactive and customizable features. This screen is found in double-DIN models offering compatibility with smartphones also.

Smart Device Integration

Almost all Kenwood sound system for car offers you the latest integration ability to connect with smart devices like your smartphone, iPad, and other devices via Bluetooth or AUX ports.

Integration with your smartphone means the Kenwood head units will allow you to answer calls hands-free, perform voice commands and even watch videos.

GPS

A great stereo will also pull navigation data from your smartphone, and some of them even have built-in GPS units. This results in better navigating performance and uses fewer data from your phone.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Are Kenwood radios good?

It has been over a decade and a half since Kenwood has been making car stereos. So, you can rest assured that each of their components is of the best quality.

2. Are my factory speakers good enough for a high-powered stereo?

Although most factory speakers work well with stereos, there might be some limitations. When you install a new stereo, crank it up with different volume settings; if the speakers give off distorted sound, then either change the speakers or avoid turning the sound up so high.

3. When do I know it’s time to buy a new stereo?

There are several signs that you get for changing the old stereo. For one, the radio starts to disfunction. You might also hear screeches on high volume or no sound at all. There might not be enough bass on high volume either.

4. Are car stereos easy to install?

Yes, of course! Even if you don’t have many mechanical skills, it won’t take you long to install an aftermarket stereo system. Most modern-day stereos adopt plug-in and play technology as well.

Final Words

At this point, you know Kenwood is synonymous with car stereos. Not only do they make the best stereos on the market, but they also have the latest functionality in mind.

That being said, we hope our short but extensive review about the best Kenwood car stereo has been informative and helpful to you. We hope you pick the perfect stereo that fits your budget, preference, and taste.