JVC presents its news for the range of entertainment systems in cars. KD-R901 is the new tuner that comes with a USB Bluetooth adapter and a wired microphone. Other features include full-featured set of two convenient USB ports that let you play music stored on a wide range of media, including Apple’s iPod and iPhone, sizes MP3/WMA/AAC/WAV/WMA-DRM, a front AUX input for connecting other audio devices and an illumination function that allows you to choose from 30 predefined colors and from more than 30 000 variants to adapt the KD-R901 to the interior of your car or your personal taste.

For those who suffered the Bluetooth, you can connect the adapter to the rear USB port and use the front door for your iPod or any other MP3 player. For those who do not always use Bluetooth instead, you can insert the Bluetooth USB adapter into the front USB port or use both USB ports for different music media.

In addition to the iPod / iPhone, you can connect a portable HDD or a USB flash drive, or a digital audio player for playing audio files MP3/WMA/AAC/WAV/WMA-DRM. The tunes will always be available even if a huge storage USB. In fact, using the menu / back and volume control knob you can skip folders, and can be accessed quickly and easily to all audio files.

Beyond the ability to have fun safely with hands free calling while driving or with voice dialing of phone numbers, you can also activate music streaming el’avviso of receipt of the SMS. The wireless functions work even if the phone is in your bag or pocket. The microphone cable can be connected in different ways, providing clear communication for Bluetooth phones.

The model KD-R901 also serves Phone Book Access Profile, which allows direct access to the phonebook of the phone without the need to transfer numbers to the central unit. With the Smart Display, the tuner alerts the user via a Bluetooth phone with a color change the phone’s display, which automatically becomes blue and flashes to notify the receipt of a call.

The price is around 250 Euro including VAT.

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The understated elegance of JVC’s KD-AVX77 DVD receiver fits any vehicle’s interior. Its El Kameleon security system presents a plain, black face without any buttons or knobs to the left of the screen — you make all adjustments with just a touch of your finger. The controls black out and disappear when you’re not using them, then light up automatically when your hand approaches the screen.

The new El Kameleon KD-AVX77 features a superwide touch screen that fills up its entire single-DIN faceplate. But is a bigger screen always better?

The superwide screen is awkward for DVD playback, but allows for a fantastic level of customization. You can download custom backgrounds, adjust text and button color and design, and even customize the virtual button layout.

Pick from four viewing modes, including an ultra-wide Cinemascope setting for watching DVDs when you’re parked. Split-screen mode is perfect for viewing album art and song info while you’re listening to music. Choose from different menus configurations and colors to suit your taste and match your vehicle’s interior — you can even use your own jpeg pictures as wallpaper.

Design

The KD-AVX77 is a single DIN unit with a detachable faceplate. The face is almost completely devoid of physical controls, featuring only a Power/Attenuate button at the top right corner and a button to eject the faceplate at the lower right corner.

The rest of the KD-AVX77’s faceplate is occupied by a 5.4-inch superwide (3.32:1 aspect ratio) touch-screen display with a resolution of 800 pixels by 240 pixels. Frankly, a screen this wide is of limited use for displaying DVD movies, because very few DVDs are encoded in a supercinemascope aspect ratio. As a result, movies viewed on the KD-AVX77’s screen end up cropped, stretched, or just scaled down with black borders.

The display features a proximity sensor that can be used to, for example, pop up the hidden onscreen controls when your hand approaches the screen during DVD playback. The system can be set to hide the interface buttons by default or black out the inactive screen and respond to proximity or touch.

However, where the El Kameleon’s touch screen comes into its own is with the customizable interface. You are able to choose different backgrounds, and virtual button layouts. The KD-AVX77 also features touch gestures for basic commands, such as swirling a finger to quickly raise or lower the volume or swiping horizontally to skip back or forward.

Sound

Play the MP3, WMA, and AAC files you’ve burned to a disc or saved on a thumb drive. The powerful built-in amplifier and 24-bit digital-to-analog converter make the most of your music, and the 7-band equalizer lets you adjust a range of frequencies to create the perfect sound for your car’s interior. If you’re building a complete audio/video system, the 6-channel preamp outputs let you add amplifiers, subwoofers, and even a center speaker.

