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Customer Reviews

JL Audio DRC-205

JL Audio DRC-205 Digital remote control — works with select JL Audio amps and processors

MFR # 010-13427-00

4.5 out of 5 stars
37 reviews
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Just get one...

Michael from MEMPHIS, TN on 2/10/2025

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

To me this is an essential piece as I can perform minor adjustments to my sub when needed.

Pros:

Cons:

Crutchfield response on

0 of 0 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Jason from Chapel Hill, TN on 11/25/2024

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Works as it should. Be very careful with the wiring as it is not strong and can be easy to crush.

Pros:

Cons:

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0 of 0 found this helpful

Looks great, feels a little cheap

Ryan from Ellisville, MO on 6/18/2024

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Looks great, but seems to be made of plastic that may not hold up well, but time will tell. Seems like the chrome is already chipping slightly, so I'm skeptical. Also, the rubber grips seem to slip off easily, but it's not installed yet, so we will see if it holds up!

Pros: Looks great.

Cons: Too much cheap plastic

Crutchfield response on

2 of 2 found this helpful

Godd but pricey.

Daniel from Washington, IL on 5/19/2024

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Great function but a bit expensive.

Pros: Great features

Cons: Price

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0 of 0 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

John from Prichard, AL on 3/22/2024

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

The open box came with a damaged cable. I ended up using my original cable. The control knob itself is a great. My rating is only this low because of the broken cable

Pros: Great dual control knob

Cons: Open box

Crutchfield response on

0 of 0 found this helpful

A "Must Have" with touchscreen displays

G Michael from Rome, GA on 12/25/2023

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

This remote is pretty cool. 1. It's lighted and the colors can be changed (based on the preset color in the Tun software) 2. Two different controls, can be assigned to any channel or group of channels). 3. Pushing on the control can change tuning presets, if you have more than one in the software. 4. Can be mounted into a panel. 5. Comes with an 18 ft network cable terminated with RJ-45. However if this is too long or too short, any network cable terminated with RJ-45 ends will work. I only needed a short cable, so the supplied JL Audio cable has found a home running a security camera. 6. As cool as touchscreen head units are, it's still nice and a lot less dangerous while driving to grab a knob rather than trying to sift through menus.

Pros: Outlined in my review. All Pros.

Cons: None at all

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3 of 3 found this helpful

Mukwonago

Brian from Mukwonago on 12/19/2023

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Works just as intended. Love the led to let me know which preset I'm on.

Pros: Adds more control to an already versatile jl audio amp

Cons: None

Crutchfield response on

1 of 1 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

James from Charleston, SC on 12/17/2023

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Perfect for setting modes for the top and doors off, top on, and front panels off on the Jeep!

Pros:

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2 of 2 found this helpful

Excellent

Nigel from Orlando, FL on 11/28/2023

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Love the control knob. Easy to switch between settings with the light.

Pros: Easy to use and set up.

Cons: A bit on the pricey side.

Crutchfield response on

2 of 2 found this helpful

A must

James from Spanish Fork, UT on 6/29/2023

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

This remote was so helpful when I used it with my JL Audio Fix-86. I was able to turn my Lexus stereo up to clipping with the built in light on the remote then just use the remote to control a CLEAN volume. A must if you're using a factory stereo.

Pros: Built in bass knob and push button program options.

Cons: Cannot use older "phone" cables like the old ones so I had to run the new 8 wire cable.

Crutchfield response on

3 of 3 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Glynn from Memphis, TN on 2/12/2023

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Great purchase it looks s so much better than the one that comes with the twk88

Pros: Very well designed for most applications

Cons: A little bulky

Crutchfield response on

3 of 3 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Isaiah from Belton, MO on 11/3/2022

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

I love this knob it is been a really good addition to my sound system set up

Pros: I love the functionality that comes with the knob and also that it has an LED that is built in it

Cons: I have to install it

Crutchfield response on

3 of 3 found this helpful

JL DSP

Marc from Kailua, HI on 7/29/2022

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Great product makes a world of difference!

Pros:

Cons:

Crutchfield response on

2 of 3 found this helpful

High quality knob with many functions

Aaron from Jacksonville, FL on 5/22/2022

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Great control in a high quality, low profile, easy to use setup. Only thing I'd like more on this, especially with the price, is to have that clicky feel (detent) to it. However it's got a quality feel to it with a solid connection to the amps and assignable functions for amp modes and separate amp controls.

Pros: Many functions Quality finish Easy to read lights for modes and presets

Cons: No detents Hard to read arrows for limit (but you don't necessarily need them if you set up your amp limits right)

Crutchfield response on

6 of 6 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Shawn from Lithia, FL on 5/12/2022

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Quick service and good quality

Pros:

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Crutchfield response on

0 of 1 found this helpful

DRC-205 great accessory

Edward from Rosharon, TX on 5/3/2022

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

DRC-205 is a must have when using JL FIX,TWK, or VXI products.

