This is a breif rundown of some of the best boxes i have ever owned.. hopefully this will help others make the wright choice on there boombox choice.. and hopefully all of you will join in with your BEST boxes in your collections...

First the one peice most peoples catagory of choice....

Jvc m90.... Probbly the best one peice ever made... Great power and bass with wonderful highs and great mids,,,Very loud and probbly the best all round sound you will hear in a 1 peice boombox...

Build quality is exellent..VERY easy to change the belts..has features like dolby b and super a.n.r.s...all inn all EVERYBODY should have one of these in there collection...Its now my best sounding box of all time...
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pioneer sk909

This has a nice sound with rich highs and it has got quite good bass...sadly it lacks the warmth badly..in bass that some of the boxes i have mentioned have..its loud built like a tank...and imho looks stunning...sadly i have just sold my last pioneer 909 and i doubt ill get another..as changing the belt is a REAL pain..but i recommend one if you can get one for under $300
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Sharp gf 1000

This is a great one peice with impressive looks.. It sounds GREAT with good bass and the volume is impressive..its only drawbacks are it dosent have the best highs in the world but its still a GREAT box its probbly my most sentimental box and RATED very high on my one peice box list...

Build quality is good but watch out for that DREADFUL chrome rot that all the gf777 family suffer from..apart from the gf999...also watch out for those DREADFUL idlers
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SANYO 920

ANOTHER great one peice one of the best lookers out there imho..

This box has great sound its only drawback (from memory) is that it lacks cristal highs like SAY the m90 but this box should be on everybodys want list if you like that classic silver boombox... Volume wize its quite loud AND will last foreaver on batteries...

One GREAT feature on this boombox is the stereo wide..every boombox should have this..

Build quality is exellent my only complaint is to change the belts its not for the faint hearted but its a true classic...
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AIWA cs 880 This is a wonderful sounding boombox with rich creamy bass.. the highs are pretty good too..This is a LOUD boombox for what i would say is midsized EVERYBODY should get one of theese..there only drawbacks are it suffers from speaker rot and the centre radiator suffers the same..

Soundwize i would say its only REAL drawback is the seperation between channels isnt the best but this is still a GREAT boombox if you can get one with the speakers reafoamed...

Build quality is good its only draw back is that the deck is HARD wired to the board..so you must be carful when changing the belts...

Sharp gf 9000 This again is a great boomboc with pretty good sound and avarage volume with good highs... those vu's look exellent too.

build quality is good but watch out for those dreadful idlers on the dwck...

has dolby etc i would say its a must if your a fan of classic 80's one peice...
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Unicef z100

THIS is one of my fave classic cheap 80's boomboxes..sound is GREAT for what it isimho...To me they actually sound better than the sharp gf9000...

Build quality is crap thoough so be warned..

On the plus side both decks the belts are easy to change...
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Conion c100f

This is a yet another great boombox It has those classic silver looks to die for..

Volume its even LOUDER than the jvc m90 but dosent sound as good imho but its a belter of a boombox and it does sound GOOD..great highs and the bass is good...but its just not that warm kinda bass you get from boxes like the jvc m90 and the aiwa 880

one good feature on the conion i like is the stereo wide...i wish the m90 had this

Bbuild quality is good but its far to over engineered imho..open one up and there are wires everywhere...lol

One wonders how this boombox is actually made to the quality it is as roumour has it she only cost $200 back in the day wich is on par with the unicef i mentioned erlier but the conion is in a different legue..
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Crown 850

Another great boombox with a sweet warm sound and great highs...and its quite loud...

Its only REAL drawbacks are it's cheaply made and it dosent have a REAL handle... but if you want good sound at an affordable price get this..from memory it also has stereo wide...wich is a great bonus...
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Now for some great 3 peice

JVC pc55

This is my altime fave 3 peice it has superb sound with high volume and good highs..sound is controlled by a 5 band eq so its adaptable for different music..

It has great features like dolby b/c and that display is beautiful (if working correctly)

The tape deck is probbly one of the best seen on any boombox and the hole thing seperates into 4 peices its a TANK

ALL in all if you like 3 peice get one you wont be dissapointed..

Sharp 939 This is a SWEET ghettoblaster (the one with the 10 band eq and spectrum A)

This was an impressive box for me the 10 bane eq made ajusting music qualaties endless I highly recommend this box with its twin autorevearse decks..the volume is on par with the jvc M90 but you do have to push up those graphic sliders to match it.... all in all a great boombox i RECOMMEND...
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Sharp gx300

This is an undarated box with features like dolby b/c its's powerful with a good sound.. the 5 band eq from memory was great good highs with a good bass...

Build quality is great wit a LARGE amp and heatsink but i wouldnt want to investigate any futher..i recommend if you can get one..

