Customer Reviews

JVC UXEP25 Audio System with iPod Connect (iPod not included)

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This would make a perfect stereo system for a dorm room or an office. I actually bought it to hook up my electronic keyboard to an external sound source, but it's quickly become a very useful addition to my den.

It sounds great. Granted, I'm no audiophile, but it sounds just as good as my Technics receiver and pair of JBL speakers (just not as loud). Keep in mind, though, that more discerning pair of ears may find these lacking.

The Pros:

- you can do just about everything with the supplied remote;
- you can hook it up to your computer using the USB "B"-style port (like the USB ports on printers) in the back; this will install plug-and-play drivers for USB sound device and you can then use it as a sound output device (you don't need to install any drivers on the computer);
- the motorised lid for the CD tray is just too cool!
- built-in iPod port and ability to control iPods through the remote and stereo interface. I don't have an iPod, so I don't have any experience with this. Also, not all iPods are supported, so be sure to check the JVC website to see which models are supported. Of course, if your particular iPod is not supported, then you can simply use the Aux In port with it.
- it's got a regular USB port ("A" type connector) in the front, which is, for me, the coolest part of the bells and whistles on this stereo. You can copy over your MP3s and WMAs to a USB flash drive, plug it into the USB port on the stereo, and the stereo will play the music files on it. Not only that, you can also plug in a memory card reader to the port, and then use memory cards with the reader to play music. What a great way to make use of the older digital camera flash memory cards, especially if you have one of those 12-in-1 reader types!
- it has Aux In port (mini stereo plug-size) for connecting other devices (like a digital keyboard, non-iPod MP3 player, hand-held gaming consoles like Sony PSP). You can set the Aux port's input level to either of two levels. So if your external source has a fixed output volume and you find yourself scrambling for the volume control every time you switch beween Aux and other sound features, then you can use this to adjust (either increase or decrease) the Aux port's input level.

The Cons:

- The clock does not display when the unit's off (when it's in standby mode);
- with the remote, you can't hold down the volume control to increase or decrease the volume automatically; there are 30 levels of volume, and if you want to go from volume 0 to 30, then you have to press "+ Volume" button 30 times;
- On the stereo itself, I'd have preferred a knob for volume control, not + and - buttons.

The Neither-here-nor-theres:

- The unit can playback a maximum of 999 music files, orgainzed in up to 500 folders (same whether using a CD full of MP3s/WMAs or a USB drive/reader);
- on my unit, regular audio CDs play just fine. Computer-burned audio CDs work fine. Computer-burned discs containing MP3s or WMAs keep giving "No Disc" error message (I've tried three discs burned on two computers so far). Normally this would be a deal-killer, but as I exclusively use the USB port for MP3 playback--and indeed, would still have even if I didn't have the problem with reading the MP3 discs--this is largely a non-factor for me. I bought a 2GB SD card for $14.99 and am using that for MP3 playback (had a reader already). Or you can get a brand-name 2GB USB flash drive that doesn't require a reader for $15.99 from Amazon.com. Probably be even cheaper next month.
- I thought this was a bit funny: The manual basically says what kind of CD media and music files are supported, and then goes on with this disclaimer: Basically, even when all the requirements are met, MP3/WMA playback may still not work.

I'm very happy with my purchase!

If you are looking for a shelf system this is the one to buy. I checked out the similar offerings from Sony, Philips and Panasonic. This system sounds better, build quality is great, main unit fits on a shelf nicely and interface features are far superior. The feature description for this doesn't mention how well it works with non iPod players... Great! The system can read MP3 file directly from MP3 players, Memory sticks and USB hard drives. Navigation is done from the remote and MP3 tags are displayed on the front panel. The only odd thing is the file/folder navigation is a little different from other players I have used in that you must switch "modes" to navigate folders vs files. Overall JVC got it right with this one.

Not a bad little player. Works well in the kitchen. I do not recomend it for large rooms because of low sound output. The part I like about it is that I can plug my USB flash stick in to listen to music. If only it had a high sound output it would be the perfect system in all homes. I turn it up to 20 and it puts out decent sound, but the volume control only goes to 30. I guess its more so personal preferrence as to volume. Overall it has not failed me yet. I would recomend it being at 100 dollars any higher it wouldn't be worth it.

I have had this player for little over a year. Haven't used it that much but I recently purchased a ipod touch 2g. The new ipods work differently and do not work with many older devices. To my surprise I plugged my ipod in and it worked flawlessly.

Bought this system for wife's gym, and I was totally blown away by sound quality. I can her the music throughout the house. The function are easy, its simply plug and play. Would recommend to anyone.

I purchased this JVC audio system for my husband because of the iPod connect and CD player. Most units don't have both. I researched online and this was the best reviewed unit I could find for about $100. We are extremely satisfied. The unit is small, sleek, and packs a pretty good punch, sound wise. I'm not the type of person that would be able to tell the difference between 20 different speakers, but I know enough to know that this system sounds better than our last.

Good sound from such a small system. iPod connect works great and the system plays every type of CD I've put in it. Good bang for the buck if you are looking for a smaller system. Nice little remote to control the system from across the room. Excellent radio station reception both AM and FM.

The first thing I noted when I opened the box the unit came in, was the fact that the unit did not have a plastic cheap feel. The top is aluminum and the speakers had good heft. I adjusted the bass and trebel and played mp3's from a usb thumb drive and audio CD's. For what you get the audio quality is very good. Unless you are someone who BLASTS their music its plenty load, and doesn't distort at the high end of the volume range. You can read the specs and the different inputs for the device so I wont go over them. I will say that once you get used to the how the unit navigates folders and files from USB devices its pretty easy to play what you want. Its not as easy as navigating folders on your computer, but I didnt expect it to be. My only complaint for this unit is the placement of the iPOD connector. Its right on the face of the unit, your ipod will be connected via cable from the front of the unit ruining what is otherwise a sleek looking piece of equipment. It really should have been in the back allowing a more subtle placement of the cord. I don't have an ipod so it doesn't matter to me, but if you do use one keep that in mind. For the price its sound and looks great. For under 100 bucks its a good deal for a unit this versatile.

I bought this system b/c of the raves review given by the users and the JVC brand. I was disappointed after unpacking and listening to my favorite cd. The sound quality is beyond bad. It doesn't produce full spectrum of music notes, and it even distorts the notes to a point that it's very noticeable to any untrained ears. I was playing just new age music, not even the more dynamic classical music . I can't imagine how bad it would sound with classicals.

put things into perspective, I only need a compact unit in my treatment room to play for my clients during their meditation session. This unit sounds so bad that it can't even serve for this simple purpose. It's going back to walmart.

I love this system. I bought it for my bedroom. It's small and powerful. It can play just about any media. It exceeded my expectation. Very high quality. JVC got this one right! Highly recommend.