Value, Power, Multi-room capability, USB Terminal, RF Remote, etc.

Petty, but the "Mute" button is nonexistent on the receiver's panel and is not easily accessible on the remote.

The $298.88 price from www.etronics.com does not include shipping, about $30.00. I have made three (3) or four (4) other purchases from etronics.com and found them to provide excellent service, i.e., no problems. From their site I can watch the package being taken from the warehouse and witness as it winds it's way to the ultimate destination with their UPS link. Delivery times have been consistently faster than quoted and the units are packaged within a styrofoam peanut stuffed box.

I've only used the JVC RX-9010VBK unit for a week, but so far am quite enamored with it. I chose this unit versus others because of 1. Value, 2. Dolby Digital and DTS, 3. Multi-Room Capability, 4. USB Audio Terminal, 5. Power, 6. Banana Plug Speaker Connections and 7. Physical buttons for choosing audio source (i.e., not a rotating dial selector).

The RF Radio Frequency) remote (Universal) is really neat as you don't need to be within sight of the receiver for it to function.

The sound is incredibly crisp. I can't hear any hiss using the DVD with an optical connection. Movies such as "The Matrix" and "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon" caused my spine to tingle.

There is a "Midnight" button which boosts the sound for the user but not the volume. It is great for late listening and I think the Mrs. and neighbors will enjoy the Midnight button more than I will.

I recommend this receiver to anyone who wants it all, but is unwilling to spend the money (see definition of cheap; insert pic of me here).

DVD Player: Konka KD-1800U
Front: Bose 601
Rear: Infinity RS 1001
Center: Custom Made from "Speaker DR" in Marietta, GA
Subwoofer: Yet to be purchased

I haven't used the USB terminal yet, but I do plan to play MP3's from the computer through the receiver.

Note for persons who do purchase this unit: I purchased 3' optical cables at BestBuy ($11.99) for connecting the DVD player to the receiver. You can change which digital audio connection on the receiver corresponds to which audio source connected to the unit. I had a TOS cable and not the coax so I had to make the change, easy enough. However, I couldn't get it to play, even though I had also made the requisite change in the DVD player's menu set-up (analog to digital) as well. I was about to tear my hair out when I remembered another reviewer on this site writing, for a different make and model receiver, that they had a similar experience. After the other reviewer turned everything off and came back the next day, it all mysteriously worked. I turned it all off (DVD player and Receiver) and it worked 10 seconds later. I guess the receiver or the DVD player needed to be turned off and on for the reset function to take place.

The Onkyo TX-DS474 is a unit I set up for my parents. It's a great unit for the price, but I believe the JVC to be superior in every aspect.

I heartily recommend that before any audio equipment is purchased that one goes to www.cnet.com and negotiates through the site to audio equipment reviews and price comparisons. While the reviews are inferior to audioreview.com, the price comparison prevents you from making a serious monetary error.

P.S. I requested that the JVC RX-9010VBK be set up for review and it only took a couple of days for the moderator to set it up, kudos to him or her.

Similar Products Used:

Onkyo TX-DS474

USB input, multi-room capable, sound quality, PRICE!!!!

other people reporting on this product and purchase source!

I cannot believe some of the people who have reported on this unit! Lets submit a review on the JVC 9010VBK, not ubid or other purchasing source! Call consumer reports for gooness sakes! ENOUGH! I BOUGHT AT UBID- so what I got a deal!!!!

As for this reciever; the JVC 9010VBK is a sound performer! I could care less about the new 6.1 or 7.1 recievers that only attract me to open by wallet and pay way too much money, just short of extorsion!!! Come on people, I ve got children to feed, a morgage to pay, health to keep up, and I am a working professional that makes good money(I'm a doctor) crimany!! The best thing that JVC did was make this reciever, with so much added at a low price!