Pros: Control options endless

Cons: None

Crutchfield response on

2 of 2 found this helpful

Nice looking knob you've got there.

Jacob from JACKSONVILLE, FL on 4/28/2022

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

I give it four stars because it's very useful, looks good and quality built. However the rubber piece that surrounds the inner bass knob will fold in on itself if twisted forcefully. This item will require some sort of fabrication to mount it properly. It has several different modes and in the TUN software you can tell it what to do. I find it an important piece to own in your sophisticated HQ setup.

Pros: Multifunctional - Led is bright - blends well with certain trims and molding in vehicles.

Cons: Rubber piece around bass knob can twist off easily if too much force. Price. LED is bright and know way to dim. Requires custom fabrication to mount.

Crutchfield response on

3 of 3 found this helpful

Great product

Gerald from Jacksonville, FL on 3/23/2022

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Works like a pro

Pros:

Cons:

Crutchfield response on

2 of 2 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Crutchfield customer from Lebanon, TN on 9/23/2021

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Waaay over priced but Jl has you by the nuggets. almost a essential item if you have a Vxi amp. I use four different presets for seating positions and for different Eq curves.

Pros:

Cons: price

Crutchfield response on

6 of 7 found this helpful

Cheap and Overpriced

Crutchfield customer from Philadelphia, PA on 7/22/2021

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As everyone else says, very cheap construction. A little super glue will keep the rubber on but the knobs are still plastic and turn very easy, including the main top knob that has about a 2 degree wiggle before it grabs. That being said the knob does what it's supposed to and works well for my Fix 86.

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Cons:

Crutchfield response on

4 of 4 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Crutchfield customer from Miami, FL on 6/16/2021

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Definitely must buy , it goes with the VXI amplifiers and easy to attach to the unit and added to anywhere on the dashboard.

Pros: Easy to attach after installation of the amp.

Cons: Price

Crutchfield response on

4 of 4 found this helpful

Does everything i wanted

Crutchfield customer from Denver, CO on 5/20/2021

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

Wonderful! I love having base control that looks great.

Pros: Great looking, works great and easy to use.

Cons: I wish I could dim the led to match the rest of my system.

Crutchfield response on

2 of 2 found this helpful

Kinda chintzy for what it costs.

Crutchfield customer from Grandville, MI on 12/15/2020

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

I bought this to replace the DRC-200 knob that came with my TWK-88 processor. That quit working after 6 months and JL Audio refused to warranty it because I installed it myself. The DRC-205 looks cool in the pictures but once you see it in person it's kinda chintzy for what it costs. The knobs are understandably plastic and look every bit of it. The rubber trim pieces around the knobs aren't bonded in any way to the knob so they kinda slide around and change positions. Best way to sum it up is it just looks and feels low budget. I only hope it holds up long term.

Pros: Lights change to display selected DSP modes.

Cons: Plasticky feel, rubber trim slides freely around the knob.

Crutchfield response on

10 of 11 found this helpful

Wokrks great worh Fix-86

Crutchfield customer from Salinas, CA on 12/1/2020

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

Works great. Installed on a Fix-86. Works great. As described.

Pros: Works as described.

Cons: Would be nice to have had just a slight amount more of resistance from the knobs.

Crutchfield response on

2 of 2 found this helpful

Outer dial broken out of box

Crutchfield customer from Peoria, AZ on 9/7/2020

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

Outer knob kept coming loose. I had to glue it. I expect more from JL. Other than that, it works great.

Pros:

Cons:

Crutchfield response on

4 of 4 found this helpful

I expect better from JL Audio

Brian from SPRING HILL, KS on 8/21/2020

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

So first of all, to be fair, this knob does work as advertised. It lets you control two different levels or let you set up a fader (configurable via JL's TuN app), and cycle between pre-configured presets. My issue with it is it just doesn't live up to what I expect from JL Audio as far as looks and usability. The knobs are plastic (and look it). With a rubber ring around each one (which does tend to slide around, up or down, on the plastic). This might be fixed by gluing them to the knob, but I don't feel like I should have to do that. I'm not really a fan of the chrome look on the knobs. Might consider painting them a flat or satin black. The preset indicator LED has a nice subtle glow. My biggest gripe is that the knobs turn way too easy. While driving down the road and reaching for one to make a small adjustment, I find myself turning one or the other (especially the big outside one) accidentally, sometimes by a fair bit. As far as install goes, the base of the knob is pretty compact and I was able to fit it under a trim panel for my application. Not sure why the connector box needs to be so big, I actually had trouble tucking that in to my center console. However the flat cable for the run to the amp was a nice touch for running under carpet. If the knobs were an anodized aluminum and knurled, and not so easy to turn, I'd probably be thrilled with this thing, and be happy with the price tag. As it is, overpriced and underwhelming.

