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 List Price: $179.95 Sale Price: $119.94 
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Amazon.com Product Description The built-in HD Radio on JVC's KD-HDR50 offers a multitude of programming in premium digital sound and an iTunes Tagging feature, which lets you "tag" songs playing on the radio, so you can purchase later from the iTunes store. The front USB port lets you easily play songs from iPod/iPhone and other USB devices, and the 2-way control for iPod/iPhone lets you operate directly from iPod/iPhone or on the headunit itself. Enjoy superior sound with a MOS-FET power amp and 24-bit DAC. And thanks to the Variable-Color Illumination, you can select from 30 existing colors or mix your own to give it the look you want. Other features include front AUX-IN and a 7-band parametric iEQ. Add Bluetooth(R) Wireless Technology, SAT Radio, or a CD Changer to take it to the next level.
 An easy-to-use HD Radio receiver with a bundle of modern features. Click to enlarge. |
 Front panel auxiliary input for external audio devices and USB for music streaming/iPod connection. |
 Control your iPod from the receiver or the device itself, and tag songs from HD radio for later iTunes purchase. |
 Includes full-featured wireless remote. Click to enlarge. |
Discover how good radio can sound
- HD Radio is a Digital technology that allows a radio station to transmit more information in the same radio wave, enabling higher quality sound and additional content. HD Radio technology makes AM Stations have FM Station-like sound quality, while FM Stations are broadcast with CD-like sound quality.
- Unlike typical FM or AM transmission, HD Radio has crystal clear reception with low noise and no audio distortion.
More content, more listening options with Multicasting
- Multicasting allows more channels to be accessed from your radio dial. HD Radio multicast channels can be listened to only by an HD Radio enabled stereo such as the KD-HDR50. These "Stations In Between the Stations" contain additional format options, music genre and talk radio options, and even experimental formats that have, until now, never been heard through other radio broadcast mediums.
- HD Radio broadcasting is completely free of charge--there are no monthly plans or subscription costs for this unique and exciting content.
- National coverage areas--HD Radio content is currently available in close to 200 major markets currently and rapidly expanding. For more information or to find HD Radio stations near you, log on to mobile.jvc.com or www.hdradio.com.
iTunes Tagging
iTunes Tagging allows users to store or "tag" information about that song they are hearing on HD Radio and store it in their receiver. The tagged song information will transfer to their iPod/iPhone and be recalled in iTunes allowing them the option to purchase that song from the iTunes store. How it works:
- When you hear a song you like on the radio, press the "TAG" key to save the information on the headunit.
- Information is transferred to your iPod when you connect to the headunit.
- Information is transferred to iTunes when you sync your iPod to your computer.
- The song shows up on the "Tagged" playlist in iTunes.
- Click on the button to purchase the song from the iTunes Store.
- Enjoy the music!
Conventional Radio
Of course, sometimes you'll want to tune into non-HD content, so you can also dial in standard AM/FM stations. Tune into your favorite stations instantly with 18 FM and 6 AM presets (all of which can be used for HD stations if you choose).
CDs and More
The KD-HDR50 also features a CD player, which will play your favorite CDs and CD-R/RWs.
What's more, you can burn an MP3 or WMA disc and enjoy hours of audio complete with ID3 tagging for displaying track information.
USB Port
Stream MP3/WMA files from USB thumb drives and other devices via the included USB port.
iPod Connectivity
You can also operate your iPod via the USB port. Control your iPod/iPhone from either the player itself or from the receiver's controls, while allowing song and artist information display, play, pause, skip, or back commands from either device.
Input and Output
Two pairs of preamp outputs are provided for system expansion if you want to add a little more power to the KD-HDR50's onboard 50W x 4 amplifier.
A 3.5mm front panel auxiliary input is also included for use with iPods, MP3 players, or other external audio devices.
