Digital-Audio Reviews

I have had the pleasure of owning this JVC product for almost a year. What caught my attention was the progressive scan technology and the DVD-Audio feature along with the slim and sleek updated gold "high tech" appearance. JVC is one of a few handful of companies willing to give the owner a decent and legible on screen guide for video/audio set up complete with nifty and colorful graphics (love that picture in window screen display so you don't miss the action). JVC's earlier DVD models did have some serious lock up issues as I was the unfortunate owner of their big bulky model XV-501 ( had to have that one repaired in less than 3 years due to laser/motor burn out and lock up disfunction). It looked very expensive and sported a video fine processor feature which allowed you to really sharpen the picture detail quality by a large noticeable degree, which is simplified in the newer models.
On the XV 75 model, while the user can really fine tune color, tint, etc. without having to go through the tv's own picture controls, tweaking the picture to complete and preferable sharpness cannot be done to noticeable extremes like the older models. It allows for some sharpness but there is very subtle change or differences to make the viewer go wow ! Overall, the picture produced is very clean and substantially detailed on my 27 inch RCA (the poor man's Sony Wega) analog set, though. I have not had the luxury of trying the progressive scan feature on a high def set, yet (that's another item for my Christmas or B-day gift list of things I want BADLY !)...

The DVD-Audio decoding portion takes awhile to get used to (though it claims to be high resolution and of higher calibre than regular 2 channel stereo, the sound is rather soft).The dedicated .1 bass is wonderful when connected to the right sub (Velodyne, JBL, Infinity, anyone ?)Excellent DVD Audio discs to audition for the aural workout are The Blue Man Group Audio Surround Mix, Sting's Ten Summoner's Tales in DTS and a limited JVC Free dvd audio sampler ! Again, don't expect the earpiercing highs or mids. The sonic characteristic of DVD Audio is meant to have a "soft" and warm almost high resolution analog sound rich in deep bass (unlike that heard or felt with normal stereo). And the different effects or instruments to be heard placed around you will blow the mind (hopefully not the eardrums). The new DVD Audio format is indeed a new venue that requires getting aurally accustomed to. Also, heed my warning, YOU MUST HAVE A DECENT SUBWOOFER CONNECTED for the .1 LFE bass; otherwise you will get a very hollow soft sound not worthy of trading for regular stereo. Also, another major important ingredient is a voice matched and powerful center channel (3 way preferred). You will be amazed how many dvd audio recordings put the singer or instrumentalist dead center (another debate for another time). One drawback is that you cannot use a graphic equalizer on these newer digital receivers that must accompany dvd players like the JVC Dvd-audio player; you shouldn't need to, the sound produced by this new digital equipment is almost sonically perfect !

The reason for the 4 stars is that the laser can be sensitive meaning that if there is a microsopic scratch that is ignored by other players it may be picked up by this one and cause lock up or major macro blocking/tiling. I found this out with my Chasing Amy dvd which has a flaw on it's surface yet plays that same flawed section effortlessy on another dvd player.This may be due to the player's small or limited correction error buffer circuitry. Also, when I first bought the machine the system would lock up and not start up again or shut off unless i unplugged it (rebooted ?). Must have broken in properly because the problem has disappeared !

Overall, this JVC player wins my vote of approval in both video and audio processing functions. Remember, this player is packed with all sorts of goodies that previously were only exclusive to the Denons, Yamahas, etc. etc....

This player is the best I've run across. It plays just about any disk media, and does a superb job. I have a JVC TV, and a JVC VCR. Connecting them with AV Comu-Link lets me put the disk or tape in and sit dow. The televion turns itself on, selects the proper set of inputs and plays.
The picture quality is excellent,( you can really tell a bad transfer to disk ). I don't have a HDTV, so I can't vouch for the progressive scan, the regular picture is plenty fine for me.
The DTS/ 5.1 outputs give you beautiful surround sound. Even through a small system like my AIWA bookshelf set-up- it is the only one I've seen with 5.1 inputs (but that's another review).
The set-up menus are easy to navigate and very user friendly.
The zoom and angle features are great, and the "strobe" button lets you see things fram by frame- AWESOME!
A terrific player and a great price.

I am going on nine months with this player and could not be more pleased. Honestly if it froze up on me tommorow I would still give it high marks simply because it has performed so well and offers so much for the money.

