Wrangler Subwoofer Wiring

Review by C. Augenstein : superb money saving excellent appliance

I usually don't do reviews, but I am so happy with this purchase I had to. I searched around for an entire month trying to find the right receiver. I think that for the money this product is hands down a total score! It has an aux and a usb. Now, when I purchased this I was thinking on using the ipod with the aux input originally. While the usb port can be used for direct Ipod connection and memory stick media (memory stick media?!) I figured I'd only use it to charge my ipod once the bat was running low. I have heard such bad things about ipod/usb functionality in radio receivers that I never thought I would actually use it. I love my ipod, and with the 32,000+ songs I have on there, being able to quickly scroll to what I want is essential, and its pretty hard to keep track of the new stuff I put on because I don't have enough time in the day to listen to all the songs, so I do a lot of rating. trying to scroll through quickly using any receiver search button seemed like a joke and you can't rate songs when you can't use the ipods native click wheel. But i digress. The point is I looked in the manual and found "hands-on/hands/off". With the ipod plugged into the usb port on the receiver I can hit 1 and 3 on the radio and switch between the modes. Now I can use the benefits of the usb port (charging, quality sound) AAAAND use my ipods native clickwheel functionality at the same time. I don't even use the aux anymore! and whenever I decide I want to listen to the ipod on random i just push button 1 on the radio and my artist/album scroll across the screen and I am still happy. The only thing so far that is negative are: 1.the screen during the day is almost impossible to see with sunlight on it. it just looks pink. 2.when using the awesome usb mode i quickly mentioned up top.....for the first 30 seconds in either hands-on/hands-off mode you get a little song distortion because it is loading up i guess. Like i said i have over 30,000 songs and if i get 2 noise interruptions for a second a piece for the first 30 seconds of run-time and thats it, i'd say this is an outstanding product for all who love using there ipods in the car! buy it. u will be very happy. also, I have 4 polk audio db and they sound outstanding with all but a tiny fragment of songs in the hip-hop genre.

Review by Bryan Cha "BCha" : Nice unit with right price

It is a really nice unit with right price for all the features. I installed it in Hyundai Elantra and it sounds great with a set of factory speakers. The Hyundai special connector was ordered through Ebay (cheaper than Amazon) and the installation was straight forward once I figured out how. During the soldering of all connections and insulating them, I must have made a small mistake of shorting a set of speaker wires. This unit detected the short and gave me a warning on the display. I fixed the problem and finished the installation. I tested the radio, USB and CD with MP3 and WMA songs. The sound was excellent with a set of factory speakers. I planned to change out the speakers eventually. However, I didn't test IPOD and Aux inputs. Pros: plenty of powers, great sounds, USB and CD support of MP3 and WMA songs. Cons: hard to see display in bright day light.

