The RD-D70 Wireless Traditional Hi-Fi System is a compact and elegantly designed hi-fi system from Japanese brand JVC. It looks great and offers a good range of features including DAB radio, Bluetooth and a CD player.  But how does the JVC RD-D70 perform? Find out in this review…

Features

Dimensions: 35 cm wide x 12 cm high x 21 cm deep
Weight: 2.6 kg

Performance and use

This hi-fi is easy to set up and has good sound quality given its small size and reasonable price. The sound is crisp and clear, and there’s a decent amount of volume thought the speakers don’t go very loud. It looks smart, and is a good size for a kitchen or bedside table.

The JVC RD-D70 is quite versatile with a CD player, Bluetooth and a USB port for playing MP3 files. It also has FM and DAB radio, which you can receive with good reception if you adjust the telescopic aerial. You can save 30 preset stations on both FM and DAB/DAB+, though this is quite fiddly so you might end up scrolling through stations instead.

This hi-fi has a small remote control which is useful, but the text next to the buttons is small and quite hard to read. This means it’s not ideal for older people and those with impaired eyesight. Once you learn where the buttons are it’s ok, but a larger remote with more clearly labelled buttons might have been better.

The biggest drawback with the JVC RD-D70 is that it doesn’t have a headphone jack, so you can’t use it with headphones. You can’t use it with Bluetooth headphones either as the hi-fi only has a Bluetooth receiver, not a transmitter.

Verdict

Overall, the JVC RD-D70 is an excellent hi-fi for the price, though the lack of a headphone jack is a serious drawback. The radio sounds good for the price and is versatile with a good range of features. Be aware that the small button labels on the remote mean it’s not ideal if your eyesight is poor.

Similar products

One popular alternative to the JVC RD-D70 is the Panasonic SC-HC297EB-K micro hi-fi, which has almost exactly the same features as the JVC RD-D70 and a similar price tag. Unfortunately, the Panasonic SC-HC297EB-K also doesn’t have a headphone jack.

One alternative that does have a headphone jack is the Majority Oakington.  The Oakington is a very versatile hi-fi system with Bluetooth, a CD player and a USB port for both playing MP3s and charging your devices. It also has a remote control, which is easier to use than the JVC RD-D70’s remote.

For some more options, see our roundup of the best radio CD players.

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The JVC RA-DS77 is a portable FM/DAB/DAB+ radio with an alarm clock and an attractive wood finish. Let’s see what it can do…

Features

Dimensions: 27.5 cm wide x 14.5 cm high x 14 cm deep
Weight: 1.9 kg

Performance and use

The JVC RA-DS77 has very good sound quality for a radio of its size and price, and offers plenty of volume and bass. The radio has two 7W speaker drivers giving 14W of power output in total.

You can plug the JVC RA-DS77 into the mains or use it as a portable radio with 6-size batteries, which aren’t included. Batteries should last for up to 10 hours, but in practice they can last much less, which means it’s not ideal as a portable radio.

The JVC RA-DS77 has some good alarm functions including a snooze function that lets you choose when the alarm will come on again: 5, 10, 15 or 30 minutes.

The radio has a 3.2” colour display which shows information about the station and track playing as well as the time. The display is relatively large, and shows more information than you’d get on most other DAB radios.

This radio has a simple yet attractive design with a cream plastic from and a wooden casing. The radio has rubber feet to prevent it from scratching wooden surfaces or slipping.

Verdict

The JVC RA-DS77 punches above its weight in terms of sound quality and offers a good amount of bass and plenty of volume. The radio sounds better than several more expensive DAB radios, and also has a stylish design and a nice, clear colour display.

Like most portable DAB radios, the JVC RA-DS77 is disappointing when it comes to battery life. Apart from this though, there isn’t much to complain about with this radio.

Similar radios

Another radio with a colour screen is the Pure Evoke H3, which has a similar price tag to the JVC RA-DS77 and has similar features but with the addition of Bluetooth. Like the JVC RA-DS77, the Pure Evoke H3 has a very stylish design combining wood with plastic elements.

A cheaper alternative is the Philips AE5020, which has a nice wood-effect finish and can be bought with either 3 or 6 watts of power output. This radio doesn’t sound as good as the JVC RA-DS77, but it is more affordable.