My main reason for purchasing this player was to get a DVD-Audio player without breaking the bank, reasoning that I would rather spend my money on DVD-A software. I also wanted a progressive scan player to go with my HDTV for excellent video playback quality, again at a reasonable price. With the XV-SA75 I got it all for the incredible price of $...! I see no-frills VCRs selling for more.

DVD-Audio playback is EXCELLENT. I have it matched with the JVC RX-8020VBK AV Receiver (another excellent buy) and the sound from the 24-bit/192kHz decoders from this player is nothing less than stunning. It sounds like it should cost $1000 or more. Really, I would pit the sound quality of DVD-Audio from this player against a high end CD player from a $10,000+ system--and probably blow it away. I know it sounds like an exaggeration but believe me it's not. DVD-Audio when properly set-up is THAT GOOD. Like most DVD-Audio players, this one does not offer bass management for DVD-Audio playback. You will need five full range (or close to full range) speakers and a decent subwoofer (10"+) to maximize your listening experience. But with the money you save you can invest in a set of good speakers. Preferably floorstanding, from good speaker makers like B&W, Dynaudio, Energy, Paradigm, PSB, etc.

Progressive scan DVD playback on this player is excellent also. Movies like The Fellowship of the Ring, Star Wars Attack of the Clones, actually almost any well made DVD movie look incredibly sharp and theater-like on a high definition/widescreen digital TV. Combined with the Dolby Digital EX or DTS ES capabilities of the RX-8020, I get 6.1 surround sound and stunning progressive picture quality for a truly movie-going experience--in my living room. It never fails to impress my friends & neighbors, who think I spent a fortune on this system. If they only knew the truth.

As for the downside to this player, there are very few. I don't particularly like the CD playback quality with this player because on certain lo-fi quality CDs I will get an occasional drop off in sound during playback. I use a dedicated CD changer for CDs so this is not an issue for me. I think this saves on the wear and tear of the DVD player and I personally think this is the way to go anyway. This player also plays MP3s, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs for maximum flexibility. It really is amazing all the things this player can do. The only discs it won't play are Super Audio CDs (SACD) and DVD-Rs.

You will also need to invest in a LOT of cables for this unit, what with six analog connections for DVD-Audio, digital (coax or toslink) connection for DVD-Video sound, component cables for progressive video... but of course this would be the case for any DVD-Audio/Progressive Scan player.

I really can't say enough good things about this player. Other JVC DVD players take hits for laser problems and lock up issues, but so far this player has performed like a champ for me. The best investment I have made in a piece of electronic equipment by far.

At first I was impressed with my AV380, but then I realized my battery life was defective - approximately 90 minutes on a full charge. My AV380 is still under warranty, and Archos doesn't return my emails, and doesn't even have a telephone support line, so I'm at a loss how to get help!! I can not reach anyone at Archos, and my warranty is running out.
Before buying mine, my friend had warned me, and I had read reviews before that Archos customer support is known for being the worst in the business. But I figured I would take my chances - I did - and now I'm paying for it!
Incredible that this company is still doing business here in America... I understand they are based out of France.... Maybe that explains the lack of customer service... Buy at your own risk - Peeved in Hawaii!

This thing is exactly what I was looking for to take on long trips. First, it replaced a portable DVD player and the need to take all my movies on DVD disks with me. Next, it replaced an electronic film vault as I can load JPEGs in from my CF cards, and the screen is much better to share photos with friends. And the size and weight of the AV380 compared to lugging around a laptop is pure joy!

I was concerned that movies would be "jerky" or "pixilated", but nothing could be further from the truth. Maybe it's not DVD quality, but it's so close I can't tell the difference.

This product is going to turn heads wherever you go. I see that Archos is releasing the AV400, which has CF built in, but it's not hard to do with this unit. Synchs right up to Win XP, and the USB 2.0 is great for moving files around.

Anything I don't like? I believe we'll see these PVPs really take off in the next year. On my wish list would be removable battery packs, a speaker, and a built in CF reader (all now available on the new AV400 which should be shipping soon, and more file acceptance TIFF, PDF, etc. A flip cover for the screen would also be nice, as the unit doesn't come with a case. Recording movies into the unit is a snap, but the process of doing file conversions on movies I've made with Pinnacle was more daunting than I was prepared for (no, I didn't major in computer science). Much easier to just output to disk or camcorder and then re-record into the AV380.

