I'm strongly considering the JVC KD-HDR1 (http://www.jvc.com/press/index.jsp?item=484&pageID=1). Does anyone have any personal experience to share regarding this unit?

Thanks.

I have one. I think it's a great stereo. HD sounds great if the station has it set up properly. What else would you like to know?

I have one. I think it's a great stereo. HD sounds great if the station has it set up properly. What else would you like to know?

What do you like most about it?
Like least?
How do the HD2 stations sound?
Any problems with the install?

Thanks.

I'm wondering about MP3 playback.

Most of my CD's are ripped to VBR MP3 and I notice that many car players don't support VBR. Does the JVC?

Many car players don't have a way to fast forward or rewind during MP3 playback, and if you turn the car off, they start back at the beginning of the track. That's a big problem when listening to long podcasts. Does the JVC have FF/Rewind?

Thanks,
Chris

The circle surround feature really gives a nice sound -- makes it seem like the speakers are everywhere. That's probably my favorite feature. Even analog FM sounds really clean on it. You can clearly hear the compression used on HD2 channels that I've listened to. It's not really like an mp3 sound, but the highs are really swishy sounding and everything sounds kind of mechanical, for lack of a better way to put it.

I wish you could directly access an HD2 after turning it off. You always have to go through the HD1 first. That's probably my least favorite feature. I'm terrible with trying to install my own stuff, so I had it installed at car audio shop. It didn't take the guy long :)

I haven't come across any mp3s that it wouldn't play, although I haven't extensively tested yet. I think some of the mp3s I listen to are VBR, but I'd have to double-check. It does resume an mp3 from where it was last left and you can fast forward and rewind through a track.

Hope this helps!

I'm strongly considering the JVC KD-HDR1[/url]. Does anyone have any personal experience to share regarding this unit?

Thanks.

I bought one from Crutchfield and hooked it up to my home stereo (using a 12-volt power supply). I may buy a 2nd one for my car, but I bought it for home use because it seemed like the most versatile unit that was available (outputs, IR remote, etc.).

I have not tested any of the MP3 features. I rely on my Empeg for that kind of stuff. I bought it simply to listen to the 2nd and 3rd channels of my local NPR station (particularly some music shows that aren't played on their primary channel).

The JVC seems pretty well designed and fairly easy to use, Not sure the color scheme is what I would choose, but that's OK. Alpines look nicer, but they don't have something like this with a built-in HD tuner.

I soldered up a 2-foot length of RG58 coax with a Motorola connector on one end and a F-type connector on the other so I could hook the JVC up to a few antennas I had on hand. HD reception for a number of local stations was *great* with a simple dipole. Except that HD reception of the *one* NPR station I wanted was nonexistant. I live behind a big hill that is between me and that station's transmitter, so this was not a big surprise. So I tried about 4 other antennas -- an omnidirectional Antennacraft "turnstile", a directional RatShack 15-2163, a cheesy Ratshack amplified antenna, and an old Bic Beambox 10. While several of these produce great, multipath-free analog FM on an old Pioneer tuner I have, they produced zilch HD for that station.

Anyhow, I went to the hardware store and bought some parts to build JUHA (Jim's Ultimate HD Antenna) and now all is good. I have all 3 HD channels for that station running without any problems.

So, I think the JVC is pretty nice.

One thing I will say: The JVC runs *hot*. I might need to play around with this a bit, but you could fry an egg on the JVC, even after 2 hours with the volume/gain turned all the way down. I may need to build an enclosure with a fan.

Anyhow, hope this helps.

Jim

I and others have posted our experiences in the following thread in the same forum

AVS Forum > Digital Video & Audio Devices > HD Radio > Jvc Kd-hdr1

I tried to post the link to this thread, but was unable :( .

What do you like most about it?
Like least?
How do the HD2 stations sound?
Any problems with the install?

Thanks.

