JVC XL-FZ258BK 5-Disc CD Carousel Changer - A low-priced Winner!

While my wife was pregnant, we came to an agreement. I would set up the nursery in any format, any color scheme, any arrangement she desired. Whatever furniture she wanted, we would get. Whatever she wanted me to paint on the walls, the ceiling, I would gladly do. Whatever carpeting she wanted to put down - thy would be done.

Hey, it was (is) our first child - I wanted my wife to be happy and comfortable with the nursery to help with the transition that would change our lives.

Of course, the flip-side of the agreement was that I would finally be able to build our entertainment center the way I wanted to. As you may have noticed from earlier reviews, I went with a Yamaha DTS receiver, coupled with NHT speakers all the way around. JVC components have always been high on my list, so when it was time to find a solid CD player, I naturally went shopping around for a JVC brand.

After doing plenty of research on the 'net and through countless audio/visual magazines, I decided on the JVC XL-FZ258BK 5-Disc Carousel Changer. One of my criteria was to have at least a 5-disc changer. Next, I wanted crisp sound, flexible track selections, a decent, yet competent remote and quality constructions.

The JVC hits the mark on every count.

First, the sound. For around $150, you will not find a better CD player (multiple CDs or single) that offers such splendid sound. Of course the receiver has a lot to do with it, but the JVC does a superb job with stereo separation and noise filtering - no doubt due to their 8x over sampling filter.

Flexible track selection is just that - flexible and easy to use in the extreme. By way of the remote or directly on the handsome unit face plate, you can set up any type of play mode that you can dream of; random by disc, random by all discs, repeat track, repeat disc, customer programming and more. Again, all of this is easy and simple to set up and use. Most of them are even available at the push of a single button. What's more, you can change up to 4 of the 5 discs while one is actually playing. I love that feature and convenience - especially when entertaining. You'll never have to stop the music to load more CDs in.

The remote control - where a lot of manufacturers will often skimp, is simple and sophisticated at the same time. Just about every feature is available on the remote, making it a true 'remote control'. Using a minimum of buttons, but set up in an ergonomic fashion, the remote is easy to comprehend and use.

Finally, construction. One of the key issues I had with a 5-disc loader of this nature is the huge CD-tray. The tray, when opened is large enough to place the 5 cds, so you can image how big it is. Since it is almost as wide as the player itself, you'll want to take care when opening and changing CDs. My daughter's not quite tall enough to reach it, but when she is, I'll make sure she's not around when I open the tray to change CDs. But the quality motor and slide-guide that JVC incorporates is clearly top notch. After nearly 2 years of use, I've never had a problem with the tray, it's never jammed a CD, and it's smooth operation is flawless.

The bottom line is that, for around $150, you simply can not beat the JVC quality that's built behind this player. All the options you're likely to ever use are at your disposal. It's convenient, it's attractive, it's an all-around winner.

The specifications of the player follow:

* 5-Disc Carousel CD Changer: Change any 4 discs while one more is being played
* 1-bit P.E.M. D.D. Converter
* Optical Digital Output
* 8-times over sampling digital filter
* Program play of up to 32 'steps' (tracks and discs) from 5 discs
* 20 - track program chart
* 5 DISC keys on the front panel
* 10 - key pad for direct track access
* Play Modes: Continuous, Program, Smart Random
* 4-way repeat:: all tracks, single track, programmed tracks, and random play
* Auto and Manual Search
* Remote with DISC keys and numeric keys
* Resume function
* Headphone Output with volume control
* 2 ENHANCED COMPU LINK CONTROL SYSTEM jacks
* 1 Year parts and labor warranty
* Weight: 15 lbs
* Width: 20"
* Height: 8"
* Depth: 17.9"

Thanks, as always, for reading...