Kenwood to replace 8.4AN

[HEMIsteveical]

Hey, been a while since I posted. Have had my 2017 for four years, and really like it. It's been great in every way. Only problem is the radio. This might seem like a minor issue for some, because many don't even listen to FM while they drive, but I primarily listen to it. One "feature" I really don't like with the stock Alpine radio (or almost any other brand) is the automatic stereo/mono blend and noise reduction that they do if the signal is the slightest bit weak. I pay attention to reception and sound no matter what vehicle I'm in or whatever radio I've had, and it seems like only Kenwood maintains stereo separation. I've actually been surprised how well Kenwood does with that. And every Kenwood I have had, going back to 2005 is the same way. Recently installed one in my wife's Durango, and I notice the stereo reception every time I'm in it. Newer Pioneer in the Challenger doesn't (should have known), and my Alpine certainly does not. I hate being a mile from town, hearing FM in mono. I have been into electronics for a long time, and if I knew for sure I could remove the stock stereo from the dash and have it operable on my bench, I would signal trace until I found the mono/blend circuit, and disable it. I like the Alpine system enough to keep it, EXCEPT for that one thing. But I have heard that radios today need the CANBUS signal to even operate. So, evidently I won't be able to modify it.

So, that leads me to installing a Kenwood in my dash. My question is with the GUI. The wife's Durango's Kenwood has one I really don't like. There is like a white bracket shape on either side of the screen, the station presets are ridiculously wide and take up about 1/4 of the screen, and all the song and station info is squeezed in between the two brackets. Are they all like that? If anybody has a picture of a new model Kenwood installed in their stock 8.4" dash, I'd like to see what the screen looks like in FM mode, or even playing an MP3. Basically, if it looks like the one my wife has, I don't want it. I am looking for a screen size not to exceed the 8.4. Around 7" or 8" is fine.

Alternatively, if anyone has a source for stock head unit schematics for the 8.4AN, I may consider just making my radio the way I want it.

I know the post is long. Just wanted to be specific. Thanks.

Steve P.

 

[dhiller123]

Hey, been a while since I posted. Have had my 2017 for four years, and really like it. It's been great in every way. Only problem is the radio. This might seem like a minor issue for some, because many don't even listen to FM while they drive, but I primarily listen to it. One "feature" I really don't like with the stock Alpine radio (or almost any other brand) is the automatic stereo/mono blend and noise reduction that they do if the signal is the slightest bit weak. I pay attention to reception and sound no matter what vehicle I'm in or whatever radio I've had, and it seems like only Kenwood maintains stereo separation. I've actually been surprised how well Kenwood does with that. And every Kenwood I have had, going back to 2005 is the same way. Recently installed one in my wife's Durango, and I notice the stereo reception every time I'm in it. Newer Pioneer in the Challenger doesn't (should have known), and my Alpine certainly does not. I hate being a mile from town, hearing FM in mono. I have been into electronics for a long time, and if I knew for sure I could remove the stock stereo from the dash and have it operable on my bench, I would signal trace until I found the mono/blend circuit, and disable it. I like the Alpine system enough to keep it, EXCEPT for that one thing. But I have heard that radios today need the CANBUS signal to even operate. So, evidently I won't be able to modify it.

So, that leads me to installing a Kenwood in my dash. My question is with the GUI. The wife's Durango's Kenwood has one I really don't like. There is like a white bracket shape on either side of the screen, the station presets are ridiculously wide and take up about 1/4 of the screen, and all the song and station info is squeezed in between the two brackets. Are they all like that? If anybody has a picture of a new model Kenwood installed in their stock 8.4" dash, I'd like to see what the screen looks like in FM mode, or even playing an MP3. Basically, if it looks like the one my wife has, I don't want it. I am looking for a screen size not to exceed the 8.4. Around 7" or 8" is fine.

Alternatively, if anyone has a source for stock head unit schematics for the 8.4AN, I may consider just making my radio the way I want it.

I know the post is long. Just wanted to be specific. Thanks.

Steve P.

Are you looking to sell your 8.4? And if I read correctly, it has nav?


Diller
'14 Outdoorsman CC

Sent from my SM-G988U1 using Tapatalk

 

[HEMIsteveical]

Possibility later on, if I had something in that worked well for me. Not out of the question, just down the road.

 

[Phaeton16]

I just had installed the Alpine ILX-207 in my Ram and it seems to keep the separation, it also plays HD radio. This unit is a few years old but my Car Stereo guy says this has been one of his fav's and this is what he puts in all his vehicles. I noticed a huge difference replacing my 3 month old JVC head unit.

 

[HEMIsteveical]

Don't understand why the stereo/mono blend and treble reduction is a standard thing that no manufacturer makes defeatable, especially with today's extensive menus. Thought my unit was Alpine, but found out today they were Harman until 2018, then Panasonic. So, I guess I haven't heard an Alpine unit to know. Thanks for letting me know that. I live 25 miles from most transmitters, but every time we drive around in the Durango I hear continual stereo separation on her Kenwood. With a little shark fin antenna! Also, with no objectionable noise that switching to mono was supposed to fix anyway.

The other thing I don't like about my version of the 8.4 radio is that I can't equalize each source. The system sounded bad to me until I upgraded the tweeters, but the tuner still sounds rolled-off on the high end relative to other sources.