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Kenwood KIV-BT901

Digital media receiver (New stock)

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Item# 113KIV901B offer details

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Kenwood

Why replace your factory radio?

Two good reasons - sound quality and cool features. A new car stereo offers power that's superior to most factory radios, along with more sophisticated tone controls. And most car stereos offer built-in or optional features that add safety and fun to life in your car, including inputs for your iPod or MP3 player, Bluetooth connectivity for hands-free cell phone calls, satellite radio or HD Radio reception, and connections for building an audio system in your car.

Our take on the Kenwood KIV-BT901

by Ken Nail

Kenwood's KIV-BT901 digital media receiver will make you wonder why you ever had CDs in your car. Its cool click-wheel interface and big display are ideal for use with your iPod®, but hook up an iPhone® with the optional KCA-IP202 cable and you can hit the road with your favorite PANDORA® Internet radio stations too. You can set the full-color display to show artist, title, and station info in either 3 or 5 lines of text, and you can even use the receiver's controls to pause and skip songs, plus give "thumbs up" and "thumbs down" ratings.

More multimedia options
When you're parked, you can show videos from your iPod, iPhone, or other USB memory devices (optional KCA-IP202 cable required) — you can also send video content to a rear screen when you're traveling. The built-in flash drive provides 512 MB of storage space for audio, video, and picture files, so you'll always have content on tap when you climb into your car. The KIV-BT901 will also charge and control your Zune player, when you plug it into the receiver's USB input.

Bluetooth® built in
Parrot designed the Bluetooth connectivity that's featured in this receiver. You'll enjoy safe, hands-free calling with your compatible phone, with cool features like automatic music muting for incoming calls, easy downloading of your phone books, and speed dialing of selected phone numbers.

Sound quality worth savoring
The KIV-BT901's amplifier puts out plenty of power, but Kenwood's sweetened the pot with a suite of sophisticated sound-shaping tools. You can dial in the tone by adjusting the highs, mids, and lows precisely with the 3-band parametric equalizer. The Digital E's filters can trim some of the lows out of your full-range speakers and adjust the low frequencies going to your sub, so your equipment plays more efficiently. Do you crave a perfect stereo sweet spot? Digital Time Alignment lets you tailor perfect stereo imaging for the driver's seat.

Want to keep your car's steering wheel audio controls?
In most vehicles, you can use an adapter (not included) to connect your vehicle's steering wheel controls to this Kenwood stereo. Connect a few wires, then program the adapter for your particular car and the Kenwood, and you'll retain the convenience of your steering wheel controls.

This digital media receiver will not play CDs. If you want to play CDs in your vehicle, we offer a wide selection of CD receivers.

Bluetooth note: Use of this receiver's Bluetooth features will depend upon your phone's Bluetooth capabilities. Learn more in our article explaining Bluetooth profiles.

Note: If you're going to use your iPod with this receiver, be sure to check "Details" for specific iPod model compatibility with this receiver or its optional iPod adapter.

Highlights:

    General features:
    • digital media receiver with AM/FM tuner (doesn't play CDs)
    • built-in MOSFET amplifier (22 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)
    • 3-inch color TFT display with variable-color button illumination
    • built-in Bluetooth by Parrot for hands-free calling
    • PANDORA® Internet radio connectivity
    • internal 512MB flash drive
    • remote control
    Audio features:
    • plays audio, video, and picture files from USB memory devices
    • DSP features settings for car type, speaker size, digital time alignment, front and rear high-pass crossovers, and subwoofer low-pass crossover
    • 3-band parametric equalizer with 8 presets
    • Supreme + technology to improve high-frequency response of compressed music files
    • Highway Sound compensates for road noise
    • dual-zone audio capabilities
    Expandability:
    • iPod direct control with optional KCA-IP202 cable
    • Zune control and charging
    • compatible with Kenwood's satellite radio and HD Radio™ tuner
    • inputs: rear USB and A/V inputs, rear-view camera input
    • outputs: A/V output, 6-channel preamp outputs (4-volt front, rear, subwoofer)
    Other features and specs:
    Shop all Kenwood Car Receivers
       

      Hands-on research from the Crutchfield Labs (what are the Labs?)

      Features and Specs

      Features and Specs
      General
      CEA-2006 Compliant
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      No
      RMS Power Output
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      22 watts
      Peak Output
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      50 watts
      RMS Power Bandwidth
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      20-20kHz
      Preamp Outputs
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      6-channel
      Sub Preamp Outputs
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      Yes
      Switchable Rear Preamp Outputs
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      No
      Preamp Voltage
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      4 volts
      Display Color
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      Key Button Color
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      Variable
      EQ Bands
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      5
      Wireless Remote
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      Yes
      Steering Wheel Control Compatible
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      Adapter required
      Parts Warranty
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      1 Year
      Labor Warranty
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      1 Year
      Expandability
      AUX Input
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      Rear
      USB Input
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      Rear
      Memory Card Slot
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      Built-in flash/USB/Zune
      Bluetooth Compatible
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      Built-in
      Satellite Radio Ready
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      Sirius
      HD Radio
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      Optional
      Navigation
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      No
      iPod Compatibility
      Full size
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      Classic/5Gen
      Nano
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      6/5/4/3/2/1
      Touch
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      4/3/2/1
      Mini
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      No
      iPhone
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      4S/4/3GS/3G/2G
      Tuner
      FM Sensitivity
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      9.3 dBf
      European Tuning
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      No
      Seek/Scan
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      Seek
      Radio Data System
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      Yes

      Product Research

      Product Research
      What's in the box?

      Download owner's manual

      • Digital media receiver (with 10-amp fuse inserted into the chassis)
      • Sleeve (attached)
      • Trim ring (attached)
      • Wiring harness
      • RC-405 Wireless remote (with installed CR2025 3V lithium-cell battery)
      • Microphone with integrated bracket (and attached 10' cable terminated by a right-angle 3.5mm connector)
      • 6.5' Parking-brake wire (light-green)
      • 16.5' reverse gear wire (purple/white)
      • 2 Removal tools
      • 4 Panhead ISO-mount screws
      • 4 Flathead ISO-mount screws
      • Quick Start Guide (Eng/Fre/Spa)
      • Warranty Card (US/Canada)

      Our Product Research Team

      At Crutchfield, you'll get detailed, accurate information that's hard to find elsewhere. That's because we have our own in-house Product Research team — they open the box, verify contents, check the owner's manual, and record dimensions, features and specs. We stay on top of new products and technologies to help people make informed choices.

      Digital Media Receiver
      Display Features
      Audio Section
      Radio Functions
      USB/Zune Playback
      iPod/iPhone Connectivity
      Built-in Bluetooth
      AV Connections
      Remote Control
      Optional Software

      Digital Media Receiver

      Overview: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 Digital Media Receiver is equipped with a built-in AM/FM tuner, rear-panel USB port, and rear-panel auxiliary input. The KIV-BT901 offers both iPod & Zune playback control. The KIV-BT901 is also HD and Satellite Radio ready (optional tuner required). In addition, the unit offers built-in Bluetooth communication and comes with external microphone for hands-free operation of your mobile cell-phone. The digital media receiver comes with an IR wireless remote control and offers steering wheel control compatibility (with optional adapter). The unit's amplifier is rated at 22 watts x 4 channel RMS (50 watts x 4 channel peak) and is equipped with 3 sets of 4.0-volt preamp outputs.

