Kenwood KDC-HD262U CD Receiver with Built-in HD Radio

This is the most powerful head unit available without spending way more money. Every other head unit I checked out (Sony, Alpine, Pioneer, etc.) was rated at 14 watts RMS; Kenwood's is rated at 22 watts RMS, over 50% more power! JVC's units are also rated at 22 watts RMS, but their HD units are more expensive. I am pushing two JBL Power Series 662's and a pair of Infinity Reference (all 6 1/4" two ways) and the sound is great. Most people will tell you that in order to get any real bass with these speakers you need an amp. Wrong! The key to getting the most sound for your buck is two fold; apply a fair amount of clean power into speakers that are extremely efficient. In this case, both the JBL's and Infinit's are rated at 93 decibels S/N, which means that they are capable of turning smaller amounts of clean power (input) into more volume (output), something very noticeable within the small confines of a car. I also like the fact that this radio has a C/D player, aux inputs, usb input, Pandora, IHeart, 18 HD FM and 6 HD AM presets, along with a tremendous amount of sound adjustments to insure perfect acoustics. They even thought to add a separate set of sound adjustments for a sub-woofer should you get one at a later date. When you add in the fact that you can set the color of the dash display to match factory settings, or you can just let it change colors at random, as well as set your CD, mp3, or usb music to shuffle randomly, this is one impressive unit. The only complaint I have read is that the clock display is too small. Really? I bought it for the sound, so the clock display is a non-factor for me. Check this unit out and you will be pleasantly surprised. Just remember to match it up with efficient speakers and enjoy the ride! Read more

I am thrilled with the quality of this item!! Installed it myself into a 1988 Ford Ranger. The installation went smoothly, due in no small part to the added purchase of a Metra Installation kit and the Scoshe Wiring harness. I have yet to explore all the features of this radio, but can say the HD radio feature makes this unit a great choice. Take a moment to read the instructions and you'll be as happy as I am. Read more

Great unit! Works perfect with our iPhone and iPad through the USB. We got it to play iPad movies through the stereo in the car for our kids on road trips. Great sound quality with lots of EQ options for getting it to sound right. Wiring went fast and easy. Totally worth getting the wright wiring harness that matches your car, (got mine also from Amazon for about $6) Read more

Old School stereo dude says: Nice Piece! I haven't purchased a new radio in several years and my goodness, technological advancements make for one powerful entry level model, at an unheard of cost! = BARGAIN!! Just a few years back, many of the features this radio has integrated into it (HD Radio, HPF LPF, Pre outs, etc) were only found on top of the line Kenwood Excelon units and cost some 5 times more than this unit does! How do I know? I owned several of those radios! On top of that, the older radios weren't as intuitive and well laid out controls-wise as this unit for example. Microelectronics has culminated in the birth of the cell phone, and many other cool devices. I just had forgotten how much mobile entertainment is advancing in a great way as well. I installed the unit and am very please with the sound, features and ergonomics. Bravo to KENWOOD!! Read more

Stereo works fine, but memory will not hold. I have tried multiple wiring setups, tried wiring the live elsewhere, no matter what, the memory does not stay. It works fine besides that but that is a huge issue. I thought it may have been an error on my end but after having 3 separate people who regularly deal with stereos look at it too no avail, I realized the stereo is to blame. I also have tried multiple wiring harnesses. No luck. Read more

Very nice, and as I was about to remove the harness from my dead JVC I looked again at the one that came with this one and found it was plug and play! Very happy with the unit's performance but in an 18 wheeler I might invest in an amp and sub to enhance the experience further. Love the deep purple choice for display but note it has a couple dozen preset colors and looks like a custom RGB selector for any other, or dimmer version. Was expecting display text to be inscrutable but all appears quite visible to me. Read more

. I noticed the heading didn't say stereo. CD comes out in stereo and MP 3 does too. I connected the wires which is color coded. Amazon sells the correct plug in for your vehicle . The unit doesn't really need a subwoofer but if you have bigger speakers you might. I own a 93 Camry which has small speakers up front and 6/9 in the rear. The sound is rich and full. The different colors to choose for the display are great The time display is small but that doesn't bother me. Easy instructions to understand. I'm really impressed by Kenwood. I've had other makes but I'm sticking to this brand. Read more

Good enough to replace a dead stock unit, and HD tuner to boot, not the best digital connection with low signal, just sits there waiting for data sinc. Just wish the volume knob didn't trigger the sub menus with a glancing touch. Consider it a hazard while driving. Sounds good, needs additional software installed for android with exigent permissions, will NOT work with usb-debug enabled on your phone, seems there may be some possible exploitable software accessible via that port. Firmware revision, possibility as a vector either direction. Read more