For some other options to consider, check out our roundup of the best clock radios or see these recommended DAB radios under £100.

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The JVC RA-D11 is a portable FM/DAB bathroom radio with an alarm clock. The radio has a hanging strap to make it convenient to use in the shower, and is water-resistant. This radio is available in a choice of two colours: blue or pink.

What can the JVC RA-D11 do and how does it perform? Find out in this review…

Features

Dimensions: 16.2 cm high x 13.6 cm wide x 5.7 cm deep
Weight: 450 g

Performance and use

Shower radios usually have quite poor sound quality, but the JVC RA-D11 sounds relatively good. Obviously as a small mono radio it doesn’t sound amazing, but it’s definitely better than most of the other shower radios out there.

The hanging strap and tactile buttons make the radio easy to use in the shower or bath. The radio feels tough and sturdy, and should survive being dropped occasionally.

One disappointing thing about this radio is that it’s only available in blue or pink. It would be nice if you could get the radio in a more neutral colour like white or grey.

Verdict

The JVC RA-D11 is one of the best DAB shower radios available in the UK. It’s compact yet tough and is easy to use. Unusually for a shower radio, the JVC RA-D11 has decent sound quality. At the time of writing it’s also very affordable and offers good value for money.

There are a few disappointing things about the radio such as the small choice of colours and the fact that you can only have the clock in the 24-hour format. However, these are only minor issues, so the JVC RA-D11 is still a great radio overall.

Similar radios

Another great shower radio is the Sony ICF-S80 Splash Proof Shower Radio, which is an AM/FM radio that has a hanging strap so you can use it easily in the shower. Unlike the JVC RA-D11 it doesn’t have DAB radio, but one side effect of this is that it has superior battery life.

Another alternative is the Roberts Splash DAB/FM RDS Digital All Weather Radio, which has the exceptional build quality you’d expect from Roberts. The Roberts Splash doesn’t have a hanging strap, but it does have a fixing bracket so you could attach it to the bathroom wall.

For some more radios to consider, see our roundup of the best shower radios.

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The JVC RV-NB100B BoomBlaster is an innovative and unique DAB boombox with a CD player, Bluetooth and a Lightning dock. This radio can even be used as an amplifier, as it has guitar and microphone inputs.

Made by Japanese brand JVC, the RV-NB100B isn’t a cheap product, but could be a good choice if you’re looking for a heavy-duty and versatile boombox, and is well suited to street performances, dance and exercise groups and parties. Let’s see what it can do…

Features

Dimensions: 66.6 cm wide x 24.8 cm high x 23.5 cm deep
Weight: 7 kg

Performance and use

While it might look like an old-school 1990s  boombox, the JVC RV-NB100B can do a lot more. You can play music from your smartphone or laptop via Bluetooth, dock your iPhone and listen to music from a CD or FM/DAB radio.

The JVC RV-NB100B BoomBlaster has two 8 cm speakers offering a total of 40 watts of power. It also has twin 13 cm superwoofers for added bass, and can be used as a guitar or microphone amplifier.

The BoomBlaster has a USB port which you can use for recording from the radio or a CD player onto a USB drive in MP3 format. When using the BoomBlaster as an amplifier, you can even record from a guitar and a microphone at the same time onto USB.

The JVC RV-NB100B goes very loud without distorting, making it great for outdoor performers, exercise classes and public events. It also has a good amount of bass and you can adjust the EQ yourself to get the perfect sound.

Verdict

The JVC RV-NB100B BoomBlaster is the real deal. If you’re looking for a powerful boombox with modern features, it’s one of the best out there. The BoomBlaster is especially good for exercise and dance classes, street performers and musicians.

Similar radios

JVC produce a cheaper alternative to the RV-NB100B with less advanced features, the RV-NB 75. The JVC RV-NB 75 is very similar to the RV-NB100B except that it only has FM radio (not DAB), and doesn’t come with a remote control.

An even cheaper alternative is the Sony ZS-RS70BTB Wireless DAB Boombox, which has Bluetooth, a USB port and an MP3 player as well as DAB radio. The Sony ZS-RS70BTB is smaller and lighter than the RV-NB100B BoomBlaster, and could be a good alternative if you don’t need something so powerful.

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