JVC PC-V2: proper quality when all around were failing...

[isolator42]

I've been after this one for quite a while...
28 quid from eBay, fully working, cosmetically fine & clean too!

In the late 80s, before cut-price (& lower quality) eggs took over, some top-end boomers were black, mean, angular & still serious about sound. CD had come along too.
This is one of the very first Hyper-Bass Sound models from JVC. It's a 3pc & has a woofer buried inside the main unit firing out of a port at the lower front (there's quite a breeze when it's cranked up). It was an expensive model with great build (when all around were cutting quality & price) & great features too:
CD player of course but they hadn't scrimped on the tape deck: servo, Dolby, Auto-reverse (the head flips around), Metal. Also there's a 5 band EQ, 4 band tuner with fine tune on SW, proper aux-in & out, mic in, a cool "warp-drive" volume control (very 80s) & that wonderful Hyper-Bass which gives those rich, deep lows. Thankfully the mids & treble sound great from this boomer too. I'd compare it to one of the cobra-top Pannys for sound quality - high praise indeed.

I own top-end JVCs from the classic era (M90) & today (Kaboom), & now I have the missing link, the JVC PC-V2:

My mate Steve bought one of these from Dixons with a store card (hmm, I thought you had to be 18 to get credit - he certainly wasn't!). You had to be so careful playing the CD when walking along or it would skip. I remember being in the park one summer evening (probably 1987) listening to Black's new CD "Wonderful Life" (not exactly breakdancing stuff, but we were older by then), & being amazed at the clarity of the treble & vocal & the depth of the bass from a portable just sat there on the grass. For sound quality, It knocked my Hitachi 3D7 for six.
Shortly after that we all got into HiFi & learning to drive & boomboxes faded from our desires. We'd had a boombox of some sort with us in our group since 1983. This JVC was our groups last hurrah.

 

[BoomBoxDeluxe]

Nice box you have there.

The song by Black is class. I liked it when it was in the charts, and still do.

Recently searched for it on YouTube, and its there.


Enjoy your new box, 'cos its another one saved by the WGM, baby!



-BoomBoxDeluxe.

 

[Master Z]

Cool box, I had a PC-V55 single cassette version and I agree the tape deck was impressive. but I wouldnt go as far as saying the box was high end quality. I didn't like the fact that all the function switched were so small and the case seemed thin. But one can argue that it WAS quality for it's time. (The end of proper boomboxes.)
Does that model have tweeters under those louvers above the drivers? Or does it just have 2 full range speakers?
If they are tweeters I'm sure it makes a huge improvment to the sound.
They should have incorperated a seperate Hyperbass vol control. With the Hyperbass turned off the sound is a joke, there is no point in turning it off. EVER!
I really enjoyed the PC-V55 at low to mid volume. I used it all the time as the sound for my computer. It was great, but once you passed the halfway mark and hit "warp speed" the sound quality hits a wall and falls off hard.
What do you think? Can you crank the V2 and still get good sound (lowering the eq settings of course.)??? How does it compare with other boxes you own.
Peace,
Paul Z

PC-V55

 

[isolator42]

You're right on both counts there, Paul:

...it WAS quality for it's time (The end of proper boomboxes.)...

just nice to see something that meant business in amongst the mire...

...once you passed the halfway mark and hit "warp speed" the sound quality hits a wall and falls off hard...

for sure.
It seems the same for all of these acoustically loaded woofer boomers (like the ASW 3D Hitachis). Awsome, rich bass up to a point & then - yuck. Unfortunately limited by the power available, but that's portable audio for you.