All in all, the coolest product I've bought since the first portable DVD players came out a few years back.

The archos AV300 series is a portable computer in addition to an awesome personal video player. All you need to do is install windows to a partition you make on the hard drive and you can run your computer from anywhere where there is a USB connection and a monitor. The simplicity and speed of the file transfer method is un-matched unless you need to install an upgraded USB hub. All you do is drag and drop. Immediately upon plugging in the Archos to a computer it recognises it as a USB mass storage device and you are ready to do your bidding. And get these while you can. The main problem is that battery life is less than 4 hours when watching videos. And since the battery is a proprietary non-removable Li-Ion battery, you can't just pop out the old battery and put in a new one. The unit does have a ability to turn off the LCD backlight while operating each time you skip a song or mistakenly press a button in your pocket. It has an excellent record timer, A nice surprise,so you can record a weeks worth of your favorite reruns. It is easy enough to get video recorded into it with the provided cables and DVR attachment, and easy to connect to your TV for playback. If you read the specs and don't have a problem with the size and other features, you will be very satified. Don't expect DVD quality playback on your TV. It has the wonderful AV recorder which comes inside the pack, makes video recording very easy. you wont need a video anymore. connects easily to the TV or VCR, but you should be careful of the cables connecting the AV380 because they turn out to be too plenty. The remote control (wireless) is excellent and makes life easier when placing the AV380 away from you. Finally, Archos gets it!! With this model, Archos has addressed most of the drawbacks of previous models. This product is actually in a class of its own! It does everything it claims to do, and does it well! The interface has also been drastically improved, though it is not obvious how to use the 3 "soft" buttons at first since the buttons are aligned vertcally at the right while the functions are listed horizontally at the bottom of the screen. However, a quick glance at the button descriptions in the quick-start guide is all you need to understand how everything works. Yes there is actually a quick start guide in addition to the well-written manual. The interface is much improved by the addition of a joystick. Also, the Operating System now allows file-handling functions such as rename, delete, etc to be done right on the jukebox, whereas a PC was required before. Also as with previous models, the jukebox looks like a hard-disk when connected to the PC which means transferring files back and forth is as easy as drag-and-drop (as opposed to using proprietary programs). The USB 2.0 connection is extremely fast and definitely a plus. The audio input jack doubles as line-in and mic-in. Live recording is now very clean with no hard-disk noise, even when using the internal mic. This model adds official support for playing WMA files. The latest OS update (free on their website) adds support for playing AND recording in WAV format (in addition to the MP3 format. You now have a full blown DAT recorder in your pocket! This update also allows you to do some basic audio and video editing on the unit itself. Video looks very good indeed on the large 3.8" LCD screen. May not exactly be DVD-quality as they claim, but its close! The included DVR module allows you to record MP4 video on the fly or you can convert videos to MP4 on your PC and transfer them to the unit. Pictures look great! The unit supports both JPEG (non-progrssive) and BMP. You can use the optional memory card readers to upload directly into the jukebox bypassing your PC, or you can download pictures from your PC. Also for the hefty price tag, Archos should have included the optional wired remote that adds FM Radio support. The lack of an included carrying case is puzzling especially since the cheaper Archos models all came with cases. Go out and buy a case right away to protect that huge LCD screen.
The Arcos is quality is miles ahead of any other competetors products.
Recommendation:If you like having alot of movies on hand, alot of photos on hand and the ability to play hundreds of song, then this is for you. I am a chauffeur for a living and this definately kills the sit and wait time assosciated with my job. Excellent for long trip, plug into the vehicle dvd player or music into the tape deck. Makes for a shorter trip.

I was looking for something small I could carry in a pack or a pocket. This gadget fits the bill. It's so tiny and cool to use, people are always astonished when they see it. It's useful for taking quick pictures and short videos (the resolution isn't great but it's good enough for email and web pix). The MP3 player is a great bonus. I use it to listen to audiobooks. I would highly reccommend it for anyone looking for a small multi-use gadget. It will never replace my Canon digital camera but it's a nice extra.

