I just purchased one of these units at a local merchant and so far so good! I just wanted something cheap and simple to upgrade my factory stereo. I wanted bluetooth but there are too many head units that have horrible bluetooth capabilities so I decided to go without (I may add the extra unit later on this one).
This unit is equipped with a 7 band EQ as well as a subwoofer level control, both are MUST haves in my book. So far after one day I am very pleased with the sound quality! Crisp Highs and zero distortion that I can hear. I have been out of the car audio game for about 10 years now so I was clueless going in and for $125 I wasn't expecting much but I must say I am pleasantly suprised! I still have my factory Dodge speakers in and also added a 12" Orion Sub/Amp in the trunk. The menu's can be a bit tricky but after only one day (2 hours) I think I have them down pat. If you're looking for something simple for an up-grade to your existing factory tunes I would definitely recommend this unit. A Kenwood deck with similar features goes for almost $100 more and I can't see that there would be that much of a difference in sound and I'm not looking to enter any sound competitions anytime soon. Bottom line: if you are looking for an upgrade from the factory head unit (junk) installed by the manufacturer..for the price, this head unit is a steal! JVC KD-HDR40 CD Receiver with Built-In HD Radio Tuner, Front AUX Input, and Bluetooth/Satellite Radio add-on capability
This is my first replacement radio experience and I did a lot of research to replace the stereo in my 1998 Subaru Impreza. I wanted something that had HD and a simple AUX input for my iPod. The JVC KD-HDR40 fit perfectly into the dash using the existing factory sleeve. Because it was my first self install, the only thing that took A LOT of time was building the new wire harness. If I had to do it again, I would zip through that process but the first time was a challenge for me. I used a replacement harness that was specifically designed to be spliced between the new stereo and the factory wires and after that part was finished it went in easy. The HD signal locks in very fast with virtually no lag and while the controls are not intuitive, they can be figured out fairly easily. The instructions are not as clear as I would like but I was able to get my favorite stations preset after some trial and error. Then I discovered that the presets can be surfed just by clicking the up and down arrows right next to the fast forward and reverse buttons. Not too bad although it would be nice to have dedicated preset buttons. Not a con BUT the display is super bright at night. Even on the lower setting it drowns out my AC/Heater control lights. I do like the large knob that controls volume and the selections inside the menu but it worries me that the plastic material might snap off over time. Overall, Great sound through the factory speakers, decent controls and HD at a fair price. I recommend!
I have been listening to my crappy old factory Dodge ram 1500 truck stereo system for the past 8 years thinking Oh! it dont sound so bad, (Man was I wrong!) One night I was on the Amazon web site and noticed they had many car receivers for under $100 bucks so I figured what the heck! I will go ahead and purchase one, I did some research / read a few reviews and decided on the JVC KD-HDR40
I purchased the installation kit with wiring harness/antenna adapter custom made my truck for around $22, (this made the install much easier.) I had the old head unit out and the new one hooked up in less than 30 minutes, I also purchased a set of Rockford Fosgte P1S652 Punch 6.5 speakers to replace the old factory paper cone 6 x 9's in the doors and a couple of JBL GTO series 5.25" for the rear.
What a difference! Receiver reception and cd playback is crystal clear and crisp with great mid range bass, Signal reception is much better than factory, I love the 7 band equalizer, Aux/Ipod input,remote control and the built in HD receiver,I cant believe how much better the HD stations sound over the non-HD.
Some reviewers have complained that the KD-HDR series receivers are difficult to program and should have preset station buttons. Personally this hasnt been a major issue with me, within 10 minutes I was able to program my presets and all other settings.
Presets buttons probably would have been nice to have but the remote makes changing between stations a breeze.
All in all the JVC KD-HDR40 is a very solid head unit and I would highly recommend it to anyone.
For this price you can't beat this HD set. Radio tuning works perfectly and mp3 CDs start up quickly unlike some other units. The equalizer presets sound great, I haven't needed to make any custom presets. Not having the typical 6 buttons for station presets hasn't been a problem. You simply use the up and down buttons to move through the radio stations.
Some minor annoyances are that the clock doesn't show when unit is off. Also all settings are lost when the battery is disconnected. And radio stations are displayed only by their call letters not station numbers, but most units out there do this. But all in all this is a nice HD radio. - Cd Player - Ipod - Hd Radio - Car Audio'
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