Smartphone connectivity, high-resolution audio, and OEM integration play starring roles in Kenwood’s 2016 car audio lineup, but the company is also entering the car ADAS (advanced driver assistance system) market and stepping up the capabilities of its marine/power-sports products.
Kenwood’s DVR-410 ADAS device combines a dash cam with lane-departure and collision-avoidance sensors. It features GPS, LCD screen, and 1080p recording. It records on impact even when the car is parked.
In marine/power-sports products, the company is adding the KAC-M8005 five -channel amplifier to expand its amp selection to five SKUs. The new model is rated at 4×75 watts into 2 ohms plus 1×500 watts at 2 ohms. A conformal coated circuit board and closed-chassis design to withstand the elements.
Also new are three single-DIN receivers in the marine/sports line, maintaining Kenwood’s current SKU count but with a higher level of performance and features, the company said.
The top model is the KMR-D765BT, which offers dual USB inputs, NFC, aptX over Bluetooth, an enclosed CD door, and 4-volt preouts. All feature Bluetooth, 13-bandEQ, 48kHz/16-bit FLAC playback, and Android Rapid Charge. All offer three sets of pre-outs and are SiriusXM Ready.
The KMR-M315BT features a short chassis for ease of installation in tight areas.
Pricing and ship dates were unavailable.
Highlights in car audio include the expansion of head units with combined Apple CarPlay/Android Auto to four SKUs from two, and the number of heads with CarPlay but without Android Auto goes to four from two.
The number of head units with HDMI/MHL connections goes to seven from nine. These heads mirror the display of iPhones and MHL- and HDMI-enabled Android smartphone on the heads’ touchscreens, which control all Android apps running on most Android smartphones. The touchscreens won’t control most iPhone apps except for such apps as navigation and music apps.
High-res audio debuts in four eXcelon-series multimedia head units and navigation receivers. They decode 192kHz /24-bit high-resolution Flac and WAV files and feature 192/24 DACs. High-res music can be played from USB sticks, memory cards, and CDs.
