2003 large 3 piece units- Where do they stand in performance?

I've seen larger units of JVC (HX-Z10 Compact component system) and other brands at local electronic shops like Best Buy in 2003. They had colorful displays and BIG sound but was not pleasing to my ears.


Last week I saw a JVC unit on Craigslist and bought it for $65 when the asking price was $200. It has a remote and aux in with all goodies even a CD writer for recording. This thing was barely used and looks like new.

It has got side firing 165 Watts per channel woofers and total output is 480 Watts.

After listening to out 80's boomboxes it is so hard to love the music quality. This unit is the third one from the same time period.


Not my pic...

480 watts, but according to the owners manual it only consumes 235......so there's no way it could put out more than it consumes.

But anyway, yes some of those systems can crank and put out serious bass, but I just can't get over their looks and plastic construction.

I gave both my daughters Sanyo systems from around this time period. It was their xmas gift. There is no doubt these things can rip the roof off.

Reli said:

480 watts, but according to the owners manual it only consumes 235......so there's no way it could put out more than it consumes.

But anyway, yes some of those systems can crank and put out serious bass, but I just can't get over their looks and plastic construction.

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. As always I am confused with the bass and the power consumption. Manual says it is 480 Watts.

These are powered subwoofers and not passive subs. Sub is ported all seperate in the speaker box with a front vent hole. 2 mid ranges and tweeters in another port. All in a wood cabinet covered with vinyl.

Pmpo again here!

Ghettoboom767 said:

Pmpo again here!

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. That is correct Jeff!

Ghettoboom767 said:

Pmpo again here!

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. That is correct Jeff!

It has several sound settings like Arena, Rock, pop, stadium and all but if you cancel all that it sounds not bad at all. Can't look at it and love it how we love our 80's boxes. I wish JVC made it all like in the 80's fashion with rechargeable dry batteries. Actually they don't fall under the Boombox category. I should have not posted it here. My bad!

It's so massive and looks like a transformer. My brother has something with orange speakers and it really does hammer but I can't get over the looks either for those shelf systems.

blu_fuz said:

It's so massive and looks like a transformer. My brother has something with orange speakers and it really does hammer but I can't get over the looks either for those shelf systems.

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I kept it aside! I cannot look at it even though it is all clean and like new. Another one to hide somewhere!
The center control unit is made like a Desktop PC and speakers are big with no good looks.
What happened to JVC design engineers? This is like some new cars they put out there. Great cars but hate the looks. May be I am getting old!

New generation kids will say that looks COOL!

My wife brought one of these home from Japan. Ton's of features, loud as hell, separate sub-woofer. Couldn't give the damn thing away. Worse, it was taking up valuable vintage Blaster space

She paid over $100 for it and wanted her money back. I kept telling her "Honey, they just don't....", "I WANT MY MONEY BACK!" Ok, it sat on CL, it sat on ePay, close 5, garage sales. You name it. I think it finally went on close 5 for $35. Some kid wanted it got his gaming system, WHICH IT WAS PERFECT FOR! It had a gaming mode

For me, I absolutely HATE digital preset equalizers. Not just on these but any modern system. No computer chip is going to tell me how I should be listening to my music. One of the other issues with these is, if the power goes out, then all the setting revert back to the showroom floor demo mode. So then you have to go through 10 parameters to get your setting back. What a PITA

NOPE! Give me a rheostat slider or knob to help me set my soundscape contour and NOTHING ELSE!

I also like to crank start my car with a handle that sticks out the grill :annoyed:

HX-Z10 manual, which can be found by googling JVC HX-Z10 manual, does says 480 watts (RMS, not PMPO), but it also says 235 watts consumption. Both of those claims cannot be true. Remember the government doesn't care if audio companies lie or not. As long as it's not health-related, they don't care. They should, but they don't.

Lasonic TRC-920 said:

For me, I absolutely HATE digital preset equalizers. Not just on these but any modern system. No computer chip is going to tell me how I should be listening to my music. One of the other issues with these is, if the power goes out, then all the setting revert back to the showroom floor demo mode. So then you have to go through 10 parameters to get your setting back. What a PITA

NOPE! Give me a rheostat slider or knob to help me set my soundscape contour and NOTHING ELSE!

I also like to crank start my car with a handle that sticks out the grill :annoyed:

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That is exactly what I feel.

You cannot adjust the sound parameters for your taste which is the big downfall.

In advanced receivers also they have these presets but also have the the option to adjust the sound at our own freedom. I need to check id this has any adjustments like that because I saw User 1, User 2, User 3 presets. If that exists it is not a bad thing.

A graphic EQ is really all that's necessary. But that doesn't give them much to brag about in their advertising. That's why they load it up with crap like D-BASS, BBE, Arena/Disco/Theater/Soft/Clear etc.

Reli said:

A graphic EQ is really all that's necessary. But that doesn't give them much to brag about in their advertising. That's why they load it up with crap like D-BASS, BBE, Arena/Disco/Theater/Soft/Clear etc.

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Exactly, they can't claim something is NEW and IMPROVED unless they add some BS feature that no one ever heard of (or needs) to sell the latest and greatest.

Modern systems have a temporary "Wow that sounds great" effect before my ears get tired. The high's are REALLY HIGH, the bass is REALLY LOW and the mids are pushed into your face. But (IMO) the sound is taxing on my ears after a short period of time. Add in the fact that most people are listening to MP3's which are 10% of the original file and it's just synthetic crap. In a side by side comparison with my full analog Marantz home system, the sound quality isn't even comparable. The modern stuff is SHRILL and SHARP. It's like pouring powdered glass in my ears.

Newer stuff is louder CHECK
Newer stuff has deeper bass CHECK
Older stuff sounds better CHECK
Older stuff rides on wooden wheels and is powered by a water wheel while simultaneously grinding flour CHECK
:hoveround:

blu_fuz said:

It's so massive and looks like a transformer. My brother has something with orange speakers and it really does hammer but I can't get over the looks either for those shelf systems.

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Yes! Transformers is right! ha ha! Some of the designs are real eye openers!

They keep inventing a new name for the same feature. XBS, DBS, Super Bass, Bass Extender, G-BOOM, Galactic Bass, it's all just a button that enhances the bass. They act like it would give you more bass than a properly-designed bass control could. Like as if they've invented a new way to unlock more bass than you ever could before.

I fell for that shiat all the time, as a kid. Today I know a little better, but I still like boxes with silly features like that, because they add to its personality. Boomboxes represent the gaudy, outgoing, over-eager side of our culture. I like shiat like fake rivets around the speakers, fake bass ducts, fake tweeter horns, unnecessary graphics, legs that imitate the legs on home theatre systems, etc.

Keep it more simple. Here is a couple you might like Reli

If that's wood on the bottom, I bet it sounds good!