JVC EX-A1 DVD CD Micro Component System

Rating:
Summary: JVC EX-A1 - an elegant stero for small spaces
Review: So far, my opinion of this stereo is a mixed bag.

Aesthetically, it couldn't be more perfect. It is exactly what I wanted.
-very compact
-minimalist controls and buttons
-packs lots of features and functionality into a tiny box

Its performance so far hasn't been as good as I hoped.
-The power/volume hasn't been an issue. The speakers are rated to 30W each. In my small apartment, this has been enough. It probably wouldn't rock the walls, but my musical tastes and habits are pretty tame.
-The sound from the wood speakers is great, a rich, warm sound. Somehow even in the low ranges it manages to sound balanced and even without undo emphasis on certain frequencies over others. This is good because there is not much you can do to tweek the sound. Controls on the remote allow adjustment of the bass or treble up or down, that's it.
-You must not lose the remote to this stereo. Having such a minimalist interface on the box means that all the control is placed in the remote. Very little can be done on the box itself except turning music on and adjusting volume. If you don't like using a remote, this ain't for you.
-I can't comment on any of the video features, because I have not yet hooked this up to a television.
-A major complaint has been the radio reception. I purchased this stereo as a replacement to a standard receiver, cd, tape deck component system, wanting something to be the all around audio hub for my house. I live in a city so signal strength shouldn't be an issue, but I have not been able to get clear reception of many channels. I have tried the supplied wire antenna, television rabbit ears, and a cheap dipole wire antenna; all to no avail. The reception is decent if the antenna is adjusted with one particular station in tune, but has mysterious overlap from distant channels.