      Note: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 Digital Media Receiver does not feature a CD mechanism.

      Display Features

      LCD Display: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 digital media receiver features an integrated 3.0" LCD wide-screen (16:9) monitor with a resolution of 76,800 (320 x 240 x RGB) and LED backlighting. The integrated LCD monitor allows display of song information, album artwork, picture files, and video files. The LCD monitor offers adjustable brightness & contrast (+/-3), as well as adjustable Aspect Ratio (16:9 or 4:3). The KIV-BT901 provides the following display modes.

      • Artwork: Display song information, along with album artwork (only for iPod/USB/Zune/Internal Memory).
      • Video: Displays video of a video file (iPod/USB/Internal Memory)
      • Information: Displays source information (Tuner/Satellite Radio/HD Radio/CD-changer)
      • Clock: Display the time and date.

      Variable Color Illumination: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 features variable color display and button illumination. You can choose from one of 24 preset colors, have the unit scan through all 24 preset colors continuously, or customize your own color (1-24; 0-9). The display and button illumination can be set to the same color or set independently.

      Illumination Effects: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 offers two unique key-button illumination effects.

      • Illumination Operation Sync: This function sets whether the head unit's key illumination color is changed in conjunction with the key-button operation.
      • Illumination Music Sync: This function set whether the head unit's key illumination color is changed in conjunction with the system's sound & volume level.

      Multi-Language Support: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 offers English, French, and Spanish menu text.

      Text/Title Scroll: The KIV-BT901 will display Audio file and Radio text. You can turn the scrolling feature "on" to scroll longer titles across the screen.

      Wallpaper Downloading: You can use a downloaded picture from your USB connected device for the head unit's display.

      Parking Brake Detection: To prevent the displaying of video while the vehicle is in motion, the light green wire attached to the chassis must be connected to the vehicle's parking brake detection circuit. While the vehicle is in motion (parking brake off), you can still view all of the other displays and menus.

      Display Illumination/Clock Display: When the unit is in Standby mode, the face/button illumination is "keyed." In addition, while the unit is in Standby mode, you can turn the clock display on or off. When the Clock Display is turned on and the unit is in Standby mode, the Clock Display is also "keyed." Pressing and holding the source button turns the unit off completely.

      Dimmer: The dimmer function will dim this unit's display and button illumination automatically when the vehicle light switch is turned On when you connect orange/white Illumination wire of this player. You can also choose to dim the display manually.

      Display Off: This function turns off the display when have not performed an operation for 5 seconds. This is effective for when you are driving at night.

      Demo Mode: This unit features a Demo mode which can be turned On or Off.

      Audio Section

      24 Bit D/A Converter: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 utilizes a 24-bit digital to analog converter for superior sound quality (up to 110 dB Signal-to-Noise Ratio and 93 Dynamic Range).

      MOSFET Amplifier: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 is equipped with a MOSFET amplifier. Compared to conventional power supplies, the MOSFET amplification circuit is smaller and more efficient, and it delivers increased power with less distortion and absolutely zero on/off switching noise. More power means louder and cleaner music at higher volumes because you're not pushing the limits of the amplification circuit. The power output specs for the KIV-BT901 are as follows:

      • Full Bandwidth Power: 22 watts RMS x 4 channels (at 4 ohms, 20-20kHz, 1% THD)
      • Maximum Output Power: 50 watts x 4 channels

      6ch/4V Preamp Outputs: The KIV-BT901 features front, rear and subwoofer 4-volt preamp outputs. The front and rear speaker preamp outputs are balance and fade adjustable. The subwoofer preamp output is non-fading. The front, rear, and subwoofer preamp outputs are fixed to the rear chassis of the head unit. The subwoofer preamp output features an independent level control (-15 to +15).

      Note: You can turn the KIV-BT901's built-in amplifier off to improve the quality of the sound from the head unit's preamp outputs.

      Supreme+ Setting: When MP3, WMA or AAC files encoded at a low bit rate (less than 96 kbps, 44.1k, 48kHz) are played, the Supreme+ Setting function restores their high frequencies so the sound quality is closer to files encoded at a high bit rate. The processing is optimized for the compression format and the bit rate used. When the Supreme+ Setting is Off, the unit plays the original sound stored in the audio file.

      DSP: In order to optimize the sound quality, you can use the head unit's integrated DSP to set the type of vehicle and speaker sizes, locations, distances and x-over points. The DSP settings include the following:

      • Cabin Setting: Choose from Compact, Full Size Car, Wagon, Mini Van, SUV, Mini Van (Long), or Off
      • Speaker Setting: The speaker X'over is automatically set when the position and size of each speaker are select from the following items.
        • Front: Location (Door, On Dash, or Under Dash); Size: (6-1/2", 6-3/4", 7", 4"x6", 5"x7", 6"x8", 6"x9", 7"x10", OEM, 4", or 5"); Tweeter (None or Use)
        • Rear: Location (Door, Rear Deck, 2nd Row or 3rd Row; Size (6-1/2", 6-3/4", 7", 4"x6", 5"x7", 6"x8", 6"x9", 7"x10", OEM, 4", or 5")
        • Subwoofer: Size(10", 12", 15", None, 6-1/2" or 8")
      • Digital Time Alignment (DTA): Choose from 0.00 to 14.44 feet for the Front pair of speakers, Rear pair of speakers, and Subwoofer distances in reference to the distance between your listening positioning and the locations of the particular speakers.
      • X'Over: The Kenwood head unit provides independent high-pass crossovers for the unit's front and rear speaker/preamp outputs, as well as a subwoofer low-pass crossover.
        • Front High Pass Filter: select a frequency of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, or 250Hz; with a Slope of -6, -12, -18, - 24 dB per octave; or you can also select full-range
        • Rear High Pass Filter: select a frequency of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, or 250Hz; with a Slope of -6, -12, -18, - 24 dB per octave; or you can also select full-range
        • Subwoofer Low Pass Filter: select a frequency of 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100, 120, 150, 180, 220, or 250Hz; with a Slope of -6, -12, -18, - 24 dB per octave; or you can also select full-range; The Subwoofer Phase can also be adjusted to Normal (0°) or Reverse (180°)

      Note: The DSP function can be bypassed.

      Equalizer Control: Equalizer Control allows you to choose from 8 presets, or set your own custom settings using the 5-band Equalizer. The EQ adjustments are as follows:

      • Preset EQ: You can select from Natural, Rock, Pops, Easy, Top 40, Jazz, Game, iPod (you can select from 22 EQ curve types), or User.
      • 5-Band EQ: The User mode allows you to adjust the following 5-Band EQ (62.5Hz, 250Hz, 1kHz, 4kHz, 16kHz) from -9 to +9dB.