Pros: Lets me adjust level on two separate completely configurable outputs, and lets you cycle through presets in your DSP/amp.

Cons: Knobs feel and look cheap. Rubber ring slides around on them. Knobs turn WAY too easy.

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Customer review photo

12 of 13 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Crutchfield customer from Tuscaloosa, AL on 8/15/2020

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

i like jl audio stuff , but this knob is plastic . i thought it was billet . it needs to be glued on to stay

Pros: it does what it is supposed to do

Cons: low quality

Crutchfield response on

7 of 7 found this helpful

Waste of time and money

Chris from CARSON CITY, NV on 7/2/2020

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

This should have been included with my amp but...I bought this then sent it back. It's cheaply made and the instructions are poorly written and incomplete. Used in conjunction with TuN software, it allows you to use different presets for the VXi amps. However, it turns into a big hassle developing presets on a computer or ipad, assigning the colors for each preset, remembering and cycling through them with this magic button, and overall managing the presets on the software. Way easier to just use an iPad to manage the amp through the VXi-BTC bluetooth connector. The LED lights are very sexy but the cyan and white look the same to me. The rubber rings on the edge of each dial need to be glued on as well. Overall, this is a $20 part that retails for this much and should have been included with the VXi amp.

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Cons:

Crutchfield response on

15 of 16 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Crutchfield customer from New Orleans, LA on 5/17/2020

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Great asset to VX Amps technology

Pros:

Cons:

Crutchfield response on

0 of 4 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Crutchfield customer from Passaic, NJ on 5/3/2020

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Verified employee review (What's this?)

The best easy to use and it helps with the control of the vx 1000 amp.

Pros:

Cons:

Crutchfield response on

1 of 4 found this helpful

Great accessory

Crutchfield customer from Colorado Spgs, CO on 4/13/2020

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

The function is great, works just as expected. It was easy to install. I'm a little disappointed in the quality control. Upon opening, the chromed plastic fell off of the translucent plastic that makes up the removable knob. Also, both rubber grips came off. On all of the separated pieces, there was glue residue, so it would seem JL just used bad glue. I was surprised that for the cost of the product that I had to fix out of the box. Super glue worked fine to fix, just shouldn't have to. I'm sure Crutchfield would have made it right, but had to finish the install.

Pros: Great fit/finish. Almost required accessory.

Cons: Quality control is lacking.

Crutchfield response on
Customer review photo

9 of 9 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Crutchfield customer from Waianae, HI on 1/11/2020

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Does what it's supposed to do!

Pros: Works

Cons: None

Crutchfield response on

0 of 3 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Crutchfield customer from Elverta, CA on 5/13/2019

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

One of those items I had to add to my DSP. Like that the led selection light is integrated into the knob.

Pros: Good looking knob. Program selection light is integrated.

Cons: Price is hi for a plastic knob.

Crutchfield response on

6 of 6 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Crutchfield customer from Litchfield, IL on 3/31/2019

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It's a great quality product and does everything JL says it will do! The only con is the price! I think the price should be cut in half.

Pros: Functionality

Cons: Price

Crutchfield response on

5 of 5 found this helpful

Great control

Crutchfield customer from Lynwood, CA on 3/22/2019

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

Bought for the fix 86, you cant program the controller for presets with the 86 but the two volume functions sub and highs works what I really only needed it for

Pros:

Cons:

Crutchfield response on
Customer review photo

1 of 1 found this helpful

JL Audio DRC-205

Bo from San Antonio, TX on 12/23/2018

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

JL Audio has done it again! This product works great with my 800/8 vxi to select my DSP presets. I thought I was going to need a 2nd bass knob but this takes care of presets and the bass on my separate mono amp. Crutchfield support has been awesome. This has been on back order for months and they kept me up to date every time I reached out to them. Thanks Crutchfield!!

Pros: Multi function to control presets on vxi amp, ability to control volume on separate amp.

Cons: I wish JL Audio would have had this available when they released their vxi amps. Other than that, nothing.

Crutchfield response on

2 of 2 found this helpful

DRC-205 is a "Must Buy"

Michael from Huntersville, NC on 9/9/2018

Verified customer (What's this?)
Verified employee review (What's this?)

This is a MUST for JL Audio VXi amp owners. Unlike the Bluetooth add-on, the DRC-205 allows you the ability to toggle through presets you've configured and saved in the amp. It displays the profile color you've chosen when configuring your profile settings in JLAudio's TUN app. The dual knobs are configurable and are an improvement over the DRC-200. Crutchfield's service was above par, as usual. In fact, they were one of the few that actually had this product available, as it's been hard to find these devices anywhere.

Pros: Simple setup, and easy to use. Colored LED backlighting provides a subtle visual cue to let you know which settings profile is active.

Cons: Knobs seemed a little flimsy at first, but after a proper install, using the supplied ring spacers, the con was nearly completely diminished.

Crutchfield response on

6 of 6 found this helpful

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