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Thread: Mini-review: Kenwood KMM-BT518HD in-dash media player

  1. #1
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    Mini-review: Kenwood KMM-BT518HD in-dash media player

    I'll start with a pic of this unit installed, since many of us are concerned with something that doesn't look too out of place in a classic E24 dash:



    All those LED's blew out the exposure of this iPhone pic, but you can see the color match is pretty close to the rest of the dash. It's selectable from a bunch of presets, or it can be a custom-color using R-G-B values. This color is called "orange-red".

    Beyond that, I was looking for a head unit with great sound, Bluetooth connectivity for both media and phone calls, and compatibility with the iTunes, SiriusXM, and Pandora apps on my iPhone. There are both front and rear USB inputs, and I ran a cable from the rear input to the ashtray, which my phone fits just about perfectly, and the USB will charge the phone. A CD/DVD player was not something I needed, and this unit doesn't have one, nor was terrestrial radio, but it does have a good-sounding FM HD radio feature. There is also an easy to use set of audio controls to tailor the sound to your tastes, as well as 6 4-volt pre-amp outputs, which I already wired for future use, while I was running the new speaker wires to the rear of the car. Finally, there's even an iPhone app to allow remote control and easier adjustment of the settings.

    I mentioned the BT for phone calls, and here's where I placed the remote microphone:




    It's up between the sun visors, and the audio quality of phone calls is very good. There was already a small hole on the front edge of the header panel, which I had previously made for the wiring of the auto-dimming mirror I installed. I fished the mic wire past the sunroof motor to the rear edge of the panel, then left to the A-pillar trim, and finally under the dash and back to the right for the head-unit hookup. Much easier than I thought it would be.

    Overall, I couldn't been too much happier with this head unit. There was a lot of previously mangled wiring in the console of my car, several old sets of preamp cables and speaker wires, and lots of electrical tape and wire nuts - none of which remains. That sort of thing can be a problem with these decades-old cars, and my solution was to just cut it all out and start from scratch. If you're expecting a plug-and-play install, forget it, as even without a bunch of hacked wiring, the original system used a speaker fader with a common ground that won't work with any aftermarket head units. The unit is also just barely small enough to fit into the very tight dash space. Even an extra few millimeters of depth would have made this install impossible, as it's jammed up tightly against the a/c evaporator box. When sliding the unit into place, you have to be careful that none of the cables get pinched behind it, or you just wont get it to lock in place. My car's console is actually pushed out a tiny bit from its normal position, but unless you know what to look for, it's not obvious.

    So, that's about it, except a link to Crutchfield's site for more detailed info/specs/pics. I actually bought mine from Amazon for $105.

    https://www1.crutchfield.com/p_113KM...518hd&skipvs=T

    https://www.amazon.com/Kenwood-KMM-B...od+kmm-bt518hd
    Last edited by dcains; 08-20-2017 at 11:12 PM.
    Dean
    Lutz, FL

    '85 635 CSi Euro #9402254
    '87 Spider Veloce
    '92 Spider Veloce
    '08 350Z


  2. #2
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    Your review is very timely! I've been researching head units, decent BT & USB charging are high on my list. RGB backlighting is also important. Why is it so hard to find a unit without an indiscreet amount of chrome? Digital media is where I'm at, so whatever they're called (Mechless, no-cd, digital media receivers) that's what I'll be getting. I've been holding out for voice integration, but I'll probably give in before that's truly functional in my price range.

    I had been tempted by the OEM BMW Alpine units, but the DIN format is just about dead. Even an overpriced CD43 requires a lot of rewiring. Although they look nice, they still only play CDs.

  3. #3
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    The amount of chrome is just those two strips, top and bottom, and I was thinking of using a pencil eraser to scrub them off. But, as it sits, it really doesn't look too bad. There are some pretty extensive voice commands it will accept, but they have to go thru my iPhone SE, and I'm not sure what the capabilities are of an Android phone. I'm still going thru the owner's manual learning all the features, and it's amazing what you get for $100. Too bad no one makes an Apple CarPlay unit in a single-DIN. I've got a double-DIN Kenwood in my 350Z, and it's a pleasure to use.
    Dean
    Lutz, FL

    '85 635 CSi Euro #9402254
    '87 Spider Veloce
    '92 Spider Veloce
    '08 350Z


  4. #4
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    Inspired by your post, I managed to install an aftermarket Alpine head unit as a temporary fix. It's progress...and with 25-ish watts at my disposal, I can actually hear CDs over the speakers.

    If I had a relatively simple way to keep some tactile controls like volume, balance, fader, etc. in a single-DIN chassis, I'd mount a cheap 5" or 7" phone/tablet instead of a CarPlay HU. The UI on smartphones is far more intuitive than every car stereo, touchscreen displays are far more advanced, and they usually end up being cheaper too. A USB/BT audio interface directly to a decent amp would cost a good bit to implement, but could complete the package in a really discreet way. That opens up a lot of possibilities...software apps are incredibly flexible as opposed to hardware/firmware interfaces: voice control, emergency services, GPS, hands-free calling, streaming audio...heck, even my grocery list! Whenever an app is developed, I can instantly install it. I could probably even keep tabs on my wideband with a BT serial converter. Too bad it's not OBD2 as well, Torque works really well for real-time logging & diagnostics.
    Last edited by DesktopDave; 08-22-2017 at 12:31 PM.

  5. #5
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    I've thought about an iPad in the dash of my 350Z, which has all sorts of room, as I've seen it done before, and it looks and works great. As you mentioned, the variety of available apps is quite amazing, and that would be my main motivation. So far, all I have is an extra center console, so I'm still in the parts collection stage. Here's what someone else did in their Z:

    https://my350z.com/forum/exterior-an...2-install.html
    Dean
    Lutz, FL

    '85 635 CSi Euro #9402254
    '87 Spider Veloce
    '92 Spider Veloce
    '08 350Z


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