As for all the good stuff, I have a 3,000 square foot home with 12 speakers throughout the house. I have 2 Niles speaker selector boxes in line to them (one 4 channel w/o volume and one 6 channel with volume/impedance controlls). This reciever powers them all with exellent sound quality. IN ADDITION, I can watch my favorite DVD in my game room while my wife listens to her favorite radiostatio,/CD/MP3 source audio/cassette/record....in the kitchen downstairs....Get the picture!

I dont care where you buy this unit, just do yourself a favor, get it and see the unlimited possibilities!!! Its a sound investment with a 2-300% return on investment as compared to the other units. Yea, I almost got sold on a 7.1 channel high end unit... it made my head spin! But hey, lets get real, my wife and I got a child on the way, and now we can afford to entertain in style!!

One more note, as for heating up, I have had no problem with this unit getting warm! There is alot of information in the manual that suggests overheating problems with inproper speaker imedance matching and wrong speaker wire placement. The unit even has a switch on the back to match the impedance/ohm rating! As well as features within the system that matches the mhz and size of the speakers within your system.--- I do agree with the reports of the volume controll, expect to have your volume up to 40-50 befor you hear anything! But the sound is great!!

As for the multi-room capability, it is a little confusing and takes some reading to learn how to use. You may want to consider getting an Amp to power the sub-room ( you have more flexability with sound).

As for my system:
JVC 9010VBK
Sony DVP-C660 DVD/CD 5-Disc
Scott DD688A 2-tape cassette (yes I still use cassette)
JVC XPSX39 5 speaker home theater pakage bought with my JVC6008V at Costco)- sound is great with my new system- includes a seperate Bass!

Oh yea, I must mention! I was going to drop down big bucks for a mega juke-box CD holder, but with the USB port in this reciever I can use my 40 gig computer and listen to ALL my CD's and downloads without the need for a mega CD holder/player. I forgot to mention that my house has an "ON-Q" central hub for all my video/telephone/comuter/satellite! Ill let you resaerch that one! Gosh this reciever ties it all in! I think I can live with 5.1!!! You do the math!!

5 STARS ALL THE WAY, BABY!!!

Similar Products Used:

JVC 6008V, Pioneer, Scott, Sony, Denon(pre-1994)

RF remote control, 100 watts per channel, descent sound quality, variable x-over

gets very hot, cuts out around 3/4 of total output, sound 'clicks' as you turn up the volume

Overall this is a descent reciever. It offers a lot of nice features. However, the heat is excessively hot (114 degrees peak) and the fact that it cuts out around three quarters of the maximum output is a little frustrating.

Good starting A/V receiver. Very affordable

features, features, features, 120w x2, 100w x5, whole system control

learning the features... ;)

I have now had this receiver for one month, and I have to say I really like it. I am not an audiophile, nor will I claim to be one, but music and movies have never sounded so good to me in my own home before. Now admitedly I was replacing a 10 year old stereo receiver with an AV complete home system, but still the difference is startling!

Now onto the details... I ordered my unit from an online retailer (etronics.com) It's MSRP is $550 (jvc.com), and I got mine for $299. Locally I could find it for around $450. Even though I paid shipping, I saved big time ordering online. (not to mention avoiding local taxes)

I went with JVC as the research I had done, led me to the conlusion that this unit is a lot of bang for the buck, and indeed that is what I have experienced in the first month of ownership. Also I still have records, and lower units do not have phono inputs.

Setting the unit(physically) up was not all that hard, however I also had to run all my speaker wires, so it took me a while before I was completely setup. The on screen menus really help in identifying what you have plugged into where, and although plugging in the plethora of cables is time consuming it isn't terrible hard. I would strongly suggest investing in banana clips for your speaker connections on the back of this unit, as the speaker terminals are very close together, and hard to work on it you choose not to use banana clips. (yes these clips are not cheap, but if you ever need to move your unit, these will be extremely helpful)

