# JVC Arsenal KD-AHD59



## bmwme (Sep 17, 2008)

I wanted to write a short review of this fairly new head unit because I think it is possibly a hidden gem and a great value. It combines your typical CD player/tuner with HD Radio, ipod/mp3 player control, and front panel USB. This unit can play virtually any source you can throw at it right now.

This is part of the "Arsenal" line of JVC's car products. From what I can tell this means 5v preouts and a 2 year warranty instead of just 1 year. This unit is very similar to the HDR-50. To reduce clutter they removed a lot of buttons on the face and relegated them to the menu system. This can be a little to get used to but it leaves you with a very clean looking head unit. Speaking of looks, this unit has a sweet multi color display to match to virtually any interior. It not only changes the text color but all the button color too! There are very few units out there that can look good in a BMW interior. I was using an Eclipse CD5425 which has red buttons but a blah white display, but it was one of the better looking units in a BMW. This JVC blows it out of the water! I can almost perfectly match the color of my interior lights. Big points!

Usability is very good after the learning curve. There are no preset buttons on the face which can be awkward at first but they can be changed from the menu or more easily from the included remote.

Sound quality is top notch at this price. As I said, I replaced a mid-grade Eclipse (~$400 new) with this $179 unit and I feel like the sound quality on all formats has improved! I was surprised, I've never heard "Fitty Cent's" opening track coin drop sound so real!  The 5v preouts are more than enough to power a clean signal to the amps, but I have no review of the built in amps.

I figured the USB in would be my favorite feature but HD Radio has blown me away! I now get twice the stations (half are music only which rocks!) and I would definitely say they are near CD quality. It isn't distracting listening to radio now!

So I'm very pleased and I think you should check this out if you want a downright cheap head unit that does it all!


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## JediMentality (May 7, 2008)

Clicky

Looks nice cosmetically. Doesn't have enough eq-ability for most, but should be adequate for those using passives. 7-Band graphic eq (60/150/400/1k/2.4k/6k/15k), but only two pre-outs :disappointed:


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## mvw2 (Oct 2, 2005)

Two preouts aren't bad for anyone not using any time alignment. Most of the time, you'll simply pass through the rear out through the rear amp to the sub amp. All x-over work will be done by the amps. The only thing you don't get is separate sub volume control, but some sub amps give you that too.

JVC makes nice HUs. I think they get overlooked far more then they should. A HU with comparable features, I will pick a JVC over most any other name brand. They just build rock solid decks.


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## hatjr (Jan 14, 2008)

Actually you do get sub volume control ( 8 steps available) and crossover frequency control (three choices: 75Hz, 110Hz, or 160Hz appoximately) from the head on both this unit and the HD-R50 that I have.

Very good review by bmwme - concise, but mentions the many desirable features and the relatively attractive price. I've used an add-on HD tuner unit before and having it built in to the head unit is certainly more convenient. I haven't missed the radio preset feature like I expected because I find the remote so easy to use, and it does not require one to take one's eye's off the road. So, theoretically at least, it's a safer way to surf the presets.


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## arniek (Jul 29, 2008)

This unit has been replaced by the JVC Arsenal KD-AHD69 and it sells for $159 at Crutchfield.


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## fish (Jun 30, 2007)

arniek said:


> This unit has been replaced by the JVC Arsenal KD-AHD69 and it sells for $159 at Crutchfield.


This is the deck I was going to buy when I was going to use the MS-8.


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## strong*I*bumpin (Oct 3, 2005)

fish said:


> This is the deck I was going to buy when I was going to use the MS-8.


Here is the JVC installed in my sons car,great unit for the money.HD Radio sounds great.


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## W8 a minute (Aug 16, 2007)

Nice unit. I have one in my Wrangler. Yes the HD radio does sound great. I like that you can connect the Ipod via the USB port and still use the ipod click wheel to access your music.

The menus are kinda funky. I love the color selection for the display! Why other brands don't have this option dumbfounds me. (Sorry Alpine but red and blue LED back lighting is so last decade)


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## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

I personally would get the JVC KD-R900 HU. It's JVC's top of the line HU right now. Same features and look, but USB port is hanging off a cable from behind the unit. I never liked the idea of USB wires and drives visibly sticking out of car dash.


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## kvndoom (Nov 13, 2009)

I bought my girlfriend the non-HD version of this deck (don't remember model #) for her birthday last year. She LOVES it! The ipod controls and the remote are her favorite features.

I recommended it to my best friend and he bought the HD version, which I installed for him last month.

