Hi Guys & Gals,
I've just received an honest little JVC -RC656WH and I must say I'm impressed.
The build quality of the RC-656 is pretty great. I can see the shared DNA with the mighty M70. JVC did de-feature this model somewhat but quality has been maintained. No balance control is offered plus there is no facility for a JVC strap! I honestly don't miss a balance knob but the ability to utilise a strap would have been handy on a compact model like this. For some reason, JVC didn't allow the LEDs the light up on radio or line in mode. They do look nice and flashy when playing tapes though!
This unit is one of the few boxes I've purchased that has a 'fully working' deck! Now, I'm not talking about a deck that turns the tapes but sounds crap, plays slow and warbly and doesn't record very well - this deck sounds fantastic and records beautifully. I've successfully recorded both FM and MP3 files with excellent results.
I've seen many comments from people that have bought an RC-656 and have had the same experience with a working deck from the get-go. After taking the back off, the inside looked like virgin territory with an undisturbed layer of dust inside and all the screws had that special 'crack' sound that makes me think their undisturbed.
It did have a rusty battery compartment though. The seller was honestly unaware of this issue and offered a generous partial refund due to this issue. Although rusty, the springs etc were solid so after a rust convert and sand, DC operation has been restored.
Apart from this issue, only the band selector & Mono/Stereo switches have needed work. After a clean and around 100 switches back and forth, their now 100% reliable. All other controls including the volume and tone controls are smooth and don't need any attention right now. 
Sound: The output from the RC-656 is very clear with precise highs and mids. It's a grown up and balanced style of sound but as per usual, it's a little bass shy compared with the M9990 even my TRK-8080 pumping out a more convincing bass line. It's goes very loud though and doesn't tend to distort at max bass and treble settings until you up over 2/3 rds volume. I had it cranking the tunes at work yesterday and it managed to fill the warehouse with big volume. Again, not a bassy sound but it sure goes loud for a 12 volt box.
Styling: I must admit, I've never been a big fan of the bland looking egg grate style JVC grills. This situation isn't helped by the featureless colours JVC chose for this model. The tuner dial section is expensive looking though and the horn style tweeters look cool. The grills do look better in person though and the 'look' is growing on me.
Build: JVC did rip out some features for the RC-656 but they maintained the quality of the controls including the deck. There are no sliders on this model which I don't miss. The box feels very solid when carrying it around with no creaking etc.
Connectivity: In general, my 'Line-In' boxes get a lot more use for obvious reasons. I'd heard that the RC-656 didn't have a proper line.
I'd accepted the lack of this feature but to my delight, I discovered that this WH model does have a real line in. Like the AIWA TPR series, you just leave the unit on radio mode and plug in your MP3 player via the RCA plugs and away you go. The output and volume of the sound whilst in line in mode is perfect if you adjust the I Phone volume down slightly from max to get the sound level just right.
Basic video showing the radio/tape deck and line in functions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7OlPeDGvOE
After a little research I found the following: Check out the following photos: The Function Switch text is slightly different on the first unit with 'Line In' below the Radio mode. The 2nd photo is from a 'Record mode only' Line In unit:
Proper Line In:
View attachment 1357
Record mode only Line In:
View attachment 1358
It's actually a nice change to buy a box and have it work pretty much out of the box so this RC-656WH is a 'fuss and drama free' keeper.
Thanks,
James....
View attachment 1359
View attachment 1360
View attachment 1361
View attachment 1362
I've just received an honest little JVC -RC656WH and I must say I'm impressed.
The build quality of the RC-656 is pretty great. I can see the shared DNA with the mighty M70. JVC did de-feature this model somewhat but quality has been maintained. No balance control is offered plus there is no facility for a JVC strap! I honestly don't miss a balance knob but the ability to utilise a strap would have been handy on a compact model like this. For some reason, JVC didn't allow the LEDs the light up on radio or line in mode. They do look nice and flashy when playing tapes though!
This unit is one of the few boxes I've purchased that has a 'fully working' deck! Now, I'm not talking about a deck that turns the tapes but sounds crap, plays slow and warbly and doesn't record very well - this deck sounds fantastic and records beautifully. I've successfully recorded both FM and MP3 files with excellent results.
I've seen many comments from people that have bought an RC-656 and have had the same experience with a working deck from the get-go. After taking the back off, the inside looked like virgin territory with an undisturbed layer of dust inside and all the screws had that special 'crack' sound that makes me think their undisturbed.
It did have a rusty battery compartment though. The seller was honestly unaware of this issue and offered a generous partial refund due to this issue. Although rusty, the springs etc were solid so after a rust convert and sand, DC operation has been restored.
Apart from this issue, only the band selector & Mono/Stereo switches have needed work. After a clean and around 100 switches back and forth, their now 100% reliable. All other controls including the volume and tone controls are smooth and don't need any attention right now. Sound: The output from the RC-656 is very clear with precise highs and mids. It's a grown up and balanced style of sound but as per usual, it's a little bass shy compared with the M9990 even my TRK-8080 pumping out a more convincing bass line. It's goes very loud though and doesn't tend to distort at max bass and treble settings until you up over 2/3 rds volume. I had it cranking the tunes at work yesterday and it managed to fill the warehouse with big volume. Again, not a bassy sound but it sure goes loud for a 12 volt box.
Styling: I must admit, I've never been a big fan of the bland looking egg grate style JVC grills. This situation isn't helped by the featureless colours JVC chose for this model. The tuner dial section is expensive looking though and the horn style tweeters look cool. The grills do look better in person though and the 'look' is growing on me.
Build: JVC did rip out some features for the RC-656 but they maintained the quality of the controls including the deck. There are no sliders on this model which I don't miss. The box feels very solid when carrying it around with no creaking etc.
Connectivity: In general, my 'Line-In' boxes get a lot more use for obvious reasons. I'd heard that the RC-656 didn't have a proper line.
I'd accepted the lack of this feature but to my delight, I discovered that this WH model does have a real line in. Like the AIWA TPR series, you just leave the unit on radio mode and plug in your MP3 player via the RCA plugs and away you go. The output and volume of the sound whilst in line in mode is perfect if you adjust the I Phone volume down slightly from max to get the sound level just right.Basic video showing the radio/tape deck and line in functions:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l7OlPeDGvOE
After a little research I found the following: Check out the following photos: The Function Switch text is slightly different on the first unit with 'Line In' below the Radio mode. The 2nd photo is from a 'Record mode only' Line In unit:
Proper Line In:
View attachment 1357
Record mode only Line In:
View attachment 1358
It's actually a nice change to buy a box and have it work pretty much out of the box so this RC-656WH is a 'fuss and drama free' keeper.
Thanks,
James....
View attachment 1359
View attachment 1360
View attachment 1361
View attachment 1362
The tape transport in mine worked perfectly from the moment I de-boxed it, sound with anything recorded on a TDK SA is especially good, whether recorded on the 656 itself or on my "reference" PC-11 whose Dolby B/Super ANRS deck is a match for my old Aiwa ADF 410 separates deck any time of the day.
