JVC RC-838: Iconic Vintage Boombox
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- Опубліковано 30 вер 2024
- Discover the legendary and iconic RC-838 boombox of 1978-1979 by JVC with Star Wars details, which also L.L. Cool J showed-off in a famous photo. Phenomenal radio reception, cassette playback & recording!
More info on the Rec/PB DIN connector here: • How to connect your sm...
SPECS:
Frequency rages: FM 88-108Mhz MW 540-1600Khz SW1 1.6-4.3Mhz SW2 4.3-11-0Mhz SW3 11.0-18.5Mhz LW ?
Frequency response: 40-13000Hz (Chrome tape) 45-12000Hz (normal tape)
Wow & Flutter: 0.07%
S/N ration: 50dB
Power output: Max. 10W (5W+5W)
Power supply: DC1 2V, 8 D R20 cells batteries, AC 240/220-110V 50/60Hz
Weight: 7.5Kg, with batteries 8.1Kg
CASSETTE:
Radio Jackson (Gerry Franke): gerryfranke.ba...
#boombox #ghettoblaster #cassetteculture
I had this JVC!!!!
A parts unit recently sold on eBay for $99, Units that are workable go for around $300. Excellent examples may go for $500 . Youngsters your favorite Bluetooth speaker will not fetch those high prices 40 years from now
Even more! True!
Val Willis that’s pretty expensive :)
And the main thing is: Good working models are a true work of art! Just look inside @ the mechanical details. MAN! if this wasn`t sophisticated back then, I don`t know!
Yeah, and I think that Bluetooth speakers are really boring compared to such old boomboxes.
Nearly no buttons, noting turning and so on.
True!
Very nice and informative video! Great job!
While JVC surely made some heavy hitters, their competitors certainly weren't far behind. I guess it comes down to personal taste which manufacturer you prefer. Sanyo made some really unique and high-quality boomboxes as well. And let's not forget about the iconic Sharp GF series with the GF-777 being the flagship.
I have been collecting vintage boomboxes for over 10 years now and have most of the bigger JVC models here including the 838 which is one of my favorites because it really paved the way for all the models that came after it. The RC-M90 is probably the indisputable king by JVC but I believe the RC-M70 is the better choice if you want something that you can actually use daily. It is one of the only models that usually still has all the original belts intact and the mechanical deck is built like a tank.
Unfortunately it is becoming harder and harder each day to find these vintage machines in working condition. They usually need a full service and there's more to it than just changing the belts and applying some contact cleaner. A problem that is occurring more and more recently is the little metal brushes inside the potentiometers that break off. Sometimes the switched ne to be desoldered and taken apart to properly clean them because contact cleaner just won't do the trick anymore.
Anyway, I hope people will keep these beautiful machines running for as long as possible! I will certainly do my best to preserve the ones I have. :)
I have two RC M70’s, one is a boxed new/old stock item which came with all the original documents, blank tape and the original shop display item which must be so rare nowadays. Its a great machine.
Very interesting boombox by JVC nice design - build quality and sound :-)
Nice video! I have the same boombox and I love it! The sound of this thing is very very good! That was quality back in the days. In fact, JVC built the best boomboxes back in the 70s and early 80s. The stereo biphonic sounds awesome too! I really love that boombox. Kind regards 👍
Cool!
هل يوجد في متجر امزون
Hello my Friend! @08:30 you did not mention that the Binding posts for the external speaker allow to connect them Externals in 2 different ways! First Connection is, to ADD the external speakers to the internals, and the second way (by turning the Plug for 180°) is, that you plug in the external Speakers-and the internal Speakers are shut off! It just depends on how you plug the Cables in. The Flat Contact is always the middle Contact. and the small round Contact is the "switching" Contact, that tells the Boombox whether the internals run with, or are shut off. Just turn the plugs for 180° and so it switches or not... With the internals running, it seems to create a stronger "Center Image", And this Idea was pretty cool for the late 1970ies (lol... MY Time when I began to be an audiophile first).
Bytheway: You had big luck with your journey to Japan! If you had waited too long, you wouldn`t be allowed to travel, due to the Virus that we don`t dare to speak out its name!
Thanks for pointing that out! Yes, very lucky!
@@anadialog Meanwhile it`s really crazy! You are not allowed to come to me in Austria - for example, and I am not allowed to go north to the Czech Republic. And for the Case I would visit you, i could go there, but i wouldn`t be allowed to go home again...
