Upgrading Stock Ratio to Multimedia Kenwood Excelon DMX908S Receiver or Similar (1 Viewer)

[cgerckert]

Hi All.

The bills continue to grow as I baseline my new to me 97AE.

One modernization that is a must have for me is a multimedia stereo for the benefits of apple and android car play. There are obviously plenty to chose from, but to narrow the feedback, I wanted to know if anyone has had experience with the Kenwood Excelon DMX908S.

Is there a general consensus on stereo brands / models that integrate easily with the later year 80 Series? Eg, support antenna function, all the speakers in the car including the built in subwoofer in the back, etc?

Thanks in advance as always my new LC fam.

 

[b16]

The location of the head unit makes it really hard to see the screen. I feel like CarPlay would be pretty useless down there.

 

[PNWGERMAN]

I highly recommend crutchfield.com for any car audio projects. I have been using them for many many years. You can find audio gear cheaper other places, but where Crutchfield shines is their amazing customer service and the research they do to make sure the parts they sell fit in your specific ride. They also make sure you have all the other little bits and bobs you need for install as well as vehicle specific install instructions. And if you have any issues during install they will walk you through any issues via phone or email.
Spend some time on their website reading reviews and product overviews. You can also email them for help and advice on what they recommend for your specific needs. They ones helped me put together a great parts list for an extensive audio system I put in a BMW station wagon years ago.
I haven't chosen a head unit yet for my 80 series but the Sonny Car Play units seam to be popular on this forum from what I have seen. I do know that to get the best out of a modern head unit you will need to bypass the factory amplifier. Most modern higher end head units will have better electronics in them than the factory Toyota stuff. But you can talk that over with some one at Crutchfield.

 

[Greg McNally]

I'll double check tonight, but I think that's the exact model I have in my cruiser. I have had it for 1yr now and no complaints. Yes, modern vehicles have the head units in better position for referencing maps etc. however, it works and I'm glad I have android / carplay capabilities.

 

[truthdetector]

I have this one: Kenwood DMX9708S - https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113DMX9708/Kenwood-DMX9708S.html?omnews=3312354

Agree that the screen is difficult to see, but not so much that the nav is completely useless with CarPlay.

I bypassed the factory amp and it made the stock speakers sound so much better, but I did eventually replace all the door speakers because the front doors were blown.

I got the Crutchfield ReadyHarness service too, which made things plug-and-play. When opting for the harness that bypasses the factory amp, note that you need to disconnect the factory amp or you'll blow a fuse. I just removed mine completely.

I have plans for a subwoofer, but not ready to pull the trigger on it yet.

Because my interior is out, it was easy to also add the Kenwood dashcam, reverse cam, and run an RCA cable to where the Wit's End QPM will mount once I receive it.

Here is what I initially purchased and installed:

After my rig gets painted and before I put the interior back together, I'll be adding a Focal powered sub, and an amp that will power new front door speakers to the QPM.

For now, the new head unit runs the speakers in the stock locations except the rotted/deleted sub perfectly fine.

 

[b16]

For powering the door speakers I'm pretty happy with this little Alpine amp. I installed mine where the old factory amp used to reside making wiring easy. Alpine KTP-445U Power Pack - https://www.crutchfield.com/S-sOsORifRjG9/p_500KTP445U/Alpine-KTP-445U-Power-Pack.html?XVINQ=GZ0&XVVer=OQH&awcr=628542137888&awdv=c&awnw=g&awug=9032182&awkw=pla-304928760370&awmt=&awat=pla&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuZGnBhD1ARIsACxbAVi7iLAIUSfhr5_Kt6x7rbgDPrMSgMGsRg3TIARfQaZwEShALD_gLLgaAjTYEALw_wcB

 

[cgerckert]

The location of the head unit makes it really hard to see the screen. I feel like CarPlay would be pretty useless down there.

I agree, not ideal but I would like the wireless pairing for me and or my co-pilot.

 

[cgerckert]

I highly recommend crutchfield.com for any car audio projects. I have been using them for many many years. You can find audio gear cheaper other places, but where Crutchfield shines is their amazing customer service and the research they do to make sure the parts they sell fit in your specific ride. They also make sure you have all the other little bits and bobs you need for install as well as vehicle specific install instructions. And if you have any issues during install they will walk you through any issues via phone or email.
Spend some time on their website reading reviews and product overviews. You can also email them for help and advice on what they recommend for your specific needs. They ones helped me put together a great parts list for an extensive audio system I put in a BMW station wagon years ago.
I haven't chosen a head unit yet for my 80 series but the Sonny Car Play units seam to be popular on this forum from what I have seen. I do know that to get the best out of a modern head unit you will need to bypass the factory amplifier. Most modern higher end head units will have better electronics in them than the factory Toyota stuff. But you can talk that over with some one at Crutchfield.

Yes. That is where I did my narrow down search. It was really between the Pioneer and the Kenwood and I wanted the physical buttons of the Kenwood since it so low down it would be easier to "feel" for the volume buttons.

