JVC RX-6030VBK Receiver
See it at Amazon.com for $219.95Average Customer Rating
(4.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First (4 out of 5)WOW
JVC is known for their reputation of providing excellent audio/video equipment with good reliability and affordable prices. This reciever is a great example of that fact.
First, there is the audio. It connects to a five-channel speaker system to provide the best home theatre experience one can create without being a millionaire. There are all kinds of different sound modes and controls you can use so you can fine-tune and customize whatever it is you want to hear. My favorite(and probably most popular) is the DSP mode. It allows you to re-create a sound "situation" such as what might be similar if heard in a live-club or large auditorium. There is also "digital decompression" which you can use at night to add to the surround effect when music is turned down. An optical digital cable should be used to get the best out of whatever your listening to(or watching) and, unfortunately, radio signals can only be reproduced with analog input. But CDs sound great and the Dolby Pro Logic II is a great feature especially when using the "wraparound" adjustment. On the down side, however, the bass boost is a little bit thin and I'm not sure about the reciever's relationship with my subwoofer.
On the DVD/video side of things you can cleary see that this is what the reciever is geared towards. When you look at the back of the unit you'll notice all the various jacks for TV, VCR, and DVD. It's pretty extensive, mostly because of all the different ways you can set up the connections. There are even other ports you can use to enhance the picture that's produced by the VCR or DVD player, but a coaxial digital cable is required.
Another great thing about the unit is the remote. It really simplifies the operation of all the equipment. You just choose which source you want playback from and your there. Even without the Compulink the remote can still control most items on other JVC sources. From the remote you can also do speaker test and adjust speaker settings, flip from digital to analog output, and choose which sound format you want to hear. But the one thing I found the most dissapointing is that the Comulink III jack doesn't work, it's totally not compatible. So I can't get automatic source selection or power-off. But even then I don't really care that much because the remote does so much by itself.
Anyway, this is a great reciever at a great price. For anyone who's serious about building a serious home entertainment system, they definitely should give this thing a look.
(4 out of 5)Great Sound for the Price!!!
Just set my system up and love it! Lots of ways to adjust the sounds on each speaker. Various sound settings make it very configurable. What I love is that I can pipe all of my stuff (DVD, CD, VHS, etc.) through here and it all sounds great.
Are there better systems out there? Sure. However, you'll have to pay a lot more money. If you want an inexpensive Home Theater reciever I would definitely recommend this JVC.
And one of the things I love more than anything is the remote. I can control my receiver, my JVC TV, my Sony VHS, and my Panasonic DVD/CD player ALL WITH THIS REMOTE.
(4 out of 5)A clunky remote, but otherwise solid
If you choose the 6030, you are probably drawn by the low price and wealth of audio (and video) input options. It has lots of S-video inputs, a component in, and several audio options. The remote is small and feels fragile with about 14000 buttons. I generally like the unit, but it isn't out of my 30-day period yet and I am considering returning it in part because it generates a low-frequency vibration or hum when turned on. It isn't likely to be noticed by anyone, and doesn't get worse with volume increases. Probably 99.5% of people wouldn't care. It seems to be a good receiver for a low price. I gave it 4 stars because of the flexibility with the inputs - docked a point for the remote and the hum thing. I owned a Sony DE185 briefly before this and had no similar hum with a simpler remote, but not nearly as many I/O options.
(5 out of 5)Great Bang for the Buck
Let me start off by saying I mix sound for movies and TV. I am very aware of how my shows should sound and I'm very impressed with the sound of this unit. The Dolby Pro Logic II is outstanding! This unit is easy to use and is simple to set up. The remote is very small, it could be larger, but it works well. If you want a fine sounding unit at a very reasonable price with a fair amount of options look no further.
(5 out of 5)High end receiver at a low end price...
This is a professional sounding receiver at a low end price. It produces wonderful sound when connected to a good set of speakers.
I first used the receiver with a pair of old Bose 301 speakers. I can honestly say that I have never heard the Bose 301 speakers sound better! There was clearly more definition and overall response than with my old Sony receiver.
Finally, I connected the receiver to my Cerwin Vega AVS-5.1 speaker set (reviewed separately). I set the front, center and surround speakers to "small" on the receiver and then I was completely amazed by the sound. There is absolutely no audible distortion. The unit sounds really fantastic with the best DVDs - like "Pirates of the Caribbean". In my opinion, even better than the sound in a movie theater.
Although low on features, this is a great sounding unit which and I am extremely pleased with it. It looks, feels and - most importantly - sounds like a professional unit. I highly recommend the JVC RX-6030V or the higher-end units in the series (the RX-7030V and RX-8030V).