JVC KD-SX840 Car CD Player
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- Player Type: CD
- Controlled Devices: CD Changer
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JVC - Ok, but nothing to write home about.
Pros
Cheap, clear CD sound, good reception.
Cons
Some distortion, irritating controls.
Recommended it?
Yes
After a few short moments of driving in my car, I found my disgust for the factory deck to be increasing with every kilometre driven. My car tends to lean towards the 'noisy' side of the volume spectrum...which obviously doesn't make the stereo's job any easier.
My main goal was to obtain sound clarity and quality - without requiring a mortgage to achieve it. I have never had intentions of turning my car into a mobile speaker-stack, bouncing along with each thumping bass note, but I certainly do appreciate crisp and distinct tones - whether listening to a home stereo, or in a car.
As my patience with the factory deck grew less and less, my search became more and more urgent, leading me to stereo shop after stereo shop. I opted for the JVC because it was more or less plain-looking, it offers enough power (40W x 4 channels) for my purposes, and it appeared to be reasonably priced. I had a $350 Panasonic in-dash prior to the JVC (superior in every respect - hands-down), however it was stolen, and is no longer available. So, I went with JVC.
And, when listening to it in the car bay once it was installed, I was duly impressed. The sound quality far exceeded that of my original stereo. I use it with six speakers - two tweeters in the door, two mid-range 2-ways in the door, and two 5" pioneers in the back. I've found that when I'm driving in traffic, with the windows closed, the sound is crystal clear. However, if I'm driving at high revs, or with the windows down, I've got to turn it up a notch, and the sound tends to distort a bit - especially in the bass end. Fortunately, most of my driving is bumper-to-bumper, so it's not too much of a problem. Here are some of the points that leap immediately to mind:
The volume/search dial: When adjusting the volume, spinning the dial quickly gets absolutely no response whatsoever. You must rotate it slowly in order for any change to register. I suppose this a safety feature designed to prevent shattered eardrums, but if I have the volume down low and a pertinent traffic report comes on, I want to hear it now!
BBE: The manufacturer describes BBE:
"Based on careful analysis of sound behavior and the physical characteristics of the human ear, BBE sound processing accurately shapes sound to ensure maximum realism. With clear high frequencies and crisp vocals, you can be assured that the sound you get is the closet possible to the original recording."
I agree 100%. When activated, the BBE function really accents the sound beautifully. So my question is simple - why bother having it as a separate function? At what point would you ever appreciate tinny and dead sound, if you have an option? In my opinion, it's just another button (bright blue) cluttering up the unit.
ATT: This is a very handy feature. At a touch, you can toggle the muting with this button. What does ATT mean? I wondered too - it's short for 'Volume Attenuator'; A pompous way of saying "mute".
The deck also allows the user to eject and insert discs without having the key in the 'on' position - great if you just poke your head into the car to grab the disc and go. This is a feature that none of my previous decks could boast.
Remote Control: I threw it away. I see absolutely no value in holding a remote control less than 5 inches away from the receiver. I suppose that in minivans, or some other large vehicle, this might be worthwhile. In my very small cockpit, it just takes up space. The way I see it is clear. I can either memorize buttons on the deck, allowing me control without having to take my eyes off the road, or I can memorize the buttons on a remote. With my luck, I'd have lost it only just after I became completely familiar with it, leaving me high and dry.
In the big picture, it's a good deck for what you're paying. It beats stock decks pretty easily, and I found it better value for the money as compared with similarly priced Sony units. If I could do it all again, I'd likely end up with something else, but I'm not terribly disappointed with this.
My main goal was to obtain sound clarity and quality - without requiring a mortgage to achieve it. I have never had intentions of turning my car into a mobile speaker-stack, bouncing along with each thumping bass note, but I certainly do appreciate crisp and distinct tones - whether listening to a home stereo, or in a car.
As my patience with the factory deck grew less and less, my search became more and more urgent, leading me to stereo shop after stereo shop. I opted for the JVC because it was more or less plain-looking, it offers enough power (40W x 4 channels) for my purposes, and it appeared to be reasonably priced. I had a $350 Panasonic in-dash prior to the JVC (superior in every respect - hands-down), however it was stolen, and is no longer available. So, I went with JVC.
And, when listening to it in the car bay once it was installed, I was duly impressed. The sound quality far exceeded that of my original stereo. I use it with six speakers - two tweeters in the door, two mid-range 2-ways in the door, and two 5" pioneers in the back. I've found that when I'm driving in traffic, with the windows closed, the sound is crystal clear. However, if I'm driving at high revs, or with the windows down, I've got to turn it up a notch, and the sound tends to distort a bit - especially in the bass end. Fortunately, most of my driving is bumper-to-bumper, so it's not too much of a problem. Here are some of the points that leap immediately to mind:
The volume/search dial: When adjusting the volume, spinning the dial quickly gets absolutely no response whatsoever. You must rotate it slowly in order for any change to register. I suppose this a safety feature designed to prevent shattered eardrums, but if I have the volume down low and a pertinent traffic report comes on, I want to hear it now!
BBE: The manufacturer describes BBE:
"Based on careful analysis of sound behavior and the physical characteristics of the human ear, BBE sound processing accurately shapes sound to ensure maximum realism. With clear high frequencies and crisp vocals, you can be assured that the sound you get is the closet possible to the original recording."
I agree 100%. When activated, the BBE function really accents the sound beautifully. So my question is simple - why bother having it as a separate function? At what point would you ever appreciate tinny and dead sound, if you have an option? In my opinion, it's just another button (bright blue) cluttering up the unit.
ATT: This is a very handy feature. At a touch, you can toggle the muting with this button. What does ATT mean? I wondered too - it's short for 'Volume Attenuator'; A pompous way of saying "mute".
The deck also allows the user to eject and insert discs without having the key in the 'on' position - great if you just poke your head into the car to grab the disc and go. This is a feature that none of my previous decks could boast.
Remote Control: I threw it away. I see absolutely no value in holding a remote control less than 5 inches away from the receiver. I suppose that in minivans, or some other large vehicle, this might be worthwhile. In my very small cockpit, it just takes up space. The way I see it is clear. I can either memorize buttons on the deck, allowing me control without having to take my eyes off the road, or I can memorize the buttons on a remote. With my luck, I'd have lost it only just after I became completely familiar with it, leaving me high and dry.
In the big picture, it's a good deck for what you're paying. It beats stock decks pretty easily, and I found it better value for the money as compared with similarly priced Sony units. If I could do it all again, I'd likely end up with something else, but I'm not terribly disappointed with this.