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Panasonic rxdt 680

This is a SUPERB boombox and probbly one of the only few that rivals the m90 in sound quality...It has rich deep bass ans superb mids and highs but sadly Its no where near as loud as the m90...if it was then I think it would be my all time every day boombox and its the only other thing i dont like..its the start of the black plastic...

It has great features like twin autorenearse digital tuning cd..and remote...theseboomboxes can be had cheap so i would stronlgy recommend you get one...

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Telefunken studio 1m... This is a WICKED box from memory it hat RICH deep bass and again brilliand highs it even has what i would discribe as a VERY early version of dolby b/c

I studied both dolby systems in depth and found them remarkably alike...

This boombox is powerful I myself want to get another..(this time with a handle)

These boxes can be had quite cheap over here and i like anybody qould highly recommend...
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Aiwa ca 70

This is a sweet box again it has that rich warm sound...it sounds as good as the aiwa 880 but not as loud...

It has features like dolby b and a 5 band eq

Build quality is great lets just say its one of my faves...

Well thats my quick review of some of the greatest boxes ive ever had and im getting tired (been up allnight)

LEts here what other members boxes they reccomend and i hope i havnt bored you all..

Thanks for reading AMIGA...

nice run down, would be awesome with pics tho


i heard the conion was running into $1000+ territory when new, maybe even $2000

Not totally sure I understand the point of this thread Tim.

Nice write up Amiga!

quote:

Originally posted by agentorange:
Not totally sure I understand the point of this thread Tim.

I guess the main point of this thread is for us oldtimers to stear newer members in the right direction to choose good boomers over bad ones...

If you feel it's unnessery then by all means delite it chris..

Thanks Amiga!! Love your work and I agree with all your reviews actually! There is only the Sharp 939 that I have not owned, but I want to! I bought a GF-810 new, and I always loved that unit, and I expect the 939 to be even better!

There are a few boxes listed that I've never heard before, and this thread gives me an Idea of what to expect before purchasing. Which models should we completely avoid?

quote:

Originally posted by jameswp67:
Thanks Amiga!! Love your work and I agree with all your reviews actually! There is only the Sharp 939 that I have not owned, but I want to! I bought a GF-810 new, and I always loved that unit, and I expect the 939 to be even better!

Thank you james it means Alot that you agree with my opinions here..the 939 is a great box james.. I Remember when you bought your first m90 and that you were not inpressed with it..but I insisted that you take her in for repair..the rest is history ol chap as i think you must hold the record for the most m90's owned Even though you pas them on..you will not be dissapointed in the 939 my friend..it is roughly the same vol as the m90 but you REALY have to push up those eq sliders to match it..and that just dosent sound natural and warm when you do that unlike the m90..the only one i have left was at the first sunshine mix hosted by boomboxery members..it has upgreaded marantz speakers in there so it is by far the best m90 i have owned sound wize out of about a dozen i have had..I hope your sales go well my friend..good luck..

quote:

Originally posted by retro:
There are a few boxes listed that I've never heard before, and this thread gives me an Idea of what to expect before purchasing. Which models should we completely avoid?

Thanks RETRO..that is kind of the point of this thread.. Instead of focusing on the negative things like i used to was just trying to say whats what And it would be NICE if other member followed suit eg iv never heard that big panasonic that Dptip has or the panasonic rxc100..hey wich boxes have you not heard out of this list..I'll try and recommend the best ones out of the ones you havnt heard..

quote:

If you feel it's unnessery then by all means delite it chris..

No it's cool, just felt it needed some explanation. I suppose a definitive collectors guide would be useful but sadly everyone's preferences and tastes are different.

Thanks amiga3k, i would say that yes the 5350 is loud, WIDE loud and can be compared to the c-100 but in quality sound the m90 takes the cake for the crisp and bassy clear sound even at high volume, some people try to compare the m1 with the m90 but lets remember that m1 has enclosed speakers (being a 3 piece) and in my opinion these 2 should never be compared since the m90 i a one piece unit,

and the 880 is also a grand unit, it can hold its volume really high and it can deliver a bassy and clear sound.

The J1 is surprisingly nice for a cheaper box..wonder how much this cost when it was new ?? did anyone ever see these for sale new ?

Good quesion Ghettoman, and since it has the lasonic quality i am guessing 100 to 150 us dollars.

Hi.. soz for the late reply..I have been building a new pc...

Thanks for the info on the panna driptip..i may get one some day..not to sure if i could get used to her unusual desighn though BUT hey im nearly getting used to the looks of the 880 now..2 togeather puts a whole different perspective on the looks to just one..

Ghettoman i agree with driptip on the price of the jumbo but saying that sometimes you had value for money back then..i mean look at the unicef..if i had had the money back then i would have probbly bought a dozen of them..as they were only £100..I had one back then and I TOTALLY loved it..funny thing is some boxes..the perception of sound from then to now totally changed..take the jvc.dc33l mine sounded GREAT back then and now it sounds TOTALLY crap unless you change out the speakers..the unicef more or less sounds EXACTLY the same as I remembered it back then..

