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  #1  
Old 03-30-2010, 10:54 PM
Monty_ Monty_ is offline
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Will ghetto blasters ever be cool again?

I imagine cheezy ghetto blasters will make a retro comeback some day, but maybe not. What are your thoughts?

And how about those boro mini-systems?
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  #2  
Old 03-30-2010, 11:10 PM
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radiotvnut radiotvnut is offline
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I think they are already "cool again" with some folks. Just look at some of the prices on ebay. I've got a small Toshiba from the early '80's. To be a small boombox, it's loaded with features: AM/FM/SW, Cr02/metal tape compatible, some kind of recording timer, and all sorts of I/O jacks. Someone gave it to me and I've never even checked it's operation. I've also got a mono late '70's AM/FM/cassette recorder; but, I don't guess that one would be considered a "boom box". I remember some of my classmates of the late '80's and early '90's having those huge monsters that often sell for big $ now. I remember, back in the early to mid '80's, when even the smaller boomboxes of decent quality cost over a hundred dollars. By the '90's, they had gotten cheaper and the quality went down.
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  #3  
Old 03-30-2010, 11:19 PM
Monty_ Monty_ is offline
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That's interesting. I've not checked eBay prices but can imagine the prices escalating.

I have an early Sharp unit found on the curb. It works too. It'd be fun to have one of those outrageously big units and sling it over my shoulder; have never done it and always wanted to!
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  #4  
Old 03-30-2010, 11:25 PM
Delawheredad Delawheredad is offline
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Bommboxes

Check out these two links. Boom boxes have some serious fanboys.

http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/boombox/

http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/boombox/cool.html
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  #5  
Old 03-31-2010, 12:18 AM
Monty_ Monty_ is offline
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Goodness! I hadn't realized some of them were so high end. Just checked some eBay prices and discovered a whole new world too. There's certainly no denying the charm of these things.
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  #6  
Old 03-31-2010, 01:59 AM
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Jeffhs Jeffhs is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Delawheredad View Post
Check out these two links. Boom boxes have some serious fanboys.

http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/boombox/

http://pocketcalculatorshow.com/boombox/cool.html

One of the boomboxes featured on the first site is described as being powered by eight "DD" size batteries. Is this a typo (did they mean "D"?), or did this one actually use eight of some special type of huge high-output battery that would be almost impossible to find today?

BTW, I have a Panasonic RX-FS400 boom box that I rescued from a trash pile behind my apartment a couple of years ago. The radio works (needs a new FM antenna) but the (single) cassette deck doesn't anymore, although it did when I found the thing. Probably something simple like a bad belt. The battery box cover is missing as well, but the AC cord was still attached when I found the unit. I would have fixed it by now, but the screws holding it together are recessed so deeply into the cabinet that I can't get a screwdriver in there to get them out. I still have the unit, but it is presently gathering dust under my bed, even as I write this. One of these days. . . .

About 30 years ago (more or less), I had a Sanyo AM/FM cassette system that could be classified as a boom box or even a ghetto blaster, I suppose, because it was so big and could rattle the walls at full volume. Stereo, of course, and it could be carried easily on a shoulder. The cassette deck finally went West some time in the late '80s but the radio worked just fine. Had to put on a new FM antenna, though, some time in the unit's life (I don't remember when anymore). The new one, if I remember correctly, was a couple of times longer than the set's original FM whip, which allowed the radio to pick up more stations than it ever did before.
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Last edited by Jeffhs; 03-31-2010 at 02:33 AM.
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  #7  
Old 03-31-2010, 08:32 PM
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Findm-Keepm Findm-Keepm is offline
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Some of the Sharp Boomboxes go for big bucks - the ones with the linear Turntables and the 16 channel equalizers. One local eBay seller had a service manual for one of the turntable ones listed at 60 bucks. I thought he was crazy - then noted a week later that it actually sold!

Boombox collectors have their holy grails too, it seems.


Cheers,
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  #8  
Old 04-01-2010, 07:53 AM
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AUdubon5425 AUdubon5425 is offline
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I had a Lasonic I bought around 1988 for $89. I remember the salesman *strongly* suggesting spending the extra $10 for a JVC unit, but the Lasonic had a phono-in jack and that's what I needed. It was also my first shortwave radio. Gave it to a buddy ten years ago when I moved back home; I've seen similar Lasonics sell for ridiculous prices on eBay, but never saw another quite like mine was.
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  #9  
Old 04-01-2010, 11:54 AM
DaveWM DaveWM is offline
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I only wish for the day the current crop of auto stereos become extinct, I can't stand the thump thump noise.

Boom boxes are mostly junk so I hope people keep that in mind when buying.

