Customer Reviews

JVC Home 5-DISC DVD Mini-system with Dual Cassette

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I have had this system for two months now, and i have to say, its not as strong as last years model, HXD77, but it has that traditional sound you would expect from with JVC. Very good highs, clear mids and that great bass you always known about JVC. It has an am/fm tuner, 5 disc dvd/cd changer with play exchange, dual cassette deck with deck B, being auto reverse, usb hookup, karoke function, dolby digital and dts, optical out, composite and super video out, and a remote which only controls JVC tv's. It has a very pleasant look to it all, being black with some gloss finish it to it. Movies and music sound awesome on this unit, movies look very crystal clear also. The bass is enchanced by vario bass and bass extension, and also a preset eq with 3 manual setting for the eq, which is a big plus in my book. Its featured laiden, has that great JVC sound were use to and looks very good with current lcd tv. My 1 and only grip is the remote, has many buttons that do double duty which can be a little confusing, thats why I gave it 4 stars only, but, I still highly recommend this unit to everyone thats looking for a simple solution to home theater with out all the wires.

The unit has a very nice modern look to it and very easy to operate. The sound system and picture quality of the DVD is awesome for the price of the unit. Altogether very happy with the purchase. The instruction manual is also very easy to read and contains very clear operating instructions.

I first saw this item at a local electronics store but had difficulty in getting it. That's when I came online. I knew before I came online exactly what I wanted. Sound quality is excellent, especially for DVD's. This is the best quality product and the price can't be beat.

I bought this for someone whose old Aiwa mini system died. I'd really classify this as a micro system rather than a mini system, since it is so compact for a system with all of its features.

PROS:

Although this unit doesn't sound as good as systems with seperate components, it does sound decent overall for a micro system. (With the exception of the problem described in the CONS section.)

Has a changer. Except for the Sony Mutekis, most of which are too big to fit in the location she needs it to go, changers are unfortunately disappearing from mini and micro systems in favor of single disc players. Was glad to find a unit with a changer.

Has a DVD player. Unusual for a micro system, a nice feature. DVD player has a good picture.

Haven't noticed any problems with CD/DVD tracking, even for CD-Rs/DVD-Rs.

Haven't had any problems with the tuner bringing in stations.

Everything is remote controllable.

Can adjust bass/treble/midrange instead of being limited to just those tacky presets that are the norm on most mini/micro systems.

Speakers are magnetically shielded.

The cooling fan only runs when it's absolutely needed (when temp. level gets too high). Most of the time, the system doesn't need the fan and keeps it turned off. This is very good because if the fan needed to run whenever the system is turned on (like a PC fan does), it would pretty much turn the insides of the system into a vacuum cleaner. Ever seen the inside of a PC that needs cleaning? Imagine those blankets of dirt on the CD/DVD lens or gumming up the lube in the changer mechanism. Would not last long! (In a PC, the drives are individually enclosed units which helps keep dust out of them. This is not necessarily going to be the case for a disc changer in a mini/micro stereo.) Some micro/mini systems *do* need to run the fan constantly whenever the power is on, and virtually all of the current mini/micro systems do have a fan. Fortunately, this system rarely needs to turn the fan on, at least when playing at moderate volume levels.

CONS:

On the first unit received, one of the cassette doors broke after just a couple of test plays, making that deck unusable. After returning the system for a replacement, I see why the first unit broke. The latches that hold the cassette doors shut are *extremely* thin, flimsy, and cheap. So if you actually plan on using the cassette decks, don't expect them to last very long. If the latch fails when a tape is playing, I think there could be potential for tape damage. Also, with the doors closed, you can't see at all into the cassette compartments to check the remaining tape length. The decks also lack support for Type II and Type IV tapes and Dolby. (Although the quality of the cassette decks is not a big issue for the person I bought it for, as the tape decks will probably only get used rarely if at all.)

There is a small buzz/hum in the speakers that is noticeable in quiet dialog scenes on DVDs and spaces between songs on CDs. Generally not noticeable during most parts of music, but is sometimes noticeable during quieter spots in the music. This buzz was present on the first unit *and* is present on the replacement unit. I unplugged (from the wall outlets) all electronic/electric equipment that is near this thing to see if it is just interference from another device. The buzz remained. I even unplugged the cable coax from the wall. Still no improvement. There are also not any electrical panels near this unit to cause interference. So its obviously a design flaw present in all these units. This system is in the exact same spot as the old Aiwa system was, and the old system did not have this problem. She is willing to live with it, though.

Buttons on the remote are tiny, and most are all the same shape and size. Remote is not ergonomical, to say the least! Have fun if you need to feel those buttons out in the dark. Operating some basic functions requires pressing a shift key and another button at the same time. Inconvenient.

This may be the last of the dual-cassette recorders. Just my luck its a good one.

Exactly what I was looking for - a stereo shelf system with good sound, all in one box - simple. Product was easy to set up and JVC phone support was right there both times I needed additional help - a HUGE plus. The sound is crisp and clear - AM/FM, CD's and tape decks, and the sound presets are effective (I can add three of my own). Haven't used the more advanced features - ISB, aux, karaoke, etc. The remote is small and packed with features and commands - so much so that it's a bit confusing, but there's that great JVC support line ready when I need it.

Ideal for our 12 x 18 den. Good sound quality for size and price.