JVC TD-W354BK Tape Decks

JVC TD-W354BK Tape Decks 

USER REVIEWS

Showing 1-9 of 9  
[Mar 23, 2003]
Karen Vauris
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Sounds great

Weakness:

Cassette players dont work after using only one time. Clock on sterio gains time.

I have a MX-GT80 compact component system. I am very displeased on how when I tried for the first time to use the cassette that neither side door opens or when you do finally get it open it will not play the music on the cassette.

Similar Products Used:

JVC Camcorder which also has a bad problem with the zoom in and out switch. I thought JVC was suppose to be top of the line but now I am finding out it is not.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
1
[Jan 21, 2003]
morbinson
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Dolby HX Pro, B and C noise reduction, Pitch adjustment, auto reverse selection, compu calibration, mic mix level control.

Weakness:

Great features can be deceiving. After 4 years of relatively light usage (twice a month), without warning the record deck started creasing tapes. After spending over $100 to repair that problem, the playback deck started doing the same thing, ruining the beginning of a live master tape. I don't think it's worth spending another $100 just to be deceived again. If I take it in for servicing, I won't pick it up. High Maintenance.

The JVC TD-W354BK double cassette deck seemed to offer me everything I needed to make professsional sounding cassette copies and dubs to other formats.

Similar Products Used:

KENWOOD STEREO CASSETTE DECK KX-56CW I had to purchase this unit while my JVC was in the shop.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
2
[Dec 09, 2002]
Jerry Baker
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Quietness and ease of operation.

Weakness:

Tape drags and stops on older tapes.

I have two TD-W354's and two TD-W254's purchased in 1999 and 2000. Both are similar machines with the 254 lacking the microphone input. These machines have operated flawlessly except recently all have started either stopping completely or dragging severely on older tapes. There seems to be no torque adjustment, of course, but I wondered if anyone else is having similar problems.

Similar Products Used:

XL-Z232, XL-F254

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
3
[Nov 30, 2002]
Udo Dirkschnieder
AudioPhile

Strength:

The compu cal might be nice if the deck atually worked, variable pitch is nice,

Weakness:

quality, durability, plastic knobs, only one input adjust/recording level. Plastic everything else.....

I'm in the Navy on shore duty. We have 3 of these decks that are used on occasion for ceremonies and things like that.The only thing I can say for sure about this product is all three of them are broke and it wasn't from misuse.

Similar Products Used:

I own a Nakamichi 670ZX and I would have to compare this JVC to my old dual well Pioneer peice of crap. Once you own a Nak, everything else just seems like junk.

OVERALL
RATING
2
VALUE
RATING
1
[Mar 20, 2002]
James Terhune
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

See original review

Weakness:

See original review

An update: Come August 26, 2002, I will have had my unit for three years--and I have to say that it is still going as strong as the day I got it. Granted, I don''t use it as much now as I used to, but nowadays whenever I do, I''m still satisfied with the recording/playback results I get. I''ve read about the various problems that various users of the TD-W354 have encountered over time, but I''m glad to admit that my unit has been wonderful--the one I ordered from Crutchfield must''ve come from a good batch of units. Anyway, from my experience, JVC tape decks are very good, so for anyone still in the analog realm of audio, the TD-W354 model is one of the best out there. But I''m still giving it four stars.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Nov 11, 2000]
Ken
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Super quiet great deal for the money (especially what I got it for)

Weakness:

Has problems playing long tapes 110min-120mins

I have had my eye on this product for the longest time and finally decided to take my chance with it. All I can say is buy it. This unit is super quite and has all the features you will ever need on a tape deck. True it has no remote but the sound quality more than makes up for the lack of one.

Similar Products Used:

Kenwood, Aiwa, Sony.

OVERALL
RATING
5
VALUE
RATING
5
[Mar 12, 2001]
Hunter
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Automatic tape type calibration
Intuitive recording
Music skip rewind/fast forward

Weakness:

Had to get it fixed for two problems in first year
Slow fast forward/rewind

While I am currently happy with the performance of this tape deck, it was a long time coming. Within the first few months of ownership, it ate a couple of tapes. Then after 7 months, the recording functionality went out. I sent it out to be serviced, telling them in detail about both problems, and it came back in a couple of weeks, but with only the tape eating problem fixed. I sent it back to get the recording fixed and that took almost 2 months. I don't know how long it's going to last now and of course the warranty's run out now. Beware. Other than that, I like the quality of the recordings it makes. The Compu. Calibration seems to work well and other than the slow rewind/f. forward, it is a good product for the money if it's not in the shop.

Similar Products Used:

old Pioneer tape deck

OVERALL
RATING
3
VALUE
RATING
3
[Nov 10, 1999]
James Terhune
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Extremely quiet motors; decent physical construction quality.

Weakness:

Not as compatible with my JVC CD player as I would like it to be.

The TD-W354BK is, simply put, the best dual cassette deck that I have ever owned. The dubbing, source recording and playback quality of this deck is, in my opinion, second to none.
I also own a JVC 200 disc CD player/changer (model XL-MC222). Although synchronized recording is possible, the cassette deck's DDRP (Dynamics Detection Recording Processor) feature is only compliant with a JVC single disc CD player. What a drag!
In response to another reviewer's comments, the deck's B well will sound a tad better than well A. Well B incorporates a feature that JVC calls "Compu Calibration." This feature (when activated during dubbing or source recording) automatically adjusts a tape's frequency characteristics to procure the best possible sound from it during playback. Well A, on the other hand, plays cassettes as they are.
All in all, I enjoy my unit very much.
It has not given me even an ounce of trouble (granted I've only had it for three months). With that, I give it four stars because, although it is a good product from a reputable company, the unit, as with anything in life, is not perfect.

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
[Sep 10, 2000]
Dave Ambrose
Audio Enthusiast

Strength:

Quiet running. Microphone input (only model in this price range with mic input)

Weakness:

No remote

I bought this unit (paid about $ 300 Cdn) several months ago. The first month itself I discovered that one of the motors was running slower than the other at synchrodubbing causing distorted recording. I returned that unit promptly and picked up another one of the same model. Quite pleased with the current unit.

Similar Products Used:

None

OVERALL
RATING
4
VALUE
RATING
4
Showing 1-9 of 9  

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