Review by P Diddy : MP345U Review

I've the radio for about a good 2 months now and decided to write something about it. Good feature packed radio with several options and the usb input rocks with my iphone (OS 4.0, Reboot phone, works fine). There are several options to tweak the radio to your personal preference with sub in/out, LPF filters, bass/treb/mid/sub controls. Also a setting for small or large car speakers (5" or 6x9). Its got some preset eq on there too, but its not too great. There are only two gripes I have about the radio. 1) The display dimmer is for lack of a better word is crap! The blue display is beautiful but most of the time during the day (pretty much 6 out of 7 days a week), it can't be seen when there's a good amount of sunlight out, keeping this in mind I've pretty much memorized where my finger needs to go. Works great in the dark or when its low light outside. My last kenwood display and dimmer setting were much better. Not that I'm looking at it often but just to glance down and see the station/artist or time would be nice when I do. 2) The 'settings' control drives me absolutely nuts on some days. The setting by default (another feature from my old kenwood) does not time out, say after about 5-10 seconds. Explanation.. when you push in the volume control to make changes to your bass/treb etc. it will stay in that particular setting menu unless you use the 'return' button. I'm sure this is what the return button is for, but I like to concentrate on DRIVING and not remembering I didn't exit out of the bass setting, so when I turn the volume up/down and it adjusts the settings instead of the volume. This also holds true for operating any device you plug in with the usb. This may seem somewhat insignificant, however, these menus are about 3 to 4 layers deep to get into and exit out of. So it takes some 'focus' when making changes doing folder/playlist/artist searchs, and I'm not willing to take that much time off the road and look at my radio to turn the dial and hit the return & search button. So I usually try to get my playlist/setting etc. set b4 I pull out of the parking so I don't have to do much except adjust the volume or advance the next song. Ahh, there is a 3rd gripe, but I've never really used any remote that came with my radio as it is another distraction, but the remote sensor isn't all that great. Given the distance from the radio from when I'm pointing it from my gear shift you have to make sure to 'aim' exactly at the sensor which is beside the volume button (I think). Just pointing it at random doesn't get it. Again, the few times I've used it to use the mute feature has been rare but its not that big of a deal, since I'm not trying to 'memorize' the buttons since I'm not going to look at the thing while I'm driving. With the pro/cons of the radio, its a great value and was an inexpensive way to get usb functionality with my iphone, because it controls it just like an ipod and charges it too. However it is difficult using the search features b/c it takes you looking down at the radio to get a good handle on what your doing. I hope going forward in the future they make it somewhere a bit more 'simplified' and work on the dimmer (still drives me crazy). All said and done, I probably would buy this head unit again and would recommend it as it is a feature packed radio and allows you to personalize your 'thump' very well. Oh, and the cd player works too (people still use those? laff) and the aux input.

Review by Cobretti "Eric" : Very Satisfied

Bought this item for it's ipod capabilities and it works great. It controls the ipod 160gb classic right from the radio using the usb port. It also charges the ipod as well. The only drawback I have found with the unit is that the tone controls only add or subtract 8db for the bass, mid, and treble. The unit it replaces used to add 12db.

Review by J. Navarre : Excelent stereo

I've been using this stereo for 3 weeks now and am very pleased with it. I've used it with a 3rd gen 30Gig ipod with no problems. I played mp3s off of a 2Gig thumb drive. And the tuner works well also.

Review by joyello18 : Perfect for use with iPhone or iPod

Purchased this for my husband to use in his 2003 Toyota Corolla. He has an iPhone, and this unit is advertised as working well with iPods or iPhones. It works great! USB INPUT You use the standard iPod cable that goes from the bottom, wide, data plug at the bottom of the iPod, and has USB at the other end (same cable you connect to your computer with). The Kenwood unit received the USB end. CONTROLLING THE IPOD Depending on the order you plug things in (if you are already playing music on the iPod, or not), you can use the iPod or iPhone to control your music selections (using click wheel, etc) OR you can use the Kenwood unit to control your music selections. My husband likes controlling the iPod by using the Kenwood unit. I prefer to control the iPod itself, since I'm familiar with its navigation. You can control the iPod even while it's plugged into the unit (unlike the Sony unit I have in my car, which once it's plugged in, you can't control the iPod without unplugging it - irritating). CHARGES IPOD Since you're using the data/charging port, it charges your iPod while you're driving, so you don't have to worry about draining your battery on a long road trip. AUX INPUT There is also an auxiliary input, if someone wants to play music in your car, but has a different mp3 unit. The aux plug-in receives a cable connected to the mp3 player's headphone jack. This of course, will not charge the player's battery, and will not give you data (song titles, etc.) on the Kenwood screen. So this is why the USB port is so great if you're buying this for primary iPod or iPhone use. INSTALLATION We did not purchase any special "kits" for installing this unit. My husband is relatively technical, and he had no problem installing this in his 2003 Corolla, using only the pieces in the box (well, some tools like screwdriver, and saudering iron to connect wires were also necessary). It took him a couple hours. I saw that some other people had purchased harness wires or install kits along with this unit, but that wasn't necessary for us. And also, this is an amazingly low price for any car stereo, not to mention one that works this great with iPods!!!

