JVC KD-G821 Car CD/USB Tuner Best Buy

Great item for the price! - 12 Apr 2007

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Bought this for a coupla reasons:

- wanted something that could play songs from a USB flash drive
- had to look good
- not too pricey
- good reputable name

The JVC KD-G821 fit the bill perfectly. TBH I was swayed more by the looks over other products that also had the same features.

What's in the box:
- the head unit, already fitted to a cage
- removal keys to take unit out of said cage
- removable front panel with its own carry case
- cables for hooking up to your car
- mounting tools (hangar, screws)
- trim plate (look at the pic, see that outer silver bezel?)
- remote control + battery
- CD-ROM (see later)

Fitting it is a doddle. The instructions are in a variety of languages, including English (thankfully!). Be careful if you have a 1.5 DIN size space. You get this with original car manufacturer stereos - they're usually taller than normal stereos. eg Ford Fiesta (my car) comes with it's own Ford 3000 radio built in to the fascia. For stereos like these, you'll need the removal keys, ISO -> DIN cable adaptors, ISO -> DIN antenna adaptor and a suitable fascia adaptor (all can be had from a reputable online auction site for around a tenner, if you look carefully).

Once it was up and running, I was quickly able to play files off the USB port (used a 2GB flash drive). The sound was beautiful and you could tell the difference between this unit and the original one, though sound file quality is also a factor.

The unit is easy to use without having to read the instructions but to be honest, it's always good to read them as there are some things you just don't know how to adjust without it eg the EQ settings, the display etc.

The ability to display pictures seems amazing, but it's not all that it;s cracked up to be. The images are tiny and loading them onto the unit isn't easy. You have to create the images/movie clips (max 60 frames) using the software on the supplied CD-ROM, burn them to CD-R, then use the instruction manual to figure out how to upload them. It's not easy and I'm not sure it's worth the hassle (haven't gotten round to doing this).

Apart from a few flaws, it's a great product and I intend to keep it for when I buy my next car in a coupla years' time.