Installation

The KD-AVX77 El Kameleon fits into a standard single-DIN space that many vehicles reserve for car stereos. Basic installation involves making the standard wiring harness connections for power, speakers, etc. Video playback is only enabled when the vehicle is parked, so the e-brake signal lead must be tapped during installation. Additionally, the USB cable pigtail must be routed, as well as the microphone for hands-free calling.

Audio RCA preamp outputs, for stereo front and rear and dedicated center channel and subwoofer outputs, allow for the use of external amplifiers for 5.1 surround sound. A video output and a secondary stereo RCA output allow for the connection of external monitors or a rear-seat entertainment system. A video input either works in conjunction with a reverse-gear signal lead to connect an optional rearview camera, or in conjunction with a stereo RCA line input to add an external video player. Finally, an OE remote input allows for the use of some vehicles’ steering wheel switchgear, with the addition of an optional control box.

The KD-AVX77’s multiple AV inputs and outputs and the AM/FM radio antenna input are all on pigtails and cannot be removed from the device, which means that even if you’re not using a ton of input and output options, you’ll have a lot of cables to cram behind the unit, so make sure you have enough clearance to allow for adequate cooling.

Features

Equipped with an Infra Red remote control, a microphone for Bluetooth phone use and many RCA outputs and also AV inputs. A rare full 5.1 surround sound decoding unit with centre channel RCA output. Dual zone output is also possible and you can choose your screen layout and colours as well as the background image or wallpaper. It has full Bluetooth compatibility and will work iPods and iPhones via the USB port and allows two-way control of most such that you can use and see the display on either headunit or iPod when in use.

Video may be used from an iPod with an additional (£45 approx) KS-U30 connector adapter lead. One interesting feature is the proximity sensor that re-animates the screen when a hand wafts nearby, ready for instructions.

 Specifications

• 4 x 50w (MOSFET Power IC)
• 5.4 inch ultra wide (3.32:1) LCD tft touch screen
• 576,000 pixels, 800 (x3 RGB) x 240 
• Wide viewing angle
• Motion sensor for panel activation
• User selectable GUI colours and three choices of layout
• .jpeg and video image capture for customisable wallpapers
• Gold-plated RCA preout terminals @ 5V Front L&R/rear L&R/subwoofer/centre channel and composite video, Second Audio Out
• Subwoofer has 0-16dB gain available
• Gold-plated AV input terminals
• CD/DVD/VCD/DivX/MP3/GIGA MP3/WMA/WAV/AAC playback
• Plays DVD-R/-RW and +R/RW but not dual layer –RW & +RW
• Cable mounted USB port
• Made for iPod/iPhone (KS-PD100 needed for iPod 3rd gen 30/40GB; iPod mini 4/6GB and 4th gen 40GB)
• Full speed iPod control
• 2-way control for iPod/iPhone
• Built-in Bluetooth 1.2 for hands free calling and audio streaming ( HFP/OPP/A2DP/AVRCP)
• Text message display and voice dialling
• 5.1 channel Dolby Digital decoder (NOT dts though – odd lack)
• Dual Zone output and divided screen for display of DVD and AV in (rear camera or video nav)
• Separate volume control for second zone
• Seven Band EQ; 3 user memories plus Flat/Hard Rock/R&B/Pop/Jazz/Dance/Country/Reggae/Classic settings
• HPF & LPF selectable between off/80/120/150Hz @ 12 dB per Octave
• CD changer control (port can be converted to aux in with KS-U57/8 adapter)
• Steering wheel remote ready (optional adapter required)
• Rear fan cooled
• Microphone, two mounting devices and RM-RK252 24+4-way button remote included

General standing 

Overall rating  9.0
Sound Quality  9.0
Appearance/Display  10.0
Ease Of Use/HMI  10.0
Features  8.0
Value For Money  8.0

The good

The JVC KD-AVX77 El Kameleon features a customizable interface and a responsive touch screen. iPod and USB browsing is quick and easy to understand. Bluetooth hands-free calling and audio streaming increase driver safety and add an additional audio source. A plethora of AV inputs and outputs provide many expandability options.

The bad

The superwide touch screen is too small for DVD playback and its awkward aspect ratio means that most films will be cropped, stretched, or shrunken. Gesture controls are inconsistent.

The bottom line

The JVC KD-AVX77 El Kameleon is a great receiver for system builders, but the touch-screen interface isn’t as easy to use as some of the competition’s physical control schemes.

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