Kenwood Excelon DPX594BT

More control, more music

Looking for a dash-filling car stereo that's simple to use and delivers sweet sound? The Kenwood Excelon DPX594BT CD receiver includes larger, easier-to-use buttons, as well Amazon Alexa voice controls and compatibility with their free Remote app. The big 3-line display shows you all your music information, while its versatile Bluetooth® options also get your smartphone involved in the action wirelessly.

As far as music, Kenwood loaded this receiver up with controls for Pandora® and Spotify®, or you can add satellite radio for the longest road trips. There's even a front USB port to charge and play music from your iPhone® or slap in a USB drive filled with high-res music. Kenwood backs up this receiver with a 2-year warranty.

Alexa voice control

After you load the Alexa app onto your phone and pair your phone to this Kenwood receiver, simply press the dedicated "Alexa" button on the faceplate, and you can access music, audiobooks, news, weather, traffic, and smart home controls using your voice.

Wireless goodness

Bluetooth is the norm for wireless phone functionality these days. The DPX594BT lets you pair two Bluetooth-equipped phones and quickly switch between them for hands-free calling. You can also stream music, audiobooks, and podcasts from the phone that's active. Kenwood also added a little fun to audio streaming with their Music Mix feature — pair five phones so everybody can pick their tunes for the ultimate road trip playlist. Bluetooth also lets you control this stereo directly from your iPhone® or Android™ phone by downloading Kenwood's free Remote app.

Lots of music options

You can play and charge your iPhone or check out a thumb drive filled with high-res FLAC and WAV files through this receiver's front USB port. Android™ users, you can control and play music using Bluetooth. Kenwood rounds out the connectivity with a front aux input for a portable music player. The DPX594BT gives you all kinds of radio options, with controls for Spotify and Pandora, along with an option for SiriusXM (satellite radio tuner and subscription also required). This Kenwood's sensitive radio tuner will pick up local AM and FM analog stations, too.

Tone it up

Once you've got your music selected, you can use this Kenwood's 13-band equalizer and digital time alignment to zero in on that sweet sound you want. You can even use their handy Remote app to easily set your vehicle type, crossover settings, and preset EQ choice — all to get the best sound possible. Kenwood included three sets of hot 5-volt preamp outputs for ultra-clean sound to go to additional amps or a powered subwoofer.