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I own a 2011 Rockwood 8306ss with Concertone ZX700 pre-installed as well as a Toshiba 32C100U2 that has been modded by the customer with variable RCA outputs (connected directly to TV speakers), ZX700 has connected TV audio input to AV2 port with loop isolator (without it then TV would instead make constant loud clicks). With that being setup like that I must have the TV speakers on in order for receiver speakers' sound from TV to work. ZX700 has no Optical in and HDMI out (but the GT-3.0 does in which I didn't have). After 8 years living with the ZX700 it even got worn out some panel buttons stopped working properly and got all sticky, I took apart and cleaned the inner circuit boards but that didn't help (it's not the buttons that caused the problem but be CPU button matrix is still messy/faulty) but I decided to unsolder the buttons (as well as the LEDS to save power usage) so I can save the working-fine buttons and LEDs for future projects (however my Dad got upset about making it worse it still looks fine to me).
Then finally in April 2021 I informed my Dad to order this modern Bluetooth supported upgrade to the ZX700 by iRV Technologies/QAV as the iRV 66 then came on 26th with the supplied harness converters (however he forced me to do this job tomorrow on the 27th) so I invested the ZX700 functionality once more before upgrading, now time to upgrade, took out worn-out unit, took harness adapters for ZX700 (I left crimped wires be in already) to plug in to iRV66, connected existing composite input RCA connectors from switch (formerly AV1 in ZX700, now corresponds to TV AUDIO on iRV66) as AU2 on ZX700 has XM radio connected so I moved connection to the 4th rear XM/iPod input on the A/V switch, connected optical (TOSLink shaped btw) audio cable from receiver to TV (sorry that I had to make a square hole area to make the TV mount fit real good without angle adapters and squashing cable ends, now 3 foot optical cable threads in really good through that hole) corresponds to DOT/DCC IN now gets better TV tuner audio quality from receiver speakers even with TV speakers muted, got HDMI cables connected to make DVD picture look more nicer (and has upscaling up to 1080p too!) than the ZX700 did on composite only (TV does not support HDMI ARC output). Finally the upgraded units fits perfectly like a charm, and now I can enjoy music and entertainment nice and clear again after 10 years owning this travel trailer camper.
Here is my comparison of what you get on upgrading your worn-out ZX700 with this:
+ Front panel buttons are more reliable, provided smoothly like a remote button (while they're a click type on the ZX700/GT-3.0)
+ Bluetooth audio (BT NOLINK/LINK) and remote (via app) support. No more connecting wired 3.5mm audio cable to AU1 (is now FR-AUDIO on iRV66) port form phone, now with upgraded unit, I go cable-free playing MIDIs and more music from my phone/iPod to the system (with the exception of its reversed stereo flaw though)!
+ Per-source independent volume setting (while ZX700/GT-3.0 doesn't, it remains the same level per source)
+ No more top bar stacking up animation in LCD display (it's weird to have this seen in ZX700/GT-3.0) in that case they're always not being lit
+ 3 HDMI outputs, HDMI outputs best picture quality for DVD mode, Output 3 receives ARC signal (when my TV doesn't use it)
+ Adds Front HDMI and AV (needs 3 prong 3.5mm cable to 3 RCA) input, AU2 and AV2 replaced as 2 rear HDMI inputs
+ Digital Audio input (DOT/DCC IN), I used to connect to TV's digital optical audio output
+ Switches sources/stations faster without delay (no more pauses than on the ZX700/GT-3.0, I think the sources should be already preloaded into RAM)
+ All other 2.0 audio sources now have center speaker sounding
+ Hopefully better FM radio signal reception
+ You don't get the DVD drive automatically ejecting itself with no disc when first powering on since supplying power to it
- Lacks WB (a.k.a. PSB?) Weather Band, which was useful for listening to weather report stations that was on the ZX700/GT-3.0
- Some buttons on the included remote (such as Display/Root Menu, now instead is a Title Menu button) that were on the ZX700 were omitted, I even used the ZX700 remote with it and its button assignments/codes were mixed up (such as Input being the Power button and Right Arrow being VOL -). I will program a JP1 remote (using EFCs) to find out the button functions not from the included remote will have function.
- Ejecting media (disc/USB/SD) will always switch back to AM/FM as it doesn't remember the last source being used unlike the ZX700/GT-3.0
* Speaker zones are now labeled as 1, 2, and 3 (while ZX700/GT-3.0 uses A, B, and C)
| Different shaped remote (simpler, without learning functionality unlike the ZX700 one)
| 3 rear inputs (2 video, 1 audio) on ZX700 have been narrowed down to a single rear A/V input that corresponds to TV AUDIO (likely to make up less room for the cables)
| Select knob in FM/AM mode is flawed making turning it either direction always goes down, so using FF/REW for changing station is only reliable
Key:
+ = Pro
- = Con
* = Design change
| = Limited feature
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Linear Mode