Besides the HD tuner (which was my main reason for purchase), the surround has been fantastic! The radio sounds great but with CS-A on the sound field really envelopes your car's interior. Another feature I've discovered and like: (I listen to MP3s half the time) when you start the car if you dont adjust volume/display the deck will scroll the album/artist info before switching to the song info.

The remote sucks! You practically have to put it on the face of the deck to get any response. So I don't bother with it.

Where I live the HD2 stations sound as good as the HD1's.

Install went smoothly. It's more about the vehicle you're installing into, the dash adaptor (if required) you use and things of that nature.

how do you select the HD2 station? And how do you know if one is avail?

I just installed mine. Thanks!@

When you lock onto an HD station, the call letters wil appear. AAAA-FM If there is an HD2 the call letters will change to AAAA-HD1. Just use the d-pad and press up or down and you're there. Some stations have HD-3, though none where I live, and it should be just another press of the d-pad.

I've been researching this Receiver for a few days, sounds like a good deal to try out this new HD Radio plus it can play MP3s which my current one can't.

One question I have, does it have RDS info built in,, "Radio data service" I think thats what it means. You know where infomation about the radio station, current song title and artist will show up on the screen.

I like that feature, Its a must have for me

Thanks

I've been researching this Receiver for a few days, sounds like a good deal to try out this new HD Radio plus it can play MP3s which my current one can't.

One question I have, does it have RDS info built in,, "Radio data service" I think thats what it means. You know where infomation about the radio station, current song title and artist will show up on the screen.

I like that feature, Its a must have for me

Thanks
Yes that feature is available on the receiver.

JAG69-

I don't think the JVC displays RDS information; it is not in the manual and mine sure does not display it.

Just to keep things clear, RDS is a data add-on to analog FM radio stations, that has been around (though not common) for as much as ten years or more. Many GM factory car stereos display it. RDS should not be confused with the data displays included on HD Radio signals (which the JVC certainly does display).

OK- thanks Chris for clearing that up about RDS being different from digital signals, It definitely makes sense.

Off the subject Chris,, Your name "ChrisW6ATV" is that a ham call W6ATV??? mine is KF4BSX

QSL, Steve. :)

In my signature is a link to a topic (here on the HD Radio forum) where several hams responded. It is good to meet another AVS Forum member who also creates signals as well as listens to/watches them.

Hy, the data states that it is IPOD ready, but is it ready also for any other external device input, and how? In no pictures that I've seen is there a jack on the front. Thanx, Myke

Hy, the data states that it is IPOD ready, but is it ready also for any other external device input, and how? In no pictures that I've seen is there a jack on the front. Thanx, Myke

If you look at Cruthfield there is an aux adaptor that terminates into a plug.
There is no front aux built in.

Thanx RCbridge - now if it only recorded. . .. I'm interested in this unit, in no small way due to my winning a 30g Creative Zen Vision W contraption at CES in 'Vegas last week! Now perhaps I can stop luggin' CDs & have a more navigable system. . .

Some in-home HD radios like the Accurian and Sangean are reportedly able to decode AM Stereo (the C-Quam type). Has anyone been able to test this JVC on an AM Stereo station to see if it decodes it? Not that there are many C-Quam stations left, but I'm just curious.

If I can ask you owners about the JVC display...how does it do in bright sunlight? I've got one of those Pioneer OEL displays in a 2001 Honda Accord. The face of the radio is slightly tilted up from level and completely washes out in bright sunlight. Any thoughts as to how the JVC would do in a similar circumstance?

thanks!

In terms of the am stereo I haven't received anything showing me that it comes in but one of the the am stereo stations is a hd one to start...I'm a bit far I think from the other stations....

In terms of the display it works pretty well in sunlight...it's the opposite of what I'm used to from my stock one (it's a colored background against non colored text in the sunlight...)...I haven't really used the remote I don't see a point if I'm the one driving the car....but if someone wanted to fool around with it while driving that would probably be far less distracting then if they used the entire console itself.

