JVC Car CD Receiver KD-HDR50 Review
Posted on : 10-12-2009 | By : Mike | In : Car CD Receiver Reviews
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JVC KDHDR50 Car CD Receiver
If you’re shopping for a great sounding JVC car CD receiver, you can end your search here. This head unit might just be the best “bang for the buck” model on the market right now. I can tell you after auditioning one for 48 hours, the KD-HDR50 has become my new personal favorite car audio source component.
It’s worth mentioning an often ignored part of the mobile music experience ~ the radio. If you’re like me, you may have such a large personal song collection that you don’t think about the AM/FM selections that much. Well, spend some time with HD radio and you will change your mind.
Click here to visit the JVC KD-HDR50 product site
Car stereo has evolved, and technology convergence has recently put “iTunes Tagging” in the dashboard. This is a new feature that enables HD Radio receivers to remember songs you tag on HD Radio stations. Song information will be uploaded to your iPod so you can preview and purchase them from the iTunes Store.
The HD radio format also allows you to get a variety of text information displayed on your JVC deck. Radio stations are offering a variety of useful messages that appear on radio display screens, including:
- Artist name and song title
- Live weather and real-time traffic updates
- Local news, sports scores and school closings
- Emergency information and much more
Of course, this JVC system lets you do everything else you expect from high-end car CD receivers. Standard equipment includes a CD player that supports traditional CDs, CD-Rs, and CD-RWs, as well as those outfitted with MP3 & WMA music files. You’ve got a USB 2.0 connection, a 7-band EQ (graphic equalizer), a wireless remote, and the detachable face for security. With a rated 200 watts of peak power, rocking out on the highway was a breeze.
I do have one minor complaint: setting up the preset HD stations was a bit of a hassle. The JVC menu has so many options that navigation wasn’t as quick as I would have liked. You get 18 digital stations that can be saved, but they are all displayed by their call sign letters (for example, KXYZ), and not their band frequency number. I suspect most people memorize the number, not the letters. I couldn’t find any way to switch the display; I actually started to get distracted from the road, and had to pull over. The moral: set up your HD radio BEFORE you leave for work!
All in all, the JVC KD-HDR50 is a feature-packed bargain. The MSRP is $179, and it’s one of the company top selling car stereo models. If you have a special music lover in mind on the holiday shopping list, this would be a most welcome gift. Or, maybe, do like I did and treat yourself!
