Kenwood M-9500S

Kenwood M-9500S, all-in-one connected micro system

A CD player, radio in its three forms, wireless streaming and even TV sound, all brought together in a compact unit placed on a piece of furniture: that is what this micro system from Kenwood offers. Two small speakers, a central unit with an aluminium front panel, and everything needed to provide sound for a bedroom, kitchen or small living room without stacking devices. Everything can be controlled with the remote control or from a smartphone.

All radio stations in one unit

Three ways of listening to radio coexist here. DAB+, terrestrial digital radio, broadcasts stations without the hiss and interference of the FM band, and displays the station name and current track on screen. FM is still included, with RDS also retrieving broadcast information. Then there is internet radio: as soon as the micro system joins the Wi-Fi network, it provides access to thousands of web radios and podcasts, without being limited to locally received frequencies. These three sources are grouped under the SmartRadio name.

Disc and streaming side by side

The integrated player handles both commercially released audio CDs and burned CDs filled with MP3 files, while the front USB port also plays these MP3 files. Both inputs support shuffle and repeat playback. FLAC or high-resolution collections, however, cannot be played this way.

On the wireless side, there are two options. Spotify Connect uses Wi-Fi: the phone acts as a remote control while the micro system retrieves the stream itself, leaving the smartphone free to take a call without interrupting the music. Bluetooth 5.2 (A2DP profile) takes over for everything else, whether it is a preferred streaming app or the audio from a video.

Connect the TV and add a subwoofer

The rear of the central unit offers more than just the basics. A Toslink optical input receives sound from a TV or Blu-ray player via a simple optical cable, enough to replace the often mediocre speakers of a flat-screen TV. An analogue line input accommodates a conventional source: a portable player, console, or turntable, provided it has its own preamplifier or is connected via an external phono preamp, as there is no dedicated phono input.

For bass, a subwoofer output awaits an active subwoofer. The two compact speakers do not naturally extend very low, and this connection opens the door to reinforcement in the lower end of the spectrum. A 3.5 mm headphone jack on the front panel finally allows private listening, at night or in a shared room.

Speakers, amplifier and sound adjustment

Each speaker is a two-way bass-reflex design: a 130 mm woofer-midrange driver for the body of the sound, a 30 mm dome tweeter for the highs, and a port that extends bass response lower. The integrated amplification delivers 2 × 50 watts RMS, ample power for a modest-sized living space. Five equaliser presets adjust the tonal balance according to the music style or the mood of the moment, without tedious manual adjustment.

Aluminium front panel, colour screen and control

The front panel and buttons are made of aluminium, a material that stands out from the plastic commonly found in this format and gives the central unit an understated appearance. At the centre, a 2.4-inch (6.1 cm) TFT colour screen displays the source, station and track information. The M-9500S is available in black only.

Control is provided by the supplied infrared remote control, or from a smartphone using the UNDOK and OKTIV apps (iOS and Android). These apps are used for initial network setup, source selection, management of favourites and stored stations, equaliser control and volume adjustment. The clock function completes the package with a dual alarm and sleep timer, handy for falling asleep to a web radio station.

Place it in a bedroom or kitchen

The dimensions remain compact: the central unit measures 260 mm wide, 116 mm high and 260 mm deep, weighing 2 kg, while each speaker measures 172 × 263 × 242 mm and weighs 2.4 kg. Enough to find a place on a worktop, bedside table, desk or shelf in a small living room.

Its number of sources makes it a versatile base for a secondary room: radio in the kitchen in the morning, a CD or Spotify playlist in an office, TV sound connected via optical input in a bedroom. The dual alarm and wake-up function via DAB+ or web radio also make it well suited to the bedside.

Technical specifications

Overview

• Type: connected hi-fi micro system, central unit and two bookshelf speakers
• Aluminium front panel and buttons
• 2.4-inch (6.1 cm) colour TFT display
  • Adjustable brightness: high, medium, low, night, off
• Clock with dual alarm and sleep timer
• Control via UNDOK and OKTIV smartphone apps (iOS, Android)
• Slim 31-button infrared remote control included

Amplification

• Maximum stereo output power: 2 × 50 W RMS
• Frequency response: 60 Hz to 20 kHz
• Equaliser: 5 presets (Powerful, Clear, Vibrant, Warm, Balanced)
• Tone control: bass and treble

Speakers

• Type: bookshelf speakers
• Configuration: 2-way, bass-reflex enclosure
• Mid-bass driver: 130 mm
• Dome tweeter: 30 mm
• Nominal impedance: 6 Ω
• Removable protective grille
• Screw speaker terminals

Tuner

• FM radio with RDS
  • Frequency band: 87.5 to 108 MHz
  • 20 presets
• DAB+ digital terrestrial radio
  • Frequency band: 174.928 to 239.200 MHz (Band III)
  • 20 presets
• FM antenna input (75 Ω)

Network and wireless

• Wi-Fi
  • Standards: IEEE 802.11 a / b / g / n
  • Supported encryption: WEP, WPA, WPA2 (PSK), WPS
  • Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz transmission power: 13 dBm
  • Wi-Fi 5 GHz transmission power: 13 dBm
  • Wi-Fi 5.8 GHz transmission power: 13 dBm
• Internet radio and podcasts via Wi-Fi
• Spotify Connect with Spotify Lossless Audio
• Supported streaming formats: MP3, AAC, AAC+ (up to 48 kHz, 16-bit)
• Bluetooth 5.2 Class 1
  • Profiles: A2DP, AVRCP
  • Frequency band: 2.4 GHz (2.402 to 2.480 GHz)
  • Maximum range: approximately 10 m (varies depending on environmental conditions)

CD player

• Compatible discs: CD-DA, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3
• Repeat playback: current track, current folder (MP3 only)
• Shuffle playback
• Signal-to-noise ratio: greater than 65 dB
• Dynamic range: greater than 60 dB

USB port

• USB-A host port (playback)
• USB 1.1 full-speed standard
• Compatible media: USB mass storage devices
• Compatible files: MP3
  • MP3 sampling frequency (stereo): 44.1 kHz
  • MP3 bit rate (CBR / VBR): 32 to 320 kbps
• Repeat playback: current track, current folder, all tracks
• Shuffle playback

Connectivity

• Rear Toslink optical digital input (TV, Blu-ray player)
• Rear 3.5 mm mini-jack analogue line input
• RCA subwoofer output for powered subwoofer: 25 Hz to 250 Hz (± 3 dB)
• Front 3.5 mm mini-jack headphone output

Power supply

• Mains power supply: 100 to 240 V AC (50 / 60 Hz)
• Power consumption: 40 W
• Standby power consumption: 0.9 W
• Network standby power consumption: 0.9 W
• Operating temperature range: 5 °C to 45 °C

Dimensions and weight

• Central unit: 260 × 116 × 260 mm (W × H × D), 2.0 kg
• Speaker: 172 × 263 × 242 mm (W × H × D), 2.4 kg each