Sony vs JVC – Which Brand Is Better?

Sony and JVC are two renowned and well-respected brands in the audio industry that produces high-quality speakers, headphones, soundbars,  subwoofers, and amplifiers. 

In this article, we will cover a general overview of both brands, looking specifically at the sound quality, durability, price, and so on. Of course, each brand has different devices at different price points. However, we will compare them as closely as we can. 

Sony products often offer a wide range of features and good sound quality, while JVC products are known for their excellent sound quality and wide range of products.

Pros and Cons of Sony:

• Pros: Known for producing a wide range of audio and video products, including speakers, headphones, and home theater systems. Many of their products are well-regarded for their sound quality and value for money.
• Cons: Sony products tend to be expensive and many would describe them as overpriced. 

Pros and Cons of JVC:

• Pros: JVC is a well-known brand in the car audio industry. They are especially well known for aftermarket car stereos that are affordable and well-built. 
• Cons: Some users have reported issues with their stereos cutting out or experiencing other audio issues.

Quick History

Sony Quick History

Sony Corporation is a Japanese manufacturer of consumer electronics products incorporated in 1946 by Ibuka Masaru and Morita Akio as Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering Corporation.

Before this, Ibuka had used his Japanese Precision Instruments Company to supply electronic devices during World War II. He met Morita while they worked for the Imperial Japanese Army as engineers designing heat-seeking missiles during World War II.

In 1952, Ibuka made efforts to license the transistor from Bell Laboratories in the US before Morita signed a deal with Western Electric there the following year. The agreement led to the production of the Totsuko’s transistor radios, the Sony’s TR-63, in 1955. In 1958, Sony became the official company name.

The name was derived from the Latin word Sonus which stands for “sound.” Its pocket radios were the company’s most significant success and led to its international brand recognition.

In 1960, Sony Corporation of America was created with headquarters in New York City. Sony then introduced the MD-5, the first all-transistor desktop calculator, in 1964 during the New York World’s Fair, followed by the historic shipping of its first Trinitron color television in 1968.

Sony currently focuses on research and development (R&D), planning, designing, manufacturing, and marketing of electronic products for the consumer and professional markets.

JVC Quick History

JVC was founded as “The Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan, Limited” in 1927 in Camden, New Jersey, as a subsidiary of the United States’ leading phonograph and record company. The Victor Talking Machine Company of Japan, Limited was then purchased by Radio Corporation of America in 1929 and started producing radios in 1932.

Of note, JVC was one of the first household brands to innovate with VHS and CD compatibility during the 1990s.

Today, the 2020 AV Forums Editor’s Choice Award winner is known as Victor Entertainment. The brand is owned by JVCKenwood Corporation.

In addition, JVC is well known as an excellent home audio car stereo brand, rivaling other big brands like Kenwood.

Sound Quality

Sony Sound Quality

Sony products generally sound good. Compared to other competitors, Sony is a premium brand that takes a lot of time to research and develop its sound systems, making it one of the best-sounding audio products.

The soundbars are feature loaded, have great surround sound performance, and most of them support Dolby Atmos content. Sony is at the forefront of technology innovation, its sound-loving engineers work tirelessly to maintain the standard of its high-quality Hi-Fi speakers.

JVC Sound Quality

JVC products sound clear and neutral. In general, their devices have low distortion and a real sense of ease and musicality.

For instance, their headphones follow the JVC’s guiding philosophy of making products that are “closer to the musical truth.” Innovations like their time distortion cancellation processing are used to create clearer sound during the playback of compressed audio files like WAV and MP3.

Although the speakers may lack bass, they produce loud, clear, and crisp sounds without a crackle.

Features

Sony Features

Sony is known to manufacture high-quality products. Some of the key features of Sony speakers include:

• Bluetooth speakers with prolonged battery life
• Compact designs that make them easily fit in every home or office space
• High-quality sound

Key features of Sony TVs include:

• Good picture quality
• New frame tweeter technology with sound-from-picture reality
• Two-position stand
• New Ambient Optimization
• Hands-free capabilities such as remote control systems for easy management of TV programs
• Easy connectivity
• Compatibility with 4K 120fps

JVC Features

The notable features of JVC include:

• Bluetooth wireless technology 
• 12-bit and 16-bit DAC
• JVC Playlist Creator for USB Memory 
• Wired and wireless remote controls 
• Digital processing Tuner 
• AUX input 
• Radio timer 
• 3-Band Parametric iEQ
• Auto Dimmer 
• Wide range of signal-to-noise ratio

Build Quality

Sony Build Quality

Sony was initially known for good-quality products. In fact, Sony originally maintained a high market price to compensate for the high build quality despite many customers saying they charged so high.

Most people say that Sony manufactures premium audio products with fantastic sound quality and build.

No company can handle a wide array of products like Sony while maintaining high quality. Sony leads in manufacturing cameras, audio, and mobile phones, among many other products. Besides, they offer a fantastic after-sales service.

However, some people note that the build quality they get from Sony is generally bad. This is mainly from customers who buy the Sony cameras who say they have had a problem or two with their Sony cameras, and even after Sony fixed them, the situation became worse.

