When it comes to in-vehicle entertainment and communication, Ralph’s Radio in Vancouver and Victoria are proud to be authorized Kenwood retailers. Whether you’re after a CD player or one of Kenwood’s high-resolution compatible eXcelon Reference multimedia receivers, you can be assured that you’re getting the best performance, features and technology available. Let’s look at some of the amazing entertainment, information and communication technology upgrades Kenwood has to offer.
Kenwood eXcelon Reference Multimedia Receivers
If you want your mobile audio system to sound the best it can, then you need to start with a state-of-the-art source. Kenwood’s eXcelon Reference receivers are simply unmatched by any other brand at any price. The XR-Series includes support for the playback of FLAC and WAV files stored at 192 kHz sampling frequencies and 24-bit resolution. While other brands can play these files, XR source units will output audio information to 44 kHz. Everyone else stops at 22 kHz. High-resolution audio playback requires reproduction beyond 22 kHz.
XR source units not only sound good, but they look good, too! The crystal-clear capacitive-touch displays have a resolution of 1280 by 720 pixels. With everyone else, including those big-screen radios, stuck at 800 by 480 pixels, this is truly a high-definition experience. Kenwood includes enough video processing power to handle MPEG-4, WMV, H.264 and MKV video formats recorded at a full-HD resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels.
The great aspects don’t stop there. The integrated Bluetooth audio streaming feature includes support for the LDAC codec for amazing sound quality. These radios have 5-volt preamps, built-in crossovers, signal delay and equalizer settings that allow us to fine-tune your audio system for an amazing music-listening experience. HD Radio is built in to all three models, and we can add an SXV300C tuner so you can enjoy SiriusXM satellite radio programming.
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Whether you’ve chosen a flagship DVD or AV Navigation receiver, or a more modest Digital Media receiver, Kenwood offers support for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone connectivity. If you haven’t experienced CarPlay and Android Audio in your vehicle, you are missing out. You can make phone calls, send text messages or choose the music you want by talking to the radio. The voice recognition features of your smartphone and its internet connection make your request a reality in a split second.
You can also choose from a variety of turn-by-turn navigation options, include Waze, Google Maps and Apple Maps on iOS devices. All three solutions include real-time traffic flow information to get you to your destination quickly and safely. Better yet, you don’t have to worry about updating maps databases, as the information is downloaded in real-time.
Many premium radios offer wireless connectivity using WiFi, so you don’t need to connect your smartphone to your radio to use these communication features. We can add a wireless charging pad to most vehicles to keep your device topped up and ready to go when you arrive at your destination.
Multimedia Radio Features
Aside from their easy-to-understand interfaces, one of the most popular reasons our clients upgrade to a multimedia receiver is to add a backup camera. Being able to see what’s behind your car or truck while parking or maneuvering makes driving much safer. Several models include multiple camera inputs, so we can add a forward-facing camera to help avoid parking curbs.
Kenwood leads the industry with its Maestro integration features. Maestro is a data connectivity solution that allows your new radio to talk to the computer system in your car or truck. Information like vehicle speed, engine speed, battery voltage, fuel level, tire pressure and parking sensor warnings are relayed to the radio and displayed on the screen. Many models will also interface with an Escort radar detector. The system will let you know what type of radar or laser has been detected and from what direction.
Kenwood has partnered with Garmin to provide built-in navigation for many multimedia receivers. Garmin navigation is easy to use, so reaching your destination is hassle-free.
CD Players and Digital Media Receivers
While Kenwood’s multimedia receivers often take the spotlight, their single and double-DIN CD players and media receivers remain popular upgrades. A media receiver is like a CD player – it has a tuner, Bluetooth audio streaming and hands-free calling support, and a USB port for your digital media files. The only difference is that it doesn’t have a CD mechanism.
Many receivers include options like dual USB ports, variable colour illumination, 4.0-volt preamp outputs and dual phone support. Kenwood radios have some of the most powerful conventional amplifiers available, with 22 watts of power on hand. Imagine what you’d be missing if your radio only had 14 watts of power to drive your speakers?
Upgrade Your Vehicle with a Kenwood Radio from Ralph’s
If you wish your car or truck had the latest entertainment and communication features, drop by Ralph’s Radio in Vancouver or Victoria and ask one of our product specialists to demonstrate one of the fantastic Kenwood options. You can also call our location nearest to you, or send our team an e-mail using our online contact page.