Jensen VM9311TS - DVD player with LCD monitor and AM/FM tuner Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)I picked up this unit without high expectations, but was very surprised with the quality of this unit for the price.
The audio and video quality is superb. It wasn't installed in a vehicle with a full "system", but a plain old minivan. It replaced a 1995 Dodge Caravan factory cassette deck. Yeah, yeah I know. :)
Why did I wait so long? I used an MP3 player with a RF modulator, so I didn't care about the cassette deck. My Rio Karma MP3 player served its purpose for over a year until the cassette mechanism finally took a crap on me, so it was time to purchase a new deck.
I contemplated the idea of just picking up any CD/MP3 deck, but figured why not spend some extra cash and have a new toy that I can enjoy?
Installation was a breeze and I had it installed, wired, and running in less than 30 minutes. The dash in my van is easy to work with, so you mileage may very for ease of installation. There's nothing special about installing this unit when compared to a standard deck.
Now on to the pro's and con's of the VM9311TS:
Pro's:
-First and foremost is the price. You will not find any unit with the features this unit has for this price range!
-Audio and Video quality: playback of DivX, XviD, MPEG's, and standard DVD's are crystal clear. No noticeable pixilation, fading, etc.
-Using the touch screen to navigate through DVD's is very user friendly.
-While not an iPod user yet, the ability to connect your iPod to the unit and have full control over it using the touch screen is a big plus. I actually caved in and bought an 80GB iPod Video. I haven't received it yet, but I am looking forward to getting it. I'm dumping my entire 40GB music collection onto the iPod along with all my episodes of Lost, Prison Break, Family Guy, etc onto one piece of hardware. The ability to fully the iPod using the touch screen is a big plus!
-Full set of audio and video outputs. You can connect this unit to your external amp, subs, etc.
-Full set of audio video inputs. You can plug in your video camera to review what you've recorded, Xbox, PlayStation, and anything else with a standard composite (RCA) yellow jack output.
Con's:
-Navigating a DVD full of MP3 is extremely tedious. Here's why... You get a full dump of EVERYTHING on your screen. You can't navigate by Album, Artist, Year, etc. So if I have a MP3 album of Anita Baker and an MP3 album of Usher I actually have to "click" the directory button over 50 times until I get to the artists with their name's being closer the end of the alphabet. You can also use the soft button on the screen to the next directory, but even then you have to press it over 50 times to get through your entire collection. I called Jensen and they confirmed that yes "you have to navigate through all the albums until you get to what you want.
-To make things worse you can not fast-forward or rewind MP3's. This was also confirmed by Jensen.
-I burned a DVD of all the current Prison Break episodes which were in DivX format. They played back beautifully, but here's the most irritating problem. As soon as you turn off your deck (i.e. turn of your car) the video will start playing over again from the beginning. You can skip over to the next video file on the disc, but again, after power-cycling your vehicle the deck will start over with the first file on the disc.
-As with the MP3's you can not fast-forward or rewind individual video files. This was confirmed by Jensen.
-No ability to change the look of what I call the operating system (OS). You can't change the wallpaper, color scheme, etc. What you see is what you get.
-Navigating through a DVD burned with hundreds if not thousands of MP3's is extremely slow. The OS definitely needs tweaking and enhancements, so I'm hoping that Jensen releases firmware updates in the future.
-Every time you turn your vehicle off and restart it, it takes up to 40 seconds before the track you were listening to resumes on a DVD-R. Navigating and resuming playback with a standard 700MB CD-R is faster when re-starting your vehicle.
So with all the cons aside it's still a pretty nice unit for the price. When the iPod arrives I'll post an update and let you guys know what I think.
It's unfortunate that I had to plunk down another $330 just to get the deck to be more user friendly and functional, but my hands are tied.
For somebody not looking to use the more advanced features such as playback of DivX files this deck is perfect for them. Remember that you can't fast-forward or rewind MP3's, so that may irritate even the non-techie.
So with review coming to an end I give this unit a 3 out of 5.
George

