I know that many folks will be entirely disinterested in this little product, for a variety of reasons, but for those of you looking for a simple, small, socially acceptable unit that combines tuner, cd, pre, and amp, AND uses the JVC Hybrid Digital Feedback amplifier technology... this one is for you!
I received the JVC EX A1 two days ago, and have been running it in since. On first look, it is a pretty little thing, and uses some interesting technology to boot. The wood cone speakers are nice to look at, but I have not even bothered with them... I bought this thing because it interests me, especially the prospect of having it modded to address the initial downfalls.
This unit shares the technology with the ES-1, and F-10 receivers, and the "executive" units FS-X1, FS-X3, and FS-X5. This one though, according to the marketing jargon, is their statement piece for this amplifier technology, and has some attention to detail in construction, that some audiophiles might notice - separate power supply, shielded amplifier section, copper screws - essentially like an ES version, to refer to Sony for a moment.
Now, it is not a powerhouse by any means, and manages only 30wpc. It does have a sub out, and can read DVD-A, and play DVD's through S Video and component video, for those interested.
I have plugged this unit into my main system in the basement, that is based around the open baffle Visaton b200 DIY speakers I have been playing with for a couple of months now. Those of you who have read the long thread over in the Red Wine Audio Circle, will be familiar with this setup, and the rest of you might take a look! Basically, I find the combination of open baffle, with single driver (wide range driver I would say, not a true FULL range driver for those of you that are keen on the distinction) to be very alluring for a variety of reasons, but have struggled with the bass response of this setup. FYI, bass is a tough spot for OB speakers.
I have tried the Bolder Teac, the JVC ES-1 (I sold it to my best friend who let me borrow it back for a couple of nights last week), the lightly modded Vinnie Teac (not his DC version, just a breezy PS upgraded version that still drinks from the grid), the JVC FS-X1, a Red Wine Audio modded Sharp SD-EX111, and now this unit. Up until this unit, all suffered from bass that did not do it for me. They each varied in how well they mated to the b200's for mids and highs, but the bass was always lacking.
I was attracted to the EX A1, based on my somewhat positive experience with the FS-X1 mini unit. That little guy has the same tech, and same power, but also has a loudness button, and individually adjustable bass and treble. When using the FS-X1, I employed the loudness, and boosted the bass up to around +2 also. It sounded good, but not great. Could be that the onboard cd player sucks vs my Nakamichi/Monarchy DIP/Bolder Mensa... but it could also be that this version of the tech, truly is a cheap version, and the EX A1 might prove better...
I researched everything I could about the EX A1, but choked on the retail price of CAN$899 (roughly US$675) locally. I heard it at Sears, and was not sure I liked what I heard, but figured that the wood cone speakers, and the store environment might not be doing the unit full justice. Then I saw it on eBay for US$191. Tax in, shipped, and with exchange, I paid about 30% of retail, and figure I did well, nearly regardless of the sound - if it did not live up to my standards for the main system, I thought I would use it for a living room system with WAF for once!
Sorry Michelle, I doubt this unit will see action outside of my basement domain!
Right out of the box, this unit surprised me with the richness of the sound. Flat, no +/- bass or treble, no loudness, no sub out, just the unit plugged into a Powervar conditioner (Felicia to follow...) and plugged into my Visatons, the sound is full. Bass hits nicely right down to the theoretical 80-90Hz limit of my implementation, and rolls off such that I envision subwoofer integration to be simple enough. The mids are good, but the treble is well, troubling.
Then I recalled my experience with other digital amps, and realized that I am probably 300 hours from the best this baby can do stock. So, I am running it in 24/7, using the tuner to blast interchannel static while I am at work, and music while I am at home.
Once it settles down, I will report back on how it sounds, and then take a look at what mods might do to improve that sound. The cheddar binding posts are first on my list - they are posts (ie better than the bare wire spring loaders) but they are of the odd type that cannot accept spades.
I am having to run my Bolder M-80 speaker cables backwards, with the Eichmann Bayonets on the amp end, and the spades at the speaker end.
I also look forward to trying it with the Nakamichi/Monarchy/Mensa front end, since it has RCA AUX inputs.
I will have to try it with some conventional speakers too, to get a sense of how it might be the perfect solution to those who need a normal, small unit for use in rooms other than dedicated listening environments. It could work wonders with the FR125 single drivers, or the KIT41 from DIY Cable/CSS for example.
More to come,