What would be fun is to find a set of car mind blower speakers, they were fun, junk but fun, I guess sorta like a boom box.
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  #10  
Old 04-02-2010, 09:52 AM
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rpm1200 rpm1200 is offline
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Yes they are collectibles. I am a boombox freak. I recognize that they are not audiophile systems but many of them do put out decent quality sound, definitely better than modern portable gear. Also they typically have line inputs which make it possible to hook up MP3 players directly.

The main forum for boombox collectors is http://www.stereo2go.com/ which is affiliated with the Pocket Calculator show Delawheredad linked above. They also cover Walkman cassette players and cassettes themselves. You'll find me over there but I have not posted in a while.

Just as with vintage TVs there is a pecking order of desirability and some people like certain models more than others. Usually the most desired model is the Conion C-100F. It is a very large radio with a soft-touch cassette record deck and a slot-load cassette player. It has nice big analog and LED sound meters (2 sets!). Conion stands for "Coney Onkyo" but I don't know if they are affiliated with Onkyo home audio or not. There are also some clones that have different brand names like Helix and Clairtone. The C-100F is iconic in the hip-hop world. It is also available in a hip-hop "Dingbat" font called Deejay Supreme, making it a common sight in hip-hop graphics, flyers, etc.

After that there are a number of high-end Japanese models, each of which has its enthusiasts. I am personally a JVC RC-M90 fan, that's the big one that appears on the cover of L.L. Cool J's "Radio" album. Single full logic cassette recorder, shortwave, mixing mic inputs, etc... I have one I restored a few years ago and it is the jewel of my collection.

You'll find others into Panasonic, Sharp, Sanyo, Toshiba, Aiwa and many other models/brands.

We also recognize the presence of "BPC"; in the boombox area, it started appearing in the late 80s and is still with us. Some of the far eastern non-Japanese models and brands are referred to as "black series" because they are newer, black plastic, and you see multiple brands on the same models. This includes Helix, Lasonic, etc... Some 80s black series models like the Lasonic TRC-931 and Helix "Wheely" are still very desirable (the Wheely is so big that it has built-in wheels!!!).

The most despised boomboxes are the 90s+ models that are tiny and egg-shaped, disparagingly referred to as "eggs". They might have a cassette deck or cd player. Even the major brands are making eggs nowadays.

Three-piece units (those with detachable speakers) have their fans, but vintage one-piece units are generally preferred. The same goes for CD players. The first-generation CD players are sought after by some, but others only want cassette decks in their boom boxes.

Lasonic is still making a variant of the TRC-931. That model originally came out in the late 80s. It was revived in the late 90s in a lighter, slightly more rounded but still cassette-based model. The latest iteration has the same body shape as the 90s version but it has digital tuning, an aux in jack and an iPod dock. It has no built-in cassette or CD mechanism. Some people are fans of this one and others hate them, it is a matter of preference.

There was an eBay price bubble a few years ago, which appears to have collapsed but some models are still quite pricey. At one point clean RC-M90s and C-100Fs were going for over $1000 each but that is not the case anymore (AFAIK).

There used to be a shop in Tokyo, Turbosonic, that sold only boomboxes (it is linked from the Pocket Calculator website). I had the opportunity to go to Japan on business so we went to their location. They no longer sell boomboxes as a rule, but they rent them out and have a nice display of rare specimens. My coworkers did not quite understand but they enjoyed themselves anyway. Here's pictures from my trip: Turbosonic pix

I have at least 50 in my collection. Here are some pics of my collection:
Shelf o' boomboxes
me sportin' the JVC RC-M90 (and before I got it)
JVC RC-M70, Panasonic RX-5600 and Panasonic RX-5500
Panasonic SG-J555 with radio, cassette and turntable
Daughter with Panasonic RX-C52 3-piece (she is 6 now)
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  #11  
Old 04-02-2010, 07:58 PM
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grimer grimer is offline
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Last edited by grimer; 05-14-2010 at 05:48 PM.
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  #12  
Old 12-05-2010, 01:09 PM
DecentMan4you DecentMan4you is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Monty_ View Post
I imagine cheezy ghetto blasters will make a retro comeback some day, but maybe not. What are your thoughts?

And how about those boro mini-systems?
YES comeback's are gonna be here forever...

Nothing Cheezy about them unless you have a broken one ...

