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Video: Valor ITS-301D in-dash DVD receiver
Meet Ken Nail
My name is Ken. I seek the Holy Grail of car audio excellence. My favorite color is blue.
I came to Crutchfield in 1999. During my six years as a Crutchfield Advisor, I learned a lot about the technology behind great car and home audio. I learned even more about what people wanted in their car stereo systems.
I've been a writer for car audio and fitness tech at Crutchfield since 2005. Over the last few years, I've also carved out a niche producing demo videos for our in-dash car stereos. The hands-on experience I get with car stereos while doing video production is an invaluable aid to me in learning about their exciting features. This helps me convey that information to our customers when I write about the stereo on our website.
Before coming to Crutchfield, I spent 10 years teaching music in Charlottesville area schools. I keep my musical interests satisfied by volunteering as a classical music DJ at a local community radio station, and I stay up to date with the latest in outdoor tech by cycling, running, and backpacking.
Fun facts: I've completed an Ironman triathlon, run the Boston Marathon, hiked 1150 miles of the Appalachian Trail, and lost on Jeopardy!
More about Ken
Started at Crutchfield in 1999
Completed our in-house Advisor training, learning all the details of every type of product we sell
Attend dozens of vendor training events every year
Authored dozens of Crutchfield articles and hundreds of product presentations, primarily focused on in-dash car stereos, plus outdoor tech like running watches and cycling computers
Eating up the highway with clarity and volume — a champion of car audio.
During my first few years at Crutchfield, I served as one of our Advisors, helping our customers choose new audio components for their homes and cars. Eventually, I moved to the writing team and spent a decade researching new products and getting even more hands-on with car audio gear.
I've performed many car and home audio installations over the years, some of them even on my own cars. As the editor of Crutchfield's car audio web articles, I couldn't ask for a cooler job. We listen to music and play with car audio gear every day!
Like most of us here, I've always been into music. I installed my first car stereo system before the family car was even mine. In college, I helped friends and roommates install their car stereos and set up the stereos in their apartments. I was a volunteer DJ for the local community radio station for a few years (playing late night metal and Sunday morning bluegrass & alt-country). That's where I also first learned a little bit about sound mixers.
These days, I serve my community by volunteering with the Boys Scouts of America. I also love playing board games & RPGs, spending time with my family, and installing new audio systems for my friends.
More about Robert
Started at Crutchfield in 1999
Completed our thorough in-house Advisor training, learning about the ins and outs of our various products
Stays up-to-date by attending vendor training sessions for new products
Welcome to this article from the Crutchfield archives. Have fun reading it, but be aware that the information may be outdated and links may be broken.
Ken and Robert, Crutchfield car stereo experts, illustrate some of the cool features of Valor's ITS-301D DVD receiver.
Patented Virtual Audio™ technology
Audition speakers before you buy
Virtual Audio technology allows you to compare sonic characteristics between speakers so you can make a more informed shopping decision.SpeakerCompare simulates the sound of home and car speakers through your headphones. It lets you compare sonic characteristics between speakers so that you can make a more informed shopping decision.Learn how SpeakerCompare works.
For free personalized advice, call 1-888-291-8923. Our Advisors have listened to most of the speakers we carry, and can help you make the best choice for your system.
SpeakerCompare tailors your listening experience to the exact headphones you have, so that what you hear is comparable to auditioning speakers side-by-side in person. Knowing which model headphones you’re using lets us remove any sonic coloring from your experience.
In an actual listening room, you'd find that some speakers play louder than others when fed the same amount of power. In equal power mode, you'll hear these differences in loudness as they naturally occur between speakers.
In equal volume mode, we've made the loudness of each speaker about the same. This gives you a more direct comparison of subtle voicing differences between speakers.
SpeakerCompare gives you a sense of the sonic differences. But performance in the real world is affected by the acoustics of your car or home, your choice of amplification, and your source material. We still believe that the gold standard for auditioning speakers is hearing them in your own environment — that’s why we offer a 60-day money-back guarantee.
For free personalized advice, call 1-888-291-8923. Our Advisors have listened to most of the speakers we carry, and can help you make the best choice for your system.
Our Listening Kit
To help you choose the right speakers, we recommend using Crutchfield’s SpeakerCompare Listening Kit to ensure a crystal-clear listening experience. It’s available for a nominal rental fee, and includes a $25 Crutchfield merchandise credit.
Our headphone testing and research is ongoing. If your headphones are not currently selectable, please use the link below to request our Listening Kit.
To help you choose the right speakers, we recommend using Crutchfield’s SpeakerCompare Listening Kit. It includes a pair of studio-quality headphones, a combination DAC (digital-to-analog converter) and headphone amp, USB mobile adapters, and a guide to getting the most out of your session. We’ve carefully chosen the components of this kit to ensure a crystal-clear listening experience. It’s available for a nominal rental fee, and includes a $25 Crutchfield merchandise credit.
Our headphone testing and research is ongoing. If your headphones are not currently selectable, please use the link above to request our Listening Kit.
Kit includes:
Sennheiser HD 280 Pro over-the-ear headphones
AudioQuest DragonFly® Black DAC/headphone amp
Guide to getting the most out of your listening session
Meet Ken Nail
My name is Ken. I seek the Holy Grail of car audio excellence. My favorite color is blue.
I came to Crutchfield in 1999. During my six years as a Crutchfield Advisor, I learned a lot about the technology behind great car and home audio. I learned even more about what people wanted in their car stereo systems.
I've been a writer for car audio and fitness tech at Crutchfield since 2005. Over the last few years, I've also carved out a niche producing demo videos for our in-dash car stereos. The hands-on experience I get with car stereos while doing video production is an invaluable aid to me in learning about their exciting features. This helps me convey that information to our customers when I write about the stereo on our website.
Before coming to Crutchfield, I spent 10 years teaching music in Charlottesville area schools. I keep my musical interests satisfied by volunteering as a classical music DJ at a local community radio station, and I stay up to date with the latest in outdoor tech by cycling, running, and backpacking.
Fun facts: I've completed an Ironman triathlon, run the Boston Marathon, hiked 1150 miles of the Appalachian Trail, and lost on Jeopardy!
More about Ken
More from Ken Nail
How to build the ideal car stereo system
Fitness gear for a triathlete-in-training
Fitness tracker buying guide
Quick guide to matching subs & amps
Car stereo FAQ
Car stereo installation gear made easy
Meet Robert Ferency-Viars
Eating up the highway with clarity and volume — a champion of car audio.
During my first few years at Crutchfield, I served as one of our Advisors, helping our customers choose new audio components for their homes and cars. Eventually, I moved to the writing team and spent a decade researching new products and getting even more hands-on with car audio gear.
I've performed many car and home audio installations over the years, some of them even on my own cars. As the editor of Crutchfield's car audio web articles, I couldn't ask for a cooler job. We listen to music and play with car audio gear every day!
Like most of us here, I've always been into music. I installed my first car stereo system before the family car was even mine. In college, I helped friends and roommates install their car stereos and set up the stereos in their apartments. I was a volunteer DJ for the local community radio station for a few years (playing late night metal and Sunday morning bluegrass & alt-country). That's where I also first learned a little bit about sound mixers.
These days, I serve my community by volunteering with the Boys Scouts of America. I also love playing board games & RPGs, spending time with my family, and installing new audio systems for my friends.
More about Robert
More from Robert Ferency-Viars
How to choose a radar detector
Car stereo buying guide
Review of the Sony XAV-AX5500 car stereo
Single-DIN vs Double-DIN car stereos
How to connect your new car stereo's wiring
How to choose a replacement FM antenna for your car