This may have been the first "boombox" but something happened and sadly, it just looks like one. The Sony TC-224 from 1972?, I've been searching for one every since seeing an ad (in the newspaper ad section) for this little beauty. With no radio, it doesn't meet the full definition but it's a beauty and really heavy! I don't have any documentation but I think it predates the Sony CF-550 by two years! This one came with the leather case, it's mint, although there is some scratching under the mics, not sure what they wrote but overall this is in great condition. It's kind of the missing link from stereo recorders to boomboxes, while it looks small, I'd consider it larger than a mini.
Forgive my ignorance - is there something historically significant about the CF550? I have one in the to-do pile.
Unless someone points out something older, I believe it's the first one piece "boombox" and set the design standard which lasted years.
So who give a clearly definition of Stereo Recorder and Boombox ? Isn`t it a question of interpretation ?
good aspect. haven't thought about that one, i have some units with one of those, they do more or less fine
b.t.w. i have the other version with detachable speakers, post #160: https://stereo2go.com/forums/threads/show-your-newest-vintage-electronic-entry.8010/page-8 (even got the bag with two speakers)
It`s interesting, that the first Sony Cassette Corder has a Phone - Input. What kind of plug is this ? Jack ? ( btw - just now "Inspector Barnaby" talks about an answer machine... ) I think, not even many phones had an output, that fitted ;-) Has Sony produced endless tapes ? I never have seen some. TDK first produced them in 1970.
In the early days of the forum, the grandfathers decreed that a boombox has a handle, radio, cassette deck and in most cases has two speakers built in, three piece is acceptable but kind of frowned on, along with mono portables. The designers did so many different configurations that you could have dozens of sub-catagories and even units that fit other portable catagories (Kangaroo Boomboxes, tiny Walkmans that look like boomboxes). I picked up that same unit a few months back, I couldn't help it after you posted yours Auto, it's kind of a cross between suitcase model and a few other catagories but 100% Sony Coolness added. Good eye on the PHONE input soluna, I suspect that it was for a 1/4" phone cup that suctioned on the mouthpiece of older phones. In the old days you could record phone coversations with the simple attachement. In the USA it was illegal to record someone else without permission (except for the FBI) but for us kids, it was a lot of fun. My Olympus Microcassette Recorder from 1978 also came with one.
well, i have a few older pocket reel-to-reel units, some of them came with a microphone, wich could be clipped/mounted to the mouthpiece/receiver of an old phone and also a phone-input 3.5mm (1/4“). i‘ll dig‘em out for pics…
Many of the old phones had an earphone-output, and with this you could made records too.Sometimes there only was a problem with output power. Like my first cassette player : it had no DIN for record out, only in, but i soldered an Jack-DIN-Adapter-cable ( also mono to stereo... !, i was 14 ) , so i could get out of the earphone-jack to another tape recorder. And i was able to link to my first amps - old German Tube Radios, like this https://www.radiomuseum.org/r/funkwe_dre_dominante_w.html These radios had a very warm and full sound, all the cheap component stuff in the 90s ( and later, until now ) can creep away. But they still had the old 3-contact-DIN for mono that`s why i needed two different adapter cables.
I used to love those days when a soldering iron and zero information was all you needed. I used to love ripping apart electronics just to see what was inside.
...and there was a big problem to get jack plugs ( and not for soldering at all... ) in GDR , so i had to use a cable from a little in-ear-monitoring-headphone with very thin wires. I had fixed the soldering points with matches.
A classy machine, for me it's quite a full-blown "boombox", I'd say a perfect one, as in my youth most of affordable portables were without radio.
This is my beauty, working 100% with all the original manuals. I replaced the belt last year and still sounds great for what she is. But boy is she heavy. Sony CF-550 Cheers Kiwinut
Curiously heavy. Until one opens it up and observes the abundant amount of thick metal that composes the chassis frames inside. And the thick metal on the speakers. I measured 1/8 of an inch or 3mm thick in most places. Also of note is that the thick back plastic shell is held with 4 screws... that go into brass inserts in the screw posts. So no need to worry about stripping plastic threads from taking it apart 20 times. (I kinda wanna get a CF-580 just to experience the awesomeness all over again... but even bigger sized... but have decided to decline the allure of such a needless hassle filled project. I just want the CF-490 instead.) I was attracted to the compact briefcase / attache case type style of the early Sony CF-550. And the real aluminum accents. The "Matrix Stereo" 4 way speaker thing is real too, FM radio at close range, in front of the listener sounds rather extraordinary. Best FM radio I have ever heard. Like a surround effect or some such. When Rock 101 plays a good classic piece and the CF-550 is playing it I just can't believe FM is supposed to sound this good. (So this is "full FM stage" radio that some guys raved about in old threads at the other forum? I am a convert then! ) Kinda beats out the Panasonic Cobra to my ears.
I'll take any of the Sony CF Series, just like you said, heavy metal chassis construction and, usually, above average internal components. Radio was important back then and most had great tuners. A lot of these looked dated 20 years ago but I'm finding them more and more pleasing to look at these days.
I'm just waiting on a CF-1990 to be shipped from Japan. And I have a CF-580 That I bought. I don't know when because I'm not willing to dig it out of here, and look on the date of the box for when it arrived. but it's in my future. Do get it out of this or underneath and service it experience it and probably sell it. Yes there it is along with a ( Aiwa 945 ) That I think is somewhat rare as well and I haven't gotten to it yet either.
