Holiday Giveaway Sponsored by Mpowerd of Luci Solar Powered Lanterns

Stereowise Plus is having a Holiday Giveaway! It is sponsored by Mpowerd, who has provided a couple of their Luci solar powered lanterns to give away. These are awesome for camping! To enter, simply send an email to us at jeff@stereowiseplus.com stating why you deserve it and what you would use it for. Emails received will be entered into a drawing, and must be received by midnight MST 11/30/13. Winners will be notified by email. Good luck!

Mpowerd Luci Solar Lantern Review

With the movement to go green, solar power is one of the better ways to do so. And more and more ways are being employed to use solar panels. Enter Mpowerd with their Luci solar powered lantern. It is a unique design for a lantern, and uses solar panels to power it.

While the Luci lantern can be used in about any situation where you need a flashlight, I think it is best used for camping. It is a thin plastic inflated cylinder. It packs thin, with the soar panel, internal batteries and LED's contained in the top section. When you are ready to use, just simply inflate it.

The build quality is good. The cylinder is made of a basic clear plastic. The top piece, which is the solar panel, batteries, and LED's seemed well put together. It should last a long time. MSRP is only $15.00, so it is also a great value.

Product Specifications

• Charge time of 8 hours yields a minimum of 6-12 hours of light
• Luci charges under direct sunlight and even under incandescent light
• Maintains a single charge for 3 months
• Ten white Light Emitting Diodes (LED’s) with 4000 mcd light source
• Two brightness levels to conserve battery life
• Flashing-light setting for emergency situations
• Delivers up to 80 lumens providing 15 sq ft of light
• The rechargeable lithium polymer battery pack can be charged while collapsed or expanded
  • 300 - 500 cycle life
  • Over charge/discharge protection
  • Over current and short circuit protection
• Water Proof PVC enclosure
• Minimum lifespan of 2 years

The Luci lantern performed quite well. The LED's had 3 modes, and there was a small push button switch for low, high, blinking, and off. The LED's are fairly bright, and the cylinder design additionally works to diffuse the light. I also like the handle at the top. Attach it to the inside of your tent at the top, and it will light up the whole tent.

The Luci lantern is nothing short of awesome. I absolutely love it's design and it has forever found it's place as part of my essential backpacking gear, and is now used on all of my campouts. It folds flat, for easy storage, and take next to no space to store. There is no need to worry about having fresh batteries. And it is sufficiently bright. Best of all, at only $15, I can't think of a better gift idea. For more info and complete specs check out their website at www.mpowerd.com.

Polaroid PTA750 7" Kids Android Tablet Review

Computing has come a long way. They have gone from large desktops with limited power, to modern power desktops. They have also shrinked in size, to laptops to tablets. Tablets have also evolved. Not only are there tablets for adults, but we also have kid tablets. Up for review today is a kids tablet from Polaroid, their PTAB750 7" Tablet.

Features and specs:

Specs:

·    7" 800 x 480 display

·    Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich)

·    1GHz processor

·    512MB DDR3 RAM

·    8GB internal memory

·    SD card slot (expandable memory)

·    2.0MP rear camera

·    WiFi

·    Front mounted, amplified speaker

Kid-friendly features:

• Simple parental controls & safe web browser.
• Includes 10 Dr. Seuss and Smithsonian interactive books.
• Preloaded w/over 35 premium apps (full versions).
• Appshop for kids (safely download kid-safe content).
• Camera & music player specially designed for kids.
• Kid-safe video player (streams safe, pre-screened videos).
• Game Arcade (includes 16 games featuring Doodle Jump).
• Large buttons/rugged, child-friendly design.
• Integrated side & rear rubber bumpers.
• Display lock (disables the touch display & buttons).
• Includes tablet stand.

·    3500 mAh rechargeable internal battery

 

I was rather impressed with the quality of the Polaroid PTAB750. It came will protected in an attractive printed box with pictures and specs of the tablet.  The tablet itself was of good quality. The materials used were good as well as the fit and finish. I really liked the hard rubber case for the added protection. After all, young kids tend to be rather hard on their toys. So the PTAB750 should be able to take a bit of a beating. Included were the tablet, owner’s manual and charging cable.

I was happy to see that the tablet appeared to be well built. Now is the time to put it all to the test. As this is a kid’s tablet, I thought I would put it through the biggest test. So I handed it off to my kids. The plan was twofold. I wanted to see how it would hold up through continuous kids use. I also wanted to see how they liked it. My youngest two are 9 and 7 years old. So I figures they could do the job. I also have some older kids, 11, 14, and 16 who also had a chance to play with it.

Once it was handed over to the kids, it was an instant hit! While the older kids played with it, they beat the games rather easily. My 11 year old had a little more fun with it, but it was my 9 and 7 year olds who enjoyed it the most. When it was my 9 year olds turn, I had to pry it out of my 7 year olds hands. So it the younger aged kids who it is more designed for. Three year olds may struggle with it but 4-9 year olds appears to be where it is mostly designed for.

The tablet is quite easy to use. The large bezel holds the standard power, home, back and volume buttons, which are very well labeled. The bottom of the tablet is where the connections are for power cord, headphone jack, as well as SD memory card slot. A single speaker is on the top front and the camera is at the back.

The touch screen was nicely responsive, and had good color. The OS was a simple version of Android. Setting up the parental controls was easy and keeps the kids safe, and confined to age appropriate sites. The main screen has options of arcade, doodle jump, and free play, providing plenty of games for the kids. AS is normal with Android, swiping left or right takes you to other screens. Here the kids can access pictures, videos, music, books, apps, draw, learning games, and safe browser. The safe browser has a page with links to safe sites such as Disney, Nick and Barbie. Parents also have the ability to add additional safe site shortcuts to the page. The last page is the parental controls, safe mode and power. Through parental controls, parents can also manage the system settings, all apps and storage.

All in all, I was pleased with the performance of the Polaroid PTAB750 7" Kids Tablet. It is a simple tablet, yet perfect for young kids. And I was extremely pleased to see the parental controls work! Sound and display performance was also good, too. Based on its design, features, quality and performance, the Polaroid PTAB750 has earned our Recommended Award. It provides a good value and can be found for under $150.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.polaroid.com.

2013 Holiday Gadget Gift Guide

We are now in November, which means it is time for our annual Holiday Gadget Gift Guide. The gift guide is designed to give different gift ideas for the holidays. And it does so at a wide range of price points. Whether you are being frugal or very generous, we have some ideas for you.

Audiofly is based out of Australia, and make a great In-Ear-Monitor. This years gift guide includes their AF78m, which is a dual driver in a unique design. They feature a balanced armature tweeter, a dynamic driver woofer, and a $199 MSRP. The review is scheduled for the week ending 11/17/13.  www.audiofly.com.

Kingston makes great computer components such as memory kits and SSD drives. Now they are also doing wireless drives. These wireless drives provide additional memory to any device that has built-in Wi-Fi, and can use external devices such as cell phones and tablets. For devices like iPhones or iPads that do not have memory card slots for additional memory, these devices can make a huge difference. There are two different devices included by Kingston this year. The first one is their MobileLite Wireless. It has no build-in memory, but instead uses memory cards through its card slot, and has an MSRP of $59.99. The next one is their Wi-Drive and has no card slot, but instead uses 128 GB of internal memory, and has an MSRP of $179.99.  The MobileLite is scheduled for review the week of 12/1/13 and the Wi-Drive the week ending 12/22/13.  www.kingston.com.

Magellan makes great GPS receivers. And now they have upped the anti. Enter the SmartGPS. It is a smart GPS with an MSRP of $249.99. Now not only will it tell you how to get where you are going, it uses Wi-Fi to access an internet hot spot such as many cell phones. By doing so it turns into an internet device to go online. Now you can do things like check your email, facebook, local gas prices, etc. The review is scheduled the week ending 12/8/13.  www.magellangps.com.

