Kenwood USA announced it has hired Seth Halstead to fulfill the duties of regional training manager for the company's car electronics division. The assignment provides Kenwood retailers, installers and other industry professionals in the eastern United States with a proven industry professional who will conduct in-store trainings and serve as a technical and sales resource. 

Halstead's 12-year industry career includes sales, management and installation duties at the specialist retail level, working for Sound Advice in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.; Ovation Audio/Video Solutions in Indianapolis, Ind.; and Audio Electronics, also in Indianapolis, as an MECP-certified professional. He most recently served as sales associate for Florida-based distributor Dow Electronics before joining Kenwood.

"Seth possesses a wide array of industry experience, which makes him perfect for this position," said Tony Mercado, marketing manager for Kenwood USA. "Sales and installation expertise coupled with retail and distribution backgrounds gives him the ability to relate to retailers and installers and provide not only in-depth product knowledge, but sales strategy as well."

In his new position, Halstead will work closely with eastern U.S. retailers to develop sell-through strategy and installation expertise for the company's 2015 product line. He will also attend local distributor events to teach emerging technologies such as Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™ included in the company's soon-to-ship DDX-9902S multimedia receiver.

"Since my days of competing in dB drag racing events, car audio and 12-volt overall have been my passion," said Halstead. "I look forward to continuing my career with such a forward-looking company and supporting retailers, reps and distributors in maximizing their sales opportunities with the Kenwood brand."

Halstead can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information on Kenwood products and events, please visit www.kenwood.com/usa.

Drive Recorder touts advanced safety combined with high-resolution recording and playback

LONG BEACH, CALIF. – June 13, 2016 (MEDIAWIRE) – KENWOOD USA is introducing its first advanced safety product for the North American aftermarket. Expected to ship this month with an MSRP of $250, the Drive Recorder (DRV-410) is a window-mounted, front-facing camera with recording capabilities and enhanced driver assistance features.

The Drive Recorder features a front-view, wide-angle camera that is designed to excel in nighttime and low-light situations. Its Super HD 2304x1296-pixel capability and High Dynamic Range (HDR) image processing result in video that shows details of an incident with pinpoint clarity. A built-in shock sensor allows the Drive Recorder to instantly begin storing video and audio from an impact or collision while the vehicle is parked, and incident locations are geotagged with onboard GPS.

The Drive Recorder can be set to continuously record video to a removable SD card. (An 8GB card is included, and it can accommodate up to a 32GB SD card.) Video can be viewed on the internal screen, or by downloading KENWOOD’s PC application and transferring the SD card to a computer. The unit turns on and off with vehicle ignition and can also record when the vehicle is parked thanks to its built-in rechargeable battery.
In its driver assistance package, the Drive Recorder includes lane departure warning, emitting a series of audible tones when the driver strays outside of road lane markers. Collision avoidance monitors the distance and speed of the car or object in front of the vehicle and sounds an alert if an impact is imminent. The sensor system also includes a distraction deterrent, which alerts the driver when stopped traffic ahead of the vehicle has started moving. Each of the driver assistance features can be selectively turned on or off to fit driver preference.

“Turn on the TV at any point in the day, and nearly every new car commercial is talking about the safety and driver assistance features of its new vehicle,” said Rob Sutton, director of sales. “We felt it was the right time to introduce our camera to the U.S. market. It’s been a proven winner in Japan for a number of years, so our dealers can be assured that it’s road-proven and reliable.”

The Drive Recorder should be hardwired into the vehicle ignition system as it comes with permanent mounting hardware. Professional installation is recommended. A cigarette lighter cord is also included. For more information, visit www.kenwood.com/usa.

Kenwood USA, manufacturer of premier entertainment and information solutions for the automotive aftermarket, announced that Rob Sutton has been named Director of Sales for the Car Electronics division, a promotion from Western Region Manager. The appointment strengthens Kenwood's national sales leadership with more than 25 years of industry experience.
Sutton will be responsible for developing and implementing retail-beneficial sales programs, as well as managing the company's network of regional managers and independent sales representative firms. He will also provide strategic input on initiatives to drive the brand's product development and marketing strategy.
Sutton's career path spans more than two decades, starting in retail and working with several prominent manufacturers before joining JVCKenwood (then Kenwood) in 2007. His experience includes retail, wholesale and international sales, retail buying, merchandising product management and sales management. In the past eight years, he has managed Kenwood's highest-volume region while establishing strong relationships with many retail professionals.
"Rob has done a masterful job working as Western Region Manager for the last eight years and is well suited to take on this new role," said Dave Hoag, executive vice president, car electronics. "In today’s hyper competitive market, strategic planning, execution and relationship building are fundamental requirements of success. The Kenwood team has always excelled in these areas and, without a doubt, Rob will take it to the next level."
Sutton can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information on Kenwood products and events, please visit www.kenwood.com/usa. 

