I bought this GF-8585X from the local market this morning. I spent around 2 and a half hours cleaning the scratchy controls and cleaning the outer case, and it's fully working and sounds really good now. I used brasso to clean up and polish the tuner window, as it was heavily scratched and scuffed. Cosmetically the box is OK but not brilliant. It has the original APLD sticker on the door which I'm very happy about. I'm really pleased with it, and love the special woofer covers/grilles. The sound is superb, as the box has bass and treble controls and a loudness switch. I compared to sound with my Sanyo M9990, the Sanyo was better, but the Sharp wasn't all that far behind. Here's a few pics I took with my phone...











R.A.

Nice box, quite similar to the 9494 !

You mean you polished the clear plastic of the tuner window. Good results ?
Didn't know transparent plastic could be restorable.
Isn't brasso for metal ?

^ Yes, Brasso is for metal, but it can also be used on other things, such as glass, plastic etc. It works like T-Cut works on car paintwork - it removes the top layer, removing the scratches and revealing a shiny new surface underneath. I got excellent results, like brand new. Put a dab of Brasso on a cloth and rub until the scratches have gone, just a trick a friend told me... You have to make sure not to rub it onto paint - it can remove paint.

Good tip. Do you use it for aluminum trim as well? I use Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream.

quote:

Originally posted by Reli:
Good tip. Do you use it for aluminum trim as well? I use Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream.

I've used it to polish chrome handle ends and chrome speaker grille trims, but did you mean 'brushed' aluminium trim? I think if you rubbed that with Brasso it would take off the brushed finish leaving smooth, shiny aluminium.

quote:

Originally posted by Retro Addict:

quote:

Originally posted by Reli:
Good tip. Do you use it for aluminum trim as well? I use Blue Magic Metal Polish Cream.

I've used it to polish chrome handle ends and chrome speaker grille trims, but did you mean 'brushed' aluminium trim? I think if you rubbed that with Brasso it would take off the brushed finish leaving smooth, shiny aluminium.

Most brushed aluminum looks like ass after 30 years. Polishing it is the only way I've found to improve it.

quote:

Originally posted by Retro Addict:
^ Yes, Brasso is for metal, but it can also be used on other things, such as glass, plastic etc. It works like T-Cut works on car paintwork - it removes the top layer, removing the scratches and revealing a shiny new surface underneath. I got excellent results, like brand new. Put a dab of Brasso on a cloth and rub until the scratches have gone, just a trick a friend told me... You have to make sure not to rub it onto paint - it can remove paint.

That's crazy, I always tought that polishing clear plastic would make it opaque.
Now I have a VZ-2500 door to polish and other tuner tabs

Thanks for the tip

i think all polishers are good for clear plastic to. Only some of them are more effective and some less. I bought a cheap polisher for car's metal parts and it is helping only partly. Then i tried a german "Puma" knifes polisher ant it's semi good. Later i tried a polisher for smoking pipes metal parts:]. I found it at tobacco shop.It's the best yet for metal, plastic, clear plastic parts of my boxes, or for some cool oldschool cassettes, only the price is little to high and that tube is so small. Dunno if Brasso is available here in Lithuania, will look for it. Cool box, btw. Interesting version with those covers. One dude is selling some boxes here and this Sharp's version with ordinary grills, now i'm waiting for the prices

I've seen another Sharp with that version of the grilles, a 6 series I believe (6262?).

Anyway, nice box

quote:

Originally posted by 2steppa:
I've seen another Sharp with that version of the grilles, a 6 series I believe (6262?).

Anyway, nice box

Thanks. The 'box you're thinking of is the 6060 Mk2...





Also, a version of the 9090 has grilles like this, though the one I have has normal ones.
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And Brigadier Vytas, what you're looking for is this...

R A ...i have 2 8585`s and they dont have these grills....sound is pretty good as you say

quote:

Originally posted by davebush:
R A ...i have 2 8585`s and they dont have these grills....

, I was very surprised when I saw it was this version of the box (X, not E). From what I've seen on this forum, the American members tend have the likes of GF-8585X's (namely GF-9191X's), while us in the UK have the likes of GF-8585E's, the E standing for European. I've seen another GF-8585 a couple of years back and it had the normal grilles like yours. Maybe mine could be an import?

quote:

Originally posted by davebush:
sound is pretty good as you say

Yes I love the sound of my 8585, it has plenty of bass and sounds well-balanced. I was very pleased when I heard it 'boom' properly, after I sorted out the horrible static problem that is...

R.A.

quote:

Originally posted by Retro Addict:
Also, a version of the 9090 has grilles like this, though the one I have has normal ones.

Ahhh yes that's the other one I was thinking of.. and that 6060 is spot on....I remember the 8989 style LED vu's.

Here's the 9090 with those grilles. I love it, though I like to see the grilles as I can with my own which has 'normal' grilles. The black dustcaps make a refreshing change to the usual chrome ones.

Nice RA. Doesn't look as 'street' with those grilles though, more like something you'd have in your kitchen! I think I would favour the other version personally. Still nice though, and those VU meters on this and the 9191 are always winners.

quote:

Originally posted by 2steppa:
Nice RA. Doesn't look as 'street' with those grilles though, more like something you'd have in your kitchen! I think I would favour the other version personally. Still nice though, and those VU meters on this and the 9191 are always winners.

Totally, the VU's on these are great. Haha, it would look good in a kitchen - I agree! The versions with normal grilles definately have the 'street' look. I prefer my own version too, it just looks 'better'.

It's like the Sony with wooden sides, it just wouldn't look right out on the street...