JVC HX-Z3 CD Shelf System

Pros: FANTASTIC sound. Superb bass. Plays MP3 CD's. EXTREMELY LOUD!!! Modern looks.
Cons: Certain functions only operate from the remote. Looks may be aggressive for some.

The JVC HX-Z3 is without a doubt the finest compact components system on the market today. I have spent many hours listening to Sony, Aiwa, Panasonic, etc. etc. and the JVC Tower of Power blows them all away. JVC is known for their great sound in mini...

Pros: Style , Ease of Controls , Amazingly clear sound
Cons: No Graphic Equalizer

After years of suffering through tiny boomboxes in my home office , I finally broke down and spent 4 ...

Pros: Power,ease of use, sleek , modern graphics, awesome bass, no distoriton, loud
Cons: LED's distract, no clock when unit playing. Now realize need for new better insulated house.

Went to Best Buy looking to spend $200 on Sony GX45. Several salesman spent much time with me. They clearly demonstrated JVC's dominance and had me decide if the advantages were worth the extra $150. My shirt actually moved when standing in front of ...

Pros: Cool display, looks like real juke box.
Cons: Sound quality/quantity

Don't buy this plastic monstrosity. I ordered it from buy.com then cancelled my order but it shipped ...

Pros: None
Cons: Expensive, poor quality

After three months of very moderate use, it stopped playing cds. Would not read them at all. I had a Sony 5 disc cd changer that worked for over 15 years and this JVC piece of garbage only lasted 3 months. This is my first time owning anything from JVC -- and my last.

Pros: House-shaking power, clear sound
Cons: Looks like an alien mothership, slow cd changer, pricy if purchased new.

I bought the HX-Z30 over a year ago and have been very pleased with its performance. When I was looking to buy a new stereo, I did plenty of research to find a powerful, quality stereo that wouldn't cost me an arm and a leg. I haven't had a bit of trouble with it (and I bought it second-hand off eBay for half-retail) since the day I bought it.

As far as sound quality goes, the sound is phenomenal. The sound is clear and crisp even turned up loud enough to shake my house. The bass is so strong, it's almost TOO bassy for some kinds of music.

The controls are a little confusing at first, but there's always a learning curve with a new gadget, I suppose. I still haven't figured out how to set the custom equalizer settings; most of the time I just press the 'Sound Turbo' button and the music sounds great.

Overall, if I were going to buy another stereo, I would definitely buy the HX-Z30 again. It has all the power and functionality that I need at a price that's not too painful.

Pros: Powerful system,The most impressive looking speakers that you'll ever see and a great price.
Cons: The connection wires for the speakers are very short.

I was shocked! I plugged up the unit and put on a CD. The bass was too much with the subwoofers on at all. The sound hit me from across the room! I thought 'Crikey blimey!'. This is one powerful mother, I don't think that you'll be disappointed.

I have a different stereo now, but I and thinking of going back to it, even though my luck with it was not the best. It put out the best sound over-all I have ever heard, but I run it loud all the time and the one I had started triping an overload switch less than a month after I bought it, making me keep the volume down. Unless circuitry has been reworked I would only recommend this stereo if you listen to it at 2/3 volume or less, after that is when I had my problems with them. Even though over 2/3 volume is almost ear piercing, the sound quality stays constant, which is how I like it, but the stereo does not hold up for long playing it at it maximum all the time. At over 2/3 the tower would begin to smell like burning circutry, which can't be good. Also, the sub-woofer ports would propell the smell from inside the box, which would start to smell burnt at extended high volumes.

i just got a jvc hx-z1 this past christmas and was amazed by the performce of that stereo , however after listening to it for a month or so , i began to realize that as great as it is, i need MORE POWER! so i took it back and got the hx-z3, and must say it has more power then i ever imagined. the bass on this system is incredible, its louder, deeper, and has much more thump than the bass on the hx-z1. the volume goes much much louder, and stays extremely clear at nearly full volume , which kinda hurts the ears. the quality of the sound is great and the mp3 feature is a huge bonus for those of us who burn our own cd's. the looks of system is stunning as you can see from the picture on this webpage. if i could give this system a 6/5 i would but unfortuantly it only lets me add 5 starts, so it gets a 5/5 from me :)

It's a nice system, Great aggressive looks, and a great buy if you like bass and have the cash. If you want good bass but looking something smaller try the JVC GIGA TUBE!!