        Note: You can store equalizer settings for each source (Tuner, USB, iPod/iPhone, Aux, or Sat/HD radio).

      Position Control: For a better sound-stage you can select your optimal listening position. You can choose from All, Front Left, Front Right or Front. You can also select to manually fine tune the sound stage by selecting the distance for each individual speaker in the vehicle compared to your listening position. You can select between 0.00 to 5.58 feet for the Left Front Speaker, Right Front Speaker, Left Rear Speaker, Right Rear Speaker, Left Subwoofer and/or Right Subwoofer.

      Audio Preset: You can register six audio settings into the unit's preset memory to be recalled at any time. The Audio Preset memory can save Car Type Selection, Speaker Setting, Fine Adjustment, X'Over Setting, Equalizer, and/or Listening Position.

      Bass Boost: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 features a two level Bass Boost to increase bass levels.

      Highway Sound: This features compensates the low volume or bass sound being lost by road noises to make vocals sound clearer. You can set the Highway Sound function to 1, 2, 3, or off.

      Volume Offset: The level of each source may be independently adjusted to prevent radical leaps in output volume when switching from one source to another. The available settings range from -8 to +8.

      Dual Zone: Separate sources can be selected for the Front channels and Rear channels. Zone 2 can be set to USB (iPod/Zune), Internal Memory, Auxiliary, or Off. You can adjust the volume of the rear channels independently from the front channels (0-35).

      Note: USB, iPod, and Internal Memory cannot be set at the same time for the main and sub sources.

      Tel Mute: The KIV-BT901 features a cell-phone mute wire (tan) in its harness that when hooked up to your car's phone system mute wire will automatically mute the receiver's audio signal when a call comes in.

      Key Beep: The in-dash head unit provides an audible beep to confirm button operation. This function can be turned On or Off.

      Radio Functions

      AM/FM Tuner: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 features a built-in AM/FM tuner. You can choose one of three tuning modes: Auto 1 (seek tuning), Auto 2 (cycles through and tunes the selected band's preset stations only with each button press), or Manual.

      Tuner Presets: The KIV-BT901's tuner provides two ways to store your favorite radio stations.

      • Normal Presets: You can store up to 18 FM presets (01-18) and 6 AM presets (01-06).
      • Mixed Presets: In this mode, different bands and turner sources can be saved in the same preset layer, which allows you to recall the desired stations without switching the bands or tuner sources. You can store a mixture of 6 AM/FM, HD Radio, and Satellite Radio presets of any combination.

      Note: This unit does not offer direct preset buttons. Instead, you will need to access the unit's presets using the Control Knob.

      Auto Memory Tuning: Not only does the digital media receiver's tuner allow you manually enter your desired presets you can choose to have the unit automatically put stations with good reception in the memory banks automatically; this is a handy feature when traveling.

      Direct Access Tuning: You can directly access an AM/FM station by entering in the frequency number using the include wireless remote control.

      Mono Mode: This feature reduces the noise (static) when a stereo broadcast is received as monaural (for FM band only).

      Radio Data System (RDS): The unit's tuner features RDS (Radio Data System). RDS is a service used by some radio stations to transmit data outside of normal radio broadcast signals. When an RDS station is received, you can immediately find out what kind of data is being transmitted by looking at the program service name which appears in the display after the frequency. RDS features an emergency transmission function which interrupts regular programming to broadcast an emergency announcement (such as a tornado or severe storm). There is also a switchable Traffic Information function, which will automatically tune a traffic bulletin when it is broadcast, even when you're not listening to the radio.

      iTunes Tagging: The built-in RDS FM tuner is also capable of iTunes tagging. iTunes tagging gives you the ability to tag a song (up to 50) and stores it to a connected iPod. The next time your iPod is connected to iTunes, the tagged songs are displayed with the option to purchase them from the iTunes Store.

      Satellite Radio Ready: There are several options for connecting an optional SIRIUS Satellite Radio receiver to this receiver:

      • SIRIUS Satellite Radio: To receive SIRIUS Satellite Radio, you can connect the optional SIRIUS Universal Vehicle Tuner and the optional Kenwood Sirius Satellite Radio Interface (package # 700SIRKENW, sold separately); or you can connect the optional Kenwood Sirius Satellite Radio Interface and the SiriusConnect vehicle docking kit (package # 700SIRPKEN, sold separately), along with your compatible SIRIUS Dock & Play receiver.

        Note: A subscription is also required to receive satellite radio programming.

      HD Radio Ready (with iTunes Tagging): With an optional Kenwood HD Radio tuner (113HR300, sold separately), you will be able to receive digital AM/FM broadcasts from local stations where available. This new technology will significantly improve audio quality and reception, as well as include information such as artist name and song titles or traffic news, viewable on the receiver's display. Right now there are about 2,000 radio stations broadcasting using digital HD Radio technology in the U.S. To find HD Radio stations in your area, visit the HD Radio website (HDRadio.com). The Kenwood KTC-HR300 HD Radio tuner (113HR300) is also capable of iTunes tagging. iTunes tagging gives you the ability to tag a song (up to 50) and stores it to a connected iPod. The next time your iPod is connected to iTunes, the tagged songs are displayed with the option to purchase them from the iTunes Store.

      Note: You cannot connect both a Satellite Radio Interface and HD Radio tuner to the head unit.

      USB/Zune Playback

      Internal Memory: Audio files, video files, and still-images files can be stored to KIV-BT901's built-in flash memory (512MB) from a connected USB device. This way you can playback your favorite music, movie, and picture files without having to connect your external USB device. The unit's internal memory can support up to 500 files.

      USB Port: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 features a rear-panel 2.0 USB type-A port on a 39" pigtail. The USB port enables connection and control of a portable USB mass-storage class device with audio, video, and still-image files. The USB port is compatible with all USB mass storage class devices that support the FAT16 or FAT32 file system. Your USB device should only have a maximum of 8 directory levels, 500 folders, and 4096 files per folder with a maximum of 15000 files and folders. You connected USB device will also charge while connected. Supported audio/video files.

      • Music Files: The KIV-BT901 supports playback of AAC (16-320 kbps), MP3 (8-320 kbps), and WMA (48-192 kbps) music files; as well a WAV (16-bit) audio files.
      • Movie Files: The digital media receiver supports playback of H.264/MPEG4 AVC, MPEG-4, and WMV files with a resolution of 160 x 120 to 320 x 240 (QVGA).
      • Picture Files: The KIV-BT901 digital media receiver supports playback of JPEG and BMP still-image files.

      Note: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 will support connection of a Multi-Card Reader or a USB hub with up to 3 ports.

      USB/Internal Memory Control: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 digital media receiver provides a 6-line folder/file name list to scroll through to find your music. The KIV-BT901 offers several other playback and search functions to help you locate and listen to your music.

