JVC's MX-GB5 delivers on sound and quality
Written: Dec 28 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sound, Power, Durable design, Power, Compact size, Front load CD/Tape,
Cons: No balance control, Could use more input/output jacks/ports,
The Bottom Line: Great sounding system at all volume levels with a durable design. System is easy to use and includes a remote. Compact size helps with tight spaces.
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| philips949's Full Review: JVC MX-GB5 CD Shelf System |
Overview:
The JVC(Japan Victory Components) MX-GB5 represents a great example of modern bookshelf systems with its advanced features, incredible power, and compact size. JVC has been a leader in compact stereos for many years and I even have a JVC boom box that is over 20 years old and still working. I expect this unit will also provide many years of great service since it appears to be quite sturdy.
In a bookshelf system the idea is to get a system that will easily fit on a desk, shelf or bookcase. The GB5 has the right dimensions to readily fit on most bookshelves. Before you buy a bookshelf system measure the space you have first.
Sound quality--- It’s a stereo after all!:
The sound quality of this unit is simply excellent. It is on par or better than most systems in its class. It sound great and all levels of volume and has a multitude of ways to adjust the sound for your preferences. The only major drawback is lack of a balance control.
This system has an incredible amount of power considering its size. Please note that in modern bookshelf stereos the power rating in watts is a combined number adding each subsystem (160 watts per channel-Subwoofer and 70 watts per channel-Main speakers) creating a total of 460 watts. The bass is full and rich. The speakers do a nice job of handling the full sound range. The mode equalizer setup is nice and easy to operate.
The following modes are available.
Dance Club
Rock
Pop
Hall
Classical
Stadium
No Eq -- please note that there are no manual Eq functions.
Additional sound enhancing features:
There is a switch for “Rhythm AX” that enhances sound by deepening the beat which really makes a big difference in the sound. I am not sure why they do not just integrate this feature full time since it works well with all types of music.
There are 3 settings for the subwoofer (Low-Med-High).
There is NO BALANCE control – I think this a major omission for any stereo. Please note that balance was not present on many competing products in this class as well.
PLEASE note that this system is very similar to the JVC GB6. The GB6 has slightly more power and different speakers. The controls and features are the same.
Physical features/dimensions:
Main unit
W 10-11/16”
H 12-1/2”
D 18-15/16”
GB-5 Speakers
W 11-15/16”
H 12-7/8”
D 13-5/8”
The main unit has a rear cooling fan enclosure that protrudes behind the box. As a result the unit is quite deep. And the front panel extends beyond the edge of a standard bookshelf. It did not extend so far that it would fall off but plan for 2-3 inches. In a sense this is a good way to insure the system does not get crammed into a tight spot where it could overheat. Personally I think fan supported vents could be easily integrated into the box. However I did not see any other brands with a better vent system. As for height, the main unit only needs about 13 inches. Please note the speaker dimensions above when planning speakers as it could be the deciding factor in which system you choose. The GB5 speakers and main unit have a flat top so you can place things on top easily. Of course speakers vibrate so putting things on them may be a bad idea.
This system has a front loading carousel type CD mechanism (holds 3 CD’s) and Cassette tray. Many bookshelf systems have top loading CD or cassette trays. I think systems should all be front loading especially when fitting it into a tight space or positioning the unit up high. Access to the CD’s and cassettes was one of my key features to have in a bookshelf stereo. Both mechanisms looked very sturdy. On some other brands I noticed some really flimsy CD trays.
The MX-GB5 plays MP3's and can be setup to program MP3 playlists.
CD formats supported include Audio CD, CD-R, CD-RW, and MP3 on CD-R or CD-RW.
The speakers are compact and still produce a very full sound. The base subwoofer effect is produced through the right or left side of each respective speaker on the GB5. The grill directs sound forward so if on an enclosed shelf the sound has a path to the listener.
Appearance:
If you love lights this unit has plenty. The display shows mode, time, EQ and other goodies so you get a nice display or Red, Blue, Green, Yellow, and Orange LED’s. The system can keep flashing lights at you with a demo display or you can shut the demo off by simply pressing the demo button. The controls are large and easy to use. The remote is also simple and easy to use. I think a lighted remote would be a nice touch and convenient if used in a dark room.
Timer features:
Timer operation can be preset to turn unattended. There are 3 timer modes: Daily, Recording and Sleep. These are nice to have and can be quite useful. Each timer is easy to setup.
Radio Presets::
30 FM and 15 AM more than you need but certainly a great thing to have. It would really be nice to be able group the presets for type of listening. It would also be great if you could program the station name for the presets and have the station name display while playing.
Inputs and outputs:
Very limited in this area. I would have liked to see RCA or wire AUX device terminals on the back of the system. All you get is a small pin jack on the front for headphones and an input for aux devices. The speakers are hardwired inside the cabinet instead of terminals. I would prefer terminals and then use as much wire as needed to connect the speakers.
Antennas::
FM antenna is a piece of wire. It worked excellent for me but I wonder if a telescoping antenna would be better in some cases. It did have a coax plug not screw in connector if you want to use an outside antenna. Here I thing a screw in type would have been better.
AM antenna was also a wire but and it included a rectangular frame with coiled wire that worked great.
Of course antenna decisions really depend on where you live. For me reception is rarely a problem so the included wire type antennas were all I need.
In conclusion::
I am very please with this stereo and would recommend it to others. I do however think that it easy to implement design features (Balance control, better designed cooling system, and more aux connection jacks on the back) that would make it more versatile.
The quality is first rate all around in sound and durability.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
philips949
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Member: Philip Siebert
Reviews written: 22
Trusted by: 2 members
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