Mini-systems are just that mini... As They are NOT Boombox's ...
Boombox's ... Boom

and mini's are just mini or tiny or only loud enough for you to hear...
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  #13  
Old 12-05-2010, 01:11 PM
DecentMan4you DecentMan4you is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by AUdubon5425 View Post
I had a Lasonic I bought around 1988 for $89. I remember the salesman *strongly* suggesting spending the extra $10 for a JVC unit, but the Lasonic had a phono-in jack and that's what I needed. It was also my first shortwave radio. Gave it to a buddy ten years ago when I moved back home; I've seen similar Lasonics sell for ridiculous prices on eBay, but never saw another quite like mine was.
I have that model in silver...
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  #14  
Old 12-05-2010, 01:41 PM
DecentMan4you DecentMan4you is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rpm1200 View Post
Yes they are collectibles. I am a boombox freak. I recognize that they are not audiophile systems but many of them do put out decent quality sound, definitely better than modern portable gear. Also they typically have line inputs which make it possible to hook up MP3 players directly.

The main forum for boombox collectors is http://www.stereo2go.com/ which is affiliated with the Pocket Calculator show Delawheredad linked above. They also cover Walkman cassette players and cassettes themselves. You'll find me over there but I have not posted in a while.

Just as with vintage TVs there is a pecking order of desirability and some people like certain models more than others. Usually the most desired model is the Conion C-100F. It is a very large radio with a soft-touch cassette record deck and a slot-load cassette player. It has nice big analog and LED sound meters (2 sets!). Conion stands for "Coney Onkyo" but I don't know if they are affiliated with Onkyo home audio or not. There are also some clones that have different brand names like Helix and Clairtone. The C-100F is iconic in the hip-hop world. It is also available in a hip-hop "Dingbat" font called Deejay Supreme, making it a common sight in hip-hop graphics, flyers, etc.

After that there are a number of high-end Japanese models, each of which has its enthusiasts. I am personally a JVC RC-M90 fan, that's the big one that appears on the cover of L.L. Cool J's "Radio" album. Single full logic cassette recorder, shortwave, mixing mic inputs, etc... I have one I restored a few years ago and it is the jewel of my collection.

You'll find others into Panasonic, Sharp, Sanyo, Toshiba, Aiwa and many other models/brands.

We also recognize the presence of "BPC"; in the boombox area, it started appearing in the late 80s and is still with us. Some of the far eastern non-Japanese models and brands are referred to as "black series" because they are newer, black plastic, and you see multiple brands on the same models. This includes Helix, Lasonic, etc... Some 80s black series models like the Lasonic TRC-931 and Helix "Wheely" are still very desirable (the Wheely is so big that it has built-in wheels!!!).

The most despised boomboxes are the 90s+ models that are tiny and egg-shaped, disparagingly referred to as "eggs". They might have a cassette deck or cd player. Even the major brands are making eggs nowadays.

Three-piece units (those with detachable speakers) have their fans, but vintage one-piece units are generally preferred. The same goes for CD players. The first-generation CD players are sought after by some, but others only want cassette decks in their boom boxes.

Lasonic is still making a variant of the TRC-931. That model originally came out in the late 80s. It was revived in the late 90s in a lighter, slightly more rounded but still cassette-based model. The latest iteration has the same body shape as the 90s version but it has digital tuning, an aux in jack and an iPod dock. It has no built-in cassette or CD mechanism. Some people are fans of this one and others hate them, it is a matter of preference.

There was an eBay price bubble a few years ago, which appears to have collapsed but some models are still quite pricey. At one point clean RC-M90s and C-100Fs were going for over $1000 each but that is not the case anymore (AFAIK).

There used to be a shop in Tokyo, Turbosonic, that sold only boomboxes (it is linked from the Pocket Calculator website). I had the opportunity to go to Japan on business so we went to their location. They no longer sell boomboxes as a rule, but they rent them out and have a nice display of rare specimens. My coworkers did not quite understand but they enjoyed themselves anyway. Here's pictures from my trip: Turbosonic pix

I have at least 50 in my collection. Here are some pics of my collection:
Shelf o' boomboxes
me sportin' the JVC RC-M90 (and before I got it)
JVC RC-M70, Panasonic RX-5600 and Panasonic RX-5500
Panasonic SG-J555 with radio, cassette and turntable
Daughter with Panasonic RX-C52 3-piece (she is 6 now)
yea I have a few and be on the look-out for a new an final view of all that I have up till now Boombox Ghettoblaster Collection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eENWFKUF4E8

I would collect mor but am no longer employed & tis hard to find work so most of my collection must go...
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  #15  
Old 06-28-2012, 07:19 PM
DecentMan4you DecentMan4you is offline
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gonna be selling Boombox's soon

Quote:
Originally Posted by DecentMan4you View Post
yea I have a few and be on the look-out for a new an final view of all that I have up till now Boombox Ghettoblaster Collection
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eENWFKUF4E8

I would collect mor but am no longer employed & tis hard to find work so most of my collection must go...
Like next week or so August 2012
Selling nearly all of them - but not all at once ...
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