      • Search Modes: The KIV-BT901 offers various search functions to find your iPod's music or movie content in the selected category.
        • Skip Search: You can search your USB device or the unit's internal memory within a selected folder by using a percentage search (0.5%, 1%, 5%, or 10%). This allows you to skip ahead a certain percentage of songs in a particular folder.
        • Direct Search: You can search your music directly by entering the file number from a selected folder.
      • Play Modes: The KIV-BT901 digital media receiver provides the following Play Modes for your connected USB device or the head unit's internal flash memory.
        • File Scan: This function plays back the first 10-seconds of each music file in a particular folder successively.
        • Random: You can randomly playback music in a selected folder or from your USB device's or internal memory's entire music library.
        • Repeat: You can play back a single music file repeatedly or playback an entire music folder repeatedly.

      Note: Your connected USB device's controls will be locked during connection.

      Zune Playback: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 supports the Microsoft Zune via its rear USB port. The KIV-BT901 provides audio playback, control, song information display, album art, and charging for your connected Zune player. The Kenwood digital media receiver provides various playback and search functions to listen to your Zune player's music content.

      • Search Modes: Kenwood KIV-BT901 offers the following convenient search modes to help you select from your Zune's music.
        • Browse: You can browse your Zune player's music content by Genre, Artist, Album, Song, or Playlist.
        • Skip Search: You can search your Zune's music content within a specific category by using a percentage search (0.5%, 1%, 5%, or 10%). This allows you to skip ahead a certain percentage of songs in a particular category or folder.
      • Play Modes: The KIV-BT901 digital media receiver provides the following Play Modes to control your Zune.
        • File Scan: This function plays back the first 10-seconds of each music file in a particular folder successively.
        • Random: You can randomly playback music in a selected folder.
        • Repeat: You can play back a single music file repeatedly.

      Note: Your Microsoft Zune's controls will be locked during connection to the Kenwood KIV-BT901 digital media receiver. The KIV-BT901 supports Audio only playback. It will not output your Zune player's video or still-images.

      iPod/iPhone Connectivity

      iPod/iPhone AV Connection: The KIV-BT901's USB port and the rear-panel 3.5mm A/V AUX input are compatible with select iPod/iPhone devices when used with the Kenwood USB/iPod AV cable (KCA-iP202, sold separately). The USB Direct Connection enables high-speed iPod data communications of 12MB/bps via the 2-Wire interface cable. One end of the cable plugs directly into your iPod/iPhone's dock connector while the other end of the cable uses two connectors that plug into the back of the KIV-BT901. The USB type-A connector portion of the cable plugs into the receiver's USB port and handles the control and charging of your iPod/iPhone, so you can navigate through your music and video files using the head unit's controls and view song, album art, and movie information on its display. The A/V 3.5mm miniplug connector of the cable plugs into the unit's rear-panel A/V 3.5mm input and transfers the music and video from your iPod to the Kenwood digital media receiver. By using the Auxiliary input the music travels to the receiver as an analog signal, so you can even play the Digital-Rights-Protected files you've stored on your iPod/iPhone.

      Note: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 is not compatible with the standard USB-to-iPod dock cable. The Kenwood KCA-iP202 USB/iPod AV cable is required.

      iPod/iPhone Control: You can choose to control the iPod/iPhone from the head unit or from your iPod/iPhone's clickwheel or touchscreen.

      • Browse Mode: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 will allow you to browse your iPod's music and videos by category.
        • Music Categories: You can browse your iPod/iPhone's music by Playlist, Artist, Album, Song, Podcast, Genre, Composer, or Audiobook.
        • Video Categories: You can browse your iPod/iPhone's videos by Playlist, Movie, Music Video, TV Show, Video Podcast, and Rental.
      • Search Modes: The KIV-BT901 offers various search functions to find your iPod/iPhone's music or movie content in the selected category.
        • Alphabet Search: This function searches music and videos whose name contain the specified character (A-Z), within a specific category.
        • Direct Search: You can quickly search for a desired song or video within a category by entering in 3 characters of text (A-Z, 0-9).
        • Related Search: Related Search allows you to browse for music of the same artist or genre as the one being currently played within a selected category (Music only).
          • Search Artist: displays albums of the same artist
          • Search Album: display music in the album in which the one being played is included
          • Search Genre: displays artists of the same genre
          • Search Composter: displays albums including music created by the same composer
        • Skip Search: You can search your iPod/iPhone's content within a category by using a percentage search (0.5%, 1%, 5%, or 10%). This allows you to skip ahead a certain percentage of songs in a particular category or folder.
      • Play Modes: The KIV-BT901 digital media receiver provides the following Play Modes (Playlist, Random, Repeat) to control your iPod/iPhone.
        • Playlist: You can create your own custom iPod playlist (up to 30 songs) from the head unit.
        • Random: You can randomly playback music in a selected folder or from your iPod's entire music library.
        • Repeat: You can play back a single music file repeatedly.
      • iPod by Hand Mode: You can also choose to operate your iPod or iPhone with its own click-wheel or touchscreen; instead of using the KIV-BT901's controls.
      • Sound Check: This function sets the sound volume of all your iPod/iPhone's songs to the same level. The sound volume adjustment is required using iTunes.

      iPod/iPhone Display: The KIV-BT901 will display your iPod/iPhone's music file information when you are controlling your iPod or iPhone from the Kenwood head unit. The head unit will display Track number, Elapsed playing time, Artist name, Song title, and Album label. If you choose to operate your connected iPod/iPhone via its clickwheel or touchscreen controls, the KIV-BT901 will not display your iPod/iPhone's music information (the head unit will instead display iPod MODE).

      Pandora App: The Pandora App (free) lets you play music from the Pandora music service through the Kenwood KIV-BT901 using your connected Apple iPhone, via the Kenwood KCA-iP202 USB/iPod connector cable (sold separately). The Kenwood KIV-BT901 provides control over the Pandora music service and displays Artist, Album, and Song information. You can search for new Pandora stations, select Pandora stations from your station list, and skip song tracks within a station. You can also give songs a thumbs up/down and bookmark songs/artists. To access Pandora you must have an Apple iPhone (iOS3 or later) with the latest version of the Pandora application from Apple's iTunes App Store. Your iPhone will need an active Data Plan account with connection to the Internet via 3G, EDGE, or WiFi. You will also need a Pandora music service account.

      Note: Access to the Pandora service will depend on the availability of a cellular and/or WiFi network for purposes of allowing your iPhone to connect to the Internet. Pandora is not supported in Canada and only available in the United States.

      iPod/iPhone Charging: While connected and the ignition switch is set to ACC or ON, the head unit's USB connection will power and charge your iPod/iPhone.