Anyhow, I went to the hardware store and bought some parts to build JUHA (Jim's Ultimate HD Antenna) and now all is good. I have all 3 HD channels for that station running without any problems.

Can someone direct me to the schematics & info regarding this homebuilt antenna? Would it work with receiving HDTV signals, also? Thanks. Oh yeah - I'm thinking about buying this unit, too =] Does anyone know of a website that lists all of the HD-Radio available by market? If my local NPR has HD-Radio and multicast (is that what it's called?), I will probably buy one asap. Thanks everyone

last thing - Someone was asking about this unit having RDS - According to crutchfield, it doesn't support RDS.

A recent review at Crutchfield complains about poor FM sensitivity in this JVC. I believe he's talking about the analog sensitivity, not HD. Has anyone compared this model to something like a Pioneer or Kenwood for standard FM reception?

I just bought this radio last night. I'm having some issues with HD reception.

First off, local station 102.7 is supposed to broadcast 2 HD channels. The radio won't pick up either. Picks up the analog station just fine.

2 stations, 104.7 FM and 700 AM I had tuned in and received the HD signal. I went back a few hours later and tuned them in, and NO HD channels came in. I tried resetting the unit, no dice. Still cant get the HD reception back.

is there something wrong with the radio?

Just went out to the truck and checked. Now those 2 stations are coming in, but I still can't pick up 102.7. I'm driving across town today, I'll check and see if its just my location.

There's plenty of things that can effect performance...I can get stations from RI no problem...I actually get more HD am ones from there than my own state. However like anything else sometimes there can be problems either due to the atmosphere or with the station itself. There's one that has a comedy substation and it didn't air it...so I emailed and they said they had a problem...they fixed it and now it's not in hd at all.....meanwhile a new sub one popped up and one is sort of jammed (I think it's a software problem on their end)

There's a college hd station which I find to be pretty interesting especially that it was just a 1200 watt station last year! The range they admit for analog is 25 miles...I can get them at home but not always at work...

Just thought I'd add that the presets towards the types of music makes a huge difference. I didn't care much for the classical but the rock is definatly a good setting...hiphop also works well in terms of the bass.

Anyhow, I went to the hardware store and bought some parts to build JUHA (Jim's Ultimate HD Antenna) and now all is good. I have all 3 HD channels for that station running without any problems.



Could you elaborate on this? I have searched everyone and can't find any info on the "JUHA" antenna. Thanks,

Brew

Remember.... AM stations stop broadcasting in HD at "sundown" due to current FCC requirements. The FCC is looking into changing this.

I have had the radio for a few days now and haven't really had any problems with it. The only question I have is how do you pause while a cd is playing. I have tried everything and cannot figure out how to do this. It may not be possible on this radio, but I hope it is.

Thanks
Brandon

dlnester - The FCC changed regulations about a month ago, so now AM stations can broadcast HD at night (check the threads for a discussion about this).

If I can ask you owners about the JVC display...how does it do in bright sunlight? I've got one of those Pioneer OEL displays in a 2001 Honda Accord. The face of the radio is slightly tilted up from level and completely washes out in bright sunlight. Any thoughts as to how the JVC would do in a similar circumstance?

thanks!

The display is excellent in all lighting situations, including direct sunlight. If anything, the display actually gets *better* in direct sunlight because you can't see the 'unlit' segments at all (whereas you can faintly see them in daylight/darkness.

dlnester - The FCC changed regulations about a month ago, so now AM stations can broadcast HD at night (check the threads for a discussion about this).

Not yet. The rule is 30 days after publication in the Federal Register; I don't think the new rules have been published yet.

I recently had the KD-HDR1 deck installed in my car, and I'm generally satisfied. However, I'm having difficulties interpreting the owners' manual, and have several questions.

First - How do you tune the receiver to pick up HD-2 stations, which I understand carry programs that differ from the HD-1 stations? I can't find anything in the owners manual that addresses this.

