Price Paid:  $350.00 from Bay Bloor Radio, Tor

Summary:
I bought this mini system on sale for 350 CDN at a stereo store here in Toronto two years ago, just before I moved away for my first year of university. The sound is very clear but lacks the punch of my old, big reciever. Perhaps adding a subwoofer would help. My friend, who is a complete audiophile, was drooling over this thing when he first saw it. Its major strength is that it packs so many inputs and outputs into a small package. I've got my record player and PC hooked up to this thing, so I can transfer my music around at will, recording RealAudio tracks onto MDs for example, or transferring my records to MP3s.

On top of that it looks very, very cool. However the black piano finish scratches easily so be careful, and make sure to but a plastic sheet down under the speakers or the bottoms will be scratched up with mine are.

If you have tons of space I'd say go with a bigger system with more oomph, but for those of us with space restraints or who need a second system for the bedroom or office, you can do alot worse.

My only big beef with this system is that my MD recording seems to have gone on the fray. Now it corrupts the MD's TOC (which tells MD players which track it where, which title, etc) every time I record a track, or even just change a title. But I'm sure this is rare.

Strengths:
-Good sound for the size
-Looks great
-Lots of inputs/outputs

Weaknesses:
-Corrupts my MDs
-Sound is a bit weak
-Piano finish scratches easily

Price Paid:  $200.00 from Sale

Summary:
This ultra smart micro system with it's impressive black piano gloss finish speakers could sell it's self on looks alone.However,although having good clarity,and sounding good with acoustic and lightweight sounds - it sounds a little metalic when things get busy,and just doesn't have enough weight or versatility to be a top micro system.I bought this system as a main music machine for my living room,and even adding an active sub woofer didn't make me want to keep it.The cheaper JVC UX-T2OOR has a much more natural sound (I have one in my bedroom)plus better bass weight,although no minidisc.

Strengths:
Great looks.

Weaknesses:
sound under par.

Similar Products Used:
JVC UX-T200R

Price Paid:  $210.00 from eBay.com

Summary:
This is a great little unit and usually easy to find new on eBay for about $250-$350 USD. Very useful for dubbing CDs to minidisc. (I take the MDs with my when I'm on the go and listen to the MDs with my Sony MZ-R70.) Like at least one other reviewer, I use the FS-MD9000 in my bedroom and have discovered that I use it more than any other audio gear in my home. I also connect it to my stereo TV's audio output.

If you want better sound from it, better speakers will help. You'll want something sensitive to get the most from the JVC's amp, such as PSB Alpha A/V speakers ($250/pair). I found a used set of Bose Acoustimass-3 speakers (a satellite/subwoofer set) that provide decent sound and are small enough to be unobtrusive in my bedroom.

Beyond the above, my experiences match the positive experiences of other reviewers here. Would I buy the FS-MD9000 again? Yes!

You can see the FS-MD9000 and learn more at:

http://www.minidisc.org/jvc_fs_md9000.jpg

http://www.jvc.com/product.jsp?modelId=MODL023005&archive=true&page=2

http://www.jvc.com:8765/jvc_query.html?col=nc&col=prod&col=nc&col=nc&cbox2=on&qt=fs-md9000&ht=0&qp=&qs=&qc=&pw=100%25&ws=0&la=&qm=0&st=1&nh=10&lk=1&rf=0&oq=&rq=0&si=0

http://www.minidisc.org/part_JVC_FS-MD9000.html

Strengths:
Small size, elegant looks, fine fit and finish, analog and digital inputs for recording, line-level subwoofer output jack, analog input allows connection of TV or VCR's audio output to this product, headphone jack.

Weaknesses:
Bigger and better gear will sound better, but that's true for all audio gear.

Similar Products Used:
JVC FS-2000.

Price Paid:  $300.00

Summary:
An outstanding system, not much to improve upon, great for a college dorm room, packs punch for a small space...could use a subwoofer if you want to use this system in a larger space

Strengths:
Size, easy to use, sound quality

Weaknesses:
can't do high speed MD recording

Summary:
I found this system for $250 on buy.com. Awesome system for the price! Great sound for a mini-system, although I strongly recommend adding a small subwoofer for a fuller sound.

Strengths:
Can find really cheap on-line
Sub-out
MD

Weaknesses:
Weak bass