      Note: If your iPod/iPhone has no initial battery charge, then the unit will not recognize it.

      iPod Compatibility Chart: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 and the KCA-iP202 USB/iPod AV cable are "Made for iPod/iPhone" compatible and support the following iPod/iPhone model features (as of 9/25/2012):

      iPod/iPhone Model Generation Tested Version Media Type Control Type Display Type iTunes Tagging Pandora App Charge
      Audio Video head unit iPod/iPhone Song/Artist Text Track Info
      iPhone 2G 3.1.2 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
      3G 3.1.2 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
      3GS 3.1.2 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
      4 4.2.1 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
      4S 5.1.1 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y Y
      5 6.0 N N N N N N N N N
      touch 1st 2.2.1 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      2nd 4.2.1 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      3rd 4.2.1 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      4th 5.1.1 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      5th 6.0 N N N N N N N N N
      nano 1st 1.3.1 Y N Y N Y Y N N Y
      2nd 1.1.3 Y N Y Y Y Y N N Y
      3rd 1.1.3 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      4th 1.0.4 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      5th 1.0.2 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      6th 1.0 PC Y N Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      7th 1.2 N N N N N N N N N
      classic 80GB 1.1.2 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      120GB 2.0.1 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      160GB 2.0.4 Y Y Y Y Y Y Y N Y
      video 5th 1.3 Y Y Y N Y Y N N Y

      Note: Apple iPod/iPhone software updates may change functionality results. If you download a newer software version, you may need to reset the head unit and your iPod/iPhone to regain functionality. If this doesn't work, you may need to wait until a newer software update is available.

      Built-in Bluetooth

      Bluetooth Technology: Bluetooth is a two-way wireless communication system allowing you to make and receive cell phone calls wirelessly from your mobile phone, using the Kenwood in-dash CD receiver. Bluetooth wireless technology operates on a 2.4GHZ frequency band within a range of approximately 10 meters (about 33 feet).

      Bluetooth Profiles: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 CD-Receiver features built-in 2.4GHz Bluetooth technology (version 2.0) powered by Parrot. The KIV-BT901 supports Bluetooth hands-free communication. The KIV-BT901 supports the following Bluetooth profiles:

      • HFP (Hands-Free Profile): Hands-free communication with your Bluetooth enabled cellular phone in the vehicle (incoming/outgoing calls supported).
      • HSP (Headset Profile): Provides support for Bluetooth headsets to be used with mobile phones.
      • OPP (Object Push Profile): Phonebook transfer from your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone to the head unit.
      • PBAP (Phone Book Access Profile): Phonebook access from your Bluetooth enabled cell-phone to the head unit.
      • SPP (Serial Port Profile): SPP defines how to set up virtual serial ports and connect two Bluetooth enabled devices.
      • SYNC (Synchronization Profile): The SYNC profile enables synchronization of data information between Bluetooth-enabled devices.

      Bluetooth Hands-Free Communication: The head unit supports Bluetooth hands-free communication for your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone. The controls of the KIV-BT901 can be used to dial a number, answer an in-coming call, or end a call. The unit also includes an external microphone (with mounting bracket) featuring adjustable gain, so you can carry on your side of the conversation while listening to the caller through your vehicles speakers.

      Pairing: Your Bluetooth enabled mobile phone must be paired with the KIV-BT901 before hands-free operation. You can register up to five Bluetooth enabled cell-phones with the Kenwood head unit (only one paired phone can be used at a time).

      Note: Not all Bluetooth mobile phones will be compatible. Visit http://www.kenwood.com/cs/ce/bt/index.php for a complete list of compatible Bluetooth enabled phones.

      Auto Answer: The KIV-BT901 can be setup to automatically answer an incoming call. You can have the head unit automatically answer a call immediately or after 1-99 seconds.

      Dialing: Using the KIV-BT901, you can dial a phone number in one of the following ways:

      • Entering a Phone Number: Allows you to directly dial a phone number up to 25 digits from the head unit's control knob or remote control.
      • Speed (Preset) Dialing: Allows you to register up to 6 phone numbers for quick dialing. The preset numbers can be accessed from the head unit's Control Knob.
      • Phone Book: You can dial by using the downloaded phone book. You can download phone book data from your cell phone to the KIV-BT901. Up to 1000 numbers can be stored for each registered cell phone. Each number can be up to 25 digits long and each name can be up to 50 characters long. Stored phone numbers can be categorized by General, Home, Office, Mobile, or Other. You can search each category of the phone book in alphabetical order.
      • Call Log: The Call Log is a list of calls that have originated from and were received by this unit that you can dial. You can select Outgoing, Incoming, or Missed calls.
      • Voice Dialing: If your mobile phone supports voice recognition, then you can dial out by voice command. Simply speak into the included microphone. You can register up to 35 voice tags.

      Call Waiting: The KIV-BT901 supports the Call Waiting function, so you can answer another incoming call while suspending the current call you are on. Your compatible cell-phone must also support this feature.

      SMS: You can wirelessly download the short message (SMS) arrived at your cell-phone so that is can be read on the Bluetooth connected Kenwood head unit. Your cell-phone must support SMS for this feature to function. The SMS downloaded to this unit is cleared when this unit is turned off.

      Note: You cannot send text messages using this unit (read only).

      Private/Hands-Free Mode: During a conversation, you can switch between the Private Mode (talking directly on your cell phone) and the Hands Free Mode.

      External Microphone: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 includes an external microphone to carry on your side of your phone conversation and voice command dialing. The external wired microphone offers improved audio quality versus an integrated microphone, so you can be heard easier over noisy traffic and road noise. The external microphone features an attached 10' cable terminated by a right-angle 3.5mm connector which plugs into the mic input on the rear-panel of the head unit. The microphone offers an integrated mounting bracket which can be clipped to your vehicle's sun-visor or taped to your dash. The external microphone measures 0.515" (diameter) x 1.485" (depth).

      Note: This unit does not offer an integrated front-panel microphone.

      Bluetooth Detailed Settings: The KIV-BT901 offers the following Bluetooth Detailed Settings, so you can configure the unit to suit your needs.

      • Call Beep: You can choose to output a beep from your vehicle's speaker's when a call comes in, or you can turn this function off.
      • Speaker Output: You can select whether the call beep and caller's voice is heard through only the front speakers or all speakers.
      • Mic Gain: Adjusts the volume of the external microphone from -3 to +3.
      • NR Level: Reduces the noises generated by the surrounding environment without changing the mic volume. The NR Level can be set to -2 or +2.
      • EC Level: Adjusts the level of echo cancellation from -2 to +2.

      AV Connections

      AUX Input: The KIV-BT901 is equipped with a rear-panel 3.5mm minijack auxiliary input for connecting external portable audio devices such as an MP3 player. The KIV-BT901 allows you to select the source type displayed when using the auxiliary input. You can choose from AUX, DVD, Portable, Game, Video or TV.

      Audio/Video Input: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 is equipped with a 3.5mm video input and 3.5mm stereo audio input for connecting and external portable audio source, or to connect the included iPod adapter cable to plug-in your iPod or iPhone.