Now the 'software' setup. 5.1 sound. I have not yet bought a calibration dts/dolby DVD. I need to. Im not sure I have the balance setup right on my surrounds/center channel. My room is wood paneled, so slight differences in speaker volumnes can really stick out. As well as placement in the room. So far I have used the built in balancing mode, and although I got the speakers all pretty close, I am going to invest in the sound meter from radio shack and the reference DVD to get this ironed out. (from what I have read though, no receiver's built in test tones are very good at this. So I am not really complaining)

Now I have an old old JVC tape deck, but it had compu link I on it. This receiver has compulink IV, AV Compulink, and Text Compulink ports. (2 of each). The receiver can control my old tape deck. (It cannot turn it off and on, as that wasnt added until compulink II or III, I believe. this was mentioned in someone else's review as well.)

I bought a new JVC XV-F80BK Progressive Scan DVD player, and it works great with the receiver's remote as well. The receiver remote is all I need for the sound system(even though the dvd came with a seperate remote as well). I have not programmed the remote to control my satelite box or my tv yet. My TV has some special features on it's remote that I can't emulate with any other remote, so I figure I will keep the TV's remote, and it control's my sat box, so I am pretty set with only 2 remotes that way. One for TV/SAT one for sound system.

The only problem I have not ironed out yet is when I was hooking up the DVD player. I hooked up the video, it was fine. I hooked up the audio. I hooked up the analog left and right ports, and the optical port. But I was getting no sound. I went through the menus and thought I had everything set right on both units. Finally I hooked up the RCA digital port and then I got dolby sound. I am still trying to figure out why the optical cable wasnt enough, but it sounds great like this so until I do I will leave it just the way it is.

If you are a plug and play person, this (or any similar compenent receiver) is not for you. If you want a lot of features for the buck, and a good sound then I have had a very positive experience with this unit. I like the way it looks. I like other JVC products. I prefer to maintain one brand for my stereo components to keep look uniform, and remotes down to a minumin, and so this unit fit perfectly into my purchase decision.

Similar Products Used:

no similar receiver

Value, bang for the buck, features features features, etc...

Having some troubles with this unit initially.

Okay. This is not a slam. I just got this unit from AMDV.com last night, and there are some problems.

The first is a physical thing. I bought this unit under the guise of being "new". The whole belly of the unit is caved in, it's warped so badly it can't even sit level on a table. (obviously this is not JVCs fault, other than the chassis does seem a bit weak.) AMDV.com is selling these units for $305 each, which is well below the $500+ MSRP. I'm beginning to think I got some kind of factory reject sold to me as "new".

The second issue I've noticed is that there is a *SIGNIFICANT* amount of "hiss" associated with this unit at full volume. It's really quite irritating.

The third issue, and this may also be associated with issue #2, is that the volume control makes no sense. The volume control ranges from 0 to 100. There is nearly no audio output below about 45-50, regardless of what source is chosen. To have half of your control range be just "dead space" is beyond comprehension. JVC may not be high-end audiophile material, but they're not Soundesign either.

I'm going to contact AMDV today, and we'll see how they handle this. When I get my replacement unit (if i get one) I'll post my next set of findings. I'm going to mark the chassis of this unit, and see if they actually send me a new unit, or pop the dent out of the bottom of this one and return it to me. This may end up being a review of AMDV.com, rather than the RX-9010VBK, which, when it performs to specs, is amazing. I hope I have some better news to post soon.

As far as the ratings go, the price on this puppy is incredible. So the value rating I'll keep high. The Overall rating is 3 stars which means "Average Product", which when you combine all the fantastic features of the 9010, with the problems I've had, is about what you end up with. If my next unit is good, it'll also get 5 stars on value, but if it meets specs, it'll get 5 stars on Overall rating. This will bring the average between my two reviews to a 4 or "Very Good Product" for the overall rating. All in all, I believe that best describes this unit. The chassis is pretty weak, and what's sad is that JVC touts the "z-chassis" design or something like that. "Cheap" or "Weak" must start with a "Z" sound in japanese. ;-)

Chris

Similar Products Used:

JVC RX-509 if you wanna call that similar.