Sunday, August 21, 2022

Kenwood eXcelon DPX795BH Dual Din Sized CD Receiver with Bluetooth & HD Radio Review

When I’m driving in my truck, music is not an option. I have to have my tunes. Car receivers have gotten pretty fancy, with their HD displays. But for some, those HD displays may not be in your budget. Or, maybe, it just isn’t your cup of tea. Whatever your reason, Kenwood still has a receiver for you. Up for review is their Kenwood eXcelon DPX795BH. It’s a more basic receiver, but still has excellent features.  MSRP is a budget friendly $259.

 

Features and specs:

 

Music Mix

Up to 5 Bluetooth® devices can be paired to the receiver at the same time. You can enjoy audio streaming just by switching the devices with your friends or family.

 

Dual Phone Connection

While you are connected through Bluetooth, with a touch of a button you can switch between two phones.

 

Remote App

A smartphone application can control most basic functions of the receiver over the Bluetooth connection of the paired phone (iPhone or Android).

 

Graphic EQ / Digital Time Alignment

13-Band equalizer and DTA gives optimal tuning enhancements for listeners.

 

Drive EQ

Boosts specific frequencies in the audio signal to overcome the negative impact of road noise.

 

DUAL USB

Multiple USB ports provide additional inputs for music sources or smartphone battery charging.

 

Variable Color Illumination

Bright variable color LEDs can be adjusted to match any

color dash lighting.

200mm ESCUTCHEON Included

A 200mm escutcheon is included to help make the fit seamless in many of the latest model Japanese and other select cars.

 

420 Segment 3 Line Text Display

Amazon Alexa Ready

Built-in HD Radio Tuner

Dual USB

13Band EQ & Digital Time Alignment

Variable Color Illumination

200mm Escutcheon Panel Included

3 Preouts 5.0V

 



The Kenwood eXcelon DPX795BH came in a great looking color printed box with photos and specs of the receiver. Opening the box revealed a well-protected deck, held in place by custom Styrofoam. Materials used in the construction was mostly metal, with plastic on the face. Quality of materials used, as well as fit and finish, was very good. Also included was the wiring harness, wired microphone, as well as keys and manual.

 





I like the design of the receiver. The 3-line display is easy to read. The buttons are large and well laid out, with a rotary knob front and center. There’s also a front USB and auxiliary ports. And while it has a button for Alexa, Alexa is voice activated as well! Switching between two connected cell phones is also easy. Your family can also enjoy their own music as well, as you can connect up to 5 Bluetooth devices at the same time. I also can’t forget it being SiriusXM ready.

 

While the Kenwood eXcelon DPX795BH has all of the functionality to enjoy your music from several different sources, it also has the features you need to make your music sound it’s best. It’s internal MOSFETS provide 50 watts to your speakers, and its built-in crossovers make sure your speakers get the right frequencies that they can handle. There’s even a 13 band EQ, Drive EQ, and time alignment. And if you want more power to your speakers, there’s RCA outputs for front, rear and subs with a full 5-volt output. Now let’s see how it sounds.

 


The Demo mode is fun, with the LED’s changing colors to give you an idea of how it can look.  The owner’s manual is well written and easy to follow.  The 3-line text display is also sufficient to follow what you are doing, and provide instructions for set-up. Just a heads up…the large rotary knob in the middle that rotates, also acts as a button.  Pairing my LG V40 smartphone for Bluetooth Audio was very simple.  My HD tunes from my Amazon Music service sounded great!  And the internal amps thanks to their MOSFETS provided good power.  Highs were crips and clean, mids were warm and smooth, and bass had nice depth with good punch. The internal tuner for HD Radio also worked sufficiently well.  And if you like to use Alexa, you are in for a treat.  The included microphone works great for hands free calls.  But it also helps to control your tunes. Thanks to the available app, you can use Alexa to control volume, go back and forth thru tracks, and even ask questions and have it read you the news.

