Kenwood - tempermental! (Kenwood XD-353)

Member Name: optometrist

Product:	Kenwood XD-353
Date:	01/05/02 (835 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: excellent sound quality, Modern trendy appearance

Disadvantages: Hopeless reliabilty, Cd player vastly inferior

I purchased the Kenwood RXD 353 system about one year ago. It was the last one in the argos at thetford in suffolk. I can't quite remember the price but I think it was £180 having been reduced slightly as an end of line item.

The appearance of the system is quite satisfactory, finished in a modern silver colour with big (95watt I think) speakers. It certainly looked like a better system than my rapidly aging previous aiwa.

The system features a 3 cd player, dvd video button (and socket i presume) 2 cassette decks, auto radio tuning, graphical display, large headphone socket and of course a remote control.

The sound quality is excellent and the system is really quite easy to use. For the first 6 months the system worked in full flow and was a joy to behold. Then, just once or twice it began to reject one or two of my cd's. In a panic, I quickly purchased a cd cleaner disc as I felt the most likely explanation was the the cd laser lens needed cleaning. Following this cleaning disc being used, the kenwood worked well again. But then it began to reject cd's again, just a week or so after cleaning. I tried the cleaning disc again with no further effect.

I then purchased another, higher quality cd cleaning disc in the hope that the previous cleaning disc was no longer functioning properly (my cd player would not even recognise my first cleaning disc). There was really no effect and so I checked my warranty which was for one year, but a friend/colleague had thrown the boxes away!I telephoned argos who claimed that I would need the boxes if I expected the system to be replaced. I did not have the nerve to return the system to argos without the boxes or receipt so I grudgingly continued with the system rejecting approx 30-40% of cds. (After trying the same cd 3 or 4 times it might choose to play it)

When my patience ran out, I had the system checked by a chartered electrical engineer and a new laser was ordered. This
cost £65 or so. And for one week the system was in full working order. Now it has returned to its old habits and I'm going to give up on it.

I bought a kenwood on the basis of a good name in music, but I shall never buy another kenwood again. My colleagues have tried to defend the kenwood name by claiming the many of the items purchased from argos are likely to have fallen off the back of a lorry, which I guess I can believe from the way they carted the system into my car.

If you are going to buy this system then make sure you invesitgate the warranty and keep all relevant boxes and receipts safe! I wonder whether there is a flaw in the laser lens system or whether I was just unlucky. I will buy my next music system (hmmm maybe a denon) from a respectable electrical retailer in the future....

Summary: