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The JVC JR-S501, -S401, -S301, and -S201 are "near classic" Japanese receivers of the late '70's and early '80's. They share unique styling and solid performance. They are styled similarly to the older JR-S100, -S200, -S300, -S400, and -S600 which are NOT the main focus of this guide. Enthusiasts refer to them as the "x00" or "x01" series. My experience has been with the newer "x01" units, and all comments here should be taken as describing the x01 series unless specifically stated otherwise. JVC also produced a cassette deck (KD-S201) using similar styling to mate with the "x01" receivers.
KD-S201 cassette deck photo courtesy of iavscanada.
JVC was proud of their "Knobless" design, although the adjustment for the tuner section is simply a very large knob cleverly mounted sideways and mostly hidden behind the faceplate! Everything else is handled by pushbuttons or sliders. Although the external styling and circuit board locations were similar, and even some parts interchanged, the amplifier sections became decidedly beefier as the rated power increased.
Top to bottom: '201, '401, '501. Notice '201 is physically smaller, ('301 similar to '201, but would have silver buttons.)
Rear panels Note extra phono connection on bottom two.
Again, note '201 is not as deep as '401 and '501
'201 Note number of buttons and meter faces. '301 similar, but would have silver buttons instead of black, and different meter faces that would not be visible in these small photos..
'401 Note number of buttons and meter faces
'501 Note number of buttons, meters identical to '401 exept for power rating that's invisible on these small photos.
(Meters calibrated for 120w/c/8 on '501, 85w/c/8 on '401.)
The -S201 (35 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load) and -S301 (60 w/p/c/8) are based on chassis having the same external dimensions (19 3/4 x 6 9/16 x 14 15/16.) The -S401 (85 w/p/c/8) and -S501 (120 w/p/c/8) share a larger sized chassis (22 1/16 x 6 9/16 x 16 15/16.) In each instance, moving "upmarket" brings additional features (which, except for the -S301 means more pushbuttons on the front panel) as well as the increase in output power.
All of the x01 models include a five-band Sound Effect Amplifier (S.E.A.) graphic equalizer with center frequencies of 40 hz, 250 hz, 1 khz, 5 khz, and 15 khz. The equalizer can boost or cut up to 12 db. There is a nice tuner section, and the amplifier section acts as if it were more powerful than the output watt rating would suggest, in part because each of these receivers are rated for a 4-ohm nominal load, and at higher output wattage than the 8-ohm spec. (They have high current capacity) The internal power supplies are very hefty in comparison to similar-rated mass-market receivers made today. Today's mass-market junk is often not rated for a 4-ohm load because the power supply and/or the output transistors are incapable of delivering enough current, and/or the rated output includes a frighteningly high amount of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Not so with these babies. The power ratings are from 20-20,000hz at .03% THD, and with both channels driven. They all allow the on-board equalizer to adjust the signal sent to a tape deck Each is able to power two pair of speakers, selectable by the SPK 1 and SPK 2 pushbuttons on the front, just to the right of the main power button and the headphone jack. Because they have switches for two pair of speakers, they are sometimes advertised as "4-channel" amps, which is NOT correct. You can send power to either pair of speakers. (Or both pair simultaneously, provided the nominal impedance of each pair of speakers is 8 ohms or greater.) Each receiver in this line-up has vertically-stacked buttons for FM, AM, Phono, Aux, and FM Mute Off, from top to bottom of the brushed aluminum panel. The balance and volume sliders are under the equalizer sliders. The -S201 and -S301 have jacks to connect a single turntable (record player), while the -S401 and -S501 have connections for two turntables, and a switch to choose which is active.
The -S201 uses black pushbuttons, while all the others have "chromed" buttons. The -S201 has two meter slots, both meters are for tuning the radio section: one for signal strength, and one for verifying you're tuned to the "center" of an FM broadcast frequency. This will be completely unknown to younger enthusiasts who grew up thinking that digital tuning was the only way to do things. An orange-red light illuminates "PLL STEREO" when you have a properly tuned FM stereo radio broadcast. PLL stands for Phase-Locked Loop, a method for stabilizing the performance of the tuner. There are six additional buttons on the -S201: Subsonic filter, (to cut rumble from warped vinyl records); SEA Record, to control whether the equalizer is switched in when recording, so that the recorded sound is processed by the equalizer; Tape 1 and Tape 2 with Tape 1 the preferred location for an external noise reduction device if one is used. Dubbing from one tape deck to another is provided, but only from Tape 1 (playing) to Tape 2 (recording). There is a Mono button to blend stereo sources down to a single channel which is then sent to whichever speakers are selected, and finally a Loudness button to increase the bass and perhaps the treble, useful at low volume levels. The output devices for the amplifier section are in a pair of Darlington modules located on the main heat sink. One module per channel, and the heat sink is of generous size especially considering the low 35-watt output. 23.3 lbs, very heavy by today's standards. I expect it weighs as much--and has a larger power supply--than some "200 Watt" mass-market Chinese junk receivers.
The -S301 has all the features of the -S201, plus chromed buttons. The two tuning meters are moved to the left slot while the right slot now houses a pair of power-output meters. One power meter for each channel, calibrated for an 8-ohm load. I am not sure what output devices are used, I suspect they do not use pre-packaged Darlington devices like the -S201. 27.3 lbs
The -S401 has all the features of the -S301, plus two additional pushbuttons: A "High" filter next to the Subsonic filter; (useful for cutting the "hiss" out of bad radio stations and/or vinyl records that have been poorly cared for) and a button to select which of the two phonograph connections are active when the Phono button on the central panel is activated. Four individual plastic case output transistors are used per channel. There are a pair of 63V, 1800 microfarad power supply capacitors. The -S401 and the -S501 seem to use the same power amp circuit board; on my units the -S501 is an "A" revision, and my -S401 has a "B" revision. 35.4 lbs
'401 internal view Note heat sink fins face outward from connecting link.
The -S501 has all the features of the -S401, plus one additional pushbutton that enables you to dub from either of the two tape decks to the other. (2-way dubbing.) This button is between the SEA Record button and the Tape 1 button. You must be careful to not create a feedback loop when dubbing AND using the S.E.A. record button. (don't dub from Tape 2 to Tape 1 with the S.E.A. Record button engaged.) Output devices are plastic-case transistors mounted on a pair of large heat sinks of basically the same design as the -S401, but with a "second layer" of heat sink fins. There are four individual output transistors per channel. There are a pair of 71V, 1800 microfarad power supply capacitors, and the -S501 uses a larger transformer. The main reason the -S501 (and -S401) is built on a larger chassis than the two lowest-powered receivers is to make room for the physically larger amplifier section. 46.2 lbs
Sorry for the dark photo. '501 heat sink fins are black, not silver like '401, and fins are "double sided", they face outward and inward from connecting link. Transformer larger than in '401.
Miscellaneous facts:
If the seller is advertising some crazy "watts" specification--280 to 480 or so--the seller is either listing the INPUT wattage (from the 120-volt wall socket) or is doubling/quadrupling the actual output wattage spec for reasons of his/her own. What I have listed above--wattage specs of 35/60/85/120 per channel into a nominal 8-ohm load are correct as verified by original sales brochures. 4-ohm specs were somewhat higher, but JVC also measured them differently enough to be not directly comparible to the 8-ohm rating, which is why I haven't listed the 4-ohm specs.
I owned two American-market -S201s. They used slightly different wiring for the main On/Off switch. I don't know why. I was able to use the switch from the first -S201 (which didn't work at all) to repair the second one, but I had to get inventive with the wire routing. My -S201 is currently powering the garage system using Bose 901 speakers
Overall, they seem to be a robust design. Except for that one bad switch, the Sx01's I've had that didn't work either had physical damage from a fire, or were overheated because of dust build-up. They are getting enough years on them that replacing the capacitors is probably a good idea, as is a general cleaning particularly of the tuner section which will not hold a station reliably when covered in dust. (compressed air from a distance is fine, no need for solvents--just blow off the accumulated dust and you're good to go!) The circuit boards seem to be heavy-duty and are servicable by human beings--you won't have to play "Honey, I shrunk the repairman" to replace components.
The printing on the faceplate is commonly worn off by the volume slider. I suspect the ink used did not last long when rubbed with dirty fingers.
The RCA jacks on the back panel are steel, they will oxidize and should be cleaned periodically. A pencil eraser is a suitable tool for cleaning them--just "erase" the oxidation. Gold-plated jacks don't readily oxidize and are more common now.
At the time these were made, they were a "full featured" receiver with plenty of inputs--particularly the -S401 and -S501. It's getting hard to find a receiver with a phono section, let alone connections for two phonographs/turntables, and two tape loops, plus an auxiliary input. The only feature that's really lacking on the x01 series is a set of preamp-out and power amp-in jacks. There were pre out/main in jacks on at least some of the x00 receivers.