      Audio/Video Output: The Kenwood digital media receiver is equipped with a composite video output and a stereo RCA audio output for connecting an external monitor with headphones, so you can view video from your connected iPod/iPhone or USB device on a rear-mounted monitor.

      Camera Input: The unit features a composite video input for connecting an optional rear view camera, such as the Kenwood CMOS-200 (113CMOS200, sold separately). The video from this connection can be set to display when switched to this input, or display the rear view camera video automatically when the vehicle is shifted into Reverse gear. The purple/white wire (attached to the rear chassis) must be connected to the vehicle's reverse lamp circuit for automatic video switching. You can view rear view image in Normal or Mirror mode.

      2nd Auxiliary Input "Ready": The unit already features a rear-panel auxiliary input, but if you need a second auxiliary input, one can be added to the rear of the unit. When used with an optional adapter, this unit can accept a rear input from an auxiliary source. When the CA-C1AUX adapter (113CAC1AX, sold separately) is used, you cannot connect an optional Sirius Satellite Radio/HD tuner or CD-changer to the head unit because the adapter plugs into the DIN changer control connection on the head unit.

      Changer Controls: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 offers connection and control of Kenwood's 10-disc CD-changer (113KDCC719, sold separately).

      Remote Control

      Wireless Remote Control: The KIV-BT901 comes with the RC-405 IR wireless remote control with a full numeric keypad (0-9). The remote will control Audio, Tuner, USB, Bluetooth, iPod, Zune, Satellite Radio, and HD Radio functions. The remote control allows direct access of your music tracks and discs loaded in a connected CD-changer (sold separately), as well as direct access to AM/FM radio stations. The digital media receiver features an Attenuator button on the supplied remote control that turns the volume down very quickly with one touch of the button. It is powered by a single CR2025 3V lithium-cell battery (supplied).

      Steering Wheel Remote Compatibility: The head unit features an OEM steering wheel remote control input wire (blue/yellow) within the included wiring harness that lets you keep your vehicle's factory radio steering wheel remote controls when used with an optional steering wheel audio control adapter (sold separately). Please consult Crutchfield's Outfit My Car to see if your vehicle is compatible.

      Optional Software

      Music Editor Compatible: The Kenwood KIV-BT901 supports the PC application, Kenwood Music Editor Lite (ver.1.1). Kenwood Music Editor Lite is a Windows-based desktop software that helps organize, manage and transfer MP3 and WMA music files to your USB devices from your PC. When you playback audio files that have been stored on your USB device using Kenwood Music Editor Lite through this unit, you can search a file by title, album, or artist name using the head unit's Music Search function.

      System Requirements: The Kenwood Music Editor Light (ver.1.1) Windows-based software can be downloaded for free from Kenwood.com to your PC. The Kenwood Music Editor Light is compatible with the following Windows Microsoft Operating Systems.

      • Windows XP Professional, Home Edition SP2 or later (32-bit)
      • Windows Vista (32/64-bit)
      • Windows 7 (32/64-bit)
       

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      1 out of 5

      Horrible Tuner

      Written By MCSJCWR53, Queens, NY on Saturday, February 16, 2013
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      The absolute worst tuner I've ever encountered. iPod controls work ok provided you don't have a gen1 or 2 Touch then forget it. Bluetooth feature works flawlessly with good sound. I definitely would not recommend this unit.
      Pros:
      Cool color change feature. Solid bluetooth feature
      Cons:
      A $ handsfree. Money wasted.
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      2 out of 5

      not what I expected

      Written By Not what I expected, Phoenix, az on Monday, December 24, 2012
       
      This unit was not what I expected, the ipod controls work OK, but the tuner memory stations are not user friendly, you have to push two different buttons to play your preset staions. Also you cant go from your ipod strait to your tuner, you have to go trough different settings to get back to your tuner.
      Pros:
      Ipod controls work well
      Cons:
      tuner not user friendly
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      2 out of 5

      Not a Good Choice

      Written By BT, Versailles, KY on Tuesday, December 04, 2012
      Installed in a 2009 Ford F-150 XLT
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      Where to begin? I had high hopes for the Kenwood unit. The ability to dial-in the distance to each speaker was of interest to me (and it does improve the sound quality). I'd say that my biggest gripe with this unit is the inconsistancy. You set it up.....get it perfect......leave the car, and when you come back it sounds completely different (always worse). It took me a while to figure out that this is related to the volume setting on my Iphone 4. If you change the volume setting even one click, you completely change the sound of the unit. What I consider a major flaw is that the unit cannot manage high volume levels if the headphone volume level is all the way up. The distortion this produces is beyond clipping distortion. It badly overloads, making the audio volume cut back and distorts very seriously. This was not expented from a head unit at this price. Also, whenever you turn the unit off or change formats.....and go back to the ipod/iphone format, you have to physically remove and reconnect the headphone jack in order to get sound out of it. The built-in amp is not what I expected either. It has some good features. Its just not ready for prime time. It may work fine with outboards amps. I didn't try that since some of the issues would not be corrected by adding power.

      I'm returning this unit and going with the Alpine IDA-X305S. The customer support at Crutchfield is world-class. I've been dealing with them since 1979. They are sending me the new unit before I return this one.
      Pros:
      The graphic EQ is really nice. The signal processing is good. The ability to adjust the color output to match your dash lighting is a nice feature. Very nice looking when installed.
      Cons:
      The display cannot be turned off (would be nice for night driving). Under powered. Inconsistant audio preformance. The requirement to physically disconnect and reconnect the headphone jack wire whenever you go to the ipod format. Badly distorts with the ipod/iphone headphone volume turned up fully. It needs work, so wait for the new model to come out. Quite slow in the menu operation.
      3 out of 8 people found this helpful
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      1 out of 5

      David

      Written By David, Charlottesville, va on Thursday, November 22, 2012
       
      Warning to iPhone 5 users! I absolutely concur with Chapel. This is the worst case of a reputable company releasing a product that is almost immediately outdated and unusable. We all understand that tech changes faster than we would like but this ridiculous. Crutchfield, please disclose how incompatible this is with the iPhone 5. And the Bluetooth is pretty much useless beyond connecting your phone for phone features only. I'm not an expert by any means but I consider myself somewhat savvy when it comes to this stuff. I am astounded by the lack of compatibility and usability of this h/u for the price and the reputation of kenwood. If Crutchfield let's me take it back or exchange it I will do it. Currently I could get more use out of a head that costs a quarter of this price.
      Pros:
      Screen and backup camera capability Unit tweaking features Attractive
      Cons:
      Other than phone feature this unit is ultimately worthless with an iPhone 5 Bluetooth tech was outdated on release (it's better for you to get the nonbluetooth version then get the Bluetooth add on. Otherwise you won't be streaming music. The lack of standard features for a unit in this price range. Hd radio - add on. Cable for iPod for full compatibility - add on (I'm sure that it doesn't surprise kenwood that most every one of us wants to connect an iPhone/iPod to this thing)
      3 out of 7 people found this helpful
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      1 out of 5

      Not compatible with iPhone5 or Android

      Written By chapel, Salem MA on Sunday, October 14, 2012
       
      So, you've sacrificed your CD player? You've moved onto a media receiver. You plug your fancy new iPhone5 in to discover... nothing! It doesn't work. A little extra research leads you to realize that Kenwood, in their infinite wisdom, is using ANALOG AUDIO! Which the new iPhone does not work with. Now, you can go buy that $35 Kenwood iPhone cable AND the $30 Apple 30pin adapter... and you'll get your sound, but no video. Suddenly, this top of the line radio has cost you another $65 just to get a compromise with your brand new iPhone. There's no Android compatibility with it either in terms of Pandora or other apps.

