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JVC AX-Z1010TN - Review

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fletchdirect said:
Just taken the plunge, BUY IT NOW has just been pressed.
Lets hope it arrives fast and doesn't blow up on the UK Voltage frequency.
Even better, the seller is discounting them a bit now, less than £600 exc shipping and customs with the current exchange rate!!

Is the coax digital input recommended over the optical? I will need to get myself a cable.
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Great! It really is a special thing on both digital and phono.

I wish I could find a remote control for it!!!!! I use my SKY one which is OK for volume but won't change sources properly.
 
flatpopely said:
Great! It really is a special thing on both digital and phono.

I wish I could find a remote control for it!!!!! I use my SKY one which is OK for volume but won't change sources properly.
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I had a good look online also for your remote - but no luck. There are a couple of websites (like a partmaster or buypartsdirect), that stock a variety of parts for the 1010 range. Remotes are easy to come buy for the CD player, but not the amp (as you say).

I am now eagerly awaiting the delivery of the amp. I will test it out with Kenwood LS880G and Ruark Swordsman (modified with new Scanspeak drivers). I have Yamaha NS2000s in storage, so will eventually see how it flies with them as well. To see how that K2 DAC sounds, it'll be a Sony 715E connected by optical, and a Philips CD753 connected by coax, for starters....

The seller who is selling all of this new in box kit is a great guy. He also has a website which lists everything for sale. He has the 1010 CD player as well but that is 1300 US Dollars. As I said, I got the amp discounted, but the price has gone up again now.

I wonder how it will compare vs the Kenwood 1000M.....
 
flatpopely said:
Well,there are two people on here with NOS JVC amps with 60Hz transformers and they seem to be ok, go for it.

Perhaps they could link to the step down transformers they bought.
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Gold source ST1000 step down bought off Amazon - £50. Doing a bit of reading it seems as though problems occur when equipment designed for 50hz is run on 60hz mains. I'm sure some of the seriously knowledgeable people on here will correct me and point out if running the Canada - spec amp on UK mains is going to give problems. So far the amp has been superb with my Ruark Crusader 2s.
 
Just bought a 1979 JVC A-X3 'Super-A' amplifier for £34. Would go the whole hog up to the AX-Z1010TN if I hadn't just bought a Job 225. Interested to find out how the JVC does against the 225 and then evaluate if going to the AX-Z1010TN is worth considering (assuming one can be found).

BTW the 225 is a damn fine amp.
 
fletchdirect said:
I had a good look online also for your remote - but no luck. There are a couple of websites (like a partmaster or buypartsdirect), that stock a variety of parts for the 1010 range. Remotes are easy to come buy for the CD player, but not the amp (as you say).

I am now eagerly awaiting the delivery of the amp. I will test it out with Kenwood LS880G and Ruark Swordsman (modified with new Scanspeak drivers). I have Yamaha NS2000s in storage, so will eventually see how it flies with them as well. To see how that K2 DAC sounds, it'll be a Sony 715E connected by optical, and a Philips CD753 connected by coax, for starters....

The seller who is selling all of this new in box kit is a great guy. He also has a website which lists everything for sale. He has the 1010 CD player as well but that is 1300 US Dollars. As I said, I got the amp discounted, but the price has gone up again now.

I wonder how it will compare vs the Kenwood 1000M.....
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Thanks for trying. I went down the routes you have looked at and even ordered and paid for a remote only to have my money refunded.
 
The amp is going well. The balance of the sound is quite a bit different to the Exposure 17/18s I was using before – there is less bass and a bit more treble and upper-mid emphasis but the clarity and control of the sound overall is far better. It is a lot happier matched with the Ruarks than the Castle Harlechs – the latter lack ‘body’ with the JVC. Like Andrew has said before it does the rhythm and timing thing well too.

As far as the sx-911s go I’ve read that they are decent speakers – a little bit bright but detailed and plenty of bass. A lot of speaker for £400 – odd quid!
 