Mind Candy has the popular Moshi Monsters, where you create a pet and play with other Moshi Monsters.  Just released is their new Moshi Monsters: Katsuma Unleashed, for the Nintendo DS and 3DS.  In this new game you get to save the world from Dr. Strangelove and his robot moshlings.  MSRP is $29.99 and it's review is scheduled for 12/22/13.  www.moshimonsters.com.

MPowered is a company that helps us to go green. Their Luci lantern is a great product that does just that. It is a small packable blow up lantern that uses efficient LED's and is solar powered. MSRP is only $15, and the review is scheduled the week ending 11/10/13.  www.mpowerd.com.

Not everyone wants a full surround sound system but want good sound. Or maybe they want to improve the sound in the bedroom. A soundbar is a great option for that, and their LS-B50 is the best one available. It is a traditional design soundbar, but also has a separate wireless subwoofer for the bottom end. MSRP is $699, and the review is scheduled for the week ending 11/24/13.  www.onkyousa.com.

For those looking for a surround sound receiver, the improvement in features never end. And that is true with their TX-NR626. Now you can get a 7 channel receiver with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and 4k video processor. With an MSRP of only $599, you get a LOT for your buck! The review is scheduled for the week ending 12/15/13.  www.onkyousa.com.

Otterbox makes great accessories and cases for cell phones and tablets. One is an accessory for the Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, and is part of their Utility Series.  It is called The Latch.  In a way it is an all in one positioner for using your Galaxy Tab 10.1.  It works as a hand strap, lanyard, shoulder strap, head rest attachment, leg strap, and angled stand.  It's MSRP is 49.99 and is scheduled for review the week ending. The review is scheduled for the week ending 12/1/13.  www.otterbox.com.

Tablets are continually improving, and they are not just for adults. Tablets have become a great entertainment device for kids. One such product is the Polaroid PTAB750 7" Kids Tablet. Running Android 4.0 young kids will really enjoy it, and can be found for under $150. It's review is scheduled for the week ending 11/10/13. www.polaroid.com.

Technology has also increased in outdoor products. Sigma makes amazing bike products such as cyclocomputers, and lights. The tradition continues in their Sigma Sport Speedster USB LED bike light and Sigma Stereo rear safety light. Not only does it provide bright light for you to see where you are going, the rear safety light helps others to see you. The Speedster has an MSRP of $84.99 and the Stereo has an MSRP of $29.99.  It's review is scheduled for the week ending 11/17/13.  www.sigmasport.com.

All subs are not created equal.  SVS makes some of the best available.  Not only do they play extremely deep, they play loud as well!  They are not for the faint of heart.  They provided their PC13-Ultra.  It is a cylinder design that is almost 4 feet tall and has an MSRP of $1,699. It's review is scheduled for the week ending 12/15/13.  www.svsound.com.

We hope this years gift guide has given you some good ideas for gifts for your loved ones.  Whether you are looking for something for a kids or adult, hopefully there is something for you.  We also included items for a wide price range.  All of the items in this years guide are great products.  Hopefully we helped, and happy shopping!

Kenwood Excelon XR-1800P 7" Component Speaker System by Jeff Merrill

There are different styles of car speakers. Some are coaxial, but for the best sound we turn to components.   Component speakers have the tweeter mounted separately from the midrange/midbass driver. They also come with a passive crossover network. Manufacturers will add their own twist on the design to improve the sound, and Kenwood has done the same with their Kenwood Excelon XR-1800P 7" Component Speaker System.

Features and specs:

Counter Drive Magnetic Circuit	-
Image Enhancer 4	-
Diamond Array Pattern Diaphragm	-
Woofer
-  Woofer Size	7 in (180mm)
-  Woofer Diaphragm	Advanced Hybrid Pulp
-  Surround	Rubber
-  Basket	Steel (Black)
-  Magnet	Ferrite
Mid-Range
-  Mid-Range Size	-
-  Mid-Range Diaphragm	-
Tweeter
-  Tweeter Size	13/16 in (20mm)
-  Tweeter Diaphragm	Soft Dome
Super Tweeter
-  Size	-
-  Diaphragm	-
Dimensions (without grill)
-  Width	6-15/16 in (176)
-  Height	6-15/16 in (176mm)
-  Depth	2-3/4 in (69.5mm)
-  Mounting Depth	2-7/16 in (62mm)
Warranty	2-Year
Nominal Impedance	4 Ω
Maximum Peak Power	330 W
Rated Input Power (RMS)	110 W
Sensitivity	86 dB/W at 1m
Frequency Response	57Hz - 20kHz
Crossover Frequency	-