The front panel lights are prone to failure, in particular the light mounted directly on the movable tuning indicator. The bulbs that illuminate the meters also illuminate the tuner dial, but having a functioning light mounted directly on the chrome tuning indicator is helpful--and classy. Unfortunately, it is a non-common size, I don't know of a replacement bulb for the movable tuning indicator.
The back panels include a switched (100 watt) and an unswitched (150 watt) electrical outlet. They are for two-prong, non-polarized plugs, and as such are nearly useless now. Today, everything with a two-prong plug is polarized (one blade wider than the other.)
There is an AM antenna on the back panel, it uses a swivel joint so it can be positioned for best reception. If not packed carefully, this antenna is easily damaged in shipment.
The actual speaker wire connector on the back panel is a set of spring terminals. They will not accept the heavy speaker wires now commonly used--so you may have to install pin terminals on your speaker wires. Insalling pin terminals on your speaker wires is very simple and inexpensive--you can get gold-plated pins from Radio Shack, Monster Cable, and many other sources. The Rat Shack pins are nicely under $10 for a set of four.
Don't even ask about remote control. These were made long enough ago that you were expected to put the receiver at arm's length from the listening position, and use longer cables to route power to the speakers. Come to think of it, that's a good idea even now.
A review of the -S501 was published in the June 1979 Radio-Electronics magazine. It was rated "Very Good".
The JR-S501 was also reviewed in the October '78 Stereo Review magazine. "...it is a solidly constructed receiver that...offers just about the ideal mix of tuner performance, audio power, low distortion and noise, and operating flexibility at an attractive price."
Other reviews I know about but have not seen are:
The JR-S600 was in the January '77 Stereo Review magazine.
The JR-S300 was in the July '77 High Fidelity magazine, and the September, '76 Audio magazine.
JVC is also known as Victor Company of Japan, LTD.
Like many products, slightly different versions were produced for different geographical markets. All my observations are from product produced for the USA. I paid $600 including sales tax for my -S501 in April, 1979 from a local dealer. Retail price was higher, in the $700--$750 range, plus tax. This -S501 was used to power my main system until '91, when I put it in a secondary system and powered the main system with an Aragon power amp.
If you've found this guide helpful, please give me a "Yes" vote by clicking the button below. If you have suggestions for improvement, you can contact me through the My Messages feature of eBay by clicking on my user name above, then click on "Contact Member". Thanks, all!
Entire contents copyright (C) 2007, 2008 Camino3X2 Feel free to LINK to this Guide in your auctions
(Sorry, I have no control over photo size.)
KD-S201 cassette deck photo courtesy of iavscanada.
JVC was proud of their "Knobless" design, although the adjustment for the tuner section is simply a very large knob cleverly mounted sideways and mostly hidden behind the faceplate! Everything else is handled by pushbuttons or sliders. Although the external styling and circuit board locations were similar, and even some parts interchanged, the amplifier sections became decidedly beefier as the rated power increased.
Top to bottom: '201, '401, '501. Notice '201 is physically smaller, ('301 similar to '201, but would have silver buttons.)
Rear panels Note extra phono connection on bottom two.
Again, note '201 is not as deep as '401 and '501
'201 Note number of buttons and meter faces. '301 similar, but would have silver buttons instead of black, and different meter faces that would not be visible in these small photos..
'401 Note number of buttons and meter faces
'501 Note number of buttons, meters identical to '401 exept for power rating that's invisible on these small photos.
(Meters calibrated for 120w/c/8 on '501, 85w/c/8 on '401.)
The -S201 (35 watts per channel into an 8-ohm load) and -S301 (60 w/p/c/8) are based on chassis having the same external dimensions (19 3/4 x 6 9/16 x 14 15/16.) The -S401 (85 w/p/c/8) and -S501 (120 w/p/c/8) share a larger sized chassis (22 1/16 x 6 9/16 x 16 15/16.) In each instance, moving "upmarket" brings additional features (which, except for the -S301 means more pushbuttons on the front panel) as well as the increase in output power.
