You Want Music? You'll Get Music.
Written: Nov 15 '00 (Updated Nov 15 '00)
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Product Rating:
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Pros: CD changer functions, quality for fair price
Cons: Sensitive controls
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| shmoopie13's Full Review: JVC KS-FX440 Car Cassette Player |
No offense to Isuzu, but the factory radio in our Rodeo was the pits. So we went shopping for a new stereo about three days after we bought the Rodeo last year. Plus, we had a 12-CD changer, also made by JVC, which we wanted to hook up to the radio without having to use the separate controls. The kid at Best Buy assured us that this would serve our purpose perfectly, and he was right.
After a $200 charge (don't get me started) to install the stereo and the changer, we were ready to rock. The CD changer controls are what really sold me on this model, and my husband liked the detachable face. This from a man who never locks the doors on the vehicle anyway, and he hasn't figured out how to reconnect the face once it's been removed. Since I'm the one who tries to remember to remove it when we're someplace a little funky <insert pat on back>, I can tell you how you remove it: press the button in the upper right corner and the whole thing pops off. And, to reinstall it: slide the faceplate all the way to the left side and then snap the whole thing back onto the unit. To give hubby some credit, it can be a wee bit tricky to do this while driving. You see, the faceplate's usually just been removed from the glove compartment after driving about a mile and realizing it's REALLY quiet.
Three FM bands allow me to set 18 stations, even though there aren't 18 stations in town that I'd care to tune into. As it is now, the first three are "mine" and are set on the Edge, the Merge, and the Mix. My husband has the second three, and they're set on...ahem...country stations. Six AM stations can also be set (the only one I've set is the Ticket for days when a Dallas Stars player might pop into their studio). But, enough about my musical tastes, which is teaching you nothing about this stereo.
The CD controls work perfectly with the changer, which is installed under the seat. As I said, this is what I wanted, so I can't say enough about how convenient this feature is for us. When we had the changer installed in the Taurus, there was a separate control for it that was Velcro'ed onto the dash. To use the CD player, you had to tune the radio into some FM station really low on the dial (80-something) and then the changer would take over and CD's would play. It was ok once you got used to the process, until it got hot outside and the glue on the back of the Velcro quit working and the controls would just dangle below the dash, banging into your knee as you drove to Wal-mart for more Velcro. Trust me, things are much easier now!
I've yet to understand the concept of a remote control for a car stereo, but if you need that feature it's available. The controls on the faceplate are easy to understand though and are, more importantly, easy to operate while also operating your vehicle. Along the left side is the volume control and those are the largest buttons on the control panel. Below and to the right are the controls to either scan the radio stations or skip tracks on a CD. To the immediate right of those are the six buttons for selecting radio stations or CD's in the changer. Since our changer holds 12 CD's, you press 1-6 for CD's 1-6, obviously, and hold down 1-6 for a second or two longer for CD's 7-12. The digital display flashes to let you know which CD is loading, so you'll immediately know if you've pressed the button long enough to get the correct CD. Since I rarely use the cassette player, I can't tell you off the top of my head which buttons control the fast forward or reverse. I want to say it's the same as the scan/skip buttons, but I could be wrong.
Along the right side of the panel are three buttons for easily switching between cassette, AM/FM, and CD. If I could redesign this part, I'd put the cassette button in the middle. But that's only because I rarely use the cassette player. (Is there an echo in here?) Having the most-used buttons on top and bottom would allow more room for your fingers to reach for the buttons when changing modes since all the buttons are arranged in a fairly small space. Just below the three selection buttons for listening preference is the noise reduction. Its little green button glows at night, although I'm not sure why it's such an important feature that it would need to be more visible than any of the others on the faceplate.
The equalizer bands which look like glowing orange highway lanes are pretty cool-looking, but I don't think they're all that necessary for the average user. We didn't install amps or high-powered speakers, so we're not using this to its full potential. But, even then, I can only imagine that the pretty lights might just be a distraction instead of a preferred feature. All you stereo aficionados can feel free tell me how wrong I am though! I'm always looking to learn something new. For the most part, the digital display is easy to understand, but I sometimes have difficulty seeing the readout during the day. I find myself craning my neck into odd positions to try to reduce the glare so I can see what time it is or what CD/track is playing.
Oh, and then there's the clock. You might want to read the manual before you try to set it. Once you've figured it out, it's a snap though. Next to the volume control is a big, round, black button. If you press it, it will allow you to set things like bass, treble, fade, etc. Pressing it even longer will eventually put you into the mode for time change. Setting the hours and minutes is just a matter of pressing the scan/skip buttons though. Pretty easy, once you get to the right place.
My primary complaint about this unit (since nothing's perfect, you know I have to have a complaint) would be the controls are a little too sensitive. If you have this installed in a Lincoln Town Car which takes life's little bumps with ease, you probably wouldn't notice this problem. However, in an SUV which tends to bounce a little, you can easily find yourself turning the thing off instead of turning it up. Or switching from FM to AM instead of to a CD. Or getting that irritating "NO TAPE" message flashing on the display when you intended to switch from CD to FM. Or... well, you get the picture.
While preparing to write this review, I noticed the blurb on the Epinions main page for the JVC KS-FX440 and realized that this unit has a lot more features than we use. I have NO IDEA what the "HS-II tuner" is or does, and what in the heck is "full-logic auto-reverse transport"? And, will they make my Barenaked Ladies CD's sound even better? Everything I need this unit to do, it does.
Now that I've just told all the neighborhood crooks that the truck is unlocked and the changer is under the seat, I should also say that this is an excellent choice for an in-dash stereo. JVC is synonymous with affordable quality, and that's what you get with the KS-FX440.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
shmoopie13
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Member: Leslie
Location: Texas
Reviews written: 55
Trusted by: 29 members
About Me:
Avid fan of hockey and Barenaked Ladies. Postcard collector. Traveler.
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