Features:
- 100 watts per channel (surround), 130 watts per channel (stereo)
- DTS and Dolby Digital decoding
- 5.1-channel analog inputs
- Advanced Super-A amplifier, high-current capable
- Multi-room control and S-video switching
Description:
JVC's RX-1028VBK offers a striking combination of features and performance. Included are a muscular 100 watts' output for all five channels (130 watts per channel for stereo), Dolby Digital and DTS surround decoding, a future-ready 5.1-channel input, S-video switching, 30 FM and 15 AM tuner presets, and enough connections--including a phono input--to keep even the most crazed home-theater enthusiasts happy for years. An especially endearing feature of the RX-1028VBK is that its remote control transmits via both IR (infrared) and RF (radio-frequency) signals. Most receivers get their signals via IR transmission. However, the RX-9000VBK also transmits and receives RF remote commands, so you can control the receiver from other rooms. Considering the fact that the RX-9000VBK also sports a dedicated "sub-room" stereo speaker output, this starts sounding pretty darn convenient. The RX-1028VBK's controls are intuitively arranged, and the two jog-shuttle controls are a godsend. One selects inputs, while the other governs multifunction settings for speaker balance, channel output levels, speaker crossover points (bass management), assigning source names, and customizing the Digital Signal Processor modes. Setup is further simplified by JVC's fine onscreen display menu, which lets you manage settings from your couch instead of from a crouch. Five audio/video inputs (four of which include S-video) and three audio-only inputs provide plenty of room to grow your system, and JVC wisely elected to use binding posts for all speaker terminals, a boon to those using (or planning to use) banana-terminated speaker cables for all channels. JVC's Text Compu Link shows CD track and title information (with CD Text-encoded discs) on both the receiver's dimmable fluorescent display and the onscreen display. The RX-1028VBK's four digital inputs correspond to DVD, CD, TV/DSB, and minidisc. You can also rename them to suit your needs. With stereo music the top-to-bottom balance is remarkable, thanks no doubt to the receiver's fully discrete amplifier outputs and JVC's legendary K-2 digital processing. High frequencies sound open, extended, and silky smooth. The bass has speed (dynamic precision) as well as impact. In the critical midrange area, vocals sound expressive with a good sense of body, while pianos, horns, and stringed instruments exhibit fine texture and presence. Things get even more exciting with Dolby Digital and DTS music and movies. Depending on the disc, our room became an ever-shifting soundscape--from an intimate recording studio to Carnegie Hall, from a New York street to an outer-space battle zone, with our speakers seeming to vanish into the ether. Pros:
- Excellent sound
- S-video switching capability
- Binding-post speaker terminals for all speakers
- Sub-room output
- Onscreen display
- RF/IR antenna
Cons:
- No main A/B speaker switch
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