Made in Japan, aluminum face high power 85 watts per channel at 8 ohms and supports loads down to 4 ohms (120 watts per channel at 1Khz) with A and B speakers. 6 analog inputs (including two phono) with 3 out including tape monitor and DIN connector for vintage reels and tape decks. Subsonic and high filters, Loudness, 5 band SEA graphic Equalizer with record button. Super low THD of only 0.008%! Massive power supply and high damping of 70 for great tight bass. Brand new lamps and FM board recap included!

What service work do I perform on stereo equipment before selling includes:

Internal dust removed. Visual inspection of boards for signs of overheat or component failures and replaced as necessary. Visual inspection of solder joints for cracking and cold joints and reflowed as necessary. Main power caps checked for proper capacitance and ESR values and replaced as necessary. Potentiometers switches sliders jacks all cleaned and lubricated with Deoxit. Inspection of ALL lamps including stereo lamps which are the first to fail. Replaced as necessary even if still working but too weak to provide even lighting. Exterior cleaning including knobs and buttons sanitized. Full checkout of every feature!

The JR-S401 looks, size and circuit are identical to the JR-S501 except for the slightly reduced power output.

The sophisticated, JVC refined DC power amplifier delivers a comfortable 85 watts per channel.

Functions are virtually identical to the top of the line model, and so is the fidelity.

Specifications

Tuning range: FM, MW

Power output: 85 watts per channel into 8Ω (stereo)

Frequency response: 5Hz to 40kHz

Total harmonic distortion: 0.008%

Damping factor: 70

Input sensitivity: 2.5mV (MM), 210mV (DIN), 210mV (line)

Signal to noise ratio: 75dB (MM), 95dB (DIN), 95dB (line)

Output: 210mV (line), 30mV (DIN)

Speaker load impedance: 4Ω to 16Ω

Dimensions: 166 x 560 x 429mm

Weight: 16.1kg

Year: 1978

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JVC Stereo Receivers

Reviews

Reviewed Mar 19th, 2017 by Phillip Johnson

I purchased one new in 1979. State of the Art at the time. Fitted with a pair of EPI V100 speakers. The sound was incredible.

Vintage JVC JR-S401 Stereo Receiver in Excellent Condition. This unit was just service and works great!

This item is sold As-Described and cannot be returned unless it arrives in a condition different from how it was described or photographed. Items must be returned in original, as-shipped condition with all original packaging.Learn More.

About this product

Product Identifiers

• Brand JVC
• MPN SERIAL09300660
• eBay Product ID (ePID) 11037669833

Product Key Features

• Model JR-S401

More items related to this product

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This is my main receiver that gets listened to almost everyday, I was just curious if any body else is a fan of this receiver. It's coupled to a JVC QL-7 and some Kossfire 110s

• 2

Im a fan of the JVC 401. also have a 301 .501 and 600. I like the industrial look of the 600 which i refer to the 00 series .. the 501 are the 01 series .. The JVC JR-S600 uses 22,000 caps and a toridal round power supply and is heavier than the 501 but both rated at 120 wpc . All units have all lettering including volume stenciling . I rotate them too along with a NIKKO 1415 monster receiver. All the pioneer guys who see this monster ask if it for sale .. no its not ..

• 3

Hello, I currently have my JVC -Jr-S401 in rotation. I also have the 301 ,501 and a JVC-JR S600 . I like the 600 for its industrial look and its mac look in a way . The 600 uses 22,000 caps and a round tordial transformer versies the 501 uses 18,000 caps and the 600 is heavier. I also rotate a NIKKO 1415 175 WPC TOTL reciever with pretty blue lights. I dont want to let the cat out of the bag either cause we know a well built receiever when we see it and hear it . Im asked all the time if id part with it . Na ..

• 4

It's an excellent receiver and a sleeper to boot.

I had a JVC JR-S501 loved it sold it. I now have a JR-S600 love it and won't be selling it, ever. Sound is amazingly clean and clear, power to satisfy anyone, very musical and expansive soundstage. One of the best receivers I've ever heard and a very bonny looking thing it is too!

• 5

Hi Folks... I'm new to this forum, and not much of an audiofile, but was always interested in big vintage receivers. So I missed a monster Kenwood this spring, my bad, but was in a pawn shop in Montreal recently and there was a nice JVC JR-S401, the price was rite, it looked real good, had a 30 day warranty, so I bought it!

I don't know when I'll have the time to hook it up, I'm working 12-14 hours per day, + my youtube video addiction, (I have over 7000 videos) and post every single day.

I also bot a nice old Pioneer Tuner and Yamaha tuner too, no amp was on the shelf, so they were cheap. Anyone have a matching amp? I'll try post pix now, sorry, they're a little blurry, I'll take better ones...

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• 6

I have become a fan of my JVC JS R401. Its up against large Advents and makes a great system for work. We have it on all day, never get tired of it. I think these are sleepers great sound and reasonably priced. Can't argue with that.

• 7

I have the little brother R201 setup in my bedroom driving a pair of smaller Advents. The sound is very nice and have been thinking of picking up a larger version but I really don't need the extra power in my bedroom.

• 8

JVC gear is under the radar, which is a good thing for those in the know.

I'm a BIG JVC fan.

Glenn

• 9

My first ever brand new receiver was a JVC S201 (35 wpc), hooked up to a JVC TT and a set of HPM 40s. Remember vividly listening to Dire Straits intro album with my house mates at the time and all of us being blown away. All of this for $1,200 Canadian (for all three components) back in 79, worth keeping in mind that this system in today's dollars would have cost $4,000 +.

I had to borrow to buy it, my first loan ever at some astronomical interest rate. All of this on the recommendation of a guy I met up north who worked for a mining company. His background was geophysics/geology/mining engineering, I don't recollect which but he had a passion for audio and had been doing his homework. He recommended JVC and in particular the "S" series of receivers as being a very good bang for the buck. Even then JVC were somewhat of an underdog and it was he that advised me to demo a number of different receivers with the same source running through a number of different speakers (keep in mind that an integrated amp and tuner were a far more expensive proposition). In those days stereo dealers did work for their money and I auditioned all manner of gear in my budget range (read wpc range) including all the big names of the era.

Long story short, you know the winner and that system sustained me right into the early 2000s when the surrounds on my woofers went, and then the S201 started having dirty pot and slider issues. Many in the day when we used to gather to listen to music (a foreign concept in these days) commented on how good my rather plebeian system sounded. Subsequently, my tech cleaned up the old S201 and was at pains to tell me the quality of the design and the components. I still own it carefully wrapped in its original packing box about to be seconded to one of my sons!

The JVC "S" series have never been much for looks, some would say they look industrial and the SEA equalizer feature was seen as a bit of a gimmick by purists except that it worked very well. You could make a source sound as clinical and neutral as you wanted or adjust it to warm it up, all the while with no loss of fidelity.

In the mid 2000s I was lucky enough to pick up an S401, what a receiver! I have little to compare it to in terms of output. I go from a HK 670 /G-5700 class to a G-8000/ G-7700 but probably the best comparison is a Sansui AU-719 (integrated, 70 wpc) with a rebuilt output board with uprated caps. It should come as no surprise that the S401 holds its own very nicely with the big difference being the S401 has never been touched by a technician to the best of my knowledge all the while with a 4 gang FM tuner onboard.

You have one of the all time great receivers, hang on to it and enjoy!

Last edited: Dec 4, 2014

• 10

I might be weird but I bought my 201 new because I really liked the way it looked. Used it for years with never an issue. Moved up to a Yamaha integrated when I started selling stereo equipment and then it was a revolving door.