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The VM9311TS in our multimedia receiver with fully motorized 7 inch wide touch screen, that's not only compatible with several different formats but also is iPod and XM ready. No, I'm not done yet! It also includes both inputs and outputs for all your entertainment needs!DVDR, DVDRW, CDR, CD-DA, MP3, WMA, SVCD, VCD, AVI, MPEG1, 2 and JPEGNTSC composite video outputFully motorized 7 inch wide screenXM satellite radio ready (Requires additional hardware and XM radio subscription)Full function infrared remote control includedFront, rear, center and subwoofer pre-amp outputsAuxiliary audio video inputsSpecificationsPower Output - 13 watts RMS X 4 channels into 4-ohms @

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Kenwood KDC-HD942U USB/AAC/WMA/MP3 CD Receiver with Built-In HD Radio Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)First a little information about HD-Radio...
HD-Radio is broadcast at 1% of the stations normal power, in other words if the station's analog signal is 100 watts, the HD signal is only 1 watt! So, make sure you've got a top quality antenna, don't bother with a "booster", I've never seen one that works. Also make sure you choose a receiver with higher sensitivity (lowest dBf).
On to the review...
I purchased this radio to replace a JVC KD-HDR1 which also has HD-Radio but not as good sensitivity. It's installed in a '93 Explorer with Kenwood 6X9 door speakers but no external amp or eq. I do not use the cell phone, Bluetooth, satellite radio or iPod features but do use the USB interface with a 64Gig "thumb drive" with over 200 albums and some singles ripped at 250K sample rate and plan to connect the AUX input to the audio from my ham radio in the future (which is one of the reasons I picked this radio).

Sound quality is very good. Even without an external amp I can get enough volume to overcome road noise from my off-road tires and wind noise without distortion. The built in EQ, is only three bands which is somewhat disappointing for a radio of this caliber. I would expect at least 7 bands if not more.
The HD-Radio reception outperforms my old JVC KD-HDR1 hands down. I can receive all the local stations (Denver-Boulder-FortCollins) without any problems, something the JVC couldn't come close to doing. The CD player works fine although I would prefer not having to tip down the faceplate to change CDs. The USB interface works as expected and while some people prefer a front panel connector, I like the attached 1meter cable. I've routed the cable into the glove box and have the "thumb drive" attached at all times. I'm still figuring out the supplied "Kenwood Music Editor" and creating play-lists but that's just getting over the learning curve of a new piece of software.
The menu system could be improved. It just isn't intuitive and getting to some features is a pain in the behind. I also don't like the quick access to bass-boost/balance/fader via the volume control. Once they are set, they are seldom changed so why bother. I wish it had a front panel mute feature (this would be better than the bass-boost/balance/fader in the volume control). Maybe I'm too "old school", but I miss the six preset station buttons that none of the newer radios have. They allowed direct access to my favorite stations without stepping up and down or taking my attention away from the road to find a specific station. I would also like a way to have the data/time in place of the SPA/Clock on the bottom line of the display (who really cares about the real-time audio levels?). The manual is poor at best. It covers 4 radios and contains errors. There is very little explanation of what features and settings do, just how to change them, even then you have to be in certain modes to access them and those limits are in one place in the manual while the so called detailed information on the feature is in another.
Over all, if I had to choose again I would still buy this over any other radio in the price range, or even twice the price.


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Car stereo connectivity has come a long way over the years. and the KDC-HD942U is the perfect case in point. At the core of this receiver is legendary Kenwood audio performance, and its list of impressive attributes grows from there. This is the first Kenwood CD-receiver with built in HD Radio and iTunes tagging. In addition, the receiver is both iPod and iPhone ready, Bluetooth ready for hands-free cell phone use, and Satellite Radio ready. Hard to believe all of this comes in one package.

