Why should you replace your factory radio?

Your favorite music just doesn't sound right on a factory-fit CD player. The high notes don't sparkle, the bass doesn't kick - everything seems to be stuck in that muddy midrange. And it's nearly impossible to achieve the volume you need to overcome road noise without causing the speakers to distort. With all the time you spend in your car, that just won't do. 

When you treat yourself to a Kenwood car stereo, you'll rediscover everything you love about your favorite discs. Music makes a difference to driving  - and today's in-dash CD receivers are better equipped than ever to help you enjoy it. In every price range, you'll find more of the quality, features and power you're looking for. 

How can you find the receiver with the features and specs you want? 

When it comes to features and performance, today's CD receivers don't bear much resemblance to the cassette players your parents owned. For that matter, they're not even much like the deck you owned in your first car a few years ago! So how do you know which CD receiver is right for you? 

First, you'll want to make sure you pick a unit that fits perfectly in your dash.  All the head units we supply are 'DIN standard' size (ie a front panel of 52mm x 179mm wide).  The vast majority of vehicles have this size of opening in their dashboards.  For the few cars that have a larger sized opening (eg late model Ford Fiestas) you will need an easily obtainable fascia plate to reduce the opening to the standard DIN size whilst still matching the original dashboard.

Next, you might like to consider the colour of your existing dashboard illumination.  Is it an unremarkable standard sort of colour, or a distinctive blue like you get in modern VW and Audis? We have a unit to suit all types.  Even if your car is a hard to match shade of red like some BMWs, or you just fancy the colour changing according to the time of day, consider a 'multi-colour display' that gives you 71 shades of colour that will exactly match any colour you can ask of it.

Once you know our units will suit your dashboard, you're ready to have some fun surfing all the features found on the CD receivers we offer. Browse through our individual products or take a glance at our 'Key Features Glossary'.

How can you protect your investment?

You'll probably notice that most of our CD players offer a detachable face as a form of anti-theft protection. This is a great feature! It works like this: when you park the car, just remove the faceplate with all the controls and take it with you.

CDs or more CDs? That is the question

Decisions, decisions. Do you prefer a single CD in your dash or 6, or 10 CDs in your boot? We're always happy to spend the time it takes to make sure you get exactly what you want. But the good news is that you don't have to choose between an indash CD player and a multi-disc changer. Today's changer controlling receivers give you the option of enjoying long-playing CD sound as well as in-dash convenience.

You'll also discover that some changer / controller combinations offer you special programming features. For example, you may be able to specify exactly which tracks will play on each CD, or assign each disc a name that will appear on your receiver's display whenever that CD is loaded.

Will higher power give you better sound, or just louder sound?

Four channels of high power is one of the keys to great sound. CD receivers with four channel amplifiers for front and rear speakers give you cleaner sound at all volume levels. This is a must if you want to experience the entire range of detail and dynamics your music has to offer. Remember, more power isn't simply about making the sound louder - it's about giving it more depth and presence.