kenwood

Photos: Kenwood Excelon DDX8019

The Kenwood DDX8019 is yet another contender for your all-in-one in-car device dollar. The in-dash system plays CDs, DVDs (audio and video), MP3 discs, WMA discs, and USB audio sources out of the box. With add-on modules, it can be used to play satellite and HD radio and as a Bluetooth hands-free calling interface. Despite all this, however, its touch screen interface leaves something to be desired for playing media. Check our slide show and full review to see what we liked and what we didn't with this system.

Photos: Kenwood DPX302 car stereo

Here at CNET Car Tech, we never tire of banging on about the latest in-car audio technology. But what if you don't have the requisite $2,000 to fork over for a hard-drive-enabled in-car media player with a touch screen? Here is one solution that's cheap and cheerful, and will let you play MP3 discs and portable audio players in your car for less than $300. Check out our slide show for photos of the Kenwood DPX302.

Raise a toast to this 'Keg'

It may be called "Media Keg," but don't mistake this for another St. Paddy's Day accessory. (We already have that covered elsewhere.)

In fact, the name is all the more curious because this Kenwood media player is anything but keg-like, weighing only 2.8 ounces--making it "the world's smallest HDD-based MP3 player," according to the company. Despite its diminutive frame, Shiny Shiny says, the device houses a 10GB hard drive, sports a 1.5-inch screen and claims a battery life of up to 24 hours.

If all that is true, even at $399 … Read more

Speakers masquerade as fishing reels

These Kenwood satellite speakers are deceiving for a couple of reasons. One, they're made with natural charcoal; two, they look just like fishing reels.

Fareastgizmos, which says the charcoal minimizes distortion, breaks down the specs this way: "The 2-way speaker system with sealed 66mmBINCHO-TAN Plus PP Hybrid cone woofer and 20mmPEI balance dome tweeter with playback frequency 120Hz - 70kHz, 83dB impedance at 4Ω measures 110W?115H?122D and weighs 0.42kg (1) speaker."

Um, OK. All we know is that these KSC-SS10 speakers will be available next month in Japan for about $215. The rod is … Read more