Second - Regarding the "SS Circle Surround Auto," the manual states that it is a surround technology specifically aimed for car audio and that it can reproduce "5.1-channel sound system" through conventional 4-door mounted speaker system (sic). Does this mean that it works best when the station is broadcasting in surround, e.g., 5.1 format? Frankly, I find that the overall response is better (with better bass, better transients, better fidelity), when the SS Circle Surround is turned off. The SS Circle Surround frankly sounds kind of mushy, something like the old Carver holographic surround sound that never took off. Am I doing something wrong?

Third - The adjustments of individual settings for SRS "focus F, R, F, etc. , seem to be an incredible hassle. - Is it worth it to adjust these individual settings, particularly since I like the "off"" or "user" setting best?

So far I haven't invested in after-market speakers or amps. (I have a full-sized Mercury Marquis with standard factory stereo). Any comments on what I should invest in first to improve the sound, such as better front door speakers, Dynamat insulation, external amp, or woofer? I'm trying to keep the added cost under $500 - $600. I'm not really satisfied with the overall sound quality, or the bass.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jim

To tune the HD2 channels, hit Up/Down arrow once tuned in to the main service.
This is on page 8 of the manual.

My undesrtanding is that the quality of upmixing from L/R stereo is one of the selling points of SRS CS. There are very few (or none) SRS encoded programs in the US (it's common in Japan).

The effect of CS will mostly depend on the speaker setup in your car. I would experiment with adjusting the User mode until you get something you like. In my car, for example, I have tweeters in the A-pillars so SRS FOCUS brings the highs out too much. I have this set to 0 but set F/R TRUBASS to 4 as the rear speakers are in the doors so bass response is not so great. My point is, play with them until satisfied and then forget them.

I recently had the KD-HDR1 deck installed in my car, and I'm generally satisfied. However, I'm having difficulties interpreting the owners' manual, and have several questions.


Regarding the "SS Circle Surround Auto," the manual states that it is a surround technology specifically aimed for car audio and that it can reproduce "5.1-channel sound system" through conventional 4-door mounted speaker system (sic). Does this mean that it works best when the station is broadcasting in surround, e.g., 5.1 format? Frankly, I find that the overall response is better (with better bass, better transients, better fidelity), when the SS Circle Surround is turned off. The SS Circle Surround frankly sounds kind of mushy, something like the old Carver holographic surround sound that never took off. Am I doing something wrong?

The adjustments of individual settings for SRS "focus F, R, F, etc. , seem to be an incredible hassle. - Is it worth it to adjust these individual settings, particularly since I like the "off"" or "user" setting best?

So far I haven't invested in after-market speakers or amps. (I have a full-sized Mercury Marquis with standard factory stereo). Any comments on what I should invest in first to improve the sound, such as better front door speakers, Dynamat insulation, external amp, or woofer? I'm trying to keep the added cost under $500 - $600. I'm not really satisfied with the overall sound quality, or the bass.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Jim


I hear that!!!
I too, am suffering the same situation, i just got this bad boy installed in a 1996 Buick Le Sabre , The speakers(Concert II) are better than most stock vehicles, but will sound a ton better with after market gear. Ive had it for the past month, it does take time to tweak settings, with the cs surround, FOCUS and user presets, I ve tested mp3s wma, and all sound fine, i have less than 10 HD stations and they fade in and out all the time but sound great when it works, I also have the Ipod Adapter, and this thing is awesome, i love the fact it charges my ipod while playing, but indeed like someone said a huge library takes alot of time to navigate , I have noticed while navigating thru artist using the right arrow and holding one of the presets allows you to jump through the A_Z list quicker and BTW the remote is practically useless. (All of this is pretty hazadous while driving but done many atime to suffice my wife when she is in the car andw ants to listen to the goo-goo dolls) Like stated before playlists are your friends.
When i get more money to burn, you can bet i will be looking through the Sunday ads for amp,sub woofers and enclosure combos, From what i saw $329-400 for subs amp and enclosure @ Best Buy , the flavors change every week from Fossgate,Sony, Infinity , haven't checked lately , but of course this is all retail and will always be the most expensive way to go, but my logic is that this gear weighs a ton and shipping cost is the deal breaker for me, if there is anything wrong i wouldnt want to lug it out and ship it back. Yeah its best to invest in front door speakers as well as rear door and tweeters. you definitely gonna be at your $500 limit!

