JVC TD-W354BK Tape Decks
JVC TD-W354BK Tape Decks
USER REVIEWS
[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. |
[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. |
[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 |
[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. |
[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. |
[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. |
[Mar 12, 2001]
Hunter
Audio Enthusiast
Strength:
Automatic tape type calibration
Weakness:
Had to get it fixed for two problems in first year 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 |
[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. |
[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 |