Power is nothing without control...
Written: Aug 22 '01 (Updated Aug 29 '01)
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Pros: Lots of power, internal low-pass filter
Cons: Filter is not ajustable, no bass boost, solid construction
The Bottom Line: Nice powerful amp at a good price, but doesn't allow any fine-tuning of the output, ans is not well-suited for use with subwoofers.
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| rfman's Full Review: Kenwood KAC-729S Car Amp |
In my recent endeavors to upgrade my car's audio system, I purchased a Kenwood KAC-729S amplifier to power my 2 newly acquired JL Audio 10W1 subwoofers. I purchased the Kenwood amplifier over other models because I was quite satisfied with another Kenwood amp I was already using, a KAC-176 that I've had for a few years. The KAC-729S had sufficient power to drive my subwoofers correctly, and the price was very good. So I brought it home and installed it a few days later when I had finished my box.
Here are my impressions on the Kenwood KAC-729S amplifier:
THE VERY GOOD:
-Low price. This amplifier is inexpensive, while maintaining acceptable performance standards. That's what attracted me to the amplifier initially, along with the Kenwood name, with which I have been satisfied in the past.
THE GOOD:
-Power. The power is certainly there, and cranked way up with a clean input signal, this amp can really drive speakers hard. It should be sufficient for all but the biggest of subwoofers.
-Sturdy construction. It appears quite solid and heavy, and thermal dissipation should not be an issue with this model. Kenwood models have been very durable in my experience, with previous car audio amplifiers I have had and still use lasting through sub-zero temperatures and blistering heat without faltering.
-Integrated low-pass filter. This is a nice feature to drive subwoofers, but it's not adjustable, which is a big problem for this amplifier.
THE NOT-SO-GOOD:
-The low pass crossover. Why it isn't adjustable is beyond me. It is on my KAC-716 from 3 years ago. If they were going to put a crossover in, they should have done it right. My 2 10" subwoofers driven by this amplifier are in a custom constructed ported box that I have specially tuned to play higher bass frequencies (I have another 12" in a bandpass enclosure for the real low-end). The Kenwood's crossover seems to cut off slightly too low for my purposes, and it ruins the sound from my box. If I disable the filter, it actually sounds much better, but it greatly reduces the power I get from the subwoofers.
-When bridged in mono mode, only the left channel input is used. This is particularly bizarre in my view, and is an obvious cost-cutting compromise. This will usually not be a huge problem, unless you don't keep your balance control neutral, or you listen to music with an different bass response in the different channels. But it's still an issue that should not be present on any amplifier.
THE REALLY BAD:
-Nothing to report here
*** UPDATE ***
I've since bought an Alpine MRV-T707 amplifier to power my JL Audio subwoofers (It's a much better amp, with all sorts of tunable controls, but at twice the price of this Kenwood. I'd write an exhaustive review, but it's not yet listed on Epinions) I used the Kenwood KAC-729s in full-range mode to power my rear Infinity Reference 2-way 6x9 speakers. It does a really good job at that, as no crossovers are needed. If you're powering a pair of large full-range speakers, the KAC-729s might could be a good choice at a great price.
Recommended:
No
Amount Paid (US$): 160
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Epinions.com ID:
rfman
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 - Top 1000 |
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Member: Luc Delorme
Location: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Reviews written: 103
Trusted by: 15 members
About Me:
Electrical Engineer, amateur photographer, car buff, technophile, video game player and collector.
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