JVC RC-M80
Model: RC-M80(JW)(R)(RH). FM-MW-SW 3-Band Stereo Radio Cassette Recorder. Other suffix variants exist.
Sandwiched between JVC's very popular RC-M70 boombox, and their top of the line RC-M90 is the RC-M80. Sporting waffle style grills reminiscent of the RC-M60 model and a very unique quasi-analog/digital style tuning, it is definitely something that for whatever reason, JVC tried and decided not to produce again as we are unaware of any other model JVC produced before or after with this style of tuner. Citizen offered a model with a very similar tuner, perhaps possibly even same licensed design, and we have seen another aka of the Citizen model offered by an off brand, but clearly the same model as the one produced by Citizen. The tuner has an analog style tuning scale, but instead of a needle which moves by a string/pulley system, this one has a number of small dot light emitting diodes (LEDs) spaced along the scale. As the station is changed, a led dot will travel along the scale to a position representing the tuned station. Physically, this model is slightly smaller than, and almost as heavy as the RC-M70 model. Additionally, it has slightly less output power in comparison to the M70 but in no ways is this a wimpy boombox as very few medium sized boombox models of similar vintage could out muscle the M70 model, and the M80 is no exception in that regard. The tape deck however is similar in design to the top of the line M90 with soft touch controls as opposed to manual cassette function keys on the M70. It is a very high quality deck with 2 SEN ALLOY heads and electronic governed DC motor for the capstan, and a DC motor for the reel. Dual motor deck designs are uncommon in portable boomboxes and generally reserved for the very top models. Tape deck performance is also top notch featuring excellent frequency response and metal/chrome tape capability. The choice to enumerate this model higher than the M70 is puzzling at first given that it is slightly smaller and less powerful model but is that is most likely due to this models unique featureset and quality components (deck) ranked it higher in terms of retail cost?
Specifications:
Semiconductors: 11 IC's, 84 Transistors
Speakers:
- 16cm (4 ohm) x2
- 5cm (4 ohm) x2
Tuner Section:
- Frequency Ranges:
- FM 88-108MHz
- MW 540 - 1600kHz
- SW 5.75 ~ 6.25MHz
- Antenna:
- Telescopics for FM & SW
- Ferrite Core antenna for MW & SW
- Ext. antenna terminals for FM & SW
Tape Recorder Section:
- Frequency Response:
- 30 - 16,000 Hz with Metal Tape
- 30 - 15,000 Hz with Chrome Tape
- 30 - 14,000 Hz with normal tape
- Heads: 2
- SEN ALLOY for recording/playback
- 2-Gap SEN ALLOY head for erasure
- S/N Ratio: 50dB
- FF/RW time: Within 90 seconds, (C-60 cassette)
Amplifier Section:
- Power Output: Max 12W (6w + 6w). RMS = 7W (3.5w + 3.5w) at 4 ohms from 100Hz to 15kHz with no more than 10% THD.
- Input Jacks: Mic x 2, Line-in (or phone) x2, DC in x1, Remote jack x1
- Output Jacks: Ext. speaker x2 (4~8 ohms), Headphones (8-32 ohms), Line-out x2
- Power Supply:
- DC 15V (10 x "D" Cells)
- Car Battery through a car battery adapter
- AC (RC-M80JW) 240/220/120V, 50/60Hz
- AC (RC-M80R) 240/220/110V, 50/60Hz
- AC (RC-M80RH) 240V, 50/60Hz
- Power Consumption: 20W
- Dimensions: 521 x 301 x 137 mm, WxHxD
- Weight: 7.5kg (w/o batteries), 8.3kg, (with batteries)
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