( 3 reviews )
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Posted: 05-13-2009
I have a '93 Toyota Celica convertible and the amp died. So because the factory radio was missing some knobs and the cd player and cassette were on their last legs, I decided to go ahead and replace it. I bought this JVC unit because it fit the car and had all the features of the original unit (and then some)with the exception of an external amp. I also bought 2 new rear speakers because the old ones were pretty shot. The unit was installed in August. We only drive the car in the summer so we didn't get a chance to use the new stereo very long. But now we are back to driving the car and I'm just getting used to the stereo again. I had set the equalizer so that I could have a custom sound with more bass. Without the external amp, the stereo is not as rich as it could be. It was a necessity with the factory stereo, but with the JVC, my custom setting works pretty well unless I turn the sound up too loud, in which case the speakers distort. What I really like about the JVC is the external plug in which I can plug in an MP3 player and even my phone, which can store and play music. I also have an XM radio which is powered by plugging into the cig lighter and the sound is produced out of the stereo by using a cassette adapter. Although the JVC has an optional satellite radio adapter, I just use the aforementioned method thru the cassette player which works just fine. (Besides, we can take the XM radio out of the convertible and use it in our other cars with cassette players.) The unit sticks out a little bit from the dash but it appears to be designed that way. The unit includes a cutout piece of plastic that fits around the outside perimeter of the unit to give it a finished, built-in look. I think it looks good in my car. It has quite a few features so it does take some learning time to get comfortable with it. For a replacement stereo, I'm very happy with it.
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( 199 of 199 found this review helpful ) Posted: 02-21-2009
I have a 1995 Buick (real sharp, eh? But no monthly payments!) and the tape deck died. I also have a huge collection of cassette tapes, so I wanted a unit that would play them as well as CDs. My research didn't come up with a lot of choices, but JVC has a good rep. First of all, I ordered from this Amazon reseller late Tuesday night, standard shipping, and the package was in my office on Friday afternoon - so cool. I hired a guy to install this as I am too old and awkward to get under a dashboard these days. He had to order a wiring harness and an additional connector for my antenna, but it only took him about a half hour to switch in the new unit (He charged me $110 total, including the parts). It fits great in the dash and I think it operates pretty easily, though I have yet to figure out how to set the #%*@! clock (there has got to be something missing in the instructions). I've always thought a remote control on a car stereo was ridiculous, but I must admit this one is handy for setting the volume and hitting the mute. I'm not overly disciminating when it comes to sound I suppose, and I've always liked the speaker system in my car, but I think this sounds better than the original unit, certainly has more volume. I would certainly have gone for four and a half stars; the only reason I didn't go for five was because of that durn clock. When I'm cruising with the Grateful Dead cranked up and a big smile on my face, you have to call that a good value.
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Posted: 01-13-2009
I purchased this JVC unit in November 2008. Istallation required a wiring harness that was not supplied for my vehicle so had to spend another $15.00 which was not really a big deal. As far as performance goes it sounds good. It does look like an aftermarket radio not like an oem replacement.Wish it was a little more flush with the dash. The volume know is in a goofy position...passenger side. I bought it because is one of the few units that play both cd's and cassettes which is nice for a books on tape listener.
