I'm pretty sure i'm gonna be getting this headunit, however i was wondering what its SQ is like with normal CDs and how it compares SQ wise with other headunits in the $400-500 range. What other headunits in this range would you guys suggest for good SQ.

do you definitely want MP3 compatibility? i only wonder if MP3 inclusion is at the expense of any SQ design benefits (eg: cost cutting on quality of electronic components, etc).

only HU in the price range i tend to recommend is not MP3: the alpine CDM-7874. top build quality, good features, and very nice SQ.

I don't really think you'd notice the difference between the JVC unit and others in the $500 price bracket.

I'm about to install 2 785's and I imagine that they'd be quite good as well.

For an all round head unit - I don't think you can go too wrong with the 985.

The JVC is a nice head unit.
Have you listened to others?
That would be the best thing to do to help you make the decision if they are both in the same demonstration board. The sales guy can fit them both in the same board for you if he's worth his money.

Personally, for the money, I'd go Alpine too.
I sell JVC and hope to be selling Alpine too fairly soon.

but would you still be able to get a MP3 compatable headunit from Alpine for that price?

no, as mentioned. cheapest alpine MP3 HU is the CDA-7893, with RRP$899 (formerly $799).

I really dont understand why anyone who is passionate about SQ would want to listen to Mp3s
After spending so much money on audio gear, searching for that ultimate sound, i get pi$$ed off when i buy bad quality CDS, let alone having to listen to mp3 cds...yuck!
But then I suppose on the other hand, it would mean alot less CD changing (200songs on one cd...*droolz*
Oh well, at this stage I have forgotten the point of this post, and the reason i started this reply....oh well, im sure its located somewhere within all the rambling

Cheers
Beau.

Well i kinda wanted the best of both worlds. I'm no audiophile, but i like my highs high and my lows low. I could listen to normal cds when i wanted good quality, but when i'm driving and not focusing 100% on the quality of the music i could just bing on a cd with 200 mp3s on it and drive for hours never hearing the same music twice. Thats why i was wondering whether the JVC unit would be comparable quality wise to the HSK-165s, or whether it would drag them down.

i think the jvc would be fine teamed with the HSK splits. no probs.

it generally takes a lot of money to have significant SQ improvements in HUs. just that expensive HUs tend to have heaps of added features which can be useful. but set all controls flat and turn of the features...and you'd be damn hard pressed to notice any SQ difference between most HUs. it's rarely light and day; but you'd expect a difference between a $500 HU and a $1500 one. just maybe not between $500 and $800 from a pure SQ perspective if you know what i mean.

is time allignment the main sq difference between this and a CDA-7892E, and no remote!

"this"...the jvc?

maybe not all SQ features, but probably useful nonetheless:
*adjustable bass/treble controls (bass: select frequency and Q; treble: select freq)
*3 preouts incl sublevel control
*inbuilt selectable xovers
*MediaXpander: not sure if it's any good, but an 'effects/DSP' processor

remote is optional extra for 7892.

is it worth the extra couple of hundred for the time allignment

TA won't make an average system great. it's more a fine tuning tool, where 'installation' will always have more influence.

most people don't have TA, and there's plenty of fantastic systems 'out there'. suffice to say it's not necessary.

IMO, it's a good feature, and worth fiddling with to get right. but alone, not worth the extra $$. however, the 7892 is a great deck in more ways than one, so that easily justifies the added expense.

time alignment is a great tool if, like 99% of people, you don't have a centre channel. even kickpanel mounted speakers still pull images to the right, TA will help correct this and put the centre image back in the centre ive recently been playing with TA with my system running stereo, and have been impressed with the improvement after i eventually got it right - it is the ONLY way i would go back to stereo now that ive experienced dolby prologic 3.1

so yeah, if you're running stereo, i reckon TA is almost a necessity if accurate imaging is important to you - speaker locations can't always be perfect

Mate just buy the jvc deck and enjoy mp3. Once your doing 100kph on a country road in a car worth less than a 100k you wont notice the difference!

there's always gotta be someone that puts things into perspective!

I've recently thrown together my first system (read: funded by me, installed by mates =p). Which happens to include the SX985.

You'll be hard pressed to put 200 mp3's on the one cd, especially if you're aiming for SQ. While my gear won't bring out most of the obvious differences between CD and Mp3, just remember the much repeated "properly ripped" argument which i keep seeing in mp3 vs cd threads.

Nothing under 192, and preferably VBR mp3s with 160 to 320 bit rate. You'll most likely fit about 100 to 130 songs per cd, split them up into neat directories and it makes for some very comfortable listening.

I currently own the alpine hu you guys are talking about with time alignment etc etc, i cant remember the exact model number.

It is far superior from the $500.00 alpine unit, it has a swing face which is wonderful for cars with a lower radio console, time alignment works a treat, it also has a parametric eq built in, compatable with a remote control but unfourtunately it lacks a remote. however the MP3 version which is $200.00 more does have mp3 and has a remmote but it is exactly the same unit.

I say stick away from mp3, its quite a silly idea to hvae $4000.00 + of audio equipment playing a telephone quality recording. also, if your fixed on downloading your own music. rip them to a cda format and play them in ur car asif it was a normal cd.

JVC make horrible equipment in my opinion (and thats all it is, my opinion so plz dont start ripping into me). ALpine is by far the leader when it comes to Head Units and almost the only choice when it comes to either SPL or SQ, or what most people are into, SQL.

well i'll only be having $1500 worth of audio equipment, but still. Does anyone know of any encoding software that will encode it at 192k/s + thats free?

I've been playing around with a program called NeoAudio:

Link Here

And I'm guessing most of you people that are sticking it to MP3 in this thread never listen to the radio either

Each to their own - I reckon you should jump on the JVC while you have the chance - you'll love it.

From http://r3mix.net ( a good site from mp3 encoding/ripping info)

A program to encode your mp3 (~670kb):
Lame with a gui

A cd ripper (which can use lame to encode as well):
Exact Audio Copy (home page)

QUOTE

Originally posted by NUMB:
JVC make horrible equipment in my opinion (and thats all it is, my opinion so plz dont start ripping into me).ALpine is by far the leader when it comes to Head Units and almost the only choice when it comes to either SPL or SQ, or what most people are into, SQL.

Whether it's your opinion or not, the way it's phrased is still blatant brand bashing .

[ December 16, 2002, 23:26: Message edited by: au2 ]