 

The Kenwood Excelon XR-1800P component system came shipped in the standard attractive looking color printed box. It had pictures of the product along with its specs. Opening the box yielded a Styrofoam box. Taking off the top piece revealed that the two Styrofoam pieces were custom molded with grooves to hold the various components.  I could see that the various components were very well protected.

The material used in the construction was of good quality. The materials were mostly metal with some plastic. The tweeter appeared well put together, with good fit and finish. The midrange/midbass driver was also well put together, with good fit and finish. The basket was a standard stamped steel basket. It wasn’t fancy but was sufficient to secure the driver. I prefer the fancier spring loaded push style connector terminals, but the standard speaker wire terminals worked well enough. All of the other components, such as the spider, cone, and surround, seemed all well put together and solidly glued in place. The passive crossovers also had an excellent fit & finish.

Kenwood used some advanced technology in the design of the Excelon XR-1800P. Popular cone materials are paper, polypropelyne, and more exotics such as Kevlar. The goal usually is for a stiff cone. The stiffer the cone the better midbass , with a cleaner sound. The Kenwood Excelon XR-1800P uses a cone that consists of hemp, glass fiber, and paper. This gives a stiff cone. If a cone isn't sufficiently stiff, it will flex with the bass, and produce distortion.  The 7” cone is larger than most making it easier to flex when the wrong materials are used.  So a stiff cone is needed even more for that clean sound.  The wider tweeter also gave a wider frequency response for the tweeter. 

When it came to musical performance, the Excelon XR-1800P performed in amazingly. They do not have the flair in regards to looks like some manufactures provide.  And I will admit that I do like a beefy cast surround, and spring terminals.  But more than likely they will be hidden in a door, so the look of a cast surround is pointless. After all it is the sound that matters most, and that is where Kenwood put the R&D money in, and it paid off.

I threw a slew of my trusty tracks at it. Cymbals and percussion was very crisp and clean. Vocals were extremely natural sounding with very good timbre and texture. The design of the midbass driver worked. The stiff cone produced very good, clean midbass. It didn’t sound deeper than a midbass, since after all it is not a subwoofer. But it did have better than average output. I ended up going from track to track and got lost in the music. I had to remind myself to stay on task with my note taking. And I think that is one of the best complements I could give. The passive crossovers did an excellent job with dividing the signal. The imaging was right on, and they threw a nice big and deep soundstage. I loved the harmonics, and they proved to be very musical!

The Kenwood Excelon XR-1800P 7" Component Speaker System hit their mark. They provided a clean crisp sound in the highs, with natural and fairly smooth mids, and a nice midbass output. They provided great resolution and through a large soundstage and provided very good imaging as well. With a MSRP of $340, they are priced well for their performance. Based on their design, features, quality, and performance, they have earned our Highly Recommended Award. For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.kenwoodusa.com.

Kenwood Excelon DNN990HD Connected Navigation Entertainment Receiver Review

 

When it comes to the top of the line car stereo receivers, the bar continually gets raised. They have gotten more features, larger in size and better display and interface. The Kenwood Excelon DNN990HD Connected Navigation Entertainment Receiver is the epitome of this. Not only is it loaded with features, but it has raised the bar again for others to follow, now with Wi-Fi enabled.