Dial in Your Music Enjoy your favorite CDs or CD-Rs, or burn a data CD with your favorite MP3/WMA/AAC files and enjoy hours of music on one disc, along with ID-3 tag display for artist and title info.
Awesome-Sounding FM and AM Broadcasts The KDC-HD942U features a built in HD Radio tuner. HD Radio delivers crystal clear reception taking conventional FM stations to near CD quality and makes AM stations sound like an FM broadcast. More and more stations are offering HD Radio broadcasting with your favorite local stations offering multicasting you get to enjoy more music from a variety of artists and genres. Features 18 FM and six AM presets for your convenience.
Bookmark that Song You Want to Hear Again When you hear a song that you want to hear again while listening to HD Radio, just use the iTunes tagging function to "bookmark" the song and send data to your connected iPod, which allows you to access and purchase the song on iTunes via your personal computer.
Superb Audio All the Time When listening to music in a moving vehicle, sound quality can be degraded due to road and engine noise. Kenwood's exclusive Sound Excellence audio enhancement feature brings out all of the music masked by this noise, and also includes a unique iPod EQ function that improves the sound of any iPod by deactivating the EQ setting of the iPod and allowing you to select an EQ curve optimized for iPod playback in any vehicle at any speed.
Supreme When a music file is compressed, some frequencies signals are lost, particularly if it is encoded using a low bit rate. The Supreme technology is a Kenwood-original audio compensation technology that compensates for this loss and reproduces music in a more natural form, thereby making it possible to play music recorded using low bit rates (64k to 96k) in an audio-quality equivalent to music recorded using a higher bit rate (equivalent to 128k). Enjoy a natural, rich sound, even with lower compression ratios.
Memorize Frequently Used Functions Favorite Memory is capable of storing up to six frequently used functions from diverse sources and recalling them whenever necessary. This means those short cuts to frequently accessed radio stations, phone numbers, iPod songs, setup functions, menu, etc. can be easily stored.
Finding Songs on iPod Made Easy The head units found in the Regular lineup feature an original Dual Search function for iPod music libraries that uses a combination of Music Search and Skip Search to provide faster access to the songs you're looking for.
USB & AUX Connectors Right Up Front Certain models have either a USB interface or AUX input terminal or even both on the front panel for added convenience, making connection of external devices with USB or AUX support easier.
Bluetooth Ready Add the optional KCA-BT200 to enjoy hands-free operation of the KDC-HD942U, allowing you to keep your hands on the steering wheel allowing you better concentration on your driving. Advanced Bluetooth technology provides wireless connection and operation of Bluetooth-enabled devices, such as mobile phones and even phones that can stream music via A2DP.
HD and Satellite Radio Ready The KDC-HD942U allows you to enjoy SIRIUS (requires CA-SR20V cable + Sirius Tuner) or XM (requires KCA-XM100V + XM Mini Tuner) radio in your vehicle. Enjoy a multitude of channels featuring music, news, talk shows, sports, and traffic information with CD quality sound.
You also can add an HD Radio tuner. When you connect an HD radio tuner, features of the unit are disabled and changed to HD Radio tuner features.
Ready for System Expansion In addition to the on-board 50W x 4 amplifier, the KDC-HD942U boasts three 4V pre-amp outs for expanding your system.
What's in the Box Kenwood KDC-HD942U, sleeve, trim ring, wiring harness, installation tools, installation manual, operation manual, warranty card.

