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Originally Posted by gunbir  But Kenwood makes some great sounding head units. I dont know your particular model or what exactly happened (though I have a guess or two) but lets not crap the whole brand as such. Their HUs and Amps are quite decent, even great in some cases. Their speakers etc are now avoidable. |
Well, I may not be very good in explaining the technical details. But, if you look at the degree of control Kenwood and Pioneer offer on the boost / attenuation, you may get a picture. Example: +/-8dB seems to be the boost/cut range in Kenwood (entry level units), Pioneer offers +/-12dB (similar priced units). The loudness function also seems to have a greater depth in Pioneer than in Kenwood. This indirectly indicates the control dynamic range (from a voltage margin perspective) that the brand is willing to commit. I also observe that my current Sony HU also offers higher boost/cut levels.
From a sheer drive perspective, both brands are rated at 22W continuous - though Pioneer has a 5% THD in the full bandwidth as against a better 1% THD of Kenwood. This is probably because of the higher committed dynamic voltage range in Pioneer. Of course, this means that if you ever happened to drive the HUs to full rated power, then Pioneer has a higher distortion. But, at lower sound levels, on most common days, in the linear zones, THD may be similar [I guess].
But, Gunbir-jee, these are the specs, on paper. What really matters is the real world feel. Of course, the nature of music one prefers also matters. This is where I feel Kenwood is a let down - though I don't know the exact technical reasons.
I have listened to Kenwood, Pioneer, and Sony units in my friends' cars too, in a variety of installations. I would go with Pioneer on top, Sony in the middle and Kenwood on the bottom of the list. I don't have extensive listening experience in other brands, so can't comment.