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The RC-838 was introduced in 1978, and it's a very heavy, well-built machine. The tape deck is very stable, with a wow and flutter rating of only 0.07% WRMS. The PLL tuner (Phase-Locked Loop) provides great reception. And the VU meters are big, bold, and much more accurate than the ones on most other boomboxes. Many collectors install LED's on those meters to illuminate them. This model also has a unique spatial stereo feature called BiPhonic. You can read more about it in the diagrams shown below. There is also an "Expand" mode, which is similar to the "Wide Stereo" mode found on many other boomboxes.

It has become a collectors' favorite because of its old-school styling and heavy build. It's nowhere near as powerful as the JVC RC-M70, but that's not a fair comparison, because the M70 came out 2 years later when all the manufacturers were increasing power.

Dimensions: 20" x 12.5" x 6.25"
Speakers: 6.5" woofers and 2" tweeters
Output power: 2x2.4W FTC minimum, 2x5W maximum
Model variations: RC-838L, RC-838LB, and RC-838JW

Click HERE to return to the JVC page, or HERE to see the list of all manufacturers.