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SIRIUS Stratus 6 Dock-and-Play Radio with Car Kit (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I purchased this to replace an Audiovox PNP2 radio purchased in 2004...after wasting tons of time and effort trying to make it continue to work properly. I had purchased three home docks and one auto dock for the PNP2 so I was not thrilled when it started to fail. I could not get consistient reception with the PNP2 even after placing the antennae in various places outside my home. I even bought an antenna extender so I could place the antenna on the roof, free from obstruction...no dice. I listen to Sirius all day long so reception problems were driving me nuts!
I ordered the Stratus 6 (with car kit) and a home kit from Amazon because they had the lowest pricing and free shipping. I only ordered one home kit to be sure everything worked properly. After spending a short time connecting everything to a receiver on the first floor I was ready to take the antenna outside for a test when, to my surprise, I heard music! The new antenna was pulling a signal from inside the house! I was completely floored and soon realized that the technology has been enhanced quite a bit since the days of the PNP2. I now keep the unit on top of an organ next to the receiver and keep the antenna curled up, pointing at a wall, and I get all three reception bars! Moving to another stereo in another part of the house is so simple that I don't even need to purchase additional docks. I wish I hadn't waited so long.
The car kit is just as great...I plugged the supplied 3.5mm to 3.5mm connector to my AUX IN, ran the antenna through to the trunk, and found a convenient spot on the dash for the dock. WAY better reception than the crappy PNP2 car dock!
I was able ot transfer my lifetime subscription to the new unit in about five minutes ($75 fee for that but worth it to call all the way to India for assistance ;-)
The blue display is so easy to read and the 10 pre-sets are adequate to get me around the dial quickly. Sound is stellar! I highly recommend this unit!

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Stratus 6 features an easy-to-read blue display, pushbutton navigation and all the essential features needed to maximize the enjoyment of SIRIUS in your vehicle. Live Satellite Radio delivers your favorite commercial-free music, live sports and the latest news, talk and entertainment. With universal docking capability, just add accessories to enjoy your radio in the home, office or pretty much anywhere.

Complete PowerConnect Vehicle Kit Included Color-coded connections make it a snap to install, and a wire guide keeps your cabling organized.
Improved audio connection options Use the included Aux In Cable for the best sound. For vehicles with a cassette player, you can use a cassette adapter. If you have neither, the new PowerConnect technology transmits via FM, so you can receive audio through your vehicle's stereo system.
Large Blue Display Screen View artist name, song title, and channel information on a clean and simple, easy-to-read blue display.
One-Touch Jump Directly access traffic or weather of the 20 most congested cities, or use it to go back to the previous channel to which you were listening.
Easy Channel Surfing Push button navigation makes channel surfing simple, easy and intuitive
Favorite channel presets Save and enjoy fast access to up to 10 of your favorite channels. Each favorite channel can be assigned to a number button.
Personal Channel Lineup View your personal channel lineup by category
FM preset button Store and quickly access FM channels that give you the best audio reception when using PowerConnect.
Universal docking capability Add accessories for your home, office, additional vehicles or even outdoors.
What's in the Box Stratus 6 Radio, PowerConnect Vehicle Kit, Aux In Cable, Magnetic Mount Antenna, User Guide, Quick Start Guide

