JVC SU-DH1

April 30th, 2006 | by Vince Veneziani

Features and Design

The SU-DH1 is a great looking little box that costs $130. The packaging it comes in makes it look like an old electronic device from 1985, but inside lays a powerful toy that audiophiles are sure to get excited about. The device JVC has come up with is a little black square containing everyone's favorite logos, such as DTS and Dolby Digital. On the top is the display that is made up of red and green LEDs that let you know your settings. Two buttons let you switch between Dolby Headphone and Dolby Pro Logic II modes, which allows you to achieve the best combination possible for whatever you happen to be listening to. This device even comes with a soft, velvet-like carrying case to protect it.

JVC wants you to get big sound out of a small device. You'll be able to achieve virtual surround from anything encoded with Dolby Digital, DTS, Dolby Digital Surround EX, DTS-ES, MPEG-2 AAC, and, of course, Dolby Pro Logic II.  Results depend largely on what you plan on listening to; for example, your brother's favorite punk CD isn't going to sound good at all using Pro Logic II emulation. However, that car chase from the movie The Transporter is going to blow your socks off. If you enjoy DVDs on the go, now you'll enjoy them even more by being able to finally select the “5.1 Surround Sound” option when you're on your laptop.

The left side features a lone power switch, while the right has a headphone output and a digital line-in input. There is also a switch that allows attenuation from 0db to —8db, in case your music isn't loud enough or is too loud. There's a volume switch on the front side of the device and a short 3.5mm jack on the bottom. The 3.5mm jack is designed to plug into your laptop, MP3 player, or whatever digital device you're using with the SU-DH1. The problem, though, is that they give you about 4 inches of cord. So, using the device with my iMac was a real problem, since the sound ports are elevated off my desk.

You'll only need 2 AA batteries to power the SU-DH1, which works just fine. If you're wondering why there isn't a spot for a power adaptor, keep this in mind: this is a portable JVC Surround Sound Headphone Adaptor. It is intended for use on a plane, a bus ride, a long trip, or watching a movie in bed. If you want true 5.1 Surround Sound all the time, go build up your home theater system and use speakers, or buy a very expensive set of headphones designed for 5.1 surround sound use. This device is designed to be used on occasion and for portability. By the way, it only weighs 3.5 ounces, so don't worry about being weighed down.

The JVC SU-DH1