I am about 150 miles from Los Angeles and have only a few local AM stations in my area. Occasionally, I can pick up strong LA stations such as KFI-640. Given my location, will the JVC KD HDR1 pick up stations at that distance - BETTER than other car radios? Thanks!!

If you mean pick them up in HD, I doubt it. Certainly not reliably.

Your best shot would probably be KNX 1070. KFI is not currently in HD.

If you mean AM stations in general, for me it does about as well pulling stations in as the Kenwood it replaced. The audio quality on analog AM is nothing to write home about, though - very "tubby" sounding. The Kenwood was better. Give it a listen before you buy.

Can you be more specific about your location? 150 miles from LA covers a lot of ground.

Thanks narkspud
I'm about an hour north of Santa Barbara so it's pretty rural. we have a few stations in the area and it always amazes me how you can get into a car, turn on the radio and it's pulling in stations from LA, SF, Las Vegas, like they're broadcasting from your backyard - and then you get into another car and you can barely get a clear signal from a local station 30 miles away.

I'm sure there are a million variables - antenna set up, engine noise, etc, etc, so I figured I'll eliminate one variable by trying to find a radio (cd player) that has a better receiver - than others.

I listen to a lot of talk radio which is always AM, and I want to get a clear, non-static sound - and - (because I know it's possible from certain cars I've been in) pick up stations from as far away as possible. XM is of course an option, but I figure since I've heard clear reception in some vehicles - some with factory radios and some with aftermarket units. At this point not sure what brands or model numbers the units were...

Reading specs on various units my eyes glaze over and until you buy and install you won't really know. So, when I saw the JVC KD HDR1 - I thought that might be the answer.

Is there a cd player out there (or 2 or 3...) that everyone agrees has exceptional receiving ability?

sorry for length of this, any and all ideas completely appreciated

PS - the local car stereo store guy says Clarion has good AM receivers - but could be because he sells them.....

Might get the JVC for THREE cars, a Dodge Caliber, Hyundai Accent & an old Ford Festiva. Circuit City doesn't want to give me a three head unit plus speakers discount, siting the differences in all the cars. Also, CC stated the Caliber has unusually complicated fitting accessories that will cost an extra $50 along with other costs. Should I find some other companies that might bid for my 3 head unit plus speakers deal? & who would be a good dealer to deal with...Car Toys or (?)?

I live in a fringe area. What would be the best way to improve reception? The Circuit City people said the JVC unit can't be fitted with a double antenna setup.

The Hyundai & Caliber have speakers, altho I wish to change the two front Caliber factory 6X9 inch speakers(keeping the rear 6X9 inch speakers). The Festiva needs all new speakers.

I have owned this HD radio for just over a month, and while now i solely use it with my Zune that I just got, when i first got it i solely used it for HD radio. I loved the unit, but my only issue is a bug with HD-2 stations. I am not sure if its the radio, or just the HD-2 stations in my area, but it sometimes displays the song and artist for a song on an HD-2 station, and then locks on to that info, and displays it for a week or more some times, never updating for new songs. I was regularly scanning several stations trying to find a song worth listening too, but not sure if this behavior had any relation to the issue.

Has anyone else had a similar issue with HD-2 stations being stuck on a single artist/track info. Issue doesn't seem to happen with HD-1 stations.

I have had it since July. Overall I do like the radio, but it has to go in to the repair shop when I get a chance. It will only play the right speakers off and on. It is getting much more common as the time goes on.