      So, my only thing to do now is try to sell it or buy an old 30 pin iPhone/iPod just to do music... rather than waste any money, it's going back.
      Pros:
      Great construction, great looks, great functionality... if you have an iPhone4
      Cons:
      Does not work with iPhone5. Requires an analog cable with an adapter for additional $65 and still won't do video.
      4 out of 12 people found this helpful
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      4 out of 5

      A good solid buy - But read the specs

      Written By Bilabrin, Wisconsin on Sunday, October 14, 2012
      Installed in a 2002 Ford Focus
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      When I set out to build my system I knew I need a great head unit and Kenwood has a well deserved reputation as one of the very best. I liked the look and features of this unit but what sold me on it was that it played .WAV files. As an audiophile I knew I could get the best sound quality out of the USB drive port with uncompressed .WAV fiiles. MP3's Reduce the file size by a factor of about 11:1 but also very slightly reduce the sound quality. In an age where drive space is ridiculously cheap per gig and transfer speeds where they are It doesn't pay to compress anymore.
      Pros:
      I immediately noticed a big improvement in sound quality when I replaced my old Sony unit. It separated out the sound spectrum and added new dimensions of detail to all of my old music. It has a ton of options and I love the built in crossover and Sub-woofer options. I paired it with an alpine amp and a JL audio speaker box and am very pleased with the result.
      Cons:
      I'm knocking off a star for the video feature. I expected to be able to put video on my USB drive and play it. While this can be done I had to spend hours to figure out how. A normal sized video will crash the firmware and you'll have to reset the unit. In order to get videos to read and play off of the USB drive I had to convert them to 240 X 320 and 12 frames per second at 250 Kbps using special conversion software. The built in equalizer is kind of dinky. You get 5 range bands to adust.
      3 out of 3 people found this helpful
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      2 out of 5

      Update review

      Written By jr8803, Hanover, PA on Wednesday, October 03, 2012
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      So I have owned my 901 since Feb 2012, has had very little use on it maybe 20 hours total. It now has developed a growing tumor on the left side of the screen, started as a small white spot looking like a half moon and has continued to grow. Also has lost volume output have to now crank it up 8 to 10 higher to get the same output as before. So NOT HAPPY!
      Pros:
      Good curb appeal at first.
      Cons:
      Things that come with pretty looks are not always the best
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      5 out of 5

      KIV-BT901

      Written By Anonymous, CA on Monday, October 01, 2012
      Installed in a 1998 Mercedes-Benz ML320
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      I think this is really a great media player from Kenwood. The only thing I'm looking for (maybe it's me not seeing it) is that it doesn't have a mute button on the face of the deck. It has it on the remote control. Overall, this deck is great. I installed it myself and had some issue with no AM but Crutchfield's support came to the rescue. It works really well with the Bose system that is originally in the car. I only replaced the head unit, and now I have Bluetooth, Pandora, iPod connectivity, and a rear view camera to boot. Not a bad investment.
      Pros:
      Nice display, easy to read. A little bit cumbersome to search for songs, but I guess having playlists would solve that. Great sound with the Bose system originally in the car.
      Cons:
      I don't see a mute button on the face of the deck
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      5 out of 5

      Kenwood KIV-BT901

      Written By Anonymous, Freeland, MI, 48623 on Monday, July 23, 2012
      Installed in a 2005 Mazda 3
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      Great product! Looks awesome in my car.
      Pros:
      Easy to use and awesome integration with Pandora.
      Cons:
      Can't figure out how to get the video to work. I drive a manual transmission and don't have a 'Park'
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      4 out of 5

      Inputs

      Written By T, Los Angeles, CA on Sunday, June 24, 2012
      Installed in a 1998 Mercedes-Benz ML320
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      This is a well thought out unit. I appreciate the ability to customize so many configurations. Thanks to Crutchfield for the wiring harness.
      Cons:
      Unit needs to have more inputs for additional components. Once you have attached a CD Changer it is impossible to add HD Radio or Satellite Radio. Wiring directions did not include instructions on wiring AM antenna power for Mercedes Benz ML 320.
      3 out of 4 people found this helpful
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      5 out of 5

      Great radio

      Written By ericss, Williamsburg, va on Wednesday, May 02, 2012
      Installed in a 2004 Volkswagen Jetta
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      Great radio, installed easily in a 2004 vw. Works seamlessly with iPhone 3 and 4.
      Pros:
      Ease of setup.
      Cons:
      none yet.
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      4 out of 5

      Installed in a C5 Corvette

      Written By BPepper, Athens, Alabama on Thursday, April 12, 2012
      Installed in a 1999 Chevrolet Corvette
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      I was looking for something the replace the broken OEM head unit in my Corvette. A double din wouldn't fit without modifications to the center console. After looking at the single din units this seemed to offer the most. I rarely use CD's any more and this being made for iPod fit the bill. It went in without much trouble. Everything works great on it. Mating my phone to the head unit via Bluetooth wasn't as intuitive as I would have liked it to be, but it didn't take very long. In fact, nothing is as straight forward in the set up as I would have liked, but sometimes it takes getting used to a new device after you are accustomed to something else. If you are considering the 701, spend the few extra dollars and get the 901.
      Pros:
      The Bluetooth works great and the mic pics up very well. Some heard the sound of my turn signal yesterday. The back up camera option is great. I used a $20 brand and couldn't be happier. The stereo has a ton of set up features to allow you to customize the sound to your type of vehicle.
      Cons:
      The biggest con is that I wish this unit had easily accessible station presets. You have to go into the menu and select presets then turn the big dial to select your station.
      3 out of 3 people found this helpful
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      5 out of 5

      Kenwood KIV-BT901 Delivers on all promises!!

      Written By John L., Valley Cottage, NY on Wednesday, February 22, 2012
      Installed in a 2002 Honda CRV LX
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      Does everything it promises to do!! Works flawlessly with iPod, can search for songs in multiple ways. Displays album art, song info, all that you need to know. iPod video works great as well. Display is bright & clear, even in full sun. Sound tailoring is wonderful. Unit has so many features I'll probably take weeks to discover them all. So far I'm quite happy with the unit. As usual, Crutchfield's install information was perfect, every step was clear and concise. Extremely satisfied!!
      Pros:
      Great iPod control, wonderful display, excellent sound.
      Cons:
      Wish it had a second USB input, so I could use a flash drive and the iPod together.
      3 out of 3 people found this helpful
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      5 out of 5

      Dcles

      Written By Les, Oceanside, CA on Friday, February 17, 2012
      Installed in a 1995 Dodge Avenger
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      I realy enjoy the radio, Sound is outstanding.
      Pros:
      Everything about the radio I like
      Cons:
      Wish it could support a large hard drive....
      1 out of 1 people found this helpful
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      5 out of 5

      This is a perfect buy!