This has been a perfect buy for my wife and I. She wanted an easy-to-use, easy-to-carry digital camera. Well, I found exactly what she wanted, plus a digital camcorder (it records/plays MPEG4 clips), an audio recorder, and a MP3 player --all for the price of an entry-level digital camera!!

The video editing software that comes with this baby is not ideal, but it handles the basic tasks of viewing and deleting files. I also wish I could use the device as a webcam. But other than that, I've had so much fun with it, including recording instructions for my wife on how to use it!

this is the coolest thing you get four great things in one, although i cant print out the pictures because my mom lost the product key

a retard could figure this out it's so easy,but if you are going to buy this buy an extra card for recording because they dont hold very much. well, you should still buy this because instead of buying those expensive video camera, or mp3 players, or digital cameras it's all in one and VERY COOL

If you have Windows XP, forget it. I was on the phone with Yepp Technical Support, as well as RealJukebox Help (Yepp uses RealJukebox software). No one could tell me how to get it working with Windows XP.

After a *LOT* of research I bought my first MP3 player.
It is a very good deal, specially if you buy the 32Mb version an add an unexpensive 64 Mb smartmedia card. 96Mb is fairly more music than the one you'll need for a ride on the bus to college or work.

The sound is pretty good and you'll usually use it on shuffle without the remote. I don't have to say anything about the look.

The software works ok, you'll probably preffer the Yepp explorer (downloadable from samsung's site) than the included Real Jukebox.
About the transfer speed, well, when working with the embedded memory is just fine, however, downloading or even erasing music from the smartmedia is kinda' slow.

To sum up, if you get it from less than 100 bucks... it's a really good deal.

I have just received this unit today. It takes less than 2 minutes to transfer 32MB mp3 songs to the onborad memory using windowsXP, the YEPP explorer from the samsung website, DO NOT INSTALL THE SOFTWARE ON THE CD. I think this player's output is loud enough to enjoy the music on the street or working out. I don't know the battery life but ppl do have good thing to say about it. I have no problem connecting this unit to the computer.(less than 1 mins) and about the belf clif? It is very easy to use and fit perfectly to the player and I have no problem wearing it around.(I do prefer to have an arm band.) The battery door is no trick to open. This is the easiest electronic I have ever used. I don't know why people keep having hard time to operate it. I bought it at 39.99 with free shipping and I am heading to the neweggs.com to get a 25 Dollars 64MB SmartMedia card. Total investment will be around 65 dollars for a 96MB meomry MP3 player with cool apperance. Thumb UP to samsung again. oh yeah, I do own another 99 dollars Samsung Laser printer (8MB). I think I will give them more business in the near future when I buy a new plasma TV or HDTV.

I have a huge DVD collection. So I decided to buy this
DVD changer. And for about a year or so I was in heaven.
Not having to search for A DVD around the house was great.

The only problem with this changer, and most people
will not have this problem, but alot of people have.
Is it just randomly stops reading your DVD's.

So I would keep that in mind before purchasing this dvd
changer.

I have had a Pioneer carousel FV727 in a master and slave configuration for about 3-4 years now. About once a year the slave looses all of it's programming. I have to go back and enter all my DVD titles again in the second unit. They stay in there for about a year or so, and then dissapear. Please help.

Scott

I first purchased a Toshiba 3109 and then a Panasonic 220. Both units had typical dvd sound and picture quality and were fairly easy to use. But some of the features that I wanted were either missing or difficult to use. Also, I am very lazy, and when I had an occaisonal whim to see a portion of of a movie that was not already loaded, I usually did not bother. The Pioneer more than satisfied any disatisfaction that I had with the other players. With 300 + 1 discs available, a quick touch of the shuttle made any disc immediately available. The display menues are incredibly versatile and easy to use compared to other DVD players. And finally the picture was equal to the others, but the sound quality was MUCH, MUCH SUPERIOR. The price may be higher, but dollar for disc and overall quality and features make purchasing this Pioneer DVD a no brainer.

The power supply died after less than two years of mild use. Now I have to trash it? The sound was so-so, with a high pitch all the time. Good for begginers.

This is one great receiver. For the price you can't go wrong. Two things though that kept it from 5 stars. The remote is awful. I mean really bad. To change the volume in the center and surrounds you have to hold down two buttons at once. That happens alot when you use the remote. Also, if it has 5.1 analog inputs i can't find them. But as far as sound quality it's excellent.Thanks highlander for the info. I still think you need 5.1 analog inputs for DVD-Audio. I'm not sure Aiwa knows what it's talking about. I've been thinking about buying some DVD-Audio but i'm afraid it won't work with the digital input. Also that "over limit" light is annoying.

