JVC UX-LP5 CD Micro Component System

• Micro component system for home or office with 70 watts of power
• Handy flip dock for housing iPod; includes video output for video stored on iPod
• Selectable Hyperbass mode adds emphasis to lower frequencies
• Plays music CDs, CD-R/RW media, and MP3 and WMA files burned to disc
• 1-Disc Player, Digital AM/FM tuner, clock, programmable timer

I had a JVC boombox once, and it was the best sounding radio/cassette boombox I ever had. Therefore, I wanted another JVC product. I was disappointed that it wasn't as great-sounding as I had anticipated. However, it plays nicely. In retrospect, I would have bought the other JVC compact stereo with 100 watts of power. I didn't see the other one until I had already ordered this one. If you're reading this, I would recommend going with the 100-watt JVC instead of this one, which is only 70 watts. They're about the same price. I also just bought a Sony boombox, and it sounds much better than this JVC stereo.

Buy JVC UX-LP5 CD Micro Component System Now

I bought this unit as a Chanukah gift for my 8 year old grandson. He loves it and it is easy to use, his finding and using the many features it offers. I put one of my classical cd's into the unit and I was amazed at the sound quality this inexpensive unit provided. I am a connosseur of music owning top of the line stereo equipment in my home and I can assuredly say that this unit gives you much bang for the buck.

Read Best Reviews of JVC UX-LP5 CD Micro Component System Here

First of all, this is a small stereo. It has 70 watts (RMS) of power. That is not enough for a party with 20+ people over at your detached house, a dance floor, and a smoke machine. If you're thinking about buying this for a teenage boy who cranks his music in his room to annoy his parents, well, it depends on how well you like his parents. If you need to get something for a college kid that likes to host gatherings in his dorm room and impress women with his music collection, I'd say it depends on the kind of music and the kind of women he likes.

If you want a stereo for a bedroom or a studio apartment, if you're interested in the best sound you can find in a sound system marked "micro hi-fi" at this price range, this is wonderful. It is loud enough to make cranky neighbors complain but probably not enough to make them call the police (neither have done so at my place). If you run this at full volume, there's less noise than anything over 50 watts that I've ever tested, and I tested a number of systems before I bought this one.

What this unit sacrifices power for is sound quality. JVC does not have a disreputable history of making throwaway junk in audio and video equipment, although I'm sure there are people who would disagree with this. For anyone looking to link this to a computer, the audio-in has three levels of power, which is extremely important if you need to boost quiet recordings. The Turbo Sound and HBS features are very useful, but nothing extraordinary. The bass/treble controls are Mickey-Mouse (you only have three bass and three treble settings). Generally speaking, however, I feel that this thing is really made to be simple in terms of sound control and the people who made it were certain that a jazz, classical, or folk enthusiast who pushed it up to top volume on a quality music recording would buy it immediately.

I didn't find the remote to be very complicated, but it is more complicated that the remotes on similar systems, and it is small and runs on a watch battery. If you want to operate it in low-light conditions, you'd probably prefer a full-size remote.

The unit itself is pretty, with nightlight-bright blue LED accents that you can dim or turn off (3 levels of dimming, again). You can also clean the panels and speakers easily because it doesn't have major recessed areas as design accents. I don't have an iPod so I can't make claims regarding that functionality.

I am extremely happy with this product.

Want JVC UX-LP5 CD Micro Component System Discount?

Very nice sound quality including bass.

I compared this system to a couple Sony systems around $100-$120 and this system is totally worth the upgrade!

Would have expected to pay around $200 for this quality.

Only downside is that you never want to break or loose the remote because many of the buttons on the remote (programing, time set, etc.) are not on the main unit!

Quality you'd expect from JVC. I would recommend this system to a friend.

Save 36% Off

I'm what one might call an audiophile. I used to own a set of the renowned crystaline ESS speakers, $400.00 a piece list price. The Audio Technica phono cartridge on our direct-drive turntable alone was $250.00 retail. Our first receiver driving the wall-rattling pair was a 60-watts per channel JvC with 5-band graphic equalizer, also $600.00 list. It finally burnt out after 16 years, and the speakers and new Pioneer entertainment receiver got stolen during a move, but we always remember the quality sound and features, hence the decision to go with a JVC mini stereo. Though the UX-LP5 can't be expected to compare to its predecessor, it's about all our 12by 14-feet studio apartment can handle. 70 watts maximum, relatively powerful for systems this size, is certainly loud enough. I don't notice any distortion at high volume. The small black laminate on particle board bass reflex speakers are a testimony to recent advances in electronic technology, being no longer the tinny, staticy things you would expect, but decent, filling the room well acoustically with their upthrusted design. Maybe the lower frequencies are a tad muffy and fall more in the class of bass "impression" rather than bass boom, but you can't get any better for the incredibly low price of this system. The Turbo Sound and Hyper Bass--akin to "loudness" on older sets--enhance them well enough. If you want better, you could probably upgrade to a pair of quality bookshelf speakers for an extra hundred. 35 watts per channel should be enough to obtain the full volume and frequency range in most makes of roughly equal size, but be sure to check the manual for the minimum power requirements. Optimum wattage should fall at least halfway between the minimum and maximum specifications, but don't quote me on that. As for the UX-LP5's other features, pretty good. Unlike some of the other new models on the market, it still has AM radio, a must in emergency broadcast situations. There are both AM and FM wired antennas you can place in different locations for the best reception. The CD/MP3 player sounds fine. We don't have an I-Pod to test the handy drop-down dock. The mini Headphone and Audio In (aka AUX) jacks are conveniently located on the front panel. Our small HDTV has only perfunctory internal speakers, and we were pleased to harness the micro stereo ones for some semblance of a cinema effect via a 2-way male mini headphone jack connected from the TV's headphone jack to Audio In. There is also a Video Out receptor in back of the unit to view I-Pod music videos on an external monitor. We hate the tiny, primitive, hard-to-operate remote. Headphone sound quality and separation are disappointing, and the blue "Demo" light display only dims temporarily, but you can't have it all!!!