You can't beat this product for the price.
The FM quality is very good, very clear.
I can pick up stations that I was unable to receive before (too weak of a signal--maybe my other head unit was going bad?).
The HD is very cool; crystal clear and a wider stereo effect.
Downside to HD is that it drops out when signal is weak.
4GB usb thumbdrive worked flawlessly.
The overall sound is very good, in my opinion.
I have the option to upgrade to bluetooth and sat radio as well.
I am very satisfied.
On the downside, I find the menu and buttons cumbersome.
Some of the buttons are too small, the menus are not intuitive, etc.
The remote is VERY basic.
Still, I am very satisfied.
I give it a 5 because of the price and options. JVC KD-HDR60 USB/CD Receiver with HD Radio Tuner and iTunes Tagging
I wanted this for the HD radio and USB feature first and the .mp3 CD next. The USB is awesome when used with a thumb drive. I like listening to certain pod casts and the thumb drive is the way to go while driving. When you are done you can delete the pod cast and replace it with another. I live in the Atlanta metro area and HD radio is plentiful, but like others have mentioned if the signal isn't just right you get nothing unless it is a simulcast with an analog FM station. The item description mentions something about IPOD, but I try to stay away from proprietary technology and opt for more of the open source style products.
Pros:
1) USB - the thumbdrive capability is perfect for updating music as the need/want arises and for listening to pod casts.
2) Audio (sound) quality rocks
3) .mp3 capability - both USB and CD - I have my base set of music on CD and the pod casts and changing music tastes on the thumbdrive.
4) ease of installation (it did replace a 13 yr old JVC)
5) can add satellite radio and/or blue tooth (blue tooth a definite possibility...)
6) Remote control is small, but for raising and lowering volume or changing tracks/stations it is perfect. Any additional capability would detract from driving safety. Nothing else should be done while driving anyway. My remote from the old unit is bigger and I will still be using it as I am used to all the buttons' locations.
Cons:
1) Wish I had been able to learn more first hand how well HD radio is implemented in Atlanta. The technology may just not be up to par yet. Others have mentioned about HD signals are either there or not. It is not unusual for the HD signal to fade and the audio to just drop without warning. If the stations you are tuned to is the digital version of the analog FM station it will jump back and forth so it isn't too bad. If it is the HD-2 or higher station or the HD-1 isn't matched to the analog FM then there is silence when the signal fades. It happens more than I would care for it to. I do live in an outlying area, but even when inside I-285 around Atlanta the stations will come and go.
2) JVC's customer service (I contacted them with a pre-sales question prior to purchase and am still waiting on response, 10 days ago.)
3) The wiring harness from the old unit doesn't match the new one. I would think JVC would try to keep things as compatible as possible to encourage more frequent replacements.
My cons don't affect the sound quality which is excellent. It has preset tone/equalizer settings that fit for most audio, but it also has the capability to adjust tone independently. A nice feature is the unit's ability to match to any color dash by changing the color of the lights that the unit presents. The display lights also dim when the headlights come on. I gave the unit 5 stars even though the HD radio is lacking, however that may not be a function of this radio but the HD technology itself.
After spending a couple weeks doing research on HD radio receivers (with it BUILT-IN, not "capable") at retail stores like Best Buy and online, I bit the bullet on this unit through Amazon. The unit shipped fast, and there were instructions to install (it also comes with everything necessary but the wire harness), as well as a 1 year warranty.
I bought this unit because it was the cheapest unit with all the features I wanted (HD Radio & USB), and also because I love the colors and way that radio presets are handled -- instead of there only being 6 buttons along the bottom so that each band can only have 6 presets like most other receivers, this unit just has an up and down arrow which you cycle through for each FM band, and has up to 18 presets for each -- and I use that amount! Also, the unit can auto-detect usb/aux inputs which is cool.
While I love many features of this unit, I do have a few issues...first of all, don't be sucked into all this "capable" BS. Bluetooth capable, etc means you need to purchase a $60-80 add-on; it is cheaper (and less of a hassle) to just buy a unit with bluetooth built in. Secondly, the way usb is handled is sort of...terrible. The navigation is just flat out awful (and I'm a computer scientist; I'm supposed to be good at this stuff!) and after reading the manual just realized it is easier to simply use the usb port as a charger, and then use the aux input to play audio so that I can control everything from my device (a blackberry). Sad, but it really is much simpler...Lastly, the remote is pretty basic and unneeded; still, I am not a fan of remotes for car stereos, so maybe I am just biased.
All in all, I recommend this unit, especially because of its low price. - Car Audio - Cd Players - Usb - Hd Radio'
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