Kenwood DPX503 Dual-DIN USB/AAC/WMA/MP3 CD Receiver with External Media Control

December 30, 2009 by admin
Filed under Products

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description Replace that aging, broken, or otherwise boring double-DIN factory radio with DPX503 and gain high-performance audio features and portable player connectivity to your iPod or other music storage device. The DPX503 has a large multi-line display with full-spectrum variable illumination as well as connectivity features--like an illuminated front Aux input and USB port with 1-wire high-speed iPod control.

A great upgrade to your old factory system. Click to enlarge.

Dial in Your Music
The DPX503 will play your favorite CDs or burned CD-Rs, as well as MP3/WMA/AAC files from data CDs or USB devices. Load your flash drive with your favorite tunes and hit the road.

iPod 1-wire Connection
If you own an iPod, simply connect it to a Kenwood CD receiver via the USB cable that comes with the iPod. Better yet, use the optional KCA-iP100 1-wire iPod Interface Cable for crystal clear digital audio playback. You'll supply power to your iPod as well as charge it while you enjoy your music.

Bluetooth Ready
Add the Kenwood mobile phone hands-free unit to communicate safely without removing your hands from the steering wheel during driving. Connect the unit and enjoy clear phone communication through your stereo, with the DPX503 displaying the name and status of the other party and the signal strength, remaining battery power, etc. The unit can register up to five Bluetooth-compatible mobile phones and also download individual phone books for them. (Simultaneous use of more than one phone is not available.)

Bluetooth-ready: add the optional KCA-BT200 to enjoy hands-free phone operation or to listen to audio stored on Bluetooth devices.

Includes IR remote. Click to enlarge.

HD and Satellite Radio Ready
The DPX503 allows you to enjoy SIRIUS (requires CA-SR20V cable + Sirius Tuner) or XM (requires KCA-XM100V + XM Mini Tuner) radio in your vehicle. Enjoy a multitude of channels featuring music, news, talk shows, sports, and traffic information with CD quality sound.

Radio Text (RDS)
This function allows a radio station to transmit free-form textual information that can be either static (e.g., station slogans) or in sync with the programming, such as the title and artist of the currently-playing song.

Illumination Effect
Kenwood will make hearts race even faster with the new "Emotional Illumination Effect." Turn the car audio system on or off, turn the volume up or down, or perform virtually any operation, and the illumination slowly blinks as if emotionally responding to your interaction. Visually transforming your car interior into a dramatic stage, Kenwood's lineup introduces a new sensory dimension to car audio with the "Emotional Illumination Effect."

Supreme
When a music file is compressed, some frequencies signals are lost, particularly if it is encoded using a low bit rate. The Supreme technology is a Kenwood-original audio compensation technology that compensates for this loss and reproduces music in a more natural form, thereby making it possible to play music recorded using low bit rates (64k to 96k) in an audio-quality equivalent to music recorded using a higher bit rate (equivalent to 128k). Enjoy a natural, rich sound, even with lower compression ratios.

Remote Control
Let your passengers control the music from the back seat with the included remote.

Front USB and AUX connectors for quick and easy access.

Front USB/AUX Connection
The DPX503 features a USB and AUX connector up front that makes connecting a USB mass-storage device easier than ever. For the auxiliary input, input sensitivity correction adjusts volume or input level depending on the characteristics of the input source.

Ready for System Expansion
In addition to the on-board 50W x 4 amplifier, the DPX503 boasts two 2.5V pre-amp outs for expanding your system. The rear pair are switchable to Low Pass with filter and level control.

What's in the Box
Kenwood DPX503, wireless remote, sleeve, trim ring, wiring harness, installation tools, installation manual, operation manual, warranty card.

Product Details

AM/FM radio, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3/WMA/AAC, iPod, USB, HD/satellite radio-ready, Bluetooth-ready receiver
4 x 50 Watts maximum power with two 2V pre-amp outputs
Large multi-line display with full spectrum variable illumination
Includes front panel auxiliary input and USB, one-wire iPod connection; add Kenwood adapters for HD/satellite radio, Bluetooth, iPod
One-year limited warranty

Video Reviews

No video reviews found for this product.

Customer Reviews

Very good unit

Review Date: March 9, 2010

Reviewer: John L. Nies, Antioch, CA

This unit is loaded with features. The fact that it has a USB port, is the most important feature to me. You can put about 80 CDs on one 4 gig flash drive. No need to haul around a pile of CDs anymore. The only drawback is that the display is not very bright and is difficult to read during the day.

I love this item

Review Date: December 16, 2009

Reviewer: D. E. Hunt Jr.,

I absolutely love this stereo. It fits really nice in my 2003 Ford F150 Pick-up. (Note: it does take some minor adjustment & adapter kit to make it work)
It plays extremely well with only the stock speakers, no speaker upgrades necessary.

Another thing I'd like to point out, that I really like about this unit, that's not really in the description; You can have the color set to random, and it will cycle through the different colors it is capable of. (Light Blue, Blue, Pink, Red, Yellow, White, Orange, Green, etc.) You can choose any color you want, that you can manually choose the tint of, and set that if you want as well.