After listening to receivers by such brands as Sony, JVC, Kenwood, Pioneer, and Onkyo, I found the Aiwa AV-D58 to be the best sounding, except for the Onkyo. But at only ..., more than half the price of the Onkyo, this Aiwa was a far better value. The sound is very good, especially when listening to Dolby Digital and DTS encoded DVDs. Pro Logic is great, as well, but 2-channel sound is lacking. One of the best features here is the Super T-Bass system, which dramtically improves the bass if you're not using a powered sub. I only have it set at the second level, anything higher than that and the bass starts to sound too boomy. Other than that, this is very nice sounding receiver that's worth far more than only ....

I purchased this unit primarily on spec and price. The 7" display is bright, and DVDs play well. Unit is attractive and slim - easily carried, and just fits between the front arm rests on many cars so kids can see in the back - better than a fix-ed in car unit since you can also take it with on the plane/hotel/etc. Battery lasts for rated 3 hours - but is somewhat bulky.

However after 4 months of ownership, I have noted 2 major problems.

i) Unit can overheat when playing back DVDs - causing frame to freeze.

ii) Screen hinge mechanism seems weak. One hinge already failed on my player, and the other is already cracking. We'll see how good the AudioVox warranty repair is.

Overall, I'd look at the Panasonic or Pioneer models next time for a few $$ more, the hinges look more robust. Bigger than 7" model may not fit in the car as well.

We've owned this DVD player for about a year now and are very happy with it. We use it in the car on road trips, have taken it on an oversees plane trip and use it in our home. We've had no problems with it whatsoever. It does get pretty warm after it's been running for a while, but so far this has not affected its performance. The sound is sometimes not loud enough when using it in the car, but we solved this by bying a cassette adapter so the sound gets routed over the car stereo. I liked that this DVD player already came with the DC adapter cable for the car. We bought an extra battery for a 10-hour plane trip, which turned out to be unecessary, as they had DC hookups between the seats (on American Airlines) and we could have just powered it from that! Overall, we are very satisfied with this product and the low price. It does a great job of keeping the kids entertained on trips, and while at home we just plug it right into the TV.

I have been using this player for about a week. It's had quite a bit of use in that time. So far it has been working perfectly! It is very nice, considering it was only $220! It does everything you buy on of these for and more! The sound is good without headphones, but OUTSTANDING with them! Buy one of these and you won't be disappointed-unless you plan on giving it to a "2 year old"...they can break anything! NO fault of Audiovox. I'll update if I encounter any problems in the future.

This item was dead out of the box for me. Look elsewhere. Normally, Creative Labs has great quality. Not this time.

Great product! I tried the Rio 500 first but the volume was week and did not give me enough control. Then I got the Nomad II. Its got great volume (7 watts I think) and when you throw in the equalizer controls (bass and treble) and the output selection (headphones or speakers) you get plenty of sound. Depending on the size of the files I can fit about 30 songs, two - three hours of music. I generally use 65kb songs.

Interface is pretty OK. THe firmware on the Nomad is good, easy to use and upgradeble. The Creative music and Nomad software is not so hot, but I don't use it anyway. Because its upgradable, I got the WMA format so I can access the Nomad through the Windows Media Player.

THe sound recording is great. I recorded a late night speech and slept through the whole thing - about 4 hours the I reviewed it all the next morning. And I can't imagine not having a radio on something I paid 250+ for.

This is the one

I started running (again) this summer and since I was already an mp3 junkie decided to buy an mp3 player to keep me company. After days of research on the net I finally decided to buy the Creative Nomad II. It hasn't let me down. I had read reviews about weak sound and problems with battery terminals but I think the sound is excellent and definitely loud enough for working out. There was a day when the sound cut out so I switched batteries only to find out later that the charge was fine. I have not had this problem again.

My Nomad II came with a small pouch and remote control, which I love. I also bought the docking station and it's awesome. I never have to hook up the USB connection, just load it into the docking station. The battery charges while you download songs. The software was easy to use but I will probably download the upgrade for the WMA format and try and use that as well. I also bought a case logic belt (that's really for a cassette player) that goes around my waist and holds the player at the small of my back. Excellent for running.

