Powerhouse.
Written: Apr 01 '01
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Thunderous bass, excellent sound quality.
Cons: Speakers must be placed away from main unit.
The Bottom Line: If loud is your prime objective and price is an object, make sure to take a look at one of these.
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| livewire_'s Full Review: JVC MX-J700 CD Shelf System |
Technically, this unit is considered a mini-component system. There's nothing mini about the quality of sound it produces.
Selling electronics, I had Panasonic, JVC, Sanyo and a few others one the shelf. I needed to hook up a computer to an amplifier for demonstration purposes. I decided to use this one. There were a few reasons for that, but my primary motivation was making MP3s coming out of a computer sound great.
I ran into a little bit of a surprise. I ended up selling more of these stereos than I did the computers I was demonstrating. It got people's attention.
This unit has only one auxiliary input, as do most mini systems, but that's all most people need. Most consumers will connect their television or VCR to the auxiliary input to amplify the sound better than the television alone could. If, for some reason, you need to plug in more things to your auxiliary input, you can buy a switch box from Radio Shack, but it's bulky and operates manually.
For my own use, a 3-CD tray is not sufficient, so this could never go in my home. I own a 60 disc changer and I am never going back. I think, however, that most people can get away with having their 3 favourite CDs loaded up without feeling too inconvenienced. One thing I like about the trays is that you can load up all 3 CDs at the same time. Panasonic mini-systems can take 20 - 30 seconds per disc to load, which gets irritating. There's nothing special about the radio tuner or dual cassette player in these units.
The most impressive feature of the J700 is its twin subwoofers mounted inside the speakers. They have to be kept well away from the console because it rattles if it's shaken. Moving parts, y'know. The subwoofers kick out an incredible amount of bass for a mini system. The speakers are very solid, and all this boom doesn't cause the speakers to rattle or distort, something I find unique to the JVCs. If you just want to bring your favourite music to life with a full range of amplified sound in low bass ranges, this is an excellent player. If you want to shake the whole house until your neighbours call the police, well, you can do that too.
The MX-J700 says it will simulate surround sound, but having only two forward speakers, you can't get the rear channels at all. I find their claim of surround a little bit silly. Not that I'm complaining about the quality of sound. Chances are if you can afford to have the best DVD player and TV, you'll buy a more expensive amplifier too.
Another quirk of this and most mini systems is the frightening display console. There are bright flashing lights all over the place and some of them won't go away. You probably won't want to have this next to or above your television or it might be distracting. A TV cabinet with a solid door to cover it would be ideal.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
livewire_
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Member: Live Wire
Location: Vancouver
Reviews written: 80
Trusted by: 17 members
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