JVC KD-R541 Single-DIN CD Tuner With Front USB & Aux-In & RCA Output

In a Nutshell
A top quality but affordable CD deck that does all the stuff that used to be seen as whistles and bells, just a short while ago. It looks like an old style CD deck but it has a slew of other digital functionality which it handles without offering confusion to the user.
Manufacturer: JVC
Product details: Single DIN, CD/AM/FM/USB/iPhone/iPod/Aux in/RCA out x1
Website: link
TEL: 0845 310 8000
Typical Selling Price: £80.00
SCORES
Overall 9.0
Sound Quality 8
Appearance/Display 8
Ease Of Use/HMI 10
Features 9
Value For Money 10
A Talk Audio Recommended Unit

How it’s packed
Editor Review: JVC KD-R541 Single DIN CD Tuner Headunit With Front USB & Aux In
I really enjoyed playing with this deck. I liked that there were old fashioned paper manuals, printed in a cluster of European languages, rather than an exhortation to go look at the ‘˜net for your manual and print it in super-convenient A4 format from .pdf. (NOT!) I hate all that while still bemoaning the paper print costs to end user and the environment! That slightly old-school approach also means that JVC are still using some expanded polystyrene in their packaging as there is nothing better to protect the electronics in transit. That said, paper pulp engineering and mega-moulded-egg box-style packaging has become the thing with a lot of other brands.
I had a look at the deck, taken from the packing, noting the satisfyingly large chunk of pure Aluminium placed on the back as heatsink for the power chip, saying it was a Good Sign. The deck was plugged into a Genesis SM100 with B&W LM1 speakers on it through Esoteric Audio speaker cable and VIBE RCA connections.
I played CD, stuff from several places on my iPod and tried the auxiliary with a small MP3 player and then stuffed a USB with mixed formats of files on it into the front. It handled all but the big-size new LOSSLESS WMA files I tried and I was impressed.
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I liked how direct and solid it was in use. You felt in control of the digital stuff. No delays while it thought about it and the sound through the 2.5V output RCA sockets was impressively low noise. Chassis mount is less easy to do than hanging a cord out the back, yet it is used here on the affordable level deck. There are even cheaper units but this is where I would start happily. After all, if you can put gas in the tank, you can afford this.
The display is crude compared to a retina display from the fruity folks but the unit still works with some apps which I will play with and have another go on another time. Meanwhile, have a look at the video and you can see, it is simple and a great little bit of kit.

How Well Does It Work?
Although it does not come with one, you can accessorise the KD-R541 with an Infra Red remote control. This means that for the money, the deck has the necessary ‘˜eye’ and stuff behind it to make it possible to use with said remote. The video I made shows that it is intuitive, pretty idiot proof and direct in use. I did not get any significant play-time to learn how to use it before I made the video.
It does say ‘˜WMA’ on the front but the files I used on the USB are the HUGE lossless ones and this is still a car radio, not a computer. But it grabbed all the data and music from the files it did like and presented them richly.
The USB socket self-switches and while the op amp attached to the aux line in is only gentle, requiring a nicely cranked headphone output stuffing up it to make it loud and clear, it is clean.
The RCA output is free of transport noise, which at this price is remarkable and really cool to see the RCA sockets chassis-mounted, as this helps hugely.
Why Buy It?
As simple as it looks, the only thing this does not do is the clever telephony of Bluetooth. The extra BT1000 unit you can get to add Bluetooth has but an ‘˜aux out’ for the sound, so you use the deck’s Aux source to take a call.
The price of a JVC KD-R541 is less than a tank of fuel. What you get is credible performance, the ability to really expand to a posher system if you want to later and serious high sound quality in the meanwhile.
With USB and aux sockets as well as those RCAs and the possibility to add a remote or better yet, not have to pay for it if you think you can reach the dash from the driver’s seat anyway It adds up to a no-brainer top Value For Money purchase. The display is not super flash-amazeballs but that really costs and JVC can do that too, they are a bit posh with images.
Top brand, top quality for the money, top VFM, really good build quality. No brainer if you just need a new one
Features
MOS-FET 50W x 4
24-bit DAC
Ready for Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology*1
Application Control for Smartphone (JVC-App)
JVC Smart Music Control for Android (App via USB)
JVC Music Control for Android (App via USB)
JVC Playlist Creator for USB Memory/Thumb Drive(Windows(R) PC software via USB)
USB Audio for iPod/iPhone etc.
2-Way Control for iPod/iPhone*2 (Head Unit/iPod or iPhone)
External Mode for iPod/iPhone
Front USB Port (MP3/WMA/iPod & iPhone Audio)
USB 1A Power Supply
AUX Input (Front)
MP3/WMA Compatible with ID3/WMA Tag (CD/USB)
Radio Data System
HS-IVi Tuner
Radio Timer
Backup Memory
3-Band Parametric iEQ
Easy EQ
Source Link EQ
Loudness Control
Low-Pass Filter
2.5V Line and Subwoofer Pre-Out Level
Pre-Out Terminals (Rear/Subwoofer Selectable)
Subwoofer Control
Separated Brightness Control
Auto Dimmer
Beep Tone Support
Detachable Face Panel
*1 KS-BTA100 required. Available functions depend on mobile phone.
*2 Compatibility with 2-way control for iPod/iPhone differs by model.