Kenwood or JVC Deck
 

Hey, i was thinking of either getting this Kenwood deckKDC-MPV619 or this JVC Deck KD-SX980.

And maybe both with a CD changer as well.

Thanks for your help.

wow, they both look cool. but personally, when it comes to jvc, i have to go with the 24bit deck (the higher end silver model). that is such a sweet sounding hu. dunno if the one you had in mind is 24bit, but against all other hu's, there's no comparison. the kenwood looks really good too tho... :)

i think your talking about he KD SH 99, right, i was thinking that one too.

I got the JVC KD-SH55, 24 bit processor, motorized face, and all the goodies I need. The only thing I don't like is the remote is poutly designed. Too spread out . Oh well. I got mine on ebay for 193.00 shipped. Refurbished .

hey, that's a pretty good deal. retail is way more than that, i think. how do you like the sound?

Hmm, i think i'll go with the JVC SH 99 deck.

Now i need to know what kind of speakers to get.

Just so everyone knows, i'm not going to put in a sub and amp.

Just the deck, speakers and maybe a CD changer if i can get a deal on it.

Thanks.

If you are talking to me then its awsome. I had a clarion before that was only 35x4. The jvc is 50x4. Huge difference. Retail for it is like 310. But like I said it is refurbished, but still carries a warrenty. Now if you were talking to Gro Harlem then I don'y know . Can't here it from here.:D

evil, if you're gonna get a cd changer, i would suggest any of blaupunkt's skyline series and their in-dash cd changer. that would be a perfect combo (and i think someone got that on here). i know blau wasn't part of your original choices, but i just thought i'd pop a suggestion based on your mentioning of a cd changer. as far as speakers go, you'll want clean sound with a nice balance of mids since you won't run a sub. i would suggest the following:
-gs design
-massive
-infinity reference
since you won't have a sub you may want to keep those tweets on the soft end (silk dome?). anyhoo, i hope your system turns out nice!

noah, yeah i was talking to you in ref to your jvc hu. i loved the sound when i heard it. we ran it against the el kameleon hu, side by side and could hear a definite difference.

Hmm, i see.

Would the blaupunkt's In Dash CD changers be a 6 disc right??

I was thinking of the kenwood deck, cause of the colour changing, i'd use the in dash CD for mp3's and the 6 disc CD changer for other CD's that i buy or get from friends.

Thanks for all the help.

hmmm, i'm not sure if i's 5 or 6 disc. might wanna check up on that. i think blaupunkts new skyline model los angeles plays mp3's, and has a nice silver finish to match the dash trim.

aaah, but i don't want to be the one to throw you off track. so if you were planning on buying the jvc hu, go for it. then you can get a trunk mount dvd-changer for about the same price as a cd-changer! and with that extra din space, you can add an indash 7" screen...

oh god. don't listen to me. stick to your plan. it'll save you money. :p

Um, i'd just be using it for music, don't really plan on any multimedia toys.

ha ha, i'm sorry. i was getting off track. the car-audio bug is biting me again! stick to your guns and everything should be okay. BUT, i know you said you won't be running a sub, however, i would suggest the infinity basslink. it's a self amplified 10in sub that can be mounted horizontally or vertically and takes up very little space. it's about $250 or so, and will compliment anyone's system that is not bass-inclined. you can add this later, so that you can keep your original plan. that is the only suggestion i would really back cause even tho you wono't be looking to boom, you'll have a very nice and complete sound, esp if you upgrade to infinity's reference line spkrs. just thought i'd add that. :)
let us know how everything turns out tho!

Hmm, thanks for the Input.

Just a few notes about the Kenwood deck:

It looks great in pictures, but not quite as good in person. Don't get me wrong, it is very nice, and you have all sorts of settings with the color shift (time of day, source, etc.) and you can get it to match the dash really well - It just looked kind of "toy-like" to me in the store.

Also, check out what kind fo power section it uses - I have a Kenwood MP8017 - I was warned on this board about it before buying, and have since learned that the warnings were true. The power is kinda weak. I think they rate that deck at 22Wx4 RMS and 47Wx4 max. I believe that's the same specs on the 8017, and it just doesn't pump like the numbers would suggest. If this new Kenny uses the same power section as the 8017, I would definitely try to audition it before buying, especially if you plan to invest in a good set of speakers - you'll want something that provides nice strong power, and the 619 might not do it.

Many of the functions on the 619 operate the same as the 8017, and some are a pain in the ass, requiring holding buttons, and sequences that are easy to forget and hard to figure out without referring to the manual.

The EQ of the 8017 kinda sux, too. The frequencies that are the focus of adjustment really don't suit me anymore, and all you have is Bass/Middle/Treble.

I think that the Kenwoods are a decent value - I have been a long-time fan of Kenny decks. But the 8017 has soured my opinion a little. While the eXcelon line are great units, I think the mid-level Kenwoods are leaving a bit to be desired in recent years.

Do yourself a favor and try to audition your preferred deck/speaker combinations. Try 'em all in the store if you can. While it's not the perfect place to listen (the car woul dbe best, of course) it will give you a sense of what you're getting. Once you decide what you want, head over to eBay and get yourself some good deals.

I would personally go with the Kenwood between those two, I've owned many JVC items including HU's and they do not last long at all. My problems were the buttons ended up sticking, some of them would lock up entirely (I had to force them in to get them to work, and I dislike forcing anything electronics related). Eventually the connection to the faceplate completely shorted out and I had to rig it, then it got stolen. Kind of funny really, I would almost be happy they stole it because I was going to take it out and throw it away anyways, except they decided it would be a wise idea to tear up all the wires inside. The same time this happened I had a JVC VCR that pretty much died on me, so their quality is very much lacking. In my opinion, I wouldn't touch a JVC if you paid me.