Built in memory may have been nice but the upgradable smart media cards are nice too. Right now, an hours worth of music is plenty for me. I highly recommend the Nomad II!

I was very apprehensive to buy this based on the reviews of this and similar streaming music products. However, I found it at a local store for $227 and decided to try it, figuring I could return it if necessary. I bought it Saturday and started trying to get it to work Sunday. It wasn't nearly as bad to set up as I imagined. I followed others advice and first connected it via Ethernet to get the latest firmware upgrade (it only took a minute to download and was effortless). The Wireless was a little tricky, but I did get the 128 WEP to work, but only after turning the system off and back on. The only other "issue" was my firewall, but I changed one setting as recommended on Phillips website and I was off and running. The sound is great and the connection is very fast, I can breeze through my 6000+ MP3 collection with no delay. The Internet radio sounds better than I was expecting. The only thing that would make this better is the capability to play WMA file types. Otherwise, I'm very pleased with the purchase and would highly recommend.

got this system couple of days ago. didn't have any problems with setting it up. have to note that for now i'm using wired setup with static ip. everything is working as described (except maybe for that internet clock, or at least i wasn't able to find how to set it up)

as was mentioned in one of the reviews here, they are using MusicMatch Jukebox as a software that allows you to play music files from you computer. but reviewer complained that it's an older version. i went to musicmatch.com got the latest version (8.2) and there is an option to run it as a server for philips streamium. not sure if this was present in the older versions, but my point is that you don't have to use their older version.

so far, i'm very pleased and excited about this product. the idea is great and can't complain much about implementaion. online updates/upgrades is a great feature.

the quality of sound for some online radio stations is not very good, but it has more to do with the stations themselves and not with this unit.

to sum up: for less then 300$ - you're getting a shelf system that does more then you could wish for.

This box is just great. Why didn't they make this
a couple of years ago?

Are you an internet radio fan? Are you sick of your
CD collection? If you answered yes, then you should
buy this.

The box connected up to my wired internet connection
(have not tried wireless yet) with no problem and
I could immediately access hundreds of stations on
live365.com. I had to bootup my computer in the past.
Now I can just do it on my 250 boombox. And listen to
hours of music. This has been the best product I have
bought in years (after my DVD player that i got 7 yrs ago).
I am really jazzed about it.

The product looks slick. The Woomx feature makes a
significant difference to the sound quality.

Also, when you play one of your CDs, it connects
up to the internet and downloads track information!

My only complaints are that it has only a single CD disk
player and doesn't have CD-RW capability (for making
your own MP3 compilations) and it is 100W output capacity.
Otherwise, I love this thing.

I bought this product in June 2003. It stopped working 3 months later.
First it turned itself off abruptly with NO REASONS. - 1st month
Then strange characters start showing up. - 2nd month
Then nothing showed up on LED and no key works. - 3rd month
I don't think a 128MB MP3 player is supposed only to work for 3 months.
Be cautious of this product.

Major stuff: BIG ole sound, even at 64 WMA
SMALL little box, expensive feel.
Really good battery life.
Expandable. Although I have already put
a lot of songs on it and still have memory
left.
Buttons nice and easy to click.

Minor stuff: Earphones about 2 inches too short for
walking with player in jacket waist pocket,
although not jacket vest pocket

Arm band not made for bigger biceps. Could not
get used to wearing player on my wrist.

Bottom line: Small mp3/wma player, wma recorder from voice or
line-in CD player input. VERY few players will copy
your collection of CD's right from your CD player.
Really good sound quality at 64 bit rate WMA. Go
to 128 if you want to.

This player is superbad!! I ordered another for my
son.

Before I rave on about how great this product, let me just say up front that it is not the best mp3/wma player, nor is it the best recorder... but it is the best for doing both. I purchased the player because I wanted to listen to my digital music away from home. I purchased the Ripflash DX because I wanted to make digital recordings of the high school choirs that I teach. Because the DX records in WMA format, it is able to compress near-CD quality sound and transfer it to my computer without sending it through my sound card using a LINE IN or MIC port. With the ability to change the recording bitrate and the option for another 128MB, the recording options are near limitless.