I bought it to replace an older Eclipse deck. It is no where near the quality of the eclipse but gets much better radio reception, which is 95% of what I listen to.

Brew

I have not seen that problem, but I have noticed that HD2 channels in general have relatively poor data display support compared to HD1s. Maybe only one or two stations here have song/artist information properly displayed on their HD2 channels; the others have fixed information, incorrect/delayed information, or no text at all. These are station limitations, not the radio itself, at least in my case.

Anyone else have it randomly go into "demo' mode while listening to an HD station? I'll be locked into an HD station for quite a while and then all of a sudden it flashes 'Demo' on the display and then runs through the HD demo graphics. It will cycle through that for a bit and then go back to the regular time display.

I think it really depends on the station. There's a few I listen to that are totally 100% dead on with what they play...but here's a few things I noticed

On a trip near the cape I found one station coming in hd that isn't even listed

A college station is now playing a hd2 station not even listed (no track information...that's some important stuff as that can lead to sales)

I've noted that there's some transition of stuff of advertisements...but it's internal not external...like "listen to this on hd1" on the hd2 stations. I rather have the content in first though and then the information.

There's also a RI Am station that I can now get a strong lockon for hd...whjj

Funny, I Live in RI and drive to MA every morning for work, so we are probably listening to the same stations (assuming you like the same genre of music). My problem happened on 94.4 HD-2, 107.9 HD2 and 104.1 HD-2. But as others have mentions, it could just be due to poor broadcasting of song info on HD-2 stations and not the radio.

I got the deck for Christmas because my wife saw me researching the HD technology. I worked my way through college doing radio installs at a Motorola shop, so I'm not afraid of mucking around in a dash board. Drilling holes in car bodies is almost as good as sex!

My issue was significant enough to drive me to register here to make comment on the KDHDR1. I find that the FM sensitivity is lower than what came in my 06 Ford Fusion and that the AM sensitivity is positively DISMAL. Here in Denver, I listen to 630 KHOW and 850 KOA, both broadcasting in HD on the AM side. I can only occasionally detect HD in the 50KW KOA and not at all on the 5K KHOW.

I did have to purchase an adapter to take the Ford's axial antenna to the deck's banana style plug and I suspect my loss is there. I REALLY do not want to cut the antenna coax to rebuild the connector to bananna, but if I must, I must.

do you mean 94.1? that one is pretty good...104.1-2 is great too although according to it every song is by trent raznor...either he's got the longest song ever at a few months or it just hasn't changed.

97.7-2 is EXCELLENT but the range is small...

that 102.5-2 is pretty interesting as it's just comedy material. I'm still waiting for more sports...104.1 has the pats...weei should be in hd but I've been waiting for that forever....same as this "digital traffic"

I just installed this yesterday in my Passat and it was pretty straight forward. I do have a question for those of you that have this though. I bought one of the generic KS-U57 from a seller on ebay just like this: http://stores.*********/Specialty-Electronics_JVC-to-iPOD-MP3-Cable_W0QQcolZ4QQdirZ1QQfsubZ14029498QQftidZ2QQtZkm

and plugged it in the back of the unit prior to installation.

When I plug in an outside audio source (tv tuner), shouldn't I be able to at least hear the audio as I scroll through the "source"?? I know the source button works because when I put in an audio cd, I can switch between radio and cd. But it doesn't seem to recognize that there is another input into the HU.

Does the KS-U57 or HU only recognize certain inputs (IPOD, MP3, etc)? I was under the impression that I would be able to listen to anything that has RCA outputs that can plug int the KS-U57 cable. Was I wrong or is it maybe a bad cable??

Thanks in advance.

edit: ok, I don't seem to be able to link to the ebay auction where I got the cable from, but it was just a generic KS-U57, not one from JVC.

You've got a bad something. The radio couldn't care less what's plugged into an RCA adapter. It should just pass it along, and the cable should always be one of your input choices, whether it's got something plugged into it or not.

