Sharp Oh! JC-7 / JC-77

Sharp Oh! JC-7/JC77

AM/FM Radio Cassette Player with 4-Band Equalizer

Who says you can't take it with you? As we all know, the best way to listen to music is through a system, which means an amp, tuner, cassette player, and equalizer. Of course, the only place you can really do that is at home. Unless you own a new, remarkably portable system from Sharp. The JC-77 Lightweight Headphone Stereo. Its amplifier generates enough power to ensure you get crisp, clean sound, regardless of the volume. It also has a four-band equalizer that adjusts individual frequencies so you can customize your sound. A cassette player that has hands-off auto-reverse for uninterrupted playback, plus Dolby, which virtually eliminates annoying tape hiss. And an FM/AM tuner pack that provides you with exceptionally sensitive tuning and drift-free radio reception. Of course, the JC-77 is just one of Sharp’s full line of personal portable stereos. So visit your nearest Sharp dealer. Once you give the JC-77 a listen, we'll bet you take it with you.

Sharp JC-7/JC-77 Highlights:

Slim, thin, and lightweight stereo cassette player with auto-reverse system and 4-band graphic equalizer for sophisticated listening on the move.

• Detachable FM stereo/FM/AM 2-band tuner pack.

• 3-way auto-reverse system.

• The JC-7 incorporates a 4-band graphic equalizer.

• Dolby B-type noise reduction system.

• Pair listening—two headphone outputs for music sharing.

• Anti-rolling mechanism.

Zinc die-cast head housing

The Sharp JC-7 Oh! has a zinc die-cast head housing for a reliable tape transport in order to achieve an accurate sound reproduction and also to minimize wow and flutter. This is combined with its anti-rolling mechanism with two flywheels for on-the-go stability.

Super-flat coreless motor

Furthermore, the Sharp JC-7 has a newly developed super-flat coreless motor

housed in a copper case in order to ensure accurate music reproduction. The copper has excellent electrical and thermal conductivity, which are crucial for efficient motor operation. The high conductivity of copper also allows for smaller, more compact motor designs while maintaining efficiency.

4-band graphic equalizer

Finally, to complete the JC-7 sound features, Sharp implemented a 4-band

graphic equalizer to suit your musical needs on the go, from 100 Hz to 10 kHz, from bass to treble and vocals. While other manufacturers did not see the graphic equalizer as an important part of a headphone stereo, Sharp made their 4-band graphic equalizers an essential part of their stereo headphones lineup over the years.

Left: JC-7 Japanese 1984 ad. Right: Dedicated JC Oh! July 1984 Catalog

JC Oh! dedicated 3-page foldable catalog July 1984, pages 2~5

JC Oh! dedicated 3-page foldable catalog July 1984, pages 2~3

 Sharp JC Oh! double-sided promotional Japanese brochure, August 1984

JC-7's debut in the Sharp portable audio catalog, December 1983

Sharp portable audio products, Dec. 1984, world Catalog

Sharp Audio TV Video 1984~85 German Catalog

Packaging

 Sharp JC-7 (BK) Japanese Package

 Left: The sides of Sharp's JC-7(BK) box. Right: JC-7 (S) Silver unboxed.

Sharp JC-77 (BK) world package

Sharp JC-77 Operation manual

Sharp Oh! JC-7 Versions

There are two primary model versions of the JC-7, one for the Japanese market and one for the rest of the world, which includes the Asian market, in addition to two distinct cosmetic versions. Although it is unclear how the model structure differs, it seems that the JC-7 and JC-77 are sold in the same markets. However, according to the service manual, the JC-7H does not come with the Tuner Pack, whereas the JC-7G and JC-77 do. Despite having black, silver, and red in both markets, the Japanese version seems to be different; the silver is entirely silver, and the red player body is completely red. The Japanese players are far more stylish and sexy. The equalizer and cassette panel on the world version are dark green rather than black on all three. Although it was never documented, Sharp added a limited-edition white-colored version as a fourth color exclusively to the Japanese market.

A rare white JC-7; I saw this for sale on a Japanese website; despite its dirtiness, it is obviously white rather than silver.

Sharp's JC-7 built

Although the Sharp players are housed in plastic, their interior is made of die-cast zinc and metal, making them wolves in sheep's clothing. The best metals are used in their construction to ensure a robust and long-lasting design. 

Sharp engineers adapted the Toshiba build for their units' mechanism line*; therefore, they are quite complicated by design. One can tell how sturdy these players are just by looking at the housing of the head. Time, however, showed that they were not resilient; the majority of them suffer greatly from various malfunctions, from gear-related problems to bad capacitors, etc. Even a simple task like replacing a belt will cause the player to stop functioning properly unless you are a skilled technician and familiar with this player. *(More details here).

Sharp's JC-7 Sound quality

Sharp is known to build hi-fi systems with very high-quality sound. They are famously known for high-quality portable players like MiniDiscs. I didn't have the opportunity to conduct a real audit of the JC-7 due to the aforementioned problems, but I was astounded to learn that their reputation held up well and that the JC-N6 had a very bright and clear sound. The low frequencies, however, are severely lacking. The unit power, on the other hand, is extremely high for such a small player, but it reached a point of distortion at volume 8, which makes sense given that the power amp is for a twin output. 

Sharp's JC-7 advancement

The JC-7 is quite sophisticated for its time period; it has a few tricks up its sleeve. It appears to have been thoughtfully created. One of them is the unit's power, which is linked to the headphone sockets; thus, if the headphones are not plugged in, the main power is automatically disconnected, preventing accidental playback and battery drain. Likewise, if the cassette compartment is empty of a cassette or tuner pack, the player will not function.

Technical Information

Accessories:

• Lightweight stereo headphones. 

• Convenient belt clip for easy carrying.

• Available in three fashionable colors ((BK)=black, (R)=red, (S)=silver) 

• Dimensions: 109(W) x 76.8(H) x 24.5(D) mm.

• Weight: 220 g without batteries and tuner pack.

TAPE PLAYER:

Power source:

2 “AAA” cells or 

External 3V DC adapter.

Output power:

Max.: 32 mW (16 mW + 16 mW). 10% distortion.

RMS: 20 mW (10 mW + 10 mW) 

Frequency Response:

40 Hz ~ 14,000 Hz (normal tape).

40 Hz ~ 16,000 Hz (CrO₂ tape).

40 Hz ~ 16,000 Hz (metal tape). 

Dolby NR off: 54 dB.

Dolby NR effect: 10 dB.

TUNER PACK:

Frequency range:

FM: 87.6 MHz ~ 108 MHz.

AM: 526.5 ~ 1606.5 kHz.

HEADPHONES:

Impedance: 100 ohms.

Weight: 48 g with lead and plug.

The Service Manual for Sharp's JC-77/JC-7G

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