Room to Grow
The KD-HDR50's is a great system, but there's room to expand your options. Add JVC modules for Bluetooth, CD changers or SAT Radio to take your system to the next level.
Wireless Remote
A full-featured wireless remote is include for controlling receiver functions.
What's in the Box
JVC KD-HDR50 Receiver, trim ring, sleeve, remote control, wiring harness, installation hardware, installation manual, instructions
- AM/FM radio, CD, CD-R/RW, MP3/WMA, USB, iPod, HD Radio receiver
- 4 x 50 Watts maximum power with two pre-amp outputs
- Detachable face with white-on-black display
- Includes auxiliary input, USB port, iPod control; add JVC modules for SAT radio, CD Changer, Bluetooth
- One-year limited warranty
Rating
I got this stereo for my wife’s Jeep Liberty, a Valentine’s day Gift. I did research for a week and This stereo have everything you can ask and you can’t beat the price on Amazon under 120 bucks.
Here are some features I like.
Built-in HD Radio(R) Tuner: Don’t buy stereo without HD Radio. Like TV, all radio stations across US are converting to digital FM. Digital transmission has better signal and it displays name of songs/bands/artists.
MP3/WMA Compatible: You can play mp3 CDs.
Front USB Port: You can directly plug flash drive into USB port and it plays mp3s from it. I no more have to burn CDs for few new songs. I just copy them in flash drive and play from it.
Front AUX-IN: I have Sansa Mp3 player and I connect to Aux-in sometimes. I can play all the music from my mp3 player to car stereo
Variable-Color Illumination: You can match the color of your car console to stereo display.
I like this stereo very much and would recommended it to anyone.
Rating
i have had this for a month now and i love it!! put the ipod on shuffle and its like your own radio station without the annoying commercials. dont have many hd radio stations in my area, but the few we have sound really good. easy to use and setup, changed the color to match my dash. great sound without a amp. remote is a little small but the only con i con think of. nice unit for the price.
Rating
I bought this stereo about two months ago, and my final conclusion about it is that I love it! It may seem a little shallow, but I love the adjustable color illumination–purple for normal, orange for when the headlights are one. Several people have been complaining about the lack of face buttons for the radio, but my personal main use for this has been the USB in. It’s so easy to load up my flash drive with music and have that sort of freedom when I’m in the car. Note–there’s a little break between tracks, so if you’re listening to, say, Pink Floyd’s The Wall, you will notice a small break between tracks when listening to a flash drive. Another note–my car had a retractable antenna, which would only be up if I was listening to the radio; with this radio, it’s up all the time, whether I’m listening to the radio or not. The seven band equalizer really brings out a lot more depth to my music.
Rating
Best aftermarket car stereo I have ever bought. I have bought a few in life. If your ears lust sound this baby with HD built in will prove sensual. I have had this installed in a honda accord, 2002. The sound is rocking. Don’t have an amplifier but the unit comes equipped with a 200 power amplifier. Just standard four speakers in the honda. The HD signal brings the studio into your car. I bought this for $168 installed at Armex Electronics, Monterey Park CA. My wife is going to drive the Honda until her car has one of these!
What I like:
1,2,3) HD sound. Thank God for Techies and technology.(*)
4) Variable illumination, numerous colors to chose from to suite your dash or mood! (Women are you listening?)
5) Ease of menus
6) Variable brightness of face and text and the option of a dimmer when head lights are on. Your eyes don’t have to be be punished as your ears celeberate!
7) Front aux and USB input. Somebody finally understood us lazy consumers.
8)Simplicity of face. Not clutterish. Not pimpish (See below)
What some might not like:
1) Simpilcity of face. Yes I’m listing it in likes and dislikes. If you obsess on perpetually poking at buttons (presets) to see what else is on, your job just became cumbersome. Of course there are presets but no single button pushes. You will eventually get there.
2) Can’t think of any now.