If it isn't recognizing the cable, then that's where you should start troubleshooting. It's either a bad cable, a bad radio, a bad install, or there's some secret something you have to do that's hidden somewhere in the manual.

I vote for "bad cable".

You're right, it was something that I didn't do. I actually sat down and read the manual this morning and on page 17-18, it tells you how to change the PSM settings. The external input was defaulted to "changer" which is for a cd changer, satellite radio or IPOD. You have to tell the HU to go with "EXT IN". I haven't yet tested it with an audio source, but when I press the source button, it at least shows "ext in". That's a good sign...

Yes, I was just about to suggest you enable the Aux In setting in the menu. I am using a cheap line input adapter from the big auction Web site as well; they are commonly sold as Alpine input adapters.

It sounds like some of these questions have to do with an adjustment that's supposed to be made but wasn't. As an example, the manual explains how to turn the demo off. Most of my HD2s sound better than the HD1s! The midrange just seems cleaner.

I got one of these radios a few weeks ago in a 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera to replace the factory stereo which died. Currently Bakersfield's only HD station is Public Radio, which I don't listen to. Supposedly more are on the way. During the day I can usually get HD on KMJ 580 Fresno, about 100 miles away. It often drifts in and out while driving around. Sometimes at night I can get a lock on KDWN 720 Las Vegas. On FM, in a few places on the west side of town I can get HD with an HD2 on KBOS 94.9 Fresno. For analog FM this radio is superb at DXing. I can receive several Fresno stations and a few Los Angeles and Santa Maria / San Luis Obispo stations. It would be nice to have one of these at home with an AC adapter and a good rooftop antenna. I bet this thing would pull in tons of distant stations then, some in HD.

>>Most of my HD2s sound better than the HD1s! The midrange just seems cleaner.<<

The midrange isn't where the trouble is.

I just bought a KD-HDR1 from Crutchfield about a month ago.

Seems like you guys have had good luck with it, unfortunately I can't seem to figure out the issue with my system.

My system is 4 speakers (front/rear) with a JL 300/4 Amp, and a Rockford Fosgate Amp with an Infiniti 10" sub. They all run off of RCA's.

I had a Dual XD 770 headunit before this one, but I upgraded since the Dual was inexpensive and only had 2 preamp outputs. The overall sound quality was excellent, but I had limited control over the sub.

For whatever reason though, the JVC headunit sounds like complete crap compared to the Dual. The sound is very tinny, like there is no bass or treble, and it has no "depth" to it.

I've played around with all the settings, including the EQ, CS-A, and the Focus. None of it makes it sound any better. I've tried to find a simple Bass/Treble adjustment, but it appears this unit does not have one, which I find ridiculous. I don't even know what the damn EQ functions mean, I just want to adjust the basic functions like bass and treble.

Any help would be appreciated, I'm about to send this thing back to Crutchfield.

I just ordered this unit (JVC KD-HDR1) from newegg.com for $119.99, and it will be here Monday. Now I'm confused (:confused:). Is this a good unit or not? I have a non HD JVC in my other car and it's been great with no faults for 2 years now. I live 25 miles north of Charlotte NC.

I'd recommend the unit. The only caveat is that it does have some more advanced features in it. What I mean by that it that it is worth it to spend some time after installing to modify what sounds the best. I don't know if it's 100% true but I've heard Madonnas Vogue is used to test systems...

wesman002: your problem sounds like a speaker out of phase. I would double check the wiring.

All modern radios should sound more or less the same at low to moderate power with the DSP switched off.

wesman002: your problem sounds like a speaker out of phase. I would double check the wiring.

All modern radios should sound more or less the same at low to moderate power with the DSP switched off.

Thanks for the tip.

What exactly does out of phase mean?? When I put the fader all the way to the rear, it sounds like it kind of echoes for some reason.