 

[cgerckert]

I have this one: Kenwood DMX9708S - https://www.crutchfield.com/p_113DMX9708/Kenwood-DMX9708S.html?omnews=3312354

Agree that the screen is difficult to see, but not so much that the nav is completely useless with CarPlay.

I bypassed the factory amp and it made the stock speakers sound so much better, but I did eventually replace all the door speakers because the front doors were blown.

I got the Crutchfield ReadyHarness service too, which made things plug-and-play. When opting for the harness that bypasses the factory amp, note that you need to disconnect the factory amp or you'll blow a fuse. I just removed mine completely.

I have plans for a subwoofer, but not ready to pull the trigger on it yet.

Because my interior is out, it was easy to also add the Kenwood dashcam, reverse cam, and run an RCA cable to where the Wit's End QPM will mount once I receive it.

Here is what I initially purchased and installed:

View attachment 3408178

After my rig gets painted and before I put the interior back together, I'll be adding a Focal powered sub, and an amp that will power new front door speakers to the QPM.

For now, the new head unit runs the speakers in the stock locations except the rotted/deleted sub perfectly fine.

Thanks soooooo much for the breakdown. I'm not much of audiophile I just like clean installs. I'll reach out to clutch field support for some more details.

 

[sbman]

I just ordered a JVC KW-M788BH. I chose it based on features and price, JVC and Kenwood are the same company now BTW. JVC is the 'Value' line and Kenwood is the 'Premium' line. I do like the buttons on the front of the Kenwood.

I also looked at other brands but the features/price combination I was looking for made the JVC stand out. FM Tuner quality, multiple camera inputs, modern Bluetooth hands free profile, android auto, HD radio on the tuner, the only thing I couldn't find in any brand is a volume knob. I seriously considered going old school radio just to have a volume knob. But I've got an idea for that (I'm going to double duty the cruise control steering wheel buttons on the stereo...)

From looking at the manuals for the Kenwood you are looking at and the JVC I ordered they are similar but the Kenwood is higher end. The Kenwood has a higher resolution screen and a few other features but the big feature upgrade is the Kenwood has wireless carplay and android auto while the JVC is wired for those features. Carplay and Android auto require Wifi to be used for the wirelesss operation of those features. The DMX908S has HD radio as well, which was a feature I was looking for also and found in the JVC unit I selected. I am OK with wired android auto because I always plug my phone in for charging anyway.

One thing I discovered in my research is that if you are going to use Apple Carplay, the head units require you to hook up to the vehicle 'speed pulse input' which may be an issue with these older trucks. I'm not sure if a compatible signal is available, especially if your truck has a mechanical speedo. The manuals also say you have to hook up the head units GPS connection for Apple Carplay to work. I don't use apple stuff and it looks like Android auto does not require either of those things, but I'll know for sure sometime later this week.

 

[jht3]

I think you'll be fine w/ all these double-DIN units.

I have a Sony unit, and it is plug and play. Once you have the right wiring adapters to bypass the stock amp. I no longer have front speakers in the dash, just the front doors. No CD player, but FM, Bluetooth, Carplay and Android Auto (both wired), SirusXM (via external tuner), reverse camera. It all works very well. Never tried the SiriusXM and I'm not paying another subscription, or buying a tuner.

While I've considered an external amp, especially those small class-D units, built in amplification is fine for me. I do have extra sounds deadening everywhere.

Gripes?

• Volume up/down buttons, but no circular knob. It does support a wired remote, and I've seen some steering wheel mounted units that might work.
• Wired Android Auto consumes the USB-C port on my phone, but the stereo doesn't support rapid charging. I've considered a standalone wireless AA dongle just so I can rapidly charge my phone at the same time.
• The screen is a bit low and off center to constantly stare at, and polarized sunglasses are going to make life a pain. For this reason in all my cars I keep a set of non-polarized shades as its a problem, especially the HUD in my wifes suv.

 

[cgerckert]

I just ordered a JVC KW-M788BH. I chose it based on features and price, JVC and Kenwood are the same company now BTW. JVC is the 'Value' line and Kenwood is the 'Premium' line. I do like the buttons on the front of the Kenwood.

I also looked at other brands but the features/price combination I was looking for made the JVC stand out. FM Tuner quality, multiple camera inputs, modern Bluetooth hands free profile, android auto, HD radio on the tuner, the only thing I couldn't find in any brand is a volume knob. I seriously considered going old school radio just to have a volume knob. But I've got an idea for that (I'm going to double duty the cruise control steering wheel buttons on the stereo...)

From looking at the manuals for the Kenwood you are looking at and the JVC I ordered they are similar but the Kenwood is higher end. The Kenwood has a higher resolution screen and a few other features but the big feature upgrade is the Kenwood has wireless carplay and android auto while the JVC is wired for those features. Carplay and Android auto require Wifi to be used for the wirelesss operation of those features. The DMX908S has HD radio as well, which was a feature I was looking for also and found in the JVC unit I selected. I am OK with wired android auto because I always plug my phone in for charging anyway.