O TEMPORA O MORES! Thank the Universe we have the Internet!
But to come back to the Boom Box: It would be really great if you would test the external speakers in the two different configurations. I am really curious about your opinion about how the Version with the enforced Center-Image would sound.
I remember, back in 1979, I was into mono as well as I was into stereo. I can say, the beginning of my audiophile journey, with a good friend. I listened to my first AKG High-End Headspeaker in the middle of the 1970ies. And they AKG were GREAT! They still were a true Austrian Product in this Time. Developed and manufactured in my home country. The time when
`Tu Sei LÙnica Donna per me!"
was a big hit in the summer...when i visited my nonna a San Benedetto del Tronto (The Capitol of the Gay in Italy back then lol) Adriano Celentano was still young... oh man... where have the Times gone to... snieeff....
@@bernhardmichaelfux308 do you know where can I find more information on how to connect external speakers to it?
I find the schematic on page 17 of RC-838L Service Manual, but it is not clear for me on how should I proceed.
It would be great to connect a pair of nice side speakers to it...
Thanks a lot!!
Greetings from Buenos Aires
Dany
Very nice! Never heard one of these in person but I do have the JVC RC-M70 and M90. Also have the RX-7000 series National/Panasonic and a few Conion C100F models. They are my all time favorite icons. One day, I hope to hear and see an 838 in person. Great job!
I loved and remembered those ghetto blasters, the most famous was the JVC RC M-70, which I think was their top model of that era. The model that you have is extremely nice, good catch here.
I Have A Sharp GF-777z Suitcase Looking 2 Cassette 6 Speakers Boombox and Still Works Awesome Till This Day
Cool!
@@anadialog It's A Sharp GF-777z with Noise Reduction
Prettt in-depth vid👍
I was wondering why the radio without using the antennae? (Then you finally raised them😁)
Amazing sound quality output for a 45 year old player. I was just a teenager 😂❤
What a great piece of kit. Not seen that one before. Great to have an inbuilt phono stage and a switch between auto and manual record level adjustment. I see the VU meters did not move with the clean feed. Do they function as power level meters perhaps, i.e. playback volume via built in speakers only?
Glad you asked. The VU meters were nor moving because I simply connected the JVC to the camera for a rapid capture of the signal but the volume is so strong in this thing that I had to set it at the minimum volume, hence the VUs were not moving almost at all...
Great video, thanks. I have two pieces of this modell (L and JW are different) but not in excellent condition, like this one.
Why did you change the position of the volumen potmeter?
It's reversed right? That is how I found it
@@anadialog the potmeter button is reversed 180 degrees
I wish I had this video 40 years ago lol I didn't know how to use all the features or that you can connect a turntable or speakers 😅
Thanks for this video, excellent like others. I bought this model of JVC a few years ago. Its FM radio sounds great, but the cassette mechanism is damaged by all the years of old. In Argentina is very difficult to find a good technician.
When I was sixteen I had a Crown Jumbo Sound 747 and it sounded great, but it didn t reach the quality of JVC sound. Thanks again.
Thank YOU Carlos!
You can use an AUX Cable Tape Adapter
I have a 90s Panasonic Dubble Deck that I power up every now & then to ease the belts .
The 80s are far better built than these black ones ,.
Finding any 80s getto ? some one has one stuffed behind a pile they forgot they had , they could say : take it with you , we are having a clear-out , WOW !
Thanks, now I’ve got a boom box itch that needs scratching bad! That Gerry Franke album is funky as hell too, thanks for the introduction.
🤣🤣🤣
Hi! I have one of these rc but it’s actually not working. It turns on ok but then it doesn’t work. Antenas are broken and I would like to know if I can connect an auxiliar cable to connect my phone to it? Thanks!
If it has an input, sure! You could connect your phone earphones output, or the USB digital signal to a converter and then to the boombox.
The boom box was very heavy . I once took it with my family vacation to Greece and the airport security thought it was a bomb and took it and took it apart. They didn't believe a cassettes radio was so big 😂. I got it back. It was heavier than my luggage btw
😱
i have a toshiba rt-70s machine in my living room it's on all day for background radio not a powerfull maching but it's been running all the time since the 80s tape works fine in it too.
Its a great unit. JVC also build a more conservative looking near identical all silver unit (branded as either a continental-edison RC-5090 or normende rk-4186). The silver unit ran off 15 volts (ten batteries) which increased the output power slightly. It also had a 6 button fm station memory feature. Other than that its the same unit inside and out.