Disclaimers:
1) I have not thoroughly evaluated the USB, Aux, Bluetooth and Satellite functions. But there are lots of reviews here on these aspects.
2) This is my first JVC car stereo. I have used Pioneer, Alpine, Blaupunkt and Clarion aftermarkets.
(*) Needless to say sound system is one result of several components. Your speakers and other accesories if you have (Amps) should be optimal (No, not expensive) for beautiful sound.
Rating
The sound is absolutely incredible, even with my stock speakers. The navigation on the controls takes alot of getting used to though.
Rating
If you are not looking to blast the car next to you with visible sound waves, but want good clean sound and several listening options (“USB – flash drive, mp3, Hdd”, WMA/MP3 CD, HD Radio BUILT-IN) then this is the stereo for you hands down. This stereo gives me louder, cleaner sound than my stock radio (2000 honda civic) and the customizable lighting options can go anywhere from subtle (white, or blue) to crazy colors I can’t even name. JVC is a very solid car audio brand and with the incredible price of this reciever, I’m sure my next stereo will be made by them as well.
Rating
This unit has lots of options, USB, Ipod, XM, pre-outs, sub woofer out. Once you set it up, it’s easy to run. People will like the HD radio side, it sounds good. Highly recommended..I’m going to by another one for my pick-up.
Rating
Excellent stereo for the money, I have had mine for about a week. Didn’t do too much research, actually I came here for my research. I wanted a stereo with HD Radio, Bluetooth, and front mounted USB/iPod. I couldn’t find any stereos out there with all 3, so I made a compromise, I rarely talk on the phone in the car anyways, so bluetooth wasn’t a deal breaker, I plan to purchase a Parrot bluetooth speaker for my visor later on down the road.
HD Radio is awesome, you actually do here a difference, over here in Los Angeles most FM stations have it, and so far only 1 AM station, KNX 1070. It makes the AM station sound like stereo FM, and the difference between regular FM and HD radio is noticeable, but not as much as the AM.
I was debating whether to get the front mounted USB vs the rear mount, but they have to cut into the inside of the glovebox to mount your iPod inside it. Well I don’t have an iPod, the glovebox isn’t the best place for any electronics, and that is added expense.
You can get a 16gb USB drive for $20 and have a ton of songs on there, when you want to leave your car you can just put it in your pocket, and if someone steals it you are only out $20 or less compared to $200.
I do have an external 320GB usb drive with music but the radio couldn’t read off it, I think it might have something to do with the formatting, as it is NTFS, I will try to make a partition with FAT32 and see if it makes a difference.
EDIT: I put the Bitlocker encryption on it, that is why I couldn’t read it.
If you have a USB stick it is better to either have a folder with all your music in it, or just make the stick music only because the stereo goes into all folders, whether it can read the files or not, so you don’t have to do a lot of scrolling.
This radio has a function where you can “tag” music and later buy it on iTunes, great for people with an iPod. I think the button is too big, I hit it accidentally a few times.
Only gripe I have with this unit, and something I didn’t notice until it was too late is there are no direct access channel memory buttons. JVC’s solution is for you to push down on the volume button and scroll between our saved stations, something that takes practice to do while moving, even though you really shouldn’t be.
Then there is the gimmick of color changing, don’t really care too much, but it is nice to change the colors once in a while, seems everyone now is doing blue LED’s on everything from computers to radios. Blue is a nice color but then they make it so bright, like my previous Sony radio. My colors are red and orange.
The coolest feature about the front mounted USB is it’s ability to charge, you can charge your iPod and almost anything USB. My cigarette port on my car is broken, now I don’t have to spend the $100+ to get it fixed, already purchased a Nokia USB charger, and I keep a generic cable in my car to charge the Garmin nuvi, those are the only 2 things I need to charge on the go. Only thing that sucks is the Nuvi recognizes the stereo as a computer so no charge and drive.
I need to change my speakers, the stereo outputs too much power for the stock speakers in my car, the stereo cuts off the volume at level 28.