I mainly wanted this unit to play my IPod on my car stereo, it does this just fine, and you can switch songs via the knobs or via the remote that it comes with.

The one down side you will read in the reviews is that the main screen can be difficult to read at times in the daylight. I can overlook this, and enjoy it for all of the other things I like about the unit.

Hope this may help you decide whether or not to get this radio, just know that I am very happy with mine.

Wish I could get my money back

Review Date: December 12, 2009

Reviewer: Rosemary Thornton, Norfolk, VA

It's been a long time since I bought a car radio/stereo/CD player. And then one night, the CD player in my 2003 Camry started skipping real bad and then it just quit. I went to the dealer who sent me to an audio store and I selected what I thought was the best CD player for the best price. I was also concerned about looks. My Camry and I are both pretty conservative. I didn't want to turn it into some jacked-up looking thing.

Well, by the time I got home I was already disgusted with the thing. It's crazy complicated and there's no "off/on" switch. You have to scroll through everything to get to anything. The knobs aren't really knobs, they're toggle switches and one false move and you're in a whole 'nother menu than where you intended to be.

I'm so disgusted with this thing that I feel like I've been ripped off and will probably write a letter to someone begging for a refund. It's really a piece of junk and I paid $339 for this thing plus $75 for installation.

Very, very disappointing.

Great unit for the night driver...

Review Date: October 28, 2009

Reviewer: Clint Thompson,

I really like this head unit but there are two things I would want to have changed:

-Text Illumination... while it's fine at night and on some cloudy/rainy days, there are times it is literally un-readable during the daytime, and I have 20% tint even. Inverted on blue usually works ok for me but red is impossible to see unless it's night. Everyone else is right about this but I don't regret purchasing this unit regardless.

-Remote Control backlit... don't get me wrong, I'm happy that this unit came with a remote to begin with but being I drive a lot at night, it's hard to see the remote keys and would have been nice if they lit up like some receiver remote controls I have at home. As much light actions that are going on the unit itself, one would think the remote would match up and at very least illuminate. Kenwood take note!

Things I really like about this unit:

-Customized intro text.. I like that I can put in my name, or whatever else I want, when the stereo boots up. I have mine set to say my cars model name and make.

-Auto color changing while listening to music. I thought I would like the color changes synced do the music but they flash so much at night it's like being at a rave in your car and that's not the sort of distraction I want while driving. The fluid, slow changing colors by itself is perfectly fine though and it's way more customizable than I will probably bother with but at least the options are there.

Overall:
The CD player itself is fine. It's not as solid as some of those DVD players lasers that can magically read through cracked CD's like their minty fresh but it doesn't seem to have too much of a problem reading medium scratched discs. You probably won't be using the CD mech much itself anyways since the front USB is so easy to just load up mp3s on your flash drive. I didn't think I would use it as much as I do but it's probably the number one way I listen to music now.

Sound is pretty good but without my subwoofer setup, you can hardly tell it's pumping out any bass. I'm not sure I can blame this unit on that as my speakers are old but when cranked up the sound emitting is very crisp and bright with the only thing missing some real bass. (which has been resolved since I've purchased a Fusion Reactor Bass Setup). I'm guessing Kenwood expected the end-user to have or own a subwoofer setup to take care of the bass factor. I checked to see if LOUD was on, and it was... but it doesn't seem like it made much of a difference, if any.

Menu/Controls/Etc. There are a lot and it does take some time to get used to and has it's learning curve so to speak. I don't mind that it takes a few menus to get into the bass/treble/mid as I don't really see a reason to change it that often... besides, there seems to be plenty of customizable ways to change the sound, just would take some time and tinkering to adjust perfectly if you wish to do so. Setting up the time and date was kind of a pain but since it's only a one time job, unless your battery is removed or dies, it's not really a big deal.

I've had this unit for almost 5 months now and use it daily. There are times you get to the point of "I'm just going to pull over so I can see which song I can scan to on this 100+ mp3 CD I just made so I don't wreck since I can't see the text AT ALL." moments... but then you smile the other times when you actually can see the text or at night when the lights are all ago.

If I had the choice of buying another unit as of today, I doubt I would. I'm happy with this Kenwood and it's taken a long time for me to find a really nice double-din like this with all the features it offers (ext. bluetooth and xm), both which I plan on getting later in the year.

Kenwood Rocks

Review Date: September 17, 2009

Reviewer: Larry J. Moya, Albuquerque NM

I have been using Kenwood systems for the last ten years and I have always been pleased with the quality. This system has 18 FM presets just hit the joy stick up and you get FM1 FM2 and FM3. I would have given this system an easy 5 but it only has 2 RCA connections. It sounds 20 times better then the very expense unit I purchased with the vehicle.I think the overall quality is very good. It does have a lot of bells and whistle but once you set it where you like you shouldn't have to adjust. It seems to have a little more kick then the single din Kenwoods. Over all for the money its a great and I can't see buying any other brand not even an Alpine. Kenwood always delivers, I still have another Kenwood in my 2nd 4x4 vehicle that I have had for over 6 years and it still as good as the day I bought it.

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