This is the exact boom box I had. I also had the shoulder strap that you plugged in the top ends like a seat belt. I took that thing EVERYWHERE! I remember all the damn D cell batteries I was buying. I’d go to radio shack and get their cheap realistic batteries cause I couldn’t afford Duracell’s. Thanks for throwback!
Cool! Thanks for sharing that!
I have a very heavy and thin danish Bang & olufsem Boombox with strong bass. From Mexico
Cool!!
Do you know how to connect External Speakers to it?
I find the schematic on page 17 of RC-838L Service Manual but it is not clear if they are complementary or if they disconnect the internal ones.
It would be great to put a pair of nice side speakers to this top of the line Boombox!! 😎
Thanks
Greetings from Buenos Aires
Dany
I am currently keeping it in my office but ad far as I remember you can just hook them directly!
@@anadialog I saw that each channel for Ext.Speakers has 3 connections, 1 common, 1 with X signal, and 1 with X signal with a 4.7ohm resistance in series.
I guess that the RB-80K should be 3,2ohm, do you know if it's possible to connect an 8ohm Speaker without losing output power or risking the amplifier?
It would be great to add a pair of good side speakers to this top range boombox!!
Thanks a lot
That's right, you can use other speakers with 8 ohms but you will get a lower volume. Otherwise look for 4 ohm speakers
@@anadialog the point is that the "external speaker" apparently goes connected in parallel with the internal ones, the internal woofer is 3.2ohm, so I guess it would not be a good idea to add another 3.2 or 4ohm in parallel to it...
I guess that is why there are two external speakers outputs per channel...
One may be for a 8ohm speaker, and the other with the 4.7 ohm resistor in series should be for a 3.2ohm speaker, so it results in 8ohm.
That make me think that is why the original external woofer is that small, because with 8ohm it can't develope too much power.
I will open a thread in a Forum to know better, because there is no information about that, but it would be fabulous to have two nice side woofers.
Thanks!
Greetings from Buenos Aires
I bought my Sanyo M9994K same year 1979. Same size and similar features except i have separate RCA connectors for Phono, Line In & Line Out.The cassette needs new belts.But apart from that these things these units just go and go BABY!
Indeed!
I have that Sanyo too, it sounds better than this JVC.
Amazing video, as always, quando un video anche in italiano? Solo per motivi patriottici devo dire, parli un inglese così fluente che seguirti è comunque un piacere.
I was trying to find this model for my mom as she had one until our house burnt down but holy shit they're worth over a $1,000 ! Well there goes that gift idea lol
Sure 🤨
Best radio cassette player
Very good explanation. I just hate to see thumbs down.
Brilliant, I have something quite similar which I think is a little earlier than yours, it's the RC-828LB
Forgot to say the radio on my model is fantastic, especially with the extensive SW band.
Indeed, mine too! So cool pieces of gear!
vorrei comprarne uno ma ho poche cassette, potrei in caso collegare il telefono/computer?e se si come? gran video comunque :)
Si può! Ecco come: ua-cam.com/video/CoS2Tmhq0fU/v-deo.html
A lovely video of these beautiful machines that gave us endless moments of pleasure in the analogue era. There was a joy in removing the tape from its box and slipping it into the machine. And then reading the sleeve notes as the music started. There was a one-to-one connect between man and machine. In the analogue era you could hold the music in your hand - a sense of touching the melody you love. It went beyond mere listening.
Very true...
I love you baby JVC, i crazy about you.💥💖
Memories,my dad had one and we use to Record shows ,send Recorded tapes of my Family saying hi to my other family in another Country,this thing would produce tapes like Crazy, but I could never pump it all the way ,Very Loud
Nice boom box golden era of the boom box mid 70S n 80s they use to make good boombox radio especially from Japan they are collecting now n day JVC panasonic Sharp was some of my best boombox I ever own n still got them as for my little collection very loud today boom box is crazy cheap n they don't sound loud at all fake light that don't go with the music garbage 2021 magnebox boom box was garbage when they get old they make a noise very back my favorite is the sharp 909 boom box sound loud n bad ass radio boom box got two of them got to put new belt
The DIN receptacle is not confusing at all. It's clearly marked "REC" for record, and "PB" for playback. So, yes, it's for recording and playback, or "input and output."
True...it is a past German solution that I used only a few times. Thanks for clarifying that!
@@anadialog My father had Sony and Akai gear from the 1960's which used this connector. I thought it was cool and simple, but it just didn't catch on.
