Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A Must Have !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, September 14, 2002
This JVC has great sharp sound. I have put it through the ultimate test, the lows, bass and the commonly forgotten high pitches. Let's start with the bass, it sounds smooth and can make the house rumble WITH OUT vibration. Since it is part of the speaker it has a better combined sound, unfortunately since it is in the speaker, the bass can not be cranked out so it knocks things of tables because it will overpower and ruin the sound coming out of the other drivers. The maximum bass level (4) is more than enough bass. Next are the drivers, since JVC chose a dual 4 inch driver, the sound is crisp at ALL sound levels without being muffled. The last is the Tweeter, a commonly forgotten item when it comes to a consumers test on a sound system. Even with bass at Max and the volume high up, the tweeter does a great job at producing high pitch sounds with out hiss. Overall the sound is all in harmony together, right out of the box it sounds great. Other notable features: it has audio inputs for all your equipment. A digital out is included in the mix. Three separate cd trays instead of a changer. Compact design. Last LOOKS, THIS SYSTEM LOOKS LIKE A MILLION BUCKS. SHOW IT OFF, DONT HIDE IT IN A CABINET. One other feature witch most people just dismiss and forget about is the volume knob, it is a metal knob and feels great, you want to change the volume just to touch the knob. Here are the bad things about this system: the system looks great but in some places a very cheep plastic was used making the system look somewhat cheaper, much unlike say Sony. Next is the remote, most buttons are on the system so the remote is mostly just a duplicate but the remote feels and is cheep, is uncomfortable to hold and is very badly designed. One other thing I noticed is the FM antenna, now my other system is a Sony which has an internal antenna along with an external one. With this system you get absolutely nothing if you don't connect the antenna wire, the Sony had reasonable reception without the antenna. Other notes: this system is great at this price; any comparable systems are hundreds more. JVC also makes an HX-Z3 which has the same style and features as this system, only differences are 460 watts instead of 350, 6 layer voice coil instead of 4, MP3 CD playback, and additional drivers for additional bass and high pitches. I have compared this system to Aiwa's and Sony's models and they don't compare. Sony has skipped the higher watts and has moved on to surround speakers. If you have the space and the capibility you will be very impressed by the sound and I would suggest taking a look at them. One thing too note is I don't know long term how this system is, my Sony I have had for 5 years and it still challenges this JVC with its sound reproduction despite its technology not being as advanced, .... If you are interested in the HX-Z3 ... compare it to the Sony LBT-XGR6...One thing to remember when comparing the sound of the JVC to Sony is the watts, don't think just because the Sony system is 175 vs. 350 it is half as powerful, it has the same power and same bass because JVC is adding many watts to the bass vs. the drivers making the numbers not comparable. One note about the Sony LBT-XGR6 ... it has the same power and bass as the Z3 at the same price. Sony's features on most models include: MP3 playback, Sony quality and reputation, well designed remote, contemporary styles. I know this all is a lot of info to absorb at once but do your own comparisons, keep everything I mentioned in mind when looking, my suggestions are the JVC HX-Z1... or Z3... and the Sony MHC-GS300AV...or LBT-XGR6 ...Testing notes, For testing I used the Evita movie sound track cd, its mix of high and lows gives any system a workout. I tested the bass by watched the movie The Matrix connected to the audio inputs. If you are testing something in the store, obviously you cant play a movie so you can use mostly any pop cd. Do not test a system by the sound of radio, radio has hisses which makes testing in accurate.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scoops, Vents, and Las Vegas Lighting, September 3, 2003
The scoops, vents, Las Vegas lighting, and cyborg cladding will appeal to mall rats and lane-changers, but don't let the looks fool you. The HX-Z1 sounds just fine with Ozzy, AC-DC, and other parental unit fare.
The speakers are heftier than they look and are finished attractively, except on the back. Each cabinet has two mid/bass drivers flanking a cone tweeter, as well as a side mounted long-throw subwoofer (bass frequencies get progressively more non-directional with each octave drop, so this is not a problem). The speakers are bi-wired, with separate color-coded thin gauge cables for the subwoofers.
Overall, the bass sounds fairly tuneful, especially compared to the one-note thudding that often passes for bass in this price range. The subwoofer output integrates well with the mid/bass drivers, and there is little of that chesty "voice in a barrel" sound peak dilaed in around 100 Hz to conceals a lack of deep bass. I was mildly astonished to measure usable in-room bass response below 30Hz.
The treble is a little hot on-axis, as confirmed by a test disc and SPL meter, though I didn't notice any sibilance. Also, some transformer hum was noticeable in nearfield listening, but it goes away when you sit back more than 4-5 feet. For this reason, and because they are not magnetically shielded, don't place them next to a computer monitor or directly next to a TV set. These speakers like a little room to breathe.
The main unit's control layout is dominated by a bright, cascading fluorescent and LED display that will turn any room into Times Square. The volume knob is helpfully oversized, which makes it easy to locate when aggrieved neighbors pound on the walls.
The subwoofer control has five settings, but only bass freaks will want the seismic subwoofery beyond the middle setting. The remote (model RM-SHXZ3A -- not to be confused with the RM-SHXZ3, I guess) is unexceptional, with an awkwardly located the volume rocker.
The various surround modes (stadium, dance, hall, rock, and classic) are fine if you like that sort of thing, however "off" seems like the best way to hear what the musicians and recording engineers intended.
The 3-drawer CD changer doesn't impress. While it lets you swap out a CD while another plays, the mechanism is slow and makes thrashy noises as it shuttles discs around. It also will occasionally indicate that no disc is present in a drawer when one is in fact loaded correctly. A single-drawer player with fewer histrionics would be preferable, but that would hardly be in keeping with this unit's bigger / badder / louder design philosophy.
BOTTOM LINE
This sytem is all about playing clean and loud. And did I mention loud? As for footprint, this isn't exactly a compact system -- think three PC towers. All in all, the HX-Z1 offers extended, well controlled bass at a low price. The uninspiring CD changer tempts me to lower it to 4, but solid value argues for a fifth star.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great System!, April 28, 2003
I just bought this system on Sunday and it is great! Here's what I thought about it:
Looks:4.5/5 I think this stereo looks great and should be displayed, not hidden.Sound:4.5/5 This system has some deep, room rattling bass. The neighbors got mad at me because they could hear the bass and I didn't even have the volume loud! It can also handle the mids and highs good. The bass is nice and clear and the mids and highs too. Even at high volume it sounds accurate and not disstorted. I hooked up my tv to it and it's awesome. Try playing Halo with this hooked up to the tv. Price:4/5 I thought the price was excellent
for this system. Not too expensive. Durability:?/5 I just got it so I don't know how long it will last. It seems to be doing fine. Display:4.5/5 The display is bright and colorful and also big and easy to read. Remote:4/5 The remote seemed fine although I don't really care how it looks or feels. Overall:4.5/5 I think this is a great system for the price. It's especially good for rap and r&b music.
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