I'm going to go and check it out now and see what I can come up with :confused:

What exactly does out of phase mean?? When I put the fader all the way to the rear, it sounds like it kind of echoes for some reason.

Out of phase? Short answer - the wires are crossed.

Longer answer, one of the speakers has the positive lead going to the negative side, and vice versa. This means one speaker is pushing when the other one's pulling. They're fighting each other, so you get strange effects, one of which can be a loss of frequency response.

The echo thing you're describing is odd. It says to me that either you're in some mode that you need to find your way out of before proceeding, or your wiring is REALLY hosed up - either scrambled among the speakers or shorting out somewhere. Definitely make sure you've wired that harness correctly and that no leads or bare wires are exposed and able to touch each other. Do not assume that all you have to do is match wire colors - read the instructions!

Good luck.

Out of phase? Short answer - the wires are crossed.

Longer answer, one of the speakers has the positive lead going to the negative side, and vice versa. This means one speaker is pushing when the other one's pulling. They're fighting each other, so you get strange effects, one of which can be a loss of frequency response.

The echo thing you're describing is odd. It says to me that either you're in some mode that you need to find your way out of before proceeding, or your wiring is REALLY hosed up - either scrambled among the speakers or shorting out somewhere. Definitely make sure you've wired that harness correctly and that no leads or bare wires are exposed and able to touch each other. Do not assume that all you have to do is match wire colors - read the instructions!

Good luck.

I see what you mean. I'll have to trace the wires back to each speaker and check the polarity when I get home again this coming weekend. I'm using all RCA cables (front/back/sub) so it should be pretty straightforward. The regular speaker wires coming out of the radio harness are just taped up with electrical tape, since I'm not using them at all. The wires I have hooked up are power, remote, accessory, antenna, ground (of course) and 3 sets of RCAs.

As for the rear speakers, I checked them again after making my last post. Basically they are getting a lot of mid range and low frequency signal, and very little highs. So if you set the fader to all rear, you basically hear lots of bass/midrange, which overpowers the treble (i.e, singer's voice) by a great deal. I was wrong describing it as an Echo, it just gives that impression because the low tones overpower the high tones so much. I'm guessing thats just the way the headunit sends the signals, giving more of the low tones to the rear speakers, and the treble to the fronts??

UPS delivered my new HD Radio today, right on time. Gonna install it this weekend.http://i219.photobucket.com/albums/cc244/coosfraba/x257KDHDR1-f_mt.jpg

wesmann002: I reread you original question and it seems you were feeding your amp from the previous headunit with the same RCAs. The only difference is the sub amp. Possibly your sub is out of phase with the main speakers. I would disconnect the sub, make sure the CS-A on the headunit is off and give it a listen.
If you bought the JVC from Crutchfield, I would also give them a call. People say they are actually good at troubleshooting over the phone.

Believe it or not, just installed it yesterday. I was very surprised because I had people tell me the HD would drift in and out while driving. So far, so good. I live 25 miles north of Charlotte NC and it hasn't drifted out of HD once, just driving around here. I'l try it further out and see what happens, but I seldom am any further from Charlotte than I am now. I really like what I see and hear so far, and I didn't even read the manual yet. And this is with factory speakers. I would advise anyone to get at least 3 way speakers because there is more to hear through multi-casting. I can tell this is a good quality radio and I only paid $119.95 for it at newegg.com. Next project: The Speakers. :)

Have not had an aftermarket radio installed in years. I am talking about Sparkomatic days. I am very impressed with this unit and the HD is incredible. I am now upgrading my speakers with Kenwoods all the way around and simply can't wait. Sure hope HDRadio is not a passing ship.:)

I've had my radio for about tow months, and although HD sounds good I would have returned it for refund. I'm not impressed with the day to day operations of it, the remote is useless except for volume control. You can't switch between HD channels using the remote and it is a pain to adjust the bass and treble.


Vetteman7: Elemental Designs has some good sounding speakers/amps

For 99 bucks I'm happy with it