Review by Shane Allen Windham : MP3 Bliss!

Kenwood makes some great car stereos. But I really got more than I expected out of this thing. I loved that I could hook an iPod/iPhone directly to it with a USB plug and could then use the stereo controls to choose songs. But there's also the standard input, just in case you want to control song selection with the iPod/iPhone. AND the damn thing will play MP3 cd's, which is a big plus for me (since you can fit close to 10 cds worth of music on one MP3 cd). The manual made the controls easy to understand. There are preset tones, in addition to the manual sound controls. Comes with a remote and a disconnecting face-plate. Just a solid purchase all around. You won't regret it.

Review by Max Moses Feinstein : Fantastic headunit - Easy to install, painless to use, and it sounds great!

Like one of the other reviewers, I don't often post feedback, but I'm so impressed by this unit that I felt obligated to do so. After having miserable experiences with two other headunits (one died on me, and the next one wouldn't come close to installing correctly), I finally scored this Kenwood gem. First off, the install couldn't have been easier. I'm not a professional, but rather an electronics geek with an interest in cars and an intermediate ability to perform DIY work. That said, the Kenwood unit fit perfectly, was easy and straightforward to wire, and didn't present any issues whatsoever. The hardware that came with this unit was more than adequate -- different types of mounting screws and a wiring harness (which had colors that lined up perfectly with my Subaru Forester's stock harness). The unit is also pretty simple to use. Like most basic single-DIN headunits, it doesn't exactly provide the ease of navigation that you'd get from a larger touch screen. Nevertheless, navigation through the various menus is satisfactory. Perhaps the most impressive aspect of the Kenwood MP345U is the unexpectedly fantastic audio quality! (In addition to the headunit, I have two 50watt RMS aftermarket speakers powered by a 100watt amplifier.) My last working headunit, a Sony, sounded just fine. But the difference between the Sony and the Kenwood unit became evident after only 30 seconds of sampling a song! I have an extensive background in music recording, so I'm quite familiar with nuances in EQ changes and tonal qualities. I must say, the Kenwood blew me away! I'm convinced that even a listener without professional music experience would detect a difference in quality between the Kenwood and the Sony. Needless to say, I'm thrilled about how great it sounds! Job well done, Kenwood. This is my first product from them, and I'm hooked. In the future, I'll definitely go out of my way to purchase Kenwood products when I need new audio equipment. Highly recommended.

Review by K. Godshall "KAG" : Chose this over a lot of others

I did a lot of research when looking for a receiver to replace my factory unit in my 2000 Miata. I wanted to be able to play my iPod video and use a USB thumbdrive without getting into a lot glitz. For the money this Kenwood is a solid buy. Pros: -I love the power this puts out. The clarity of the music that I get even with the top down is fantastic. -The controls are fairly intuitive and I like that it has hard buttons which are easy to find and use while driving. There is a small learning curve as far as customizing your settings, but it's fairly straightforward. The main rotary knob has a solid feel to it and is easy to adjust while driving. -The display is simple without a lot of dancing lights and so on. -Hooks up easily with my iPod, scrolls through all the normal iPod settings: Genre, artist, albums, etc with ease. -The Ipod also charges when hooked into the USB port. -The USB port has a cover which feels solid when moving it. -Don't know how much I'll use the remote, but it is nicely designed and feels well made. Cons: -Sunlight seriously wipes out the display screen, making it difficult to read without straining your eyes. -The unit activates my power antenna whenever it's turned out, even if the radio isn't engaged. I don't love having the antenna constantly up. For the price, I'm well pleased with this Kenwood. I looked around, and couldn't find a receiver that would solve all my wants in this price range. The Kenwood seems like it's well made, it handles lots of formats and is easy to use. All in all a good receiver.