Hot or Not? Kenwood Entre Entertainment Media Server $399.88 List $1499.98

[Vasp]

I'm not an audiophile. But just found this

Text

Any opinions. The only other place I found this was at crutchfield @$799.99 for a refurb

Vanns also has a refurb unit ofr $299

 

[mundhra]

Analog Audio Outputs: Left/Right

you'd have to use an analog or digital out into a receiver to use a center or surrounds

 

[Goosemaster]

Originally posted by: mundhra

Analog Audio Outputs: Left/Right

you'd have to use an analog or digital out into a receiver to use a center or surrounds

?

Digital Audio Inputs: 2 (1 Coaxial, 1 Optical), 1 Optical Output

 

[cyberia]

Wow. Lot's of features. It is overwhelming just to read all that stuff. Sounds like you have to pay somebody to be able to connect this thing to the Internet.

Perhaps there is a simpler solution: a wireless media player(or whatever they are called).

 

[DavidKing]

So Can I update it from a PC and upgrade the HDD?

 

[rs]

I looked into this a bit. I think I'm not going to bite, but it may be a good deal for some.

First of all, it's also available from the same vendor for $299 as a refurb, here. In my experience (15 years in the audio industry), refurbs like this have a higher out-of-the-box defect rate than new units, but over the long term tend to be equally reliable. (The reason for the higher initial defect rate is intermittant problems that were not caught when refurbed, so make sure to put the unit through all its motions when you get it home.) Personally, if I were to buy one, I'd save the $100 and get the refurb.

The other interesting piece of info is that originally this unit included a free (lifetime?) subscription to Sirius Radio's music channels. See this. However, a quick call to Kenwood resulted in me being told that this is no longer offered. I did not persue this; maybe a call to Sirius would have netted a different result, who knows.

Why aren't I buying one? Well, it's old technology (small, although apparantly upgradeable, HD, no DVD recorder, etc.) and, from the reviews I saw it was a bit finicky to begin with. Sounds like a big, bulky unit that does little more than a smaller, cheaper unit or standalone PC could do these days. It may have been worth $1500 in 2002 but it sure isn't worth nearly that much now. Still a very interesting item for $300, though. I have to admit I'm curious to read others' takes on it here.

 

[flot]

Read a quick review, and some of the thigns the reviewer seemed "a little disappointed about" were total deal breakers. For instance, the reviewer claimed that MP3s played off the hard drive couldn't be served up through the optical out - although regular CDs could.

Overall it seems like a big waste of money - I couldn't come up with any useful purpose for the thing. (it seems to specialize in letting you rip your own cds....) like RS said, a few years ago this may have been worthwhile, but I think those days are over.

 

[hytek369]

wow, this thing is pretty neat. any product links?

 

[Vasp]

Originally posted by: hytek369
wow, this thing is pretty neat. any product links?

here

 

[thedealmaker]

Vann's is selling the same thing in ebay for same price, but it doesn't say refurb in ebay auction. Maybe those are new?

 

[hytek369]

Originally posted by: Vasp

Originally posted by: hytek369
wow, this thing is pretty neat. any product links?

here

thanks man

 

[shizANDgigglez]

I believe this product was originally designed to be a HUB of sorts with Kenwood's 400+3 Disc Mega DVD Changers. It offers an improved interface and library functions to organize and store up to 1209 DVDs. 3 of the changers can be daisy-chained to reach that figure. The most complete information I've seen about this unit is at the AVSForum. Do a search there and you'll be surprised at what those guys have been able to make it do and what they've done to get around the shortcomings.


Regards,

Shiz