@@jamesplotkin4674 Yes, but it was German in fact DIN stands for: Deutsches Institut für Normung
@@anadialog Not arguing with you, actually sharing that some Japanese gear utilized this connection solution.
@@jamesplotkin4674 yes, yes, thanks! Sorry I gave that impression. :-)
I have a Toshiba Bombeat 16 and a Bombeat 18, and they have a great look (looking for Bombeat 40 now...).
But today I bought a JVC RC-838JW and I was impressed when it arrived, it is very sturdy and masculine!, you could imagine yourself walking down the Bronx with it in the 70's haha.
Thanks for yours videos!
Greetings from Buenos Aires
Daniel Schiavo
PS: I would be great to have the Shoulder Strip, and original external Speakers...
I have 2: my dads and my uncles. My dads i have used on and off since 1978.
Nice see the JVC-838 in your video.
I had it in that time period and it was
really nice as you said and showed.
It was my first really nice boombox.
A couple of years later I had the Sony
CFS-D7, at about $400.00 back then.
I recently obtained a really nice and
refurbished Panasonic RX-5250 which
is from about 1983, has Metal Tape IV,
and Dolby B with solenoid controls.
I have that photo of LL Cool J with
the JVC-838 in the Boombox book
from about 10 years ago. Thanks.
Love it
For "Expand" and "Biphonic" to work you need to have the Level switch next to it set to OFF, otherwise it just muffles the sound. Also your volume knob is on upside down.
Who can i send mine out to to be repaired? It seems like the sliders aren't working correctly. Everything works, just sliders are funny. Id really like to get it restored. The cassette works and opens.
Nice video...
Is there an equivalent with CD player?
Really tickling our nostalgia!
There is, also a few new models but they are very cheap in built and sonic qualities. In the late 90's you could find some but they were more compact and less...boomboxesh!
I've got a GE 3-5254A Boombox from 1982. It doesn't have as many features as your JVC, but a little more portable. I use it daily, mostly for FM radio and it gets great reception. I had to change the belts on the tape deck a couple years ago, it plays tapes about as good as you would expect from a boombox of the time, and yes it plays in stereo unlike the modern reproductions.
Cool! Yes, the radio reception of these babies is truly amazing!
Thank you for this video. It was awesome, and very informative
I got this boombox but the rubber band for the tape is broken and need to replace it but I dont know the size.
So dope!
Pretty cool. I had a smaller AIWA in the "80s with a nice tape section, took all three tapes; one, two and Type four. Ah, the nostalgia. Still have that. Amp and radio work, tape player/recorder need belts.
JVCs were certainly coveted back then.
thats a a very clean example.. grats on a awesome score..
Un radio qué para restaurar lleva trabajo...pero vale la pena.
Love the look of it
I have this one. And i need to know size of belt for fix it.
I wish I knew where I can buy a radio like that. It looks amazing and very cool.. 💯💯
Small online shops or eBay mainly...
I just picked one up today at a thrift store for $300, but mine is Model JVC RC-838JWII. Can you tell me what is the difference between your and mine? Also on the side, above mic L and R is says "Push", can you tell me what that is for? Thanks!
Nice! Yours can also play metal cassettes...don't know about the push button...maybe for the strap?
Very similar to the Crown CSC-850 L 👍👍👍👍 Crown is better 😎😎😎
You are correct the Crown does sound better, but its build quality is not as good.
I came across this model and I bought it immediately after I saw this video. Even I'm kind of fan of sharp gf series I find myself using this one on daily basis. The sound is great I would compare it to gf 9595 although 9595 has loudness the bass on jvc feels deeper. The mechanical part feels robust and a little bit quieter when autostop kicks in. My only disappointment is that the VU metters are volume dependent and don't show the actual tape recording level and they are not illuminated - definitely a mod worth doing about that. Overall this model exceeded my expectations and I'm very glad I got it. Thank you for sharing your opinion on this one!
Cool! True for the vu meters but you can still use them for recording, you just need to keep it loud while recording
hi my bro had one like that duel decks it was very very big still not as good as a akai 3 head reel to reel i had cell eater i call them
Well, of course! On the portable side, only top of the line walkmans could deliver high fidelity.
I was just given this by my boss. Haven't plugged it in yet. Want to clean it up first. What do I do how do I restore this thing. I need to replace capacitors? Was in an attic for decades
Difficult to say. Try and listen…probably the belts…
Your new video intro is amazing! It's my favorite intro so far on all of UA-cam!
