General:

The JVC TD-X321 cassette deck was made by Japan Victor Company JVC audio HiFi division in Japan around 1989.

Front panel ^

 

Front detail ^

 

Special futures:

This simple cassette deck is well designed and well constructed, for a very low price.
The electronics inside are of good quality, the deck mechanic front-end is low cost but works well.
It features logic touch keys and has HX pro and Dolby B &C.
This deck has 2 unbalanced Microphone inputs!
The display is cheap and quite basic and gives just an indication, nothing more.
The deck is easy to align for the cassette brand of your choice.

 

Not very nice cabling spagetti ^

Low cost mechanics ^

 

Specifications:

Frequency Response:
Metal Tape : 20 - 17,000 Hz
Chrome Tape : 20 -16,000 Hz
Normal Tape : 20 -16,000 Hz
Signal-to-Noise Ratio : 58 dB (metal tape)
Wow and Flutter : 0,08% (WRMS)
Motor: DC govern.
Channel Separation (1 kHz): 40 dB
Harmonic Distortion: Total (0 VU, 1 kHz): 1,0% (metal)
Heads: Record/Playback: Metaperm head
Erase : Two-gap ferrite head
Input Sensitivity/Impedance: 80mV/50 kΩ
Mic: 0.4 mV/600-10kΩ
Line Out : 300 mV/5 kΩ
Headphones : 0,3 mW/8 Ω
Dimensions (W x H x D): 435 x 115 x 289 mm
Weight: 3,7 kg (8,2 lbs)

 

User Manual:

Click here to download the 1989 brochure JPG format

 

Schematic:

Click here to download the service manual of the JVC TD-X321 in PDF format

 

The Dolby board with Hitachi IC and PB amp section^

 

Modifications:

Set the power transformer voltage setting from 220 V to 240 V in Europe,
if you fail to do so, your deck will stop functioning sooner or later, as the transformer gets very warm.

Also replace the fuses for 1.25A T slow blow. The original 0.8A T are dimensioned too small.
 

Power supply with view on the fuses ^

Cheap mechanics ^

Low cost Matsushita motor ^

 

Sound:

The sound is good for this kind low cost cassette deck.