Just about as good as mini-systems get...
Written: Apr 23 '04
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Design, Excelent Sound, Imaging, Build Quality
Cons: Won't play loud enough to fill a big room, or recreate the orchestral experience.
The Bottom Line: Stylish, Sounds great, Compact, Well built, Flexible, you can't loose!
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| jawzx's Full Review: JVC FS-SD1000 CD Shelf System |
Even though I don't own one, I've spent the last four months as the manager of a small stereo shop that sells the FS-SD1000, and it truly is one of the best sounding mini systems I've ever encountered.
The FS-DS1000 consists of a well built and slickly designed console with a CD player, very good AM/FM tuner and AUX input; Two slick, foot+ tall ribbon driver speakers and a compact, attractive and very musical powered
subwoofer. The quality of sound this little system can produce is not quite stunning, but sure turns heads, even among those with supper high-end systems. The little JVC isn't the cheapest thing out there, but it does out-perform many systems that cost twice as much, which in this highly
competitive niche market, is saying something.
By using ribbon drivers JVC has effectively conquered one of the main hassles of designing a quality mini-system, how to produce a compact and good looking main driver that not only has excellent dynamic range, but also images superbly and hits the mids dead on. But with ribbons only about an
inch wide and five inches long you just CAN'T extract any kind of decent bass from them. Solution? Add a really good little sub-woofer to the system.
Just slapping any old sub into the system would have been a mistake as the ribbons are SO musical and dynamic that lesser subs would have just muddied up the sound. JVC added a terrific little self-powered sub that has just enough grunt to kick out low bass and synths, but remains tight and
musical enough to keep up with the speed of the ribbons, the results are a system that won't play as loud as some in the price and size category, but when you DO crank the FS-SD1000 up it remains coherent, punchy, dynamic, and NEVER sibilant.
The FS-DS1000's over all tone sounds smooth, not, mind you flat or bland, just smooth like butter. Vocals pour out of the ribbons with the sort of fluidity that makes sad songs sadder, happy songs brighter and angry songs madder.
Treble is extremely smooth, and if you are used to the sometimes piercing treble of many tiny two-way speakers the '1000 may sound soft on top at first, but the longer you listen the more you realize it's not soft at all, just incredibly well controlled. The mid range, as is often the case with ribbon-type drivers is about as smooth as it gets. Guitar, piano, male vocals, all sound buttery and
warm without losing any definition. The subwoofer's cross-over point, though not adjustable, seems to match the ribbons' LF roll-off nearly perfectly and it integrates better than some mega-buck sat-sub combos I've heard recently. The ribbons have just enough punch to place the bass within the stereo image and then let the sub handle belting out the actual rumble and thump. The FS-SD1000 has great rhythm and boogies like a disco party, but is also well mannered enough to reproduce chamber orchestras and orchestral pieces with subtlety and passion. Big, complex sound stages are no problem and for classical fans the '1000 will deliver the space of an orchestra and much of the dynamics, if not the volume.
Some audio purists will complain that the '1000 is too coloured, TOO smooth (perhaps not without good cause), but those who enjoy MUSIC will be hard pressed not to love the little JVC's performance. Being ribbons the main
speakers don't have the kind of off-axis response or dispersion of a cone, so position is important to get the best possible listening experience, but JVC has done a good job creating a baffle that overcomes a little of the typical
ribbon directionality and instead of "disappearing" when you move off axis, the FS-SD1000 just sounds notably better in the sweet spot.
The '1000's remote is typical JVC, simple, easy to understand and compact without being so small it stymies bigger hands. The attractive blue front display is easy to read even at an angle, or from across a small room and can
be dimmed or turned off. The big powered cd door/cover (a JVC trademark for some time now) is cool, and much more durable than it looks. The '1000 features fully programmable timers for CD and radio that don't just turn it on, but allow you to choose a track/station and turn on volume as well as turn on time. No buzzer, so it's not quite a full alarm clock, but you could burn a cd
with a recording of a buzzer... Any way, this is a great little system that looks almost as good as it sounds and features quality materials and construction.
It's just about as good as mini-systems get.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
jawzx
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Location: Johnson, Vermont, USA
Reviews written: 34
Trusted by: 3 members
About Me:
Giant Carnivorous Fish
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