Kenwood, K40 and iDatalink Maestro have partnered to announce the world’s first integration of a head unit and stealth installed radar detector.

The revolutionary new K40 radar detector will communicate with the Maestro RR integration module. When connected to a compatible Kenwood radio, the user will be able to see on screen radar alerts complete with signal strength, radar band and speed of the vehicle at time of detection. Setup and installation will be greatly simplified using on screen menus and the speaker of the audio system for the radar alerts. 

As a final touch, the driver will be able to silence alerts using steering wheel buttons and see real time status in the new Kenwood “widget” view. Shipping is scheduled to occur sometime in the second half of 2016.  

LAS VEGAS, January 5, 2017 (MEDIAWIRE) – KENWOOD is introducing its second dash camera at the 2017 CES. Joining the standalone, monitor-equipped DRV-410 is the DRV-N520, a smaller version that is intended to pair with the company’s new mech-less DMX7704S multimedia receiver.

“The DRV-410 surpassed our expectations in terms of its acceptance in the marketplace,” said Tony Mercado, marketing manager for KENWOOD. “Despite the plethora of inexpensive models on the market, many customers preferred the superior image quality and reliable operation of our unit. We’re very happy to pair these same features with an even better user experience in the DRV-N520.”

The DRV-N520 features a high-resolution, wide-angle camera that records a three-megapixel (photo quality) image. Its small footprint minimizes window blockage, and recordings are stored on a removable eight-gigabyte SD card. In addition to its recording capabilities, the camera also measures distance and velocity between it and cars or obstacles in its view. Based on circumstances, it can trigger a collision warning to the driver if it senses an imminent impact, or notify the driver in stopped traffic if the vehicle in front of it has started moving.

As the DRV-N520 is not a standalone dash camera, its control, notifications and camera view are processed on the connected DMX7704S receiver. By using the in-dash touch screen, users can change recording modes, turn collision warning and delay departure notifications on or off, and set the camera display duration. Notifications are displayed on the screen as well.

Like the DRV-410, the DRV-N520 includes an internal G sensor to detect impact, and can be set to begin recording if the vehicle is struck while parked or otherwise unoccupied. All recordings can be played back through the DMX7704S touch screen.

The suggested retail price of the DRV-N520, like the DRV-410, is $200. For more information, visit www.kenwood.com/usa.

KENWOOD USA announced that it has hired industry veteran Randy Davis to become its next Western Region Sales Manager. The manufacturer of connected and integrated technologies for the automotive aftermarket will charge Davis with overseeing sales operations in the 13 western states, from Colorado to Alaska and Hawaii.

With more than 30 years in the mobile electronics industry, Davis has spent almost his entire career with Stillwater Designs in various sales management capacities, including a seven-year posting in Europe, where he helped strengthen sales, streamline distribution infrastructure and develop new markets. Domestically, he was instrumental in developing brand messaging and implementing campaigns to support the company’s marketing channels.

“I am grateful for all the years I had with my previous employer,” said Davis. “I was able to gain extensive experience and make lifelong industry connections that I can use throughout my career. That said, KENWOOD has always been a company that thrives on product excellence and forward-thinking technology, and I am excited, in this next chapter, to employ my skills and experience with such an iconic brand.”

Based in Fort Collins, Colo., Davis plans to bolster the territory by helping sales representatives, distributors and retailers employ creative strategies to grow market share and increase sales.

“There is no question that Randy’s experience makes us a better sales and service organization,” said Rob Sutton, director of sales for KENWOOD’s car electronics division. “In addition to all of his accomplishments, he has become well-known and well-liked among industry professionals at every level. His thorough understanding of marketing strategy and execution will complement KENWOOD’s brand positioning and sales efforts with retailers and local sales representatives. We are extremely pleased to have him on board.”

Davis can be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. For more information on KENWOOD products and events, please visit www.kenwood.com/usa.