 

The Kenwood eXcelon DPX795BH was a bit of fresh air.  While the 3-line text display design was an obvious cost cutter, you still get all of the modern functionality.  Features such as HD Radio, Bluetooth Audio,  and Alexa, are all found onboard.  The front Aux input and dual front and rear USB inputs also gives usability with multiple devices. And all of this functionality comes at a bargain price point that does not break the bank.

 

The Kenwood eXcelon DPX795BH provides a huge amount of functionality, at a bargain price point. It has all the features needed for your music to sound good. With the Music Mix feature, your family and friends’ music will sound just as good. And thanks to its eXcelon build quality, it will last you for years. It’s bang for the buck is huge. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Kenwood eXcelon DPX795BH has earned our Value Award. It you’re in the market for a budget double-din receiver, it should be on your short list. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.kenwood.com.  Reference gear: AudioControl DM-810, AudioControl In-Dash Epicenter, JL Audio XD600/6 Class D amp, Vibe Audio LiteBox Stereo4 CLass GH amp, Massive Audio Nano BLU BL1 Class D amp, German Maestro M-Line 3-way components, Alpine Type-X 2-way components, Image Dynamics subs. 



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Saturday, August 6, 2022

New Product Alert... AudioControl ACX-BT3

Bluetooth Controller/Receiver

The ACX-BT3 is an all-weather Bluetooth® receiver and 3-zone controller designed for the rigors of marine and powersports applications.


Beyond an ordinary Bluetooth® receiver, the ACX-BT3 features three stereo RCA outputs and is a zone controller, providing quick access to volume control over 3 separate zones at the touch of a button. With the added flexibility of an auxiliary input, the ACX-BT3 is the perfect solution as a primary or secondary source for any audio system. aptX™ HD support coupled with robust 4 Vrms outputs provides the best possible audio quality.


Integrated mounting holes allow for easy custom installation to a dashboard, or another flat panel in a car, side-by-side, boat, or vehicle of your choice. And the all-weather ACX-BT3 is IPX6 rated against splashes, wind, and spray, ensuring your music will play wherever your next adventure takes you.


IN THE ZONE


With a simple tap of a button, the button LEDs change color to indicate which zone you are controlling


Main Zone

Zone 1

Zone 2

Zone 3

Auxiliary Input

Key Features


  • High Definition Low-Latency Audio Streaming
  •  HD Support
  • 24 bit / 48 kHz Audio Streaming from Devices with aptX™ Codec
  • IPX6 rated enclosure
  • Built in fuse


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Monday, August 1, 2022

HYPER Launches World’s First Thunderbolt™ 4 Power Hub with Integrated 100W GaN Power Supply on Kickstarter

HYPER Launches World’s First Thunderbolt™ 4 Power Hub with Integrated 100W GaN Power Supply on Kickstarter 

HyperDrive Thunderbolt™ 4 Power Hub - Only on Kickstarter

Turn one Thunderbolt 4 port into three downstream ports and enjoy a cleaner workspace with increased portability and no bulky power brick. 

AUGUST 1, 2022 - FREMONT, CA - Today, HYPER, the #1 Docking Station Brand in the USA¹, announced the launch of their latest Kickstarter Crowdfunding Campaign for the HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub. This is the World’s first Thunderbolt 4 Hub with an integrated GaN (Gallium Nitride) power source. 

Up to now, Thunderbolt™ 4 Hubs included a large external power brick often larger than the hub itself. They were bulky, heavy, and cluttered workspaces. By integrating the latest GaN technology into HyperDrive, Hyper has eliminated the large power brick and come up with a single hub and charger device for improved portability and a cleaner workspace aesthetic. 

Daniel Chin, President of HYPER said, “Thunderbolt 4 Hubs are sleek devices that can expand Thunderbolt connectivity but need to be powered by bulky AC adapters even larger than the hub itself. By using the latest GaN technology, we can miniaturize the power supply and integrate it into a single device, the HyperDrive Power Hub, making it much portable and easier for users to connect and power their Thunderbolt devices.” 

HyperDrive provides three Thunderbolt™ 4 downstream ports that enable 40Gbps total bandwidth delivering up to 32Gbps PCle data transfers, and dual 4K 60Hz or single 8K 30Hz display connectivity. Additionally, HyperDrive Power Hub provides host computer charging of up to 96W and 15W of power for powering accessories like high performance storage or charging accessories like phones or tablets. 

“It is great to see Hyper deliver a high-performance Thunderbolt™ 4 solution in a sleek and portable design. This integrated Thunderbolt 4 hub and charging design is truly innovative,” said Jason Ziller, General Manager of Intel’s Client Connectivity Division. “With Thunderbolt 4 which has been recognized as a CES 2022 Innovation Award Honoree2, this hub provides a truly universal cable connectivity experience wherever users go.” 

HyperDrive will retail for $299.99 and is launching via a Kickstarter campaign which starts today (Monday August 1, 2022, at 8am PST) and ends on September 1, 2022. Kickstarter Early Bird Backers can get HyperDrive for up to 50% off MSRP!

HyperDrive Thunderbolt 4 Power Hub

HyperDrive Thunderbolt™ 4 Power Hub Key Features: 

  • Four Thunderbolt 4 Ports. One Thunderbolt 4 upstream port for connecting to and charging Thunderbolt based host computers and three Thunderbolt 4 downstream ports provide up to 40Gbps total bandwidth, 32Gbps PCIe data transfer for better storage performance, dual 4K/60Hz video, and 15W of power for accessories. 
  • No External Power Brick. Integrated ACF GaN technology provides a more portable solution that creates a cleaner setup with no bulky power brick and improves power efficiency to over 93% for a longer product lifespan. 
  • Better Graphics Performance. 32Gbps PCIe data transfer provides 2X better storage performance or graphics performance from Thunderbolt enabled eGPUs. 
  • 8K 30Hz Single Or 4K 60Hz Dual Display Support. Connect to one display with up to 8K 30Hz video or connect to two displays with 4K 60Hz video.  
  • Daisy Chain It. Thunderbolt laptop users can daisy chain additional Thunderbolt devices to the hub. 
  • 96W Passthrough Charging. One Thunderbolt upstream port provides 96W Power Delivery PD passthrough charging. 
  • Ports: Thunderbolt 4 Upstream x 1 (40 Gbps, DP Alt Mode, PD 96W Passthrough Charging), Thunderbolt 4 Downstream x 3 (40 Gbps, DP Alt Mode, PD 15W), AC IN 
  • Dimensions: 124.5 x 124.5 x 30.5mm / 4.9” x 4.9” x 1.2” 
  • Weight: 580g / 20.45oz / 1.27lb 
  • Pricing & Availability: Kickstarter Early Bird Backers can get it now for 50% off MSRP of $299.99. 

About HYPER 

Celebrating its 17th year in business, HYPER is a dynamic team headquartered in Silicon Valley, California. We specialize in delivering award-winning, cutting-edge IT and mobile accessories with a focus on Apple, portable power & connectivity products. 

HYPER is guided by its promise of GET MORE™. Delivering more ports, more power, and more connectivity, which in turn delivers more quality time with family and friends, more experiences, and more memories to every HYPER customer around the world.

  

About Thunderbolt™ 4 

 Thunderbolt™ 4 is the latest generation of Intel’s universal cable connectivity solution for video, data and power over USB Type-C. It delivers increased minimum performance requirements, expanded capabilities and USB4 specification compliance—and is compatible with Thunderbolt 3 as well as billions of USB 3 PCs and accessories already available. To learn more about Thunderbolt 4 and how it is different from other USB-C connections, visit http://intel.com/thunderbolt  

© Thunderbolt™ and the Thunderbolt™ logo and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others. 

¹The NPD Group/Retail Tracking Service, U.S., Annual 2021. 

2The CES Innovation Awards are based upon descriptive materials submitted to the judges. CTA did not verify the accuracy of any submission or of any claims made and did not test the item to which the award was given.


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