Features:
- Play exchange lets you swap any 4 discs while 1 is playing
- 32-track programming
- Headphone output with volume control
- 8x oversampling digital filter
- Compu Link remote
Description:
JVC's XL-FZ158BK combines minimal features with surprisingly good sound in a five-CD changer that lists for well below $200. It's a tremendous value--as long as you can live without a remote control. Some will immediately bar the XL-FZ158BK from consideration for having no remote control, but the XL-FZ158BK's sound is so good that you might think about how often you actually use a CD remote (especially with a changer) before dismissing this player from consideration. In our experience, CD changers do not sound as good as their single-disc counterparts. The reason is simple: it's easier to make a stable transport mechanism, which does affect the sound, in a single-play unit than it is in a multiplay. That said, the XL-FZ158BK is an impressive performer. It's well balanced and smooth, with a laid-back high-frequency response that we attribute to JVC's proprietary 1-bit digital-to-analog converter. (To our ears, this is preferable to the bright high-end we've heard on other modestly priced machines.) The midrange, where the heart of music lies, is the XL-FZ158BK's most notable strength. Vocals and instruments such as piano and cello have fine presence and a sense of openness that consistently pull you into the music. In the features department, the XL-FZ158BK offers just the basics. Play exchange allows you to replace up to four discs while a fifth is playing, and you get the usual play, program, track skip, random play, and--a feature we love--a headphone jack with a volume control. An optical digital output allows connection to a digital recorder such as minidisc or CD, but also lets you integrate the XL-FZ158BK with a surround receiver. We would have preferred a higher-quality coaxial output, but optical is better than nothing. JVC has done a fine balancing act with the XL-FZ158BK, and it certainly deserves your consideration--assuming you don't mind getting up from your chair to operate it. --Wayne Garcia Pros:
- Good sound
- Solid value
- Headphone jack has volume control
Cons:
- No remote control
- Slightly deemphasized high frequencies
- No coaxial digital output
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