Features and specs:

Navigation
-  3D Landmarks	Yes
-  Lane Assist	Yes
-  Junction Guide	Yes
-  EcoRoute	Yes
-  Navteq Traffic Services	Built-In
-  Voice Guidance	Yes
-  Text to Speech	Yes
-  Points of Interest	Over 6 Million
-  Programmable Waypoints	500
-  Graphical Resolution	WVGA
-  Navigation Firmware Updates	by USB
-  Map Updates	by SD Card
Screen
-  Size	6.95" WVGA
-  Resolution	1,152,000 Pixels
-  Touch Panel	Yes
-  Mechanism	Reverse Tilt
-  Variable Color Illumination	Display/Key Illumination (256 Colors)
-  Dynamic Luminance Control	-
-  Slide Touch	Yes
-  Multi-Lingual Display	16
-  Picture-In-Picture	Yes
-  Display Skins	x 3
-  Customizable Favorite Sources	x 3
-  Customizable Background	by USB
Bluetooth
-  Powered By Parrot	Yes
-  Hands-Free Support	Built-in
-  Auto Phonebook Download	Yes
-  Siri Eyes Free	Yes
-  Voice Dialing	Yes (Compatible Phones Only)
-  A2DP	Yes
-  AVRCP	Yes
-  Pandora Link Support	Yes (For Compatible BlackBerry/Android Devices)
-  Bluetooth Firmware Updates	by USB
iPhone/iPod
-  Made For iPhone	Yes (Requires KCA-iP202)
-  Made for iPod	Yes (Requires KCA-iP202)
-  Audio/Video Playback	Yes (Requires KCA-iP202 with iPhone 4 or 4S)
-  Album Art Search	Yes (Requires KCA-iP202)
-  Alphabet Search	Yes (Requires KCA-iP202)
-  Pandora App Control	Yes (Requires iPhone with Pandora App)
-  App Mode	Yes (Requires Compatible iPhone/iPod App)
-  Twin iPod Control	-
-  iPod Control by Hand	Yes
Aha Radio	-
-  Aha Radio for iPhone	-
-  Aha Radio for Android	-
HD Radio	Built-In
-  Digital and Analog FM Tuner	Yes (USA only)
-  Digital and Analog AM Tuner	Yes (USA only)
-  iTunes Tagging	Yes (USA only)
-  Album Cover Artwork	Yes (USA only)
-  Song And Title Information	Yes (USA only)
USB	Dual Rear USB Inputs
-  Audio Formats	MP3/WMA/AAC/WAV
-  Mass Storage Class	Yes (FAT16/FAT32)
-  USB Video File - MPEG	MPEG 1, 2 & 4
-  USB Video File - Other	H.264 & WMV
DVD
-  Dolby Digital/DTS Decoding	2.0
-  DIVX Decoding	Yes
-  Disc Type (DVD)	DVD-Video/±R/RW
-  Disc Type (VCD)	Yes
-  Disc Type (CD)	CDDA/ROM/-R/RW
Audio
-  Advanced Speech Recognition	Yes
-  2-Zone	Yes
-  Digital Time Alignment	Yes
-  EQ System	13-Band
-  Crossover System	High Pass & Low Pass Filters
-  Preouts	x3 (F/R/SW) @ 5V
-  Preout Level(V)	5.0 Volts
-  Audio Firmware Updates	by USB
-  D/A Converter	24 Bit
-  Full Bandwidth Power	22Wx4
Audio/Video Inputs/Outputs
-  USB Inputs	x 2 (Rear)
-  Rear Camera Input	x 2 (Front and Rear)
-  Rear View Camera Touch Control	Yes (CMOS-310/300)
-  A/V Inputs	x 2
-  A/V Outputs	x 1
-  External Relay Switches	x 2
Optional Accessories
-  ecoRoute HD	-
-  Steering Wheel Control Interface	Optional
-  Remote Control	Included
-  iPhone/iPod Cable	KCA-iP202
-  iDatalink	-
-  SiriusXM	Requires Optional SXV200 Tuner
-  Sirius Satellite	-
-  Reverse Camera	CMOS-310/210
-  Bluetooth Hands-Free	-
-  iDatalink Maestro Compatible	Yes (Requires Optional ADS Maestro RR Module and cables)
Warranty	2-Year

 

 The Kenwood Excelon Connected Navigation Entertainment Receiver DNN990HD came shipped in the standard Kenwood styling color printed box, with pictures of the deck and its specs and features. Opening the box revealed a deck well protected in custom molded Styrofoam. Also included was the quick start manual, wiring harnesses, connection cables, bezels that would be used depending on your vehicle, and remote control.  Quality of materials used was very good, as was the build quality. Fit and finish was also very good. The Kenwood Excelon DNN990HD is their flagship model, and it shows!

