Just got a Kenwood eXcelon KDC-X995 and installed it in the daily. It was $242 new, cheap for a top end deck. The daily has a very similar setup to the 911 in my build thread. Both head units have 3 sets of 4V pre-outs. I rewired the daily at the same time with Monster 403 interconnects (same as the 911) and updated the amp with a an old school Alpine V8 series MRV-F340 MOSFET amp. I kept the old school Blaupunkt PCx-663 speakers and Kenwood powered sub as they are still pretty decent by today's standard. This amp is 55x4 watt rms version of the 75x4 rms amp of the same Alpine series in the 911. Given the similar setups, I have similar results.
Comparing it the KDC-HD942U in the 911, clarity sounds the same: perfect. Tuning it takes a while due to so many setup options. Menu options are almost identical between the 2 head units. The updated controls are far better to use, particularly when using an ipod. It is easier to select and update menu items. Menus are split between "audio" and "menu", so you have to know which one has the setting you are looking for. The menus also vary whether you are on HD radio, ipod or standby. As a strange note, I can only set highway volume in ipod mode; not in radio mode. It doesn't show up in the menu as an option in radio mode.
With the x995 you can set the buttons and the display colors independently. It has a neat look, but the colors are not as vivid or as bright as the HD942U. In sunlight the display can get washed out, even with the brightness turned up. Also you can't get rid of the color tint in the background of the display and have the display bright. The HD942U on the other hard just has a much brighter and sharper display with better color definition. I give Kenwood an A+ for fixing a control issues with the previous generation radios, but a C- for a less sharp display. One other neat feature is when you switch to ipod, it turns off/retracts the power antenna. Since I don't have a power antenna in the 911 (I have dual powered hidden antennas), I can't verify if the same functionily exists on the HD942U.