All of the x01 models include a five-band Sound Effect Amplifier (S.E.A.) graphic equalizer with center frequencies of 40 hz, 250 hz, 1 khz, 5 khz, and 15 khz. The equalizer can boost or cut up to 12 db. There is a nice tuner section, and the amplifier section acts as if it were more powerful than the output watt rating would suggest, in part because each of these receivers are rated for a 4-ohm nominal load, and at higher output wattage than the 8-ohm spec. (They have high current capacity) The internal power supplies are very hefty in comparison to similar-rated mass-market receivers made today. Today's mass-market junk is often not rated for a 4-ohm load because the power supply and/or the output transistors are incapable of delivering enough current, and/or the rated output includes a frighteningly high amount of Total Harmonic Distortion (THD). Not so with these babies. The power ratings are from 20-20,000hz at .03% THD, and with both channels driven. They all allow the on-board equalizer to adjust the signal sent to a tape deck Each is able to power two pair of speakers, selectable by the SPK 1 and SPK 2 pushbuttons on the front, just to the right of the main power button and the headphone jack. Because they have switches for two pair of speakers, they are sometimes advertised as "4-channel" amps, which is NOT correct. You can send power to either pair of speakers. (Or both pair simultaneously, provided the nominal impedance of each pair of speakers is 8 ohms or greater.) Each receiver in this line-up has vertically-stacked buttons for FM, AM, Phono, Aux, and FM Mute Off, from top to bottom of the brushed aluminum panel. The balance and volume sliders are under the equalizer sliders. The -S201 and -S301 have jacks to connect a single turntable (record player), while the -S401 and -S501 have connections for two turntables, and a switch to choose which is active.
The -S201 uses black pushbuttons, while all the others have "chromed" buttons. The -S201 has two meter slots, both meters are for tuning the radio section: one for signal strength, and one for verifying you're tuned to the "center" of an FM broadcast frequency. This will be completely unknown to younger enthusiasts who grew up thinking that digital tuning was the only way to do things. An orange-red light illuminates "PLL STEREO" when you have a properly tuned FM stereo radio broadcast. PLL stands for Phase-Locked Loop, a method for stabilizing the performance of the tuner. There are six additional buttons on the -S201: Subsonic filter, (to cut rumble from warped vinyl records); SEA Record, to control whether the equalizer is switched in when recording, so that the recorded sound is processed by the equalizer; Tape 1 and Tape 2 with Tape 1 the preferred location for an external noise reduction device if one is used. Dubbing from one tape deck to another is provided, but only from Tape 1 (playing) to Tape 2 (recording). There is a Mono button to blend stereo sources down to a single channel which is then sent to whichever speakers are selected, and finally a Loudness button to increase the bass and perhaps the treble, useful at low volume levels. The output devices for the amplifier section are in a pair of Darlington modules located on the main heat sink. One module per channel, and the heat sink is of generous size especially considering the low 35-watt output. 23.3 lbs, very heavy by today's standards. I expect it weighs as much--and has a larger power supply--than some "200 Watt" mass-market Chinese junk receivers.
The -S301 has all the features of the -S201, plus chromed buttons. The two tuning meters are moved to the left slot while the right slot now houses a pair of power-output meters. One power meter for each channel, calibrated for an 8-ohm load. I am not sure what output devices are used, I suspect they do not use pre-packaged Darlington devices like the -S201. 27.3 lbs
The -S401 has all the features of the -S301, plus two additional pushbuttons: A "High" filter next to the Subsonic filter; (useful for cutting the "hiss" out of bad radio stations and/or vinyl records that have been poorly cared for) and a button to select which of the two phonograph connections are active when the Phono button on the central panel is activated. Four individual plastic case output transistors are used per channel. There are a pair of 63V, 1800 microfarad power supply capacitors. The -S401 and the -S501 seem to use the same power amp circuit board; on my units the -S501 is an "A" revision, and my -S401 has a "B" revision. 35.4 lbs
'401 internal view Note heat sink fins face outward from connecting link.
The -S501 has all the features of the -S401, plus one additional pushbutton that enables you to dub from either of the two tape decks to the other. (2-way dubbing.) This button is between the SEA Record button and the Tape 1 button. You must be careful to not create a feedback loop when dubbing AND using the S.E.A. record button. (don't dub from Tape 2 to Tape 1 with the S.E.A. Record button engaged.) Output devices are plastic-case transistors mounted on a pair of large heat sinks of basically the same design as the -S401, but with a "second layer" of heat sink fins. There are four individual output transistors per channel. There are a pair of 71V, 1800 microfarad power supply capacitors, and the -S501 uses a larger transformer. The main reason the -S501 (and -S401) is built on a larger chassis than the two lowest-powered receivers is to make room for the physically larger amplifier section. 46.2 lbs
Sorry for the dark photo. '501 heat sink fins are black, not silver like '401, and fins are "double sided", they face outward and inward from connecting link. Transformer larger than in '401.
