Kenwood vs JVC: Important Differences

In the realm of car stereo brands, Kenwood and JVC are two rather established names. Surprisingly, not a lot of people know that both brands have been the same company for the past 10ish years.

I’ve had a few people ask me which is better in the whole Kenwood vs JVC debate.

Well, after their merger they target different consumer segments:

• Premium tier: Kenwood eXcelon. Cleaner sound, higher voltage pre-amps, and overall improved design quality. You can easily see that in car stereos such as the Kenwood DMX706S.
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• Classic tier: Kenwood. Most head units in this tier are comparable to JVC counterparts, except for the single din car audio options.
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• Value tier: JVC. In most of its lineup, JVC targets affordable car stereos comparable to Kenwood. An exception would be single din JVC units like the KD-R490 stereo, where you have the best budget takes on car audio.

In a hurry? Here are my specific recommendations, starting with the double din picks:

As far as single din audio goes, I have two Kenwood or JVC car stereo options to recommend:
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• Kenwood KDC-X304. This is pretty much the poster child of eXcelon single dins. Amazon Alexa-ready, Bluetooth connectivity on the go, 5V for a clean, crisp sound with custom frequency boost.
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  This is a top-tier car stereo not just in Kenwood terms, but for the whole market segment.
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• JVC KD-R490. A simple, very affordable take on single-din head units. Built for those who just want to listen to music and nothing else.
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  You have 15 EQ presets and just the right amount of audio control for a great time with your favorite songs.

In general, I think if you have the money, you should always go for an eXcelon model. These are comparable to more premium brands like Alpine, for example.

If you’re on a budget, I’d recommend picking a Kenwood double din or a JVC for the single dins.

I’ll start off the article with some company history. Don’t worry – it won’t be too tedious (I hope!) There are some interesting facts behind it which have made me use Kenwood products:

In case you want to dive straight into the product comparison part, feel free to use the Table of Contents to do so.

So here’s the thing. Both of these used to be ancient separate companies. JVC started out back in 1927 and actually made the first commercial VHS.

Kenwood itself is a your typical post-WW2 Japanese brand. It was very active in the rise of Japanese technology up until the Asian financial bubble popped.

Around the mid-00s, things started getting tough for both brands. Increased competition – especially in the Japanese market, pushed them out of some consumer segments and they started struggling with production costs.

In 2008 JVC got rid of its home market electronic products and filed for a merger with Kenwood. The merger was finalized in the autumn of 2011.

As a result, both brands are under the umbrella of JVCKenwood corporation and share similar component manufacture. Around that time the enterprise started segmenting each brand a little bit more into specific niches.

Kenwood’s eXcelon lineup has been here for a while, though. Historically, these car stereo models were accessible only to the selected few. The biggest difference – both then and now, is that all eXcelon head units feature a 5V pre-amp.

A 5-volt pre-amp simply means you that don’t need to blast the gains of your stereo up too much. As a result, your amp gets outs cleaner, crisper sound due to working more efficiently compared to lower-voltage options.

As I pointed out earlier, if you have the budget, I’d strongly recommend you to pick the Kenwood eXcelon DMX706s here.

It’s not only about the better overall sound due to the custom-made coupling or power supply capacitors, as well as more meticulous tuning options.

Frankly, the DMX706S is pretty much a full-blown entertainment hub. Even the most spoiled car audio enthusiasts will be satisfied with its suite of features.

Some standout factors that make it the best pick are the following:

• A bigger 6.95″ WVGA anti-glare screen.
• A shorter receiver chassis for easier installation and better fit.
• Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/Waze/Sirius XM
• Improved sound effect capabilities for a customized audio experience

You also have unmatched device connectivity. 5 Bluetooth devices being supported makes for a great head unit for the whole family; 3 cameras mean that you can have all the backup visual support you might need.

The only nitpick I’d have here is that the screen is resistive.

This makes it more durable (hence the 2-year warranty) but at the same time, the navigation buttons might need slightly harder.

Here’s a demonstration video of how smooth its navigation/controls are, as well as the display vibrancy:

Both of these options will be a couple of hundred bucks cheaper than the premium eXcelon head units. Here’s a rundown on some basic differences between the Kenwood DMX4707S and the JVC KW-V250BT.

Screen size: Kenwood’s option has a bigger 6.8″ screen compared to the 6.2″ with the JVC. The DMX4707S unit has more vibrant colors and is capacitive, making it very sensitive to touch. You can navigate all of its controls with just a light tap of your fingers.

Connectivity: DMX4707S has full Android Auto and Apple CarPlay support. The cheaper JVC option has neither; it does support Bluetooth and USB connections though. Both are Sirius XM-ready.

Audio: Interestingly enough, JVC fares better here. Both car stereos have the Time Alignment feature. Basically, the receiver adjusts the sound output based on your listening position for a surround-sound experience.

JVC KW-V250BT adds space enhancement based on the size of your car for better spread-out sound from its speakers.

Backup camera support: Both units can be hooked up with a backup camera. The Kenwood is slightly better because it also supports Parking guidelines for a more accurate visual experience.

Not everybody needs the multimedia experience of a double din car stereo. And you know what – that’s perfectly fine. Some people just want to listen to their favorite music, with maybe a Bluetooth/USB connectivity factor thrown in the mix.

Like I said, in case you’re looking for a basic in-dash receiver that covers the fundamentals of car audio just get the JVC KD-R490 stereo.

You have 1 USB port, as well as a front AUX output with a 2.5V 4-ohm subwoofer.

The sound quality is neat and the subwoofer is loud enough (50W), especially considering the neat 3-band parametric equalizer with 15 EQ presets to supplement your audio experience.

A standout feature for this budget is the availability of wireless remote control and the fact the unit is steering remote control-ready. Not many comparable models have this.

Things look different with the more premium Kenwood KDC-X304.

It starts with the improved audio quality due to the 5V pre-amp I discussed earlier. Crisp, clean, engulfing sound for any car of any size. There’s also a custom-made sonic boost so you can hear your music better even on noisier roads.

This head unit is also Amazon Alexa-ready. For those of you who want an easier navigation and control process while driving, this is godsent.

Not many single dins have this kind of support. You can even listen to audiobooks, podcasts, or other content.

Connectivity-wise, the KDC-X304 follows eXcelon fundamentals. Not only does it support Spotify, but you have also rapid-charge capabilities for Android from your USB port.

Bluetooth is included too, with the possibility to connect up to 5 Bluetooth devices to the neat little in-dash car receiver.

The screen is also beautiful. There’s a lot of LED action going on, with a wide variety of colors to customize it in. Not everyone cares about that, but if you do, you’ll have plenty of fun with the KDC-X304 car stereo.

I really hope I could provide you with just the right amount of information if you were wondering which of the two brands makes more sense as a purchase.

While they’re united in one and the same enterprise and do share some production similarities, ultimately these brands often cater to different audiences. Well, at least in a significant portion of their head audio head unit lineup.

The total of five in-dash receivers I listed are both Kenwood and JVC’s most popular models for their category. The specific features, aligned with their pricing category make up for a great overall choice.

Feel like you want to take a look at other car audio options both brands have to offer? It’s understandable, especially since JVC has a huge variety of stereos. Here are some quick links:

This article was strictly related to car audio systems a.k.a. stereo head units. Are you looking to supplement your vehicle with some more serious sonic action?

In case you’re looking for true oomph, I also have an article on the Kicker series of coaxial speakers. They might not produce head units, but in other car audio segments, they kick some serious butt.

As I always say in my posts: let me know about your own experiences. Which brand did you prefer, and why? I’m very keen on hearing your perspective too.