Hempknight said:
Are the speakers from the 'super digifine' series any good ?

http://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/710-5...0001&campid=5338728743&icep_item=151661734261
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I do like them and would like to own them, but not at that price. Key issue is rarity of spares. Unlike the NS1000M, even second hand spares are absolutely zero. This is the third pair I have seen for sale in approx. 10 years. I love the look of them, but cannot justify the cost for such a risk. Part of me also likes the concept of using a rare and vintage amp like the 1010 on new / newer speakers. I already run Kenwood 880G and Yamahas NS1000/2000 so a next purchase would be a modern unit with spares available.
 
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I've really enjoyed reading this entire thread which I've missed, up until now. As a result, I can't help but be on the lookout for some JVC kit too, although like most of us, I've never heard any of their upmarket equipment.

Interestingly, although Pioneer has been mentioned, I'm surprised nobody has mentioned the SA-9800 specifically. I absolutely love it. I'm fortunate enough to have a couple, although one is dead and the other needs attention. I also have a Sony 770ES but prefer the Pioneer. Maybe the Sony needs attention too? I got the Sony amp and some Royd Edens after hearing Gromit's impressive system at Scalford last year. I've also got the Teac DAC he used then, although I didn't know that when I bought it. I got both 9800s to repair, so was more than pleasantly surprised at how good it was before I even started fixing anything. The problem with the SA-9800 is that it's a bit of a pig to work on.

I would love to be invited to the BBQ bake off, if it goes ahead, although I do live some distance away. I'd be more than happy to bring an SA-9800 and/or my 770ES into the arena.
 
I heard the 9800 a while ago and as well as looking great it sounded impressive. I haven't heard a really decent Sony amp of the calibre of the 770ES yet - just out of interest why do you prefer the Pioneer?

I think the 'jap crap amp' bake-off is a great idea - but wouldn't it be even better if some hitherto overlooked japanese turntables and speakers could make it as well? :D
 
I'm afraid I don't have the audio speak vocabulary to exactly describe it to you, Taff. All I can say is that I prefer the sound of the SA-9800.
 
legolas said:
Nick, how`s the T2 sound through the JVC? Is there a whole new level of detail?
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Erm, I haven't got round to trying the T-2 through the JVC yet, partly because when I had my aerial system overhauled and had new coax-cable, the plug on the end doesn't fit the socket on the back. I think I need a male-to-female adapter or vice-versa. Plus I will be sending the tuner to a tech for a service and alignment, so I will be using it then. I have a few other tuners to keep me occupied in the meantime.

Something I have noticed with the JVC when comparing the BBC HQ streams with the output via a Sony XDR-F1HD FM tuner, which does everything digitally and seems to produce a processed MP3-like sound (I use it for it's DXing capabilities) is that the audio from the XDR, particularly when playing complex music, sounds veiled and smeary, whereas the HQ stream sounds much more detailed and with much better definition and placement of instruments. This is definitely more apparent than with my previous Rotel RA-04 amp, so the JVC seems to have better definition and detail as well as more 'weight' to the sound, presumably due to the better bass response. Perhaps this difference would be even more obvious comparing with the DAB feed, but I don't have DAB to test this.

I hope this helps.

Regards,
Nick
 
Taff63 said:
I heard the 9800 a while ago and as well as looking great it sounded impressive. I haven't heard a really decent Sony amp of the calibre of the 770ES yet - just out of interest why do you prefer the Pioneer?

I think the 'jap crap amp' bake-off is a great idea - but wouldn't it be even better if some hitherto overlooked japanese turntables and speakers could make it as well? :D
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Hosting a bake of for just amplifiers is easy to do. TTs need time to setup and speakers........that's a world of pain wanting to happen.

I'll get a date soon and post some details. I want to hear a 770ES in my system!

Music, Jap Crap, BBQ n booze*........ nice!

* soft drinks also available.
 
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