Thanks man!
My love,, JVC ❤❤❤
WHIT how much money I can sale one like yours in very good condition? Thanks 😊
A lot! Even 800/1000$....they are very sought after!
Beside the RC-838, the JVC RC-M90 is the best and coolest boombox ever made!
Indeed!
Some will say the Conion C-100f was the best since its really flashy, I guess it's just personal preference. For me, it's the M90.
Was that Jovanotti for a second when you were radio station surfing 😂
I think so!
No Boombox can match the sound quality of "JVC RC-M90" Boombox. This JVC Model came out 1981. I was very lucky to own this Model. The quality of the sound was superb, no other Boombox can match the crystal clear sound quality of JVC RC M90 and its soft touch buttons was amazing. It also had another great feature, which was that if you want to skip or you want to listen again to the song just listen, you can easily do that and up five songs. This JVC RC-M90 was amazing, it can match the sound quality of the best Hi-Fi. I will really appreciate if you can Review that Model, thanks.
Tanzeem
Excellent review, have had it since new,the tape opens slowly which is normal as it is a dampered opening, they were designed to open slowly one of the strange quirks this particular model had since new.This radio is very heavy for its size.
An authentic piece of jewelry !! Regards from Perú !
I leaned 2 words in this video. Probably more, but they were tooning and prodoose.
It's a bit sad when a boombox is your friend but wherever I don't judge
GPO ?
Sucks compared to these vintage beasts
In case you don't know, "earth" is where you would put your ground or grounding wire. Never heard it referred to as "earth." Not everyone knows how grounding really works.
Ahah! Yes, ti are right. Its because in Italy we call it 'terra' 'earth' but the correct word is obviously ground. Sorry about that.
very agressive,ugly look,but the sound! the sound is fantastic!
i like your reel to reel
Ugly?? Not at all.
I am curious: when you visited Japan did you think the Corona Virus will spread like that in Italy?
Not at all...it was just starting. We were a little nervous because in Japan is practically all Chinese tourists!
No because the Japanese obey rules better than the Italians do.
I mis a internal microphone test.
Sorry about that, I can say that it was very very good!
You can't be serious.
About what?
Do you live in Italy?!
I do!
Ciaooo!!!
Hola GB!
@@anadialog great video and I love the new intro too! ☺️
@@gbclab thx man!
@@anadialog you're welcome my friend ❤️
This guy. 😂 ‘this is the woofer’ …. No, that’s a standard mid range which will handle the lows and midrange, it’s not a woofer though. ‘This is the tweeter that takes care of midrange and highs’ ….. No, a tweeter only does the highs. ‘I can tell its metal from the feel’ ….. no, mostly plastic with some knobs that might have a thin metal skin. REC/PB. … This clearly stands for RECORD / PLAY BACK so both ways however if it’s anything like the RC M70, it doesn’t work exactly like an RCA IN/OUT as you need the Tape to be recording to hear the INPUT (however it’s simple to get around this) . The BEAT CUT is for MW and not SW as you stated. JVC didn’t licence the Dolby system and most people who play Dolby tapes tend to turn it off so it’s not a big issue, I believe some JVC models used their own noise reduction that was comparable with Dolby B (I may be wrong though) . For the tape, 40-13Khz is actually good enough for most people’s ears especially adults, and is actually far better than the rubbish they produce today. This is a very nice clean example, very nice 👍.
Hi Neil, is funny beacuse you clearly do not know what you are talking about but you had no doubts on making fun of me! This is a boombox, it does not work as a loudspeaker: those ARE woofers and they are only for the low frequencies the rest is taken care by the tweeters, and yes they are made out of metal. Check the manual and online (especially before making claims like that). Yes, I did get mixed up with the Recording/playback DIN but I made a full video where I explain how to use it: ua-cam.com/video/CoS2Tmhq0fU/v-deo.html No you are mistaken again, the beat cut is for SW and MW, just read the manual!
@@anadialog Hi. I wasn’t trying to poke fun at you, that’s what reading text for you does but I’ll admit to chuckling at some of your comments especially at the woofer/tweeter comment if only because that’s not a proper woofer and it handles much of the midrange too with the tweeter taking up the rest but apologies if I upset you. Btw, I did say it was a lovely machine.
Thank you, don't worry, you did not upset me. Boombox gurus told me this but it doesn't make much sense I do agree with you...