Miscellaneous facts:
If the seller is advertising some crazy "watts" specification--280 to 480 or so--the seller is either listing the INPUT wattage (from the 120-volt wall socket) or is doubling/quadrupling the actual output wattage spec for reasons of his/her own. What I have listed above--wattage specs of 35/60/85/120 per channel into a nominal 8-ohm load are correct as verified by original sales brochures. 4-ohm specs were somewhat higher, but JVC also measured them differently enough to be not directly comparible to the 8-ohm rating, which is why I haven't listed the 4-ohm specs.
I owned two American-market -S201s. They used slightly different wiring for the main On/Off switch. I don't know why. I was able to use the switch from the first -S201 (which didn't work at all) to repair the second one, but I had to get inventive with the wire routing. My -S201 is currently powering the garage system using Bose 901 speakers
Overall, they seem to be a robust design. Except for that one bad switch, the Sx01's I've had that didn't work either had physical damage from a fire, or were overheated because of dust build-up. They are getting enough years on them that replacing the capacitors is probably a good idea, as is a general cleaning particularly of the tuner section which will not hold a station reliably when covered in dust. (compressed air from a distance is fine, no need for solvents--just blow off the accumulated dust and you're good to go!) The circuit boards seem to be heavy-duty and are servicable by human beings--you won't have to play "Honey, I shrunk the repairman" to replace components.
The printing on the faceplate is commonly worn off by the volume slider. I suspect the ink used did not last long when rubbed with dirty fingers.
The RCA jacks on the back panel are steel, they will oxidize and should be cleaned periodically. A pencil eraser is a suitable tool for cleaning them--just "erase" the oxidation. Gold-plated jacks don't readily oxidize and are more common now.
At the time these were made, they were a "full featured" receiver with plenty of inputs--particularly the -S401 and -S501. It's getting hard to find a receiver with a phono section, let alone connections for two phonographs/turntables, and two tape loops, plus an auxiliary input. The only feature that's really lacking on the x01 series is a set of preamp-out and power amp-in jacks. There were pre out/main in jacks on at least some of the x00 receivers.
The front panel lights are prone to failure, in particular the light mounted directly on the movable tuning indicator. The bulbs that illuminate the meters also illuminate the tuner dial, but having a functioning light mounted directly on the chrome tuning indicator is helpful--and classy. Unfortunately, it is a non-common size, I don't know of a replacement bulb for the movable tuning indicator.
The back panels include a switched (100 watt) and an unswitched (150 watt) electrical outlet. They are for two-prong, non-polarized plugs, and as such are nearly useless now. Today, everything with a two-prong plug is polarized (one blade wider than the other.)
There is an AM antenna on the back panel, it uses a swivel joint so it can be positioned for best reception. If not packed carefully, this antenna is easily damaged in shipment.
The actual speaker wire connector on the back panel is a set of spring terminals. They will not accept the heavy speaker wires now commonly used--so you may have to install pin terminals on your speaker wires. Insalling pin terminals on your speaker wires is very simple and inexpensive--you can get gold-plated pins from Radio Shack, Monster Cable, and many other sources. The Rat Shack pins are nicely under $10 for a set of four.
Don't even ask about remote control. These were made long enough ago that you were expected to put the receiver at arm's length from the listening position, and use longer cables to route power to the speakers. Come to think of it, that's a good idea even now.
A review of the -S501 was published in the June 1979 Radio-Electronics magazine. It was rated "Very Good".
The JR-S501 was also reviewed in the October '78 Stereo Review magazine. "...it is a solidly constructed receiver that...offers just about the ideal mix of tuner performance, audio power, low distortion and noise, and operating flexibility at an attractive price."
Other reviews I know about but have not seen are:
The JR-S600 was in the January '77 Stereo Review magazine.
The JR-S300 was in the July '77 High Fidelity magazine, and the September, '76 Audio magazine.
JVC is also known as Victor Company of Japan, LTD.
Like many products, slightly different versions were produced for different geographical markets. All my observations are from product produced for the USA. I paid $600 including sales tax for my -S501 in April, 1979 from a local dealer. Retail price was higher, in the $700--$750 range, plus tax. This -S501 was used to power my main system until '91, when I put it in a secondary system and powered the main system with an Aragon power amp.
If you've found this guide helpful, please give me a "Yes" vote by clicking the button below. If you have suggestions for improvement, you can contact me through the My Messages feature of eBay by clicking on my user name above, then click on "Contact Member". Thanks, all!
Entire contents copyright (C) 2007, 2008 Camino3X2 Feel free to LINK to this Guide in your auctions
Guide created: 06/09/06 (updated 09/03/08)
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