“My car has dual usb ports beneath dash. Can the usb in rear of this Kenwood be connected directly to these ports instead of using a cable extended thru the glove box?”
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It can, but you have to use the correct wiring harness to allow that to happen. The connection from the factory installed USB port to the factory radio is not a typical USB cable. It will be a cable with a small plastic connector on one end that goes into the back of the factory radio. The other end leads to your factory USB connection. Assuming you are installing it yourself, what you will need to do when removing the factory radio and all the plugs behind the stereo is to determine which cord is that USB connection. You will be able to easily determine this when you attach your new USB connection harness (that you will need to purchase separately) to that plug/connection. This new harness will then plug into the Kenwood's USB cable which runs from the back of that radio. Metra makes this for several car manufacturers including my Toyota Tacoma. Best Buy will either have this connection in stock or they can order it for you. If Best Buy is installing the stereo for you. you will need to tell them that you wish to use the factory USB, or they may just run the Kenwood's USB cable to your glove box, permanently disabling that factory USB port in your car. This harness is an inexpensive part, typically around 10-12 dollars and the installation of it should be included in the labor of a Best Buy-installed stereo, because in most instances this takes about 30 seconds to complete. One word of caution - this is my second Kenwood car stereo. In 2017, I purchased a Kenwood deck and had some issues with this USB harness, as it would not allow enough power to be drawn from the phone to allow Android Auto to work . It was a known issue by Google. Fast forward to 2019, I used this same connector and I have not had the same issue - though I have heard some inconsistencies still remain, depending on the car. You will get the most consistent performance plugging your phone directly into the Kenwood's supplied USB connection, but for 10-12 dollars, in my opinion, its worth a shot to see if you can maintain your factory USB port.
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