Be prepared when you open the manuals.  Manuals not included but are available online are the Navigation, Owner's Manual, and Voice Commands.  With ALL of the features to cover, they are almost a book.  Some of them, like the 87 page Owner's Manual, could be a tad intimidating due to the size of it, but just read it.  You'll need it to get the most out of the receiver, such as to learn many of the advanced features like voice control and the Wi-Fi capabilities.

As a Kenwood user for almost 2 decades, I have seen the increase of features. And I am glad to see the choice to include many of these features as "core" features, for lack of a better term. They include features that have been carried over for years such as the system Q, crossovers, and 13 band equalizer, 24bit D/A convertor, and 5 volt outs, just to name a few, for the best in sound quality for those of you audiophiles.

As listed in the features and specs, the Kenwood Excelon Connected Navigation Entertainment Receiver 990HD has it all. Not only does it have the standard AM/FM tuner, it also does HD Radio. The transport does DVDs as well as CDs. Although with its increase in popularity, I am hoping that they will soon add blu-ray playback and HD screen to its list of features. Also included is built-in navigation with voice prompts. The interface also allowed split screen, so you can have both GPS and stereo controls up at the same time. Voice control is helpful in doing some control over the navigation.  Additionally included is dual zone functionality.

The new feature this year is the Wi-Fi functionality. Now you can access Wi-Fi to be able to check Facebook, tweets, as well as email. Being able to do all this from the dash of your car is really cool. You can even check your local weather, and surf online! The user interface is also more improved and fluid, and looks and flows great.

Through its embedded Wi-Fi ability, all you need to do is connect it to a hot spot, such as your cell phone. Once connected, you can access Facebook, Tweeter, your favorite RSS news feeds, email, and internet services sites like iHeart radio, Aupeo!, and YouTube.  A browser for just surfing online is included. There is even a calendar, so you can check your daily or weekly calendar items. It can access DropBox, so all of your video and audio content that you store online can also be viewed. Kenwood alloys up to 2Gb of free online storage for your content that you can have access to.  The 990HD does so much!

The navigation features are also loaded using Garmin’s top of the line interface. Using the combination of online content with the navigation capabilities, you can check for local restaurants, gas stations with their prices for the cheapest place close to you. You can even search for movie theaters, movies and show times. You can set up travel routes, check traffic, take photos, and track all of this online. You can even make custom routes online at home, and then access it in the car.

Just in case your head isn’t spinning yet with all of its functionality, there is also an optional accessory iDatalink Maestro for OBDII interface for newer cars. With this, you can access vehicle info on screen, such as your miles per gallon, voltage, rpm, and coolant temperature. You can even view climate control info and controls on screen. Vehicle info for diagnostics can also be viewed on screen, such as tire air pressure and engine codes when your check engine light comes on.

Anything you are used to having in your car stereo, the Kenwood Excelon DNN990HD has you covered. Nothing you are used to having, is missed. Not only a regular tuner, it has an HD Radio tuner. It has your satellite radio (with optional accessory). It plays your CD’s and can watch your DVD’s. It has inputs for your iPod, mp3 player, or USB flash drive, as well as a SD card reader. It has multiple video source inputs. It even has an A/V output. Dual Zone? You’re covered there too. The built-in GPS Navigation helps get you where you need to go. And the voice control provides safe hands free controls. The Kenwood DNN990HD does have it all, except for the kitchen sink.

Not only does it have it all, it is built well too. The layout works very well. I like the use of buttons. In the past they have used touch buttons under the screen. I prefer the use of standard buttons, and they work well on the DNN990HD. This all sounds good, but the question now is can it all come together and perform well?

