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The Ultimate Marantz, Superscope, UNIX Boombox Thread

Discussion in 'Chat Area' started by Mister X, Apr 13, 2018.

  1. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    An ad found in the University of Michigan Newspaper for Christmas 1976 USD Pricing. It seems like Superscope's Retail was mostly camera stores, most cities had a few stores who's main products were just cameras and a few other high-margain products. As kids we loved looking at all of the cool equipment but it was silly money expensive, that's why you see a lot of "discount camera" stores listed in the back of magazines with better pricing but it was mail-order only. Check out the price on the C-108, how cow, it wasn't cheap, I wonder what makes it so costly, maybe the smaller size was harder to build?


    umich November 30, 1976 (vol 87, iss 67) - Image 3.png
     
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  2. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    This is Sony from 1974 with a very similar line-up at the same store. Superscope had USA Distribution Rights to Sony Tape Products right up to the Walkman Release, some of these units look very similar. Anybody know who was the builder for Superscope? Around 74 Superscope bought up Standard Radio in Japan, could it be their equipment or Sony or a combination?


    January 16, 1974 (vol 84, iss 88) - Image 2.png
     
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  3. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Found on the Japanese Auction Site, a neat UNIX Brochure from 1983 for sale, I might have to spring for it.
    The last page is the most interesting, nothing new with the boomboxes but it's interesting that all of the portables made are for sale. I can see the PC-30, PC-36, PC-88 in colors and clear, the "clone" PC-200 and a new one the PC-220? It looks like it was 34,000 Yen? Pretty expensive for 83


    UNIX 1983 1.png
    UNIX 1983 2.png
    UNIX 1983 3.png
     
  4. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Photos of the neat little powered speakers shown in the photo above.

    UNIX ULS-3.png
    UNIX ULS-3 2.png
     
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  5. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Found in a Singapore Newspaper Ad, the Marantz MS-100K from 1980, It's footprint is slightly smaller than a turntable. These are very similar looking to the boomboxes that were coming out like the PMS-7000 and the PMS-3500.


    Marantz MS 100K 1980.png
     
  6. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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  7. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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  8. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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  9. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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  10. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    This is a neat complete system, I messaged the seller to post that little portable brochure that's included. If you buy this please scan and post the brochure! These stereo piano key model cassette players were really rare in the early 70's, most people were still happy with mono and these would have been pretty expensive. This also has period correct microphones, these weren't the top-of-the-line but they're still pretty nice.
    https://www.ebay.com/itm/373936469820


    Marantz CS-200.jpg
     
  11. nickeccles

    nickeccles Well-Known Member

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    Not a bad price either although I can't help thinking this probably not sound great even when serviced! At the time though this portable & stereo, would of loved one in the bleak 1970's! :delighted:
     
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  12. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    I don't remember listening to stereo, outside of a car, until the late 70's. Even if we had this we wouldn't know how to work it, the TV wasn't stereo, the radio wasn't stereo so it would have been useless for us kids. I'm sure guys taping live music or events would have loved it but they probably had a stereo tape deck to play it back on.
     
  13. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    From Playboy Magazine 1980, the Marantz PMS 7000, I don't have the big ones from Marantz/Superscope, maybe someday. Maybe ARKAY will stop in again and let us know what he did with his collection, I think he had a few of the monster Marantz's. I thought this model came out a little later but it might be a true Marantz/Superscope Design built by Marant of Japan.



    Marantz PMS 7000 January 1980.png
     
  14. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Superscope CR-1000A from 1976


    Superscope CR-1000A April 1976.png
     
  15. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Another version of the CR-1000A ad, sombody must not have been happy with the first version.


    Superscope CR-1000 February 1976.png
     
  16. nickeccles

    nickeccles Well-Known Member

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    Ain't it funny how we are still fascinated by even the marketing blurb on these devices from our past!!
    I still remember so well the excitement of looking through my huge collection of product ranges by all the major brands, only actually owning some of them this far in the future! I guess all of us of a certain age did exactly the same in the late 70's early 80's!! They were times full of promise & boy did the big players deliver their wares to the public buyers! I said it before, the early 80's was exciting beyond words if you likes audio & indeed video! I love the user manuals - You just don't get that anymore! All part of what accompanied a new radio then........
    I wanna go back!
     
  17. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    The Ebay Seller of the above CS-200 was kind enough to send me photos of the tiny brochure from 1977 tucked under the paperwork, I've never seen this one before. It looks like they didn't have any of the larger CRS-4000's yet? What is the model on the cover, it looks like the CR-1200 but it looks like it has an additional VU meter on the right? The white dial is awesome!



    Marantz B 1.jpg
    Marantz B 2.jpg
    Marantz B 3.jpg
    Marantz B 4.jpg
    Marantz B 5.jpg
     
  18. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Nickeccles, I've been paging through hundreds of old magazines, the ads are some of the neatest things to look at, they really had to grab attention, it might have been the only chance to see a product. I can only imagine an audio company back then discussing which product to put in an ad, I'm sure they wanted you to go to the store and check out more of the line up.

    While some of these ads are pretty nice, I've always considered the cartoon heads in the Marantz Ads of the 70's to be the creepiest ads of all time, they were horrible ads, anybody like them?
     
  19. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Another ad for the Superscope CR-1000 from 1977, I recently got one of these! No mention of Marantz in this ad, I think they really wanted to distance themselves.

    Superscope CR-1000 1977.png
     
  20. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    A review of the $12 USD Superscope EC-1 Microphone from 1977


    Superscope EC-1 1977 1.png
    Superscope EC-1 1977 2.png
     

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