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Alpine iDA-X305S - Radio / digital player - Full-DIN - in-dash - 50 Watts x 4 Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Aside from buying my music on disc, as I like having a hardcopy backup, I will no longer be using CD's thanks to this head unit. First off, it works fantastically with my iPhone 3GS, which I assume almost everyone buying this head unit will also have (or an iPod at minimum). Plug in the iPhone and it recognizes the entire library in about 3 seconds (I believe the older IDA-X305, no S, would sometimes give people problems with recognizing their iPhone/iPod. I've had no such problems so far). This is INCREDIBLY nice, as before I had my music collection on 6-7 mp3 CD's. Searching for what you want to listen to is a breeze and functions similarly to an iPod Classic. As a side note, when you plug in the iPhone, it automatically switches to iPod mode and starts playing where the currently playing song on the iPod left off. Some people may be annoyed by this if you just want to charge your iPhone, but it's more convenient than not, considering it's the mode you'll probably use the most. Maybe Alpine should have made it an optional setting.
I can't comment too much on Pandora. I don't use it often, but it's nice that it's there. It takes a little longer before the music starts compared to the iPod function. Usually about 10 maybe 15 seconds tops, before music from Pandora starts playing.
Stereo presets are a bit weird to set, but it's not overly complicated. That's the price of having so few buttons on the face.
The screen is perfect for navigating selections. A full function LCD is so much nicer than the one or two lines of text on most of other head units. If you're OCD like me and have album artwork for every song on your iPhone, you'll appreciate the beautiful LCD screen even more. Some people may find the screen too bright at night, but it can be turned down I believe with a dimmer setting.
Sound quality is very good in my opinion, especially for just a head unit. I'm not using an external amp. I had an Alpine CDA-9856 head unit before this one and this one sounds noticeably better. Perhaps Alpine used the additional available space and reduced cost of omitting the CD player to put in a better internal amp? Maybe, but my cynicism makes me think otherwise.
So after all of my glorification of this head unit you may be asking, why only four stars? Lack of value in my opinion. Receivers cheaper than this give you many features that Alpine makes you pay extra for, and they aren't cheap either. Buying just the imprint processor (stock EQ's are fairly basic, probably on purpose so you'll buy this addon) and bluetooth phone kit will cost almost as much as the head unit itself. Then there's HD radio and satellite tuners to potentially buy as well. If you're buying Alpine though, you are probably already expecting not to get much bang for your buck.
All in all, if you have an iPhone/iPod and the money, this head unit is for you. You will be hard pressed to find a head unit that gives you better control of it than this.

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What if you could listen to a variety of new music personalized to your taste in your car? With the iDA-X305S, conveniently control, listen, and access all your personalized music in your car, via the Pandora Internet Radio App and PandoraLink on your iPhone.

Power Output: Max 50 W x 4 High Power Amplifier
CD Changer: CD Changer Control
Display: 2.2'' High Resolution TFT Color Display
Control Type: Double-Action Encoder
iPersonalize: iPersonalize (Wallpaper Only)
Face Color: Black
Illumination Buttons: Blue / Red Illuminated Buttons
PreOut: 3 PreOuts (2 V )
DAC: 24-Bit Burr-Brown DAC
Auxiliary Input: Versatile-Link Ready (KCA-121B Auxiliary Input)
Steering Wheel Control: Steering Wheel Control Ready
Selectable Power Input: 2 PreIn (Front / Rear)
Bass & Treble: Bass & Treble Controls
Fader & Balance: Fader & Balance Controls
Clock: Built-In Clock
Calendar: Built-In Calendar

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Scosche Dt2B Radio Removal Tool (Euro Din) Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)Let me say first that these tools are sold in pairs. This is what one would infer from the photo, but is not stated explictly.
I wanted to remove the "Symphony" model radio from my 2001 Audi A4. I ordered two sets (four removal tools), as this radio is quite tall and so has a pair of locks at both the bottom and top of the radio. The removal tools have legends stamped into them, "Top-L" and "Top-R". This is to ensure that the user has the correct side of the tool facing up, and the correct tool inserted into the left and right slots of the radio. This positions the notch near the tip towards the inside of the radio. I also referenced my Bentley's manual for the correct insertion of the tool, and the drawings there match with the legends stamped on the tools.
The two lower tools snapped into position. The two upper tools went in, but there was no snap. I tried pulling on the lower tools to remove the radio, as directed in the Bentley's manual. The radio did not budge, not even a bit. Eventually I pulled hard enough that the bottom tools popped out, which is fortunate since the (bottom) radio locks are designed to capture the removal tools until they are released manually AFTER the radio is removed. I slid out the two top removal tools, which came out as easily as they went in.
I closely inspected the tools after my abortive attempt to remove the radio. The notches in the tools were stretched out somewhat by the pulling force I had to exert. This is not because I am so strong, but because the tools are made thin and soft aluminum, rather than steel.
My recommendation: Stay away from these tools if you have an Audi radio.


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Removing a factory radio can be a difficult task, but Scosche has made it simple with its radio removal tool. This tool works with select vehicles: 1992-up Mercedes, 1996-up Audi & 1996-up Volkswagen.

