OK.
So, this is the aforementioned Zenith (JVC) VHS Hi-Fi Stere Audio-Video Recorder (so labeled!) that we bought.
holidaydubbing121209 by
Mark Hardy, on Flickr
In the photo, the deck's being used to record (dub) an LP of "Christmas music" (see below for more gruesome details).
The photo above is from December 2012.
This relatively early VHS Hi-Fi deck has numerous interesting (and, in some cases, bizarre) features.
1) The tape mechanism is
side-loading(?!?) -- i.e. the tape is inserted
sideways into a slot located on the
left-hand edit;
right-hand side of the deck.
This reduces the deck's footprint considerably (see above) and gives it a cosmetic aspect that resembles nothing as much as a ludicrously advanced 8-track tape cartridge deck!
2) The deck's rotating video heads allow recording at only two speeds (SP and EP), although medium speed (LP) playback is supported.
3) The deck has stereo rotating "hi-fi audio" heads, as well as a linear head (stereo, I think) for compatibility.
4) The deck features separate audio inputs and outputs, as well as a peak-reading fluorescent audio level display and input (record) level sliders for both audio channels.
5) When used as an "audio only" recorder, the video heads' signals are (if memory serves) suppressed or blanked, ostensibly to improve performance as an audio recorder.
6) The deck has switchable (i.e., defeatable) ALC for care-free audio recording when desired.
7) The deck offered a real time, and reasonably accurate display of tape time used or remaining (fairly uncommon in those days).
I used the deck to record and watch video tapes, of course, but over the years (decades!) we've used it to dub hours and hours of audio-only programming (dubbed from LP, analog tape, and CDs, too!). I've also used it to record live music performances (with a mixer) with pretty good results.
I guess my only other "point" would be to note that the audio quality of
all recordings I've made with it have been excellent (by ear) with respect to the original source. The FM recording gives the best possible dynamic range and S/N ratio without requirement noise reduction. CD quality? Well... umm... not really... but generally superior to
any AM analog recording in most respects.
There are all sorts of grumblings about head switching noise, dropouts, etc. to be found on the internet, but practically speaking the tapes sound
very good compared to cassette or even pretty good (TASCAM, Otari, ReVox) reel to reel decks that live here.
The tapes have also held up very well.
We have an embarrassingly immense collection of Christmas music dubbed to VHS Hi-Fi audio. All were done at EP speed (no practical reason to record 'faster', unlike linear AM recording) on a wide spectrum of tape media (in terms of price/quality/provenance) and they have all held up well for up to three-plus decades. We listen to these
virtually continuously* every year from the Friday after Thanksgiving (US holiday) until Epiphany (Jan. 6), so they've had plenty of hours of use.
(a couple of the tapes are T-160, so 8 hours of audio at EP speed
)
In full disclosure, nowadays, for
playback we use a very cheap "modern" DVD-VHS deck that I bought new back around 2000(??) from Tweeter, etc. in Massachusetts. It's also branded "Zenith", but by then Zenith was just a name and not an electronics company any more.
I also spent some time last year
digitizing some of the
dubbed 
holiday VHS audio tapes for posterity, convenience... and for listening to in the car(s).
Summary: If I have any point to make at all
-- the early crop of Hi-Fi decks were superbly robustly constructed and in many cases designed with features to augment the production of very good quality audio tapes. The whole industry cheapened the decks into pretty generic appliances by the turn of the century, although I am sure that there were always a few good options.
Oh, and I do wish I had a functional Beta Hi-Fi deck to try...
_____________
* don't judge me!
Mrs. H and I really enjoy this stuff at the holiday season.
