The Kenwood Excelon KDC-X697 CD receiver is a great choice if you prefer a single DIN receiver in your car. You can adjust the color of the button illumination to suit your tastes, and you can switch its three-line, full-dot display over to an easy-to-read two-line configuration with larger font size.

The KDC-X697 is a versatile receiver that gives great performance with multiple entertainment options.

Connect your iPod® or iPhone® to the receiver's front-panel USB input, and you'll blaze through your tracks and playlists, as dedicated "Search" and "Return" keys cut down on the need to work through menus when you're looking for a specific song.

Pandora Internet Radio and iHeart Radio users will appreciate this receiver's excellent built-in controls — you can scroll through your stations and give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down right from the receiver's face.

If you store your music on an Android device, download Kenwood's free Music Control app and enjoy a variety of search and playback features when your phone is plugged into the front-panel USB.

If you're in the mood to kick it old-school, slip in a CD and take full advantage of this receiver's 24-bit digital-to-analog converter. It converts the raw data on your disc, including MP3, WMA, and AAC files, to smooth, lifelike sound. (It'll make a big difference in the music on your iPod or thumb drive, too.)
For satellite radio subscribers (or those who plan to be), the KDC-X697 works with SiriusXM's outboard tuner (not included), so you can enjoy coast-to-coast reception of your favorite talk, sports, and music programming.

Dual front and rear USB ports give you extra expandability options.

The KDC-X697's features an amazing 3-band parametric equalizer, high- and low-pass filters, and selectable bass boost, along with settings that let you adjust for your car's speaker setup.

If you're building a car audio system, one of the keys to the getting the most out of your amplifiers is a clean, powerful signal from your preamp outputs. All Kenwood Excelon receivers feature 4-volt preamp outputs that will give your amps the strong signal they need for top performance.

In most vehicles, you can use an adapter to connect your vehicle's steering wheel controls to this Kenwood stereo. Connect a few wires, then program the adapter for your particular car and this Kenwood, and you'll retain the convenience of your steering wheel controls.

General Features:

    CD receiver with AM/FM tuner
    built-in MOSFET amplifier (22 watts RMS/50 peak x 4 channels)
    Pandora and iHeartRadio control with iPhone
    Kenwood's free Music Control app enables limited control over Android devices
    plays CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RW discs including discs loaded with AAC, MP3, and WMA music files
    detachable face with adjustable multi-line display and variable-color button illumination
    remote control
    EQ Pro (8 preset EQ curves and a 3-band parametric equalizer)
    speaker size settings
    Supreme Setting improves the sound of files encoded at low bit rates
    3-level bass boost
    high- and low-pass filters; subwoofer level and phase control
    compatible with most factory steering wheel audio controls (adapter required)

    2-yr limited warranty

Expandability:

    iPod/iPhone direct control via USB input — no adapter necessary, but adding Kenwood's optional connecting cable lets you leave your iPod cable at home
    SiriusXM-ready (SVX-200 tuner and subscription required)
    inputs: front-panel auxiliary and USB input
    outputs: 6-channel preamp outputs (4-volt front, rear, and subwoofer)