JVC KD-R690S CD Receiver - Front USB/AUX Input / Pandora / SiriusXM Ready / Variable Illumination

Had no issue with the install. Spent maybe 20 min flipping through options and setting it up. Sounds as good as it possibly could with my factory speakers up front (2004 Grand Cherokee with base stereo), 8ohm boxed weather proof speakers in the rear. I am using the head to power the factory speakers in the front, and a line out to 2 amps in the rear. One 400w amp (which also serves as a crossover) to the all-weather speakers. The 2nd amp is 2100w running a single 1ohm 12" sub. The "speaker output" setting in the head made this easy with a "rear/sub" option for the rear line out. Again, it sounds as good as it possibly can with my cheap to low mid-line gear. I have been happy with JVC heads in the past, and expect this to be no different. I do update all my review, and will here as well should to head die before it's time.I do not understand the most common complaints I see in the reviews here. I will address the ones that are legibly written:1. "No Bluetooth". I have seen several negative reviews complaining of no Bluetooth. No where in the description does it say it has Bluetooth. Are you confusing this with the line immediately below the listing that states "There is a newer model of this item" and links you to the updated version of this head, the KD-TD70BT that DOES have Bluetooth?2. "When the car is restarted I have to reprogram the player". This is CLEARLY a failed installed, and they have 12v constant and 12v ignition both to the ignition, or didn't wire the constant at all. Older factory analog heads with dials and position memory for the channels do not have a 12v constant at the radio, but you can tap one from the fuse box.3. "Then manual does NOT explain the Orange/White wire. It indicates Illumination". Actually, it does. It should connect to your interior illumination dimmer aka the dome/dash dimmer output. Not all cars have that wire going to the factory radio harness. It is not required - the unit will light up fine without it, it just won't operate in concert with your dash dimmer....As for the "junk", "too hot", "do not buy", etc.... People need context and details. Any one of those complaints could be attributed to installation, poor consumer knowledge, or even a 3rd party vendor selling the same radio trying to ding a competitor. In all honesty, when I buy anything online I read the worst reviews first. I can quickly tell if there is genuine product faults/failures vs people that didn't research it, don't know how to operate it, didn't install it properly, are using it incorrectly, etc. Try it - you'd be surprised how often you can see how a 5 star product gets pulled to 3 stars by the clueless....TL;DR - Great unit with tons of features for a great price from a well known, reputable brand. Sound as good as it can with my mediocre gear. If you are skilled with installs, you will have no problem with directions or the harness, especially if you get a harness to receive the factory plug. I will update with issues and when I upgrade the rest of the gear. 9.15.2020***UPDATE*** - 09.16.2021 - 5 stars stands! Zero complaints. I guess I could wish the remote had a bit more range when I am camping, but it is car stereo after all - I'm not docking an entire star for that. Worth every penny!

Overall excellent - sound quality, reception, power, front USB input. Installation was easy, especially with a factory wiring harness adapter (not included - specific for your vehicle). BTW, I highly recommend Posi-Lock connectors. A little pricey and hard to find, but SO worth it. Nothing really negative to report except that the buttons are tiny, but that's par for the course today. And the remote is kind of cheesy. Being a non-BT with CD, these won't likely be around much longer.

I purchased this head unit for our offroad rig. I wasn't looking to break the bank, just offer some music when we are out on the trails.I love the features of the din to adjust the colors to match what you want. Our off road rig is yellow so it was a nice touch to set the display to match the yellow color. At night when you ha e your lights on you can set a different color setting and we did to match the factory green of the dashboard.The sound quality is good for the price. It has some good EQ options and the little remote is a nice feature to adjust it without leaning over or change the volume.The down side is this unit is not bluetooth so if you want to run wireless sound to it you will need to buy a Bluetooth dongle and plug it into the AV jack. Aside from that I am pleased with the unit. Just a good old head unit if you are looking for one without breaking the bank.

For the price point, this is an amazing unit. I installed this into my 66’ Mustang with 2 Cerwin Vega front 6” and 2 rear 6x9s powered by a kenwood 300x2 amp. The options on this JVC far exceeded what I was expecting and also, coincidence or not I no longer have any static coming from the rears. Great stereo for the price that has plenty of adjustable options for sound. User friendly too.

For the price it is a great deal. The USB on the front is for input, but does charge devices too. However, it does this at about half the rate of a car lighter plug in. I haven't used it for an input yet, but it seems pretty straightforward. The little remote is nice because it allows you to keep better attention on the road. I don't have XM, but that too would have been easy to switch over from another XM. Very satisfied with my purchase.

Bought the player after original Kenwood failed after several years and installed it, display came up and scrolled as though playing but no sound from any of the speakers. Checked my hook up and knew it was right. Called the 800 number for tech support. The individual had me connect a temporary speaker to one output to confirm whether it was internal to the player or a wiring issue. Began to run a new wire from LF to the unit. When I disconnected and pulled the OEM speaker to get it out of the way I noticed that it was 9.5 ohms. Checked the player manual and found that it was rated for 4 to 8 ohms. Bought new speakers and the sound is great.

It looks good installed and works good, Very little power. It is ok if you just want a radio that is just about the same as factory this will do. If you are looking for something better this is not the one. (NOTE) NO BLUETOOTH.

Best car stereo i ever purchased