JVC Arsenal KD-AHD69

Terrific Radio!

I purchased this radio from Sonic Electronix and have owned it for about six months now. Prior to this I owned the earlier generation of JVC headunit model KD-HDR50. I purchased this new unit almost solely for the "all black" faceplate which looks so much better in my car. The control of display lighting color is also very important to me to match the rest of my dash lighting which is all amber. The minimalistic design with a minimum of control buttons and larger that average button size is exactly my preference. With CD/MP3/WMA disc support, front panel USB, and built - in HD radio this is a versatile and complex unit but is very easy and intuitive to operate once set up. The electrical specifications are top notch, and I've has no issues with noise or "pops" of any kind. The volume control has a notched rubber ring for a non-slip grip. The unit display is very legible, offers quite a bit of information, yet is not overloaded with unnecessary symbols or indicators.
I just love this radio.

Great Receiver

I purchased this tuner for it's ability to interface to USB, it's ability to tune digital stations, and it's ability to interface to Steering Wheel control. All worked flawlessly. I love the ablity to control the display colors. The installation was easy with the correct interface needed for my vehicle. Be sure to provide Sonic your vehicle info.

Great features and quality for a good value

This JVC had everything that I was looking for except dedicated preset buttons for the radio. I haven't used the radio much yet so I can't really say how much I will miss the dedicated buttons but as others have said, you can manually tune in stations if you hold the seek buttons. This wasn't needed for finding the stations that I listen to even though I live in Buffalo, NY and some of my favorite channels broadcast from Toronto, ON. From my limited time using the radio, the stations came in clearer and stronger than the stock radio even when not on HD. I have not listened to much HD yet either though it's nice to not have any static with those channels.

The menu interface is extremely simple once you learn the basic functions for each button. I immediately went to the Pro EQ for the & band EQ and started tailoring it to my liking. Without an amp, my speakers distort at higher volumes but that is normal when you're using the built-in amp. Once you get to know the systems limits you can start tuning the EQ and it sounds wonderful. I found myself enjoying the color options for the buttons and display even though I did not think that I would care. There are definitely certain colors that work better for daytime and some for nighttime.

The front USB port is great and I picked up a tiny USB stick from LACIE called the MosKeyto which barely sticks out from the port. Navigating the files and folders works very similarly to the way it worked for mp3 CD's on my old Alpine head unit.

The sound that this unit produces seems even better than my last system and I'm not sure if it's because I have Infinity Kappas and JBL Power Series speakers now instead of just Infinity reference speakers or if the head unit just has a cleaner signal. It may be a little bit of both.

It is unfortunate that the new version of this model the KD-AHD79 does not have the 7 band EQ and instead a 3 band but it seems like it gets rear pre-amp outs as a trade off.

Fast and friendly with Great product

The car stereo I purchased is great- all my friends want one- you CANT beat the price.

Good value

The sound is pretty good. I like the features of this unit. its a good value.

I Love This Radio!

The aesthetics:
It's all black so it matches the dash of my car.
The variable color display allows matching of my dash lights. The volume control has a knobby rubber cover for good grip. There are few buttons on the control panel. The buttons most often used are relatively large and easy to operate.

The Features:
Built in HD radio tuner - no need for adapter, extra wires, extra cost. Accepts USB input on front panel - very accessible. Separate sub-woofer outputs, in addition to front/rear.
Flexible and truly useful tone control system.
High voltage preamp outputs can reduce system noise. Ability to turn off head unit power amplifier should reduce heat. Small key chain style remote is ergonomic and simple to use.

Other:
JVC brand is widely distributed and easy to find.
The unit can almost always be found at a discount.
Two year warranty. Only radio I've found that meets all my design preferences.

Good sound, easy to adjust and use

I am happy with this radio, although I'm no expert on radios. One of the reasons I bought it was because I wanted the USB port, for thumb drives, and I wanted the aux port in the front, for my mp3 player, all of which work well. I love the ability to change color, I get bored with the same thing all the time. I've not had time to use all of the features, but I use the radio, about six hours a day, and am powering quality speakers with it. So if anything went wrong I would re-buy the same radio.........

Awesome in every respect!

I purchased this deck to replace my stock unit after doing extensive research. I love the front access USB port, the built-in HD tuner and the 5V preamp output. Although my car had a so called "premium" system, there was an immediate increase in volume and quality because of the higher pre-out voltage. I love the color changing feature, because I was able to find a setting that matched the orange of my dash perfectly. Awesome deck, Buy it!!

Good Overall Deck

If you listen to a lot of HD radio and want a deck without the need of a separate HD tuner, this is the deck for you. The CD player sounds good too. I've had the older model of this same deck and was disappointed the new one doesn't have front and rear RCA outputs, just fronts and sub.