Using the Kenwood Excelon DNN990HD was simple enough.  There are the initial set ups for the system, such as language, iPod connection, any AV inputs, etc.  Then there is the audio setup section where you will set up the internal crossover points (if you will be using them), your speaker sizes, digital time alignment, graphic equalizer settings, etc.  You will also want to program in your favorite radio channels.  And do not forget to go online and set up your account with Kenwood.  This is where you can store any media files thru Dropbox on Kenwood's media servers, and you can customize your travel routes here as well. 

The user interface is sexy!  While it is similar to what has been used in the past, such as using the swipe motion, it has improved.  The resolution of the icons, the colors.....it is just more refined looking.  And the use of the multiple pages works well, such as the multiple online sources.  You can switch from news feeds to calendar, email, Facebook, etc.  And you can also swipe to the different pages for source options, whether it be disc, HD Radio, YouTube, Phone, Pandora, or iPod, just to name a few.  The speech to text takes a little getting used to, but it works.

The DNN990HD was a great performer.  The tuner was about on par with other receivers.  Living in a more rural area, I was able to put it to the test.  Some stations it struggled with, but that is common.  HD Radio had a better sound than regular radio, as expected.

The CD/DVD transport also worked flawlessly.  There were no playback issues with either disc type.  Play, pause, fast forward, rewind, and track searching worked well.  Video playback was great.  The screen colors were vibrant with good resolution, although were not HD. 

 

The built-in amp worked great as well.  Sound quality of the built-in amp was good and got my coaxials bumping with good bass output for their size, that was clean.  I don't expect a lot from built-in amps, but they did their job well.

The built-in Garmin based navigation was also stellar.  I loved the 3D image view and lane assist.  The traffic option and plethora of points of interests was also handy, as was the text to speech and speech to text.  Not once did it get me lost, which is probably the best compliment for a GPS.  Being able to search for the cheapest local gas station is helpful.  And I thought it was really cool the way you can go online and create and track your routes.

Using the Wi-Fi functions also worked fantastically.  Once you are connected to Wi-Fi, you get weather, web browser, YouTube, online radio such as iHeart radio and Aupeo! radio, as well as news feeds, your email, Facebook, and Twitter.  It proved rather easy to use Facebook, emails, and watching YouTube videos, Google searches, or anything I tried.  I really liked the 80's channel in Aupeo!  Sound quality was good, but not as good as HD Radio.  But it is still another music option.

Kenwood has really hit this one out of the park in terms of usability, and options for you to enjoy as much different kinds of content as possible.  CD, DVD, SD cards, iPod, multiple usb devices, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, they are all there.  They even provided an AV output!  Why an AV output you may ask?  It is just another option for you to enjoy.  But for you football fans, imagine this:  run a line connected to the AV output to the back of your vehicle, and hook it up to a large TV.  Set up some lounge chairs for you and your buddies, and you are ready for the ultimate tailgating for the football season.  Kenwood lets you do it all!

The Kenwood DNN990HD really does have everything......except the kitchen sink.  It has everything you can think of that you need, as well as items you do not know you need but will wonder how you ever got along without.  All of this is done in a package that looks amazing and performs in spades.  Kudos to Kenwood for just raising the bar......again!  Based on its design, features, quality, and performance, the Kenwood DNN990HD has earned our Editor's Choice Award.  For more info and complete specs, check out their website at www.kenwoodusa.com.

Reference gear used: Kenwood Excelon DNN990HD Connected Navigation Entertainment Receiver, JL XD 600/6 Six Channel Class D Amplifier, Vibe Audio Stereo 4 Four Channel Class GH Amplifier, Vibe Audio Black Death Mono Class GH Subwoofer Amp, AudioControl  DQXS Electronic 6 Channel Active Crossover and Equalizer, Kicker Front Row Digital Signal Processor, German Maestro MS654010 3-Way Active Speaker System, Alpine SPX13-Pro Type-X 5.25" 2-Way Component Speaker System.  Massive Audio dual 8" DVC subwoofers.