BEAUTIFUL design. There's really nothing else on the market that looks like this. The satellite speakers perform very well for their size (although a little weak on the mids). The sub woofer is decent. And the mechanical lid is actually very well made--seems to hold up well over many years of use. Amplification is decent. This system works best in small rooms. It does have a clock alarm and sleep function, which is useful when installed in a bedroom (just as Tom Cruise and Will Smith had). The LCD dims for nighttime use.

Lastly, JVC still supports this model for parts. You can obtain replacement remotes for around $20. And the manual can still be downloaded for free from various on-line sources.

The remote is cheap looking. It does the job fairly well, though. And you DO need it for some functions. The display is not good for long distance--the blue washes out the LCD digits. The speakers don't capture the mid range very well. But at this price range, you can't be too picky. The audio IN jack allows plugging in an MP3 player, but the amplification is weak... you have to crank the volume and unless your MP3 files are at 320kbps, the sound is very flat. Part of the reason I bought this unit was to use my iPod through it, but that turned out to be a disappointment. Lastly, there is no MP3-CD support. You'd figure that since the technology was available, JVC would have introduced it in this higher end mini-system.

This system was relatively expensive when first released, with an MSRP of $500. There are other JVC models, like the FS-7000, that would rival this system for less (considering direct speaker-to-speaker performance, without subwoofer). Part of the price must have gone into the design. A stunning piece of equipment to look at and unobtrusive with its slender speakers. The design was inspiring enough to get this system appear in two major movies: Vanilla Sky and I, Robot.

But getting back to value, I'd say this system is definitely worth it on the used audio market. Because of certain technology drawbacks (no MP3-CD capability, weak audio IN amplification), some people want to unload it for an audio system with more capabilities. Quite frankly, it doesn't take up that much space and is worth keeping around. I've seen heavily used models go for around $50, with excellent condition ones fetching nearly $150. I'd say $100 is about the top end one should spend on this system. I noted the value rating based on used market prices, as this unit is no longer sold new.

Later on, JVC replaced this unit with the VS-DT2000 (essentially the same speakers, but a new head unit design). Rather than the semi-fragile plexiglass lid, the system employs a sliding display and can be wall mounted.

Customer Service

Don't bother with a repair shop if something goes wrong. You're better off just buying another system used. If you are adventurous, replacement parts can be purchased from JVC Service.

Similar Products Used:

FS-7000, VS-DT2000

super image and soundstage. cover a large optimal listening area. Very stylish.

No body at all but things totally turned around with cable upgrade (cost me 25 dollars)

I had this system more than a year and very disappointed with the sound quaility. Eventhough I did not put it back into the box right away, I seldom listen to it and only used it for FM listening. Then how does it sound? The sound is very clean and it project a huge sound stage with super image. But the music just did not sound right to me. It had no body at all. It is just like drinking water, no taste at all. Recently, I changed the stock speaker and subwoofer cables came with the sytem with a low end AQ speaker cable. WOW, the system just came alive with sweet high, warm vocal, controlled and deep bass plus image and sound stage that I appreciated before. With the new cables, I think this system desires a 4 stars rating in its category.

Similar Products Used:

not aware of

Sexy looks, the CD player/Amplifier unit lights up better than your grandma's christmas tree. Decent sound for small rooms and causal listening. Very compact. Good set of features.

Expensive for it's sound quality, subwoofer really is just a bass module, weak midrange and treble definitions. No CD-Text support.

This JVC have its strengths and weaknesses. One of the most important things to people about this system is its style. This stylish, s-e-x-y and semi-futuristic design will make most avid listeners drop their jaws by looking at the system too long. For its s-e-x-y looks, i'd expect better sound quality. The JVC system's awkward and unnecessary setup of crossing the lower midrange or upper bass frequencies to the subwoofer as they call it, or bass module as most people here would consider it, makes the male vocals unnaturally chesty if the subwoofer is not located correctly. Other than that, we are not expecting much definition in the treble or midrange here from a system that is supposed to be compact and adorable. The feature set is very good, at this price range, i'd expect that. On the remote, you'll find a fade muting instead of just muting, play with it and you'll understand why it's neat. Also the glass panel on the top (which looks a little fragile), slides back and forth or opens up with lights underneath, is pretty spiffy. The optical outs, input and output plugs on the back make this unit much more attractive at this price point. The finish, like most others in the competition, is excellent when you see it from 10 feet away, but upon close examination, you'll find the speaker cabinets are not exactly all aluminum. They have plastic tops and bottoms which may spoil the good looks for some, and me in particular. A piece of advice, wait till the price drops before you buy this unit. I got a good deal on this unit, so it was slightly cheaper, the retail price now is the same as my bargain deal i had when i purchased this sytem 4 months ago, so wait and prices will drop down the hill.

Similar Products Used:

JVC FS-SD700, Panasonic SA-AK45 (it's 3 years old now)