Rating
I am in love with my new stereo.
Installation:
I replaced the original Toyota Corolla stereo that came in my car, and self-installed it. The wires were a little confusing compared to “American” wiring standards- “hot” and “ground” wires arent the red and black ones, so beware! I was able to find a wire conversion manual online and was able to identify which colors (from the new stereo to the old connection) were correct. The installation went very smoothly, and within an hour I was testing out the features and changing the colors on the display.
Features I was looking for:
PLUS – you can use the remote provided with the stereo to navigate folders within the USB drive, and it reads the song name and folder name!!!
I chose this radio because it had several of the features I’ve been looking for –
1. HD Radio. My radio station has been talking about HD radio for a long time, and I was thrilled the first time (and every time) I’m able to pull in brand new stations, one of which I’d highly recommend in the Cincinnati, OH region- [...] through HD 91.7-2.
2. Aux input – I can use my IPOD OR my Sansa Music Player through this connector port. I purchased a short “male to male” cord which runs from my earphone jack on the player to my stereo for crystal clear audio.
3. The USB JACK!!!!! OMG. I cannot tell you how cool it is to “borrow” music from a friend by downloading it in data MP3 format onto a USB drive, and plugging it into my car stereo for immediate listening. It is one of the coolest features, and for Christmas I’ve asked that my friends and family give me USB drives with their music catalogs.
Other cool stuff:
Colors- Its fun to switch colors on the stereo every now and again, and I’ve been leaving the demo mode on, so when I’m listening to the USB drive, a CD or my IPOD the colors on the face plate revolove through a rainbow. Its really cool.
The remote- I didnt think I’d have much use for the remote, but it’s been super-helpful in navigating the USB drive while I’m driving. Its a lot easier to have my hands on the steering wheel and hit the button on the remote, as opposed to continually fiddling with the stereo buttons. I’m currently trying to find a way to rig up the remote somewhere easy to reach, but hard to loose in my car, since its become such a part of my drive.
Watchout:
The buttons arent easy to understand when you first start working with the stereo. Its not “intuitive” because they have a LOT of features packed into a tiny stereo front, which requires many of the buttons to have multiple functions each. After I programmed all my favorite stations (HD and regular) I accidentally hit the wrong combination of buttons and started an “auto-search” which over-rode all my new favorites with the first available stations it found on the dial. It wasnt a big deal, but did eat up some time to re-program. Point being, know what each button does, or keep the manual handy. Spend an hour or so playing around with the features after you get it and become familiar where your favorite features are.
Rating
Where do I start? My reason for purchasing this brand (JVC) was for the quality radio tuner. Having owned previous JVC models I have found the tuner used by these people to be amazingly sensitive. (In other words excellent long range/fringe reception). I was not disappointed with this model. Having never heard a HD tuner before I found the audio quality (especially AM) to be fantastic. I have read other reports here concerning both the programming of the device and the lack of presets. My experience on the programming was that it was easy and straight forward. Instead of “point and click” you “turn and press”. The selections were easy to understand. Concerning the lack of preset buttons, I find this to be an asset. I dislike touching the faceplate on any of my devices as repeated use tends to wear the buttons and knobs giving a used/worn appearance. Once the device is programmed the remote does everything necessary for normal listening. You can select source, presets, volume, HD channels, etc, all without touching the device or taking your eyes off the road. Did I mention the USB? It’s the greatest thing since popcorn. Any USB memory stick or MP3 player that can be used as a USB stick works like a charm. I haven’t used the front panel 3.5mm aux jack but anything you can plug into it can also be listened to. Never again will I burn or bother with CD’s. Last but not least is the audio amplifier. I thought I’d need new speakers but the sound was the best of any unit I have owned. Amazing fidelity even with relatively cheap speakers. I don’t work for these people but must give credit to whom it is due for a real fine piece of hardware.