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JVC KD-HDR60 USB/CD Receiver w/ Built-In HD Radio Tuner and iTunes Tagging, USB 2.0 for iPod/iPhone, and Bluetooth/Satellite Radio add-on capability Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)You can't beat this product for the price.
The FM quality is very good, very clear.
I can pick up stations that I was unable to receive before (too weak of a signal--maybe my other head unit was going bad?).
The HD is very cool; crystal clear and a wider stereo effect.
Downside to HD is that it drops out when signal is weak.
4GB usb thumbdrive worked flawlessly.
The overall sound is very good, in my opinion.
I have the option to upgrade to bluetooth and sat radio as well.
I am very satisfied.
On the downside, I find the menu and buttons cumbersome.
Some of the buttons are too small, the menus are not intuitive, etc.
The remote is VERY basic.
Still, I am very satisfied.
I give it a 5 because of the price and options.

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JVC's KD-HDR60 gives you HD Radio and plenty more. It plays back CDs, MP3/WMA files from disc or USB devices, offers direct control of iPods/iPhones, a front-panel auxiliary input, and then some. You can also easily add satellite radio for more entertainment options, or Bluetooth for hands-free calling and other benefits.

Discover More Content and Listening Options With HD Radio HD Radio is a Digital Broadcast technology that enables high-quality sound with crystal clear reception, low noise, and no audio distortion.

Multicasting allows more accesible stations that contain additional music format, genre, and talk radio options that have, until now, never been heard through other radio broadcast mediums.

HD Radio is being broadcast in over 200 major U.S. Markets and growing. It is completely free of charge--all you need is a HD Radio-enabled stereo.
And of course, you can still tune into your favorite AM and FM stations.
iTunes Tagging iTunes Tagging lets you "tag" songs you hear on local HD Radio stations so you can purchase them later from the iTunes store.
Separated Variable Color The KD-HDR60 features a Full-Dot LCD with JVC's Separated Variable-Color. Personalize your stereo to match your vehicle's interior illumination colors. Separated variable color lets you use two separate colors from a choice of over 30,000 options to create your own color scheme.
CD and USB Audio Play back your favorite CDs and CD-R/RW discs, or go with a USB thumb drive or other USB device for enjoyment of your MP3 or WMA audio files. You can also pop in a CD-R full of digital audio files if you'd prefer that route.
An advanced multi-bit analog-to-digital converter provides a solid sound base, and you can perfect it with the seven-band EQ. For quiter listening, a Loudness function is provided, to ensure you still get some low-end and dynamics.
USB Audio and Video for iPod/iPhone The USB connection for iPod/iPhone provides clear digital sound directly from your iPod or iPhone. While your device is in use, it also receives a charge, so it's ready to step out of the car when you do. Since the KD-R810 features two USB ports, you can connect two different iPods, or a USB device along with an iPod.

With External Mode for iPod, you can also enjoy sound from your favorite iPod/iPhone apps in your vehicle, such as Internet radio, games, video, or navigation apps.
MOSFET Power You'll get plenty of volume with the built-in 50W x 4 MOSFET amplifier, along with clean, efficient power and performance. 2.5V front and subwoofer preamp outputs are also provided,
Auxiliary Input A 3.5mm front-panel aux input lets you connect most any device, such as MP3 Players or iPods/iPhones, for enjoyment through the receiver.
SAT Radio Ready If you'd like to add still more entertainment options to your vehicle, add an optional SIRIUS/XM Satellite radio solution from JVC.
Bluetooth Ready You can also add the JVC KS-BTA200 Bluetooth adapter to enjoy hands-free calling, voice recognition, phonebook transfer, and other great features for your cellular device.
What's in the Box KD-HDR60 Receiver, Wireless Remote, Sleeve/Trim Ring, Wiring Harness, Installation Hardware, User's Manual/Intallation Manual, Warranty Info

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