Therefore, whether Sony products are of good build or not remains an opinion whose outcome mainly depends on the type of product and the experience of individual users.

JVC Build Quality

Most JVC speakers are made from wood for natural sound reproduction since wood does not quickly generate standing waves.

The diaphragms are built with pure aluminum and provide excellent sound quality. The build is super high-quality with impeccable fit and finish. 

Ease of Use

Sony Ease Of Use

Some Sony products are not easy to use. For instance, getting Sony KDL-32EX650 to work is not very easy. Besides, setting up a wireless network takes a long time.

Also, setting up the Bravia KDL-40WD650 (Bravia is a Sony brand) is more complicated despite Sony 43XG7005 being the most intuitive and easy-to-use Sony TV with a quick and responsive menu.

The speakers are however easy to use with the Bluetooth ones easily connecting to your devices to provide on-the-go entertainment.

JVC Ease Of Use

JVC products are user-friendly. Besides, every product comes with well-set controls, remote controls and a user manual to help you with setting up. If you lose the manual, you can easily download the user manual PDF version from the website. 

Cost

Sony Cost

The cost of some Sony products are listed below: 

Speakers: $40 – $4000

Receivers: $20 – $1000

Amplifier: $30 – $500

JVC Cost

JVC products are lower-cost alternatives to Sony, Bose, and many other brands. JVC’s products offer extremely good value for money. Here are the price ranges for JVC products; 

Multimedia receivers: $200 – $2000

Vehicle cameras: $15 – $50

Camcorders: $50 – $5000

Headphones: $10 – $50

Speakers: $15 – $100

Space Requirements

Sony Space Requirements

Every person wants to maximize their small spaces. This is why every audio manufacturer puts more effort into researching to use versatile drivers that can deliver high efficiency while reducing the volume of materials used.

Sony products are generally constructed with a compact design and build. They take smaller spaces than other products and will perfectly fit into your small spaces whether you buy a smart TV or home theater system.

JVC Space Requirements

Some vintage JVC speakers were built into huge speaker boxes that may be cumbersome to place in a small room. Modern speakers are, however, compact. For instance, JVC car speakers are made to easily fit into the factory speaker slots, leaving no protrusions. 

On the other hand, the receivers are relatively small and will comfortably sit on a table without blocking your view of the TV or causing any obstruction. 

In general, their earphones are also small and made to fit into the ear comfortably. 

Remote Controls

Sony Remote Controls

Some people report that remotes for Sony KD-55XD8005 TVs, KD49X8309C, KD49XD8077 and KD-55X8508C, among other brands, have occasional problems. The issues are mainly that the remote controls become unresponsive occasionally and have to be troubleshot to continue working.

Sony remote controls are, however, generally excellent and responsive. However, where the remotes show problems, Sony offers quick customer support to ensure you continue using your remote control perfectly to enjoy your TV programs.

JVC Remote Controls

JVC provides remote control systems for its receivers, subwoofers, and TVs. These remote controls come with appliances but can also be purchased separately.

Besides, there’s a JVC Remote, an application for connecting and controlling all compatible JVC car receivers through Bluetooth. This app works just like a wireless remote. The UI is user-friendly, and the app also displays source information for your JVC receiver. 

Connectivity Options

Sony Connectivity Options

When it comes to connectivity options, Sony is one of the most evolving brands in the market today. For instance, Sony Bravia (Bravia is a Sony brand) comes with a wide range of connectivity options, from USB to wireless connectivity channels.

Some of the connectivity options supported by different Sony products include:

• • RCA for older products
  • USB ports
  • HDMI ports for digital connectivity

• Bluetooth
• Composite video inputs
• Wi-Fi for wireless connectivity

JVC Connectivity Options

These include: 

• • Bluetooth 
  • RCA
  • HDMI
  • USB 
  • Wi-Fi

• AUX input

Power Range

Sony Power Range

Like many audio products in the market, Sony products work perfectly well with the conventional power range of 110 V – 240 V.

They have a shallow standby power consumption, and the TVs are built with a power-saving mode backlight on and off control to help minimize power consumption.

JVC Power Range

Many JVC speakers can yield up to 300 watts of peak power. The receivers can deliver up to 1000 watts of peak power.

Frequency Response

Sony Frequency Response

Most Sony audio products deliver within the frequency range of 20 Hz to 20,000 Hz. This frequency range effectively supports a good delivery of audio outputs for both the Sony speakers, subwoofers, and even the Sony TVs.

JVC Frequency Response

The speakers have a fantastic frequency response of 28 Hz to 36,000 Hz, while receivers have a frequency response of 16 Hz to 20,000 Hz. 

Conclusion

Sony is good for playing jazz sound. The brand is versatile with numerous connectivity options and good build quality. Besides, there are products for all price ranges. Products from JVC are fairly priced. The build quality is good and their devices sound clear and neutral. They are therefore good for home upgrades.

Related Articles

Jbl Vs Sony
Jbl Vs Jvc
Sonos Vs Sony
Sony Vs Kenwood
Sony Vs Fiio