The custom light colors are serious coolness. I set Chris' to match his Mazda's reddish-orange light display, and now it looks like it belongs there.

One of these would be at the top of my list if I were gonna get rid of my stock deck.


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## W8 a minute (Aug 16, 2007)

ZAKOH said:


> I personally would get the JVC KD-R900 HU. It's JVC's top of the line HU right now. Same features and look, but USB port is hanging off a cable from behind the unit. I never liked the idea of USB wires and drives visibly sticking out of car dash.


I thought the same until I realized you can select songs and play lists using the Ipod's click wheel which is faster and easier than any head units interface. Now I prefer having my Ipod out front where I can see it. I found a short coiled cord for the Ipod and I'm golden.


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## ZAKOH (Nov 26, 2010)

W8 a minute said:


> I thought the same until I realized you can select songs and play lists using the Ipod's click wheel which is faster and easier than any head units interface. Now I prefer having my Ipod out front where I can see it. I found a short coiled cord for the Ipod and I'm golden.


I see. I don't have an ipod right now, so I keep everything on a biggish USB keys. I use software (foobar2000) that creates directory structure based on

genre/artist/album

And when I rip and convert to mp3 files, the same software makes sure that album files are sorted based on album order. so finding things is easy this way.. at least on Kenwood units, which allow you to browse the directory structure.


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## arniek (Jul 29, 2008)

I just installed the JVC Arsenal KD-AHD69 and I like it. Got it for $149 at Crutchfield. Sound quality is very good, the equalization is just right for me particularly the 2.4 khz that I use to cut a peak on the HLCDs I am using. 
Getting used to the menu system, but it does require reading the manual.

I like the HD radio so far but I really have not had enough experience to recommend or not.
I also like the fact that I can disable the internal amplifier.

I also replaced an Eclipse deck (cd 5000) and my opinion is that this unit sounds better.


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## Irishfocus06 (Sep 11, 2008)

Good review.....getting the AHD-69 for 140 smacks. Cant wait! 

Lovedmy 7500 Aresenal I had last year. Nice features in that deck, I am sure I will be happy with this one as well.


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## Jimmy D. (Sep 1, 2005)

I bought two of the new JVC Arsenal 69s for Christmas. Crutchfield was running a sale. It was my first JVC deck. Having used Alpine and Eclipse mostly I can say I like what this deck does. It does not have the functionality of the pricer decks and EQ is limited to 6 or 7 bands but it is great value for the money. The color wheel adjustment is the bomb feature. Unfortunately, I have no HD radio stations in my area but I wanted the added feature for the future. 

Jim


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## arniek (Jul 29, 2008)

I have had the chance to live with the ahd69 for a while now and again, I like it. The hd radio sound quality is better than regular FM, but I have noticed a tendency for the sound to cut out occasionaly similar to a cd skipping. 

I am not sure why this occurs but suspect it may be a function of my proximity to the stations, approx. 50 miles away. If anyone knows how to fix this, ploease post your thoughts.


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## Diamond Method (Jan 11, 2011)

I picked up a factory refurbished JVC KD-AHD50 on eBay (seller id: www-sonicelectronix-com) for $89.99 Buy It Now Price, which included shipping, wire harness and mounting brackets for my car. Incredible value! Sound quality is excellent (cd player has 98db signal to noise ratio), seems to be better than the Pioneer DEH-P6600 which it replaced. 7 Band Eq is more than most at this price. Customizable color is REALLY nice, as its fun to try and match your interior scheme. HD radio works great where I am. I don't listen to much radio but its a nice added bonus. The front USB slot is the main feature I was looking for. I just drag and drop tunes from my work computer onto a 4gig flash drive, plug and play, refresh the library every month or so. In 8 months I've had no hiccups with the unit whatsoever.

Ideal solution for feature heavy, basic, budget-minded head unit under $100.


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## TREOUSAMPS_GP (Dec 24, 2009)

i had this unit i was impressed until i installed components and subs, i had engine noise in the subs and in the speakers tried adding extra ground to HU made sure amps were grounded well and still had the noise, i changed HU to a clarion and the noise was gone could have been a bad HU but i have seen other JVCs with same problem did love the fact you could change to whatever color you want


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## Diamond Method (Jan 11, 2011)

I have been using mine with components and a sub and haven't had any issue with noise. I recently tested my setup with a digital silence track on a test CD and I could turn the gain on my front stage amp all the way up with the car running without any engine noise. Still no issues to report.


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