      Written By Ballistix234, Levack, On on Wednesday, February 15, 2012
       
      This deck is definitely worth the $$$! With all the goodies Crutchfield sent, the install was exceptional easy! (I have a base model truck no clock) this clock has a clock and date display among other neat things like the the buttons can be matched to your guages. I am absolutely blown away with the sound quality, all the features and, all the complete convenience of the install package! get this you will not be disappointed!
      Pros:
      bluetoooth, illumi keys match gauges, date and time, pairing with iphone 4s was extremely simple. sound quality A++ (stock speakers havent installed new components yet) the list is endless
      Cons:
      installed it in the dark ( night time after work :()
      5 out of 5 people found this helpful
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      5 out of 5

      Awesome Radio

      Written By Gus F, Rockland. NY on Tuesday, January 24, 2012
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      Not only I am thrilled with this radio you can always count on the technical assistance; they are superb. Crutchfield staff is dedicated to assisting customers no matter what the questions. I will always purchase from Crutchfield because of their positive attitude and willingness to help. Keep up the great work guys and gals .
      3 out of 3 people found this helpful
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      5 out of 5

      I love this unit

      Written By BethM, Dallas, TX on Friday, January 20, 2012
      Installed in a 1985 Toyota Celica
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      I Put this unit into an older car. I am very happy with the sound quality and the bluetooth functions. As has been said before the users manual and menus leave a lot to be desired, but once I got everything set up and figured out how to do the things I wanted, its great.
      3 out of 3 people found this helpful
      Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
      "Coolness Factor"
      Build Quality
      Ease of Use
      Sound Quality
      Value
       
      5 out of 5

      Great for Ipod!!

      Written By RichardL, Santa Fe, NM on Saturday, January 07, 2012
      Installed in a 2011 Nissan Xterra
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      This receiver is awesome!! If you don't listen to anything except for your Ipod, like me, buy this receiver. It works well, looks great, and the fact that you can use it to watch video from your Ipod is also great! The only problem I've come across is people say they hear an echo of themselves when i call them using bluetooth, I've played with all the settings and can't get it to stop, oh well, sounds great on my end. In all honesty, i'm very glad i bought this receiver.
      Pros:
      Nearly everything!!
      Cons:
      Echo on other persons end, while using bluetooth.
      2 out of 2 people found this helpful
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      "Coolness Factor"
      Build Quality
      Ease of Use
      Sound Quality
      Value
       
      4 out of 5

      Pretty good receiver

      Written By Jim A, Ft.Worth, TX on Thursday, October 27, 2011
      Installed in a 2003 Toyota Tundra
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      Not much more I need to say than whats in the above sections. This is my first non-OEM receiver and I'm very happy with it. Sound quality is great, and the functionality is exactly what I was looking for.

      Four stars overall because of the difficulty in getting the album art to display consistently. If I could give it 4.5 stars I would.

      FWIW - I had to make one call to tech support during the installation. My question was answered quickly and correctly and the rest of the installation went off without problem.
      Pros:
      This type of receiver is the wave of the future. I love that the number of songs I can have in the car is limited only by the size of the HD I choose to use. I have a 128gb thumb drive, so I have plenty of music available. Installation was pretty painless using the Crutchfield supplied parts. The longest amount of time was spend soldering the wiring harness, but thats only because I'm pretty slow at it. Receiver sounds great and is generally easy to use.
      Cons:
      The ability of the receiver to display album art is pretty cool. However, using just a regular thumb drive, instead of an iPod, I can't get the receiver to display album art for all of my albums. I've tried ~20 different methods to get art displayed on all albums, to no avail. I WILL figure it out, but still a bit frustrating. Also, just to nit-pick, it takes 60-80 seconds for the receiver to read the thumb drive and begin to play. Not a deal breaker, but a bit of a pain in the @$$.
      7 out of 7 people found this helpful
      Was this review helpful?    Yes | No
      "Coolness Factor"
      Build Quality
      Ease of Use
      Sound Quality
      Value
       
      4 out of 5

      Very pleased with this unit

      Written By Lampy, Tampa, FL on Thursday, October 13, 2011
      Crutchfield Customer Review (What's this?)
       
      Initially, I purchased the KIV-701 and quickly realized it was worth the extra money to upgrade to the BT901. I am happy I did. When connecting my iPhone 4, the unit became very user friendly. Plenty of search modes to go through to find your music, although, like stated by another customer, it is sometimes time consuming if the song you want is right in the middle of the alphabet.

      The display is very crisp and works wonderfully with the backup camera. Also, with a full color spectrum, it has got to be impossible for it to not match your interior.

      My biggest complaint is the Bluetooth/iPhone 4 connection. On my end the sound is crystal clear. However, those on the other end find it difficult to hear me. This seems to be more of an iPhone issue as when I connected using my friends phone, the sound was clear on both ends. I updated my phone with the latest OS and the sound did get better, but not as good as using a different brand phone.
      1 out of 1 people found this helpful
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      1-20 of 30 >>

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      Smart people protect with SquareTrade- The best warranty at the best price

      SquareTrade Warranty
      SquareTrade Warranty 3 Year Warranty
      Your Price: $49.99
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      In business since 1999, SquareTrade is the largest independent warranty provider in the U.S.

      100% parts and labor - no deductibles

      All mechanical and electrical failures covered, includes normal wear and tear.

      Your item's repaired or the full item price returned withing 5 days

      Runs concurrent with manufacturer's warranty

      Rated 5-stars by consumers

      For a more in-depth review and enhanced detailed information on the Kenwood KIV-BT901, please visit the Crutchfield website product page (/S-yqtIhaQQ23c/p_113KIV901B/Kenwood-KIV-BT901.html ).

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      Compare with other Kenwood models

      • Kenwood KIV-BT901
      • Enjoy hands-free calling
      • 4 out of 5: IN STOCK
      • The Kenwood KIV-BT901 adds built-in Bluetooth, for hands-free calling with your compatible phone.
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      • Kenwood KIV-701
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      • Kenwood KIV-BT901
      • Digital Media Receiver
      • 4 out of 5: IN STOCK
        • The Kenwood KIV-BT901 offers:
          • 3-inch color TFT display
          • built-in Bluetooth for hands-free calling
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        Kenwood KIV-BT901
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        Kenwood KIV-BT901
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        Kenwood KIV-BT901
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        Kenwood KIV-BT901
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        Kenwood KIV-BT901
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        Kenwood KIV-BT901
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        Kenwood KIV-BT901