One thing I discovered in my research is that if you are going to use Apple Carplay, the head units require you to hook up to the vehicle 'speed pulse input' which may be an issue with these older trucks. I'm not sure if a compatible signal is available, especially if your truck has a mechanical speedo. The manuals also say you have to hook up the head units GPS connection for Apple Carplay to work. I don't use apple stuff and it looks like Android auto does not require either of those things, but I'll know for sure sometime later this week.

Thanks for the details. Definitely looking for the wireless Apple and Android functionality.

 

[Greg McNally]

Thanks for the details. Definitely looking for the wireless Apple and Android functionality.

Anyone else find the wired setup works better?

I've got a 2022 ram with wireless android/carplay and the music cuts out on me every drive.

My wired system in my 80 never cuts out unless I'm in really bad signal area.

Wireless is definitely more convenient though... just my 2cents of experience.

 

[sbman]

It looks like if the unit has a vehicle speed sensor wire, it will refuse to do Apple Wireless Carplay unless it is hooked up. Your '97 CE should have a signal on the ECU at connector E7D, pin 8. A white wire with a light blue stripe. The ECU is located directly behind the passenger side dash speaker. Connector E7D is a 22 pin connector, the second largest on the ECU. This is a pulsed speed signal that is driven by the speedo, and fed into the ECU. It SHOULD be suitable for head unit connection.

 

[truthdetector]

The unit I have has a VSS wire, but I did not connect it because I don't want to mess with my OEM wiring and I don't care about the functionality it provides to the head unit.

My wireless Apple CarPlay works fine.

 

[Dirt Ferguson]

Anyone else find the wired setup works better?

I've got a 2022 ram with wireless android/carplay and the music cuts out on me every drive.

I have a '23 Tundra that has wireless CarPlay and it drops my active calls for no reason, all the time.

That never happens in my LX, which has a wired Sony CarPlay unit.

 

[Fosters]

I went with a pioneer nex4400, wireless apply CarPlay…managed to pull speed signal from my yellow box loom which was close by under the shifter housing…no complaints…

 

[obe12]

I upgraded my 99 year Landcruiser with

Kenwood Excelon series DVD CD Wireless Car play​

Don’t remember the model number, forgive me. With their HDR front camera system, and hi end Reverse Cam. Used again don’t remember sorry OEM to RCA conversion cable to oem harness.

Love it, perfect.

Now I went to change my door lock motors only
Actuators and while I had the door panels off I went back to Car Toys and listened to speakers.
I went to buy basically the best 6.5 money could buy speakers and no let price stand in the way. No preconceived ideas and listened to all kinds. Some
Really expensive to some no so expensive. My some hearing loss in one ear from
Guns or just loud music when I was younger I found the Alpine new style cone component speaker sounded the best to my ears. I am a smooth jazz listener to pop, old rock, to country. The full range sound with zero gain set on the equalizer and no bass boost or loudness set, flat the Alpine won for full spectrum sound to my ears.

I bought both front component and rear coaxial same series speakers and changed them. No based on reviews and written articles. I was surprised on the affordability of the alpine speakers with the new cones.

Next, why not R series Alpine amp install.
Dont remember the RMS ect but matched to my speakers. Here I go, got it connected and new power supply wire and now low level inputs via from the head unit to one amp. The head unit had built in xcross over system, listening area , equalizer, delay for speaker location, sound effects that you get with the upper end head unit.

Program the distances, set preferred listening area, and wow! Sounds fantastic. Adjust a slope cross over to front rear and yes oem sub.

I took a chance and said why not, kill a lot of the vocals out of the rear sub make sure polarity set right , and hooked them to my new amp. I felt they would be over driven and I turned the gain way down. Eventually came
To middle of the gain … ok no distortion. I was shocked the oem sub speakers worked with the new amp.

About 2 1/2 months now and jam every work day.

Flawless system, zero noise and wireless car play exceptional. Wireless telephone fantastic…
Love the cams and couldn’t be happier.

Yes the lower end Kenwood with the flat panel buttons I didn’t care for. My unit tilt screen and bottom row of the button is on a ledge and good tactile feel.

Use it 5-6 days a week.

Tex

 

[obe12]

To clarify my head unit is a Kenwood Excelon series
DDX9907XR. My speakers Alpine S2-S65C component front, S2S65 Coaxial Rear, Alpine RA90S amp.

No issues Wireless Apple Car Play, or no dropped calls.

My Wireless CarPlay System doesn’t need any speed sensors to work. Tie park brake signal wire to ground and enable the DVD player while moving ground this Park Brake signal wire.

There is a button to press and bring up Siri and voice activation, map directions, read texts, send texts, play music, ect.

Voice recognition is good, and works well.

Zero complaints with the system.

Tex