Archive for February, 2011
A 2-DIN multimedia headunit with seven inch touch screen interface and built in navigation. It will play DVD and CD of course as well as decoding DivX clips and movies and has a 4GB flash memory. It has rear USB connection for iPhones or iPods. The front is motorised and tiltable and conceals a CD/DVD mechanism’s orifice and SD card slot. It was tested on CD, DVD, and an iPod Touch 4th Gen 64GB.
This a true tour-de-force headunit that can do it all. For one, you want to connect the grass green wire with the pale red stripe around it like a pallid Coral snake, to Earth. You are supposed to connect this to the handbrake as Clarion cannot (like any car maker too) be seen to be recommending you use it to see moving pictures while driving. However, the law is clear, you HAVE to pay due care and attention to driving and you really should be able to let a passenger in the front watch while you pay attention to what you are sat there for, after all. You are a fool if you cannot.
The really clever thing is the dual zone. You can see navigation on the screen and listen to the radio but at the same time the DVD can be running and feeding a set of screens or one of the Clarion Overhead Monitors in the rear. You decide what gets fed where and rear seat passengers can thus use headphones (included with the OHM 1588 I have here to test that needs me to do some woodwork on my test bench to accommodate it!)
I did find the GUI a little clumsy and while it is cool that it picks up the albums and the id tags of iPod tracks that are done with collaborations – like Shirley Bassey on the Propellorheads’ Decksanddrumsandrockandroll, that does mean listing it as a separate item. Which tends to increase the tickle strokes on the touch screen. Also, on a thousand pound machine, leaving the remote control as an optional extra when you can see the unit is built for it, with the infra red eye showing as a little red plastic square on the front, is a little parsimonious. Likewise, it is a shame that such a potent item can only use iPod video as such if you have the special extra £46 lead that gives you red/white Audio RCA outputs and a single yellow composite video output to plug into the great mass of wires around the back. But as iPod video is ‘supposed’ to be for parked use only, I guess it might be better than having all included at £1,100.
The capabilities of this machine are tremendous, I played with it a bit but I reckon you would have to live with it for a while to really get to grips with all it can do. Again, while I applaud the environmentally friendly motive, having the manual as a CD to upload to your PC was a tad awkward for sitting in the car with!
But that’s a whinge really, as in all honesty, it is pretty intuitive and it didn’t take me long of mindlessly stabbing at the screen to work out how to do what I wanted.
This is a luxury item I could see being the perfect one-box solution for a family people carrier. I cannot wait to have a go on the little brother of this machine, though. Far less flash with no motorised whizzy bits but a newer Graphic User interface. This DOES have navigation as a major part of its coolness and comes with the GPS antenna as well as a microphone for the hands free Bluetooth.
This machine has everything!
Overall 8.6
Sound Quality 9
Appearance/Display 9
Ease Of Use/HMI 7
Features 10
Value For Money 8
Clarion NX700E video review
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The KD-R210 is a bare-bones solution, with playback of CDs, MP3/WMA files from disc, and a front-panel auxiliary input, but it also offers room to grow. Add a rear speaker setup or subwoofer with the switchable preamp output, or connect JVC Bluetooth or HD/SAT Radio modules for more functionality as you go.
Detachable Control Panel
The KD-R310 features a detachable face for deterring theft, along with a standard DOT display and LED backlit illumination.
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, MP3, and WMA Playback
Enjoy your favorite CDs or throw in burnt CD-Rs. You can also listen back to MP3/WMA data CDs, which allows you to throw hours of music on a single disc, with ID3 tag display of artist and track info.
A 24-bit analog-to-digital converter provides a solid sound base, and you can perfect it with the three-band EQ. For quiter listening, a Loudness function is provided, to ensure you still get some low-end and dynamics.
AM/FM Radio
The KD-R310 features an AM/FM radio, with 6 AM and 18 FM presets, for quick access to your favorite stations.
The HS-IVi tuner features higher sensitivity, thanks to three IF bandwidths (wide, middle and narrow). It also includes AM Noise Canceller plus upgraded IF filters that help avoid the distortion caused by interference from adjacent stations.
HD/SAT Radio Ready
If you’d like to add some serious entertainment options to your vehicle, add an optional HD or Satellite radio solution from JVC to take advantage of XM/SIRIUS programming or HD features like Multicasting or iTunes tagging.
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.
MOSFET Power
You’ll get plenty of volume with the built-in 50W x 4 MOSFET amplifier, along with clean, efficient power and performance.
Add a Sub
The included 2.5V subwoofer out is perfect for adding some serious low-end. A level/frequency control lets you dial it in from the receiver, and it’s switchable to a rear output rather than sub.
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.
What’s in the Box
KD-R310 Receiver, Wireless Remote, Sleeve/Trim Ring, Wiring Harness, Installation Hardware, User’s Manual/Intallation Manual, Warranty Info
JVC KD-R310 user review
I installed this unit into my 1993 Ford Escort LX. I got it to work on the first try and it has many awesome features! The only complaints/suggestions I have is a nice cloth pouch to store the detachable face plate in would be a nice addition and also an A.M. P.M. on the clock to allow for automatic day/night color scheme changes instead of having to change it manually. Overall excellent product. Would recommend!
