JVC RC-550
The JVC RC-550, also known as "El Diablo" is a very massive monophonic boombox, as mono boxes go anyhow. It was introduced in 1978 or 1979, so it has that overbuilt, industrial, almost military appearance that was common during those years. It sports 3 speakers, including a huge 10 inch (25cm) woofer that simply can't be missed, as it stares you in the face. Casually viewed in photos, its massive size is not immediately apparent until you see cassette door and realize that something is wrong..... "Either the cassette deck is too small, or the boombox is too large." In fact, it is the relative size of the cassette deck (which everyone can reference) that gives this boombox size perspective. Being a monophonic boombox, it will lack the spatial sound element that is present in stereo boomboxes. However that does not mean it sounds bad. I personally think it sounds great, with a broad frequency range that includes some very crisp and precise highs.
This box is either love-it-or-hate-it among collectors. It's not stereo, and it's not one of the rarest boxes out there, but it's very unique and has a very retro looking design. It commands high prices on Ebay, starting at $300 for very beat-up examples, up to $800 for ones in top condition.
SPECS:
- 14" tall, 19-5/8" wide, 6-1/8" deep.
- 10" woofer, 4" midrange, 2" tweeter.
- Power output 15 watts max, and 7 watts minimum between 100Hz and 10kHz (6 ohms, 10% THD).
- Requires eight D-cell batteries.
- Model variations: RC-550L, RC-550LB, RC-550JW, RC-550S. There was also a Victor branded version that was sold in Japan.
Below is the special silver version, which is very rare. It was probably sold only in Europe, because that's where the majority of them have been found.
The service manual in PDF format may be purchased here
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