I don't look for the big ghettos, I focus more on the midsizes. So in that size range I recommend:

Crown 850L (not the cheaper "F" model):
Great sound, great balance between bass & treble, good separation, very easy to open up and work on, but like Amiga said it's not the best-built box, the tuner knob is geared very slow, and the tape deck is rather cheap. But the awesome metal knobs, deep-dish speakers, and chrome rings make this look like the gladiator of boxes. And to me the lack of a handle is a plus. Shoulder straps make people pay attention, because they know it's something they haven't seen in a long time. And why would you play music way down by your knees anyway? Using a strap brings it up higher, and frees up your hands for other things.

Panasonic RX-5500:
Built like a tank, it is just as heavy as the Crown (14.5 lbs without batteries), even though it is much smaller. The tuner is very high quality, there is no surge of static between stations. The metal trim, toggle switches, and tape keys are awesome. Awesome LED meters that can be seen for miles. And this is my most accurate-sounding box. Great clarity and detail from classical and string music. However I wish the back of it was black, I don't like tan-colored plastic very much.

Aiwa TPR-950/955: Good "warm" bass at low volume (more than the Panasonic above), great stereo wide setting, tuner picks up a lot of stations, great VU meters which function as real VU for all input sources not just tape. However, the controls are plastic and feel cheap, and it is a diffcult box to work on.

Universum 16000 Super Sound: Punchy bass, good separation, sounds like a smaller Crown 850. Square, symmetrical, conservative German good looks, metal tape keys, chrome speaker surrounds, and solid pieces of plexiglass over the tuner dial and the tape door. Very easy to open up and work on. However tuner sensitivity is only average, and the controls on top are cheap plastic. Also, having sliders for left and right volume is a bad design in my opinion.

i've just been thinking,the most balanced box for looks and sound has to be the Sharp GF8989,very loud,good bass ect..and in uk these normally sell for pennies compared to alot of other boxes,i think for the money they are a bargain..

Thanks reli its more posts like yours we need to see.very informative...


Ghettoman the 8989 is indeed an impressive sound for what it is...i would go as far to say its as loud as the gf9000...if only they had a bigger version..it would have reached grail status then...baised on its performance...

The favorites of my collection....

Small boomer: my GE 6035 is my favorite in this category because it is small and very light with very big sound. Solid bass and clean, detailed highs...and it smokes the more popular "Blockbuster" in power, sound and volume. Some don't like its looks but there is no denying the performance and they can be found for very little money on ebay.

Medium boomer: JVC M70 is my hands down favorite with my Sanyo M9994K a close second. I use my radios outside on a regular basis and the M70 has big power, solid bass, and very detailed highs. It also sounds very good at higher volumes where other radios start to distort badly. For indoor listening you can't beat the M9994K, it has one of the best "Wide" settings on any portable and is perfect for listening to jazz.

Big boomer: M90 all day long. The M90 is simply a beast. The Michael Jordan of boomboxes. It simply out performs every 1-piece out there...period. It has beautiful, detailed sound, even at high volume. Solid, tight bass, and the most detailed highs you will find in a portable.

Multi-piece boomer: My Sony FH7 and FH 207 are the most powerful portables I have heard. The amps are huge!!...and it doesn't end there. The 3 way APM SAT speakers have beautiful detail, a wonderful sound stage, and handle all the bass you can give it. I have played heavy bass tracks at full volume with no discernible distortion to my ears. I have listened to every grail imaginable and none that I have heard can dethrone the Sony FH as the baddest multi-piece portable on the planet.

Thanks for the wonderful insight to these boxes melly..great job..The only reason i diddnt include boxes like the fh series is because there not portable...but i agree with you..one of the big fh series puts pay to boxes like the conion/m90

quote:

Small boomer: my GE 6035 is my favorite in this category because it is small and very light with very big sound. Solid bass and clean, detailed highs...and it smokes the more popular "Blockbuster" in power, sound and volume. Some don't like its looks but there is no denying the performance and they can be found for very little money on ebay.

I have one and I love its looks. I need to open it up and polish the black speaker surrounds with some Armor-All.

Its woofers are stiff, so they are very good at producing "tight" bass for old-school rap like Run DMC, but it isn't capable of producing much "warm" bass.

this is so easy for me
in no particular order, the sanyo mx920, the philips d8614, the pioneer sk909l, and the lasonic trc 931, these are probably the best 4 boxes i have ever owned, they all have great quality's about them, but im not going too deep into it, so there ya go AMIGA

Hey lav thanks man...yup i totally love the 920...i cant remember did i review it...i will get another lad...btw check my new handle...its a keeper son

Thanks LAV, the 920 is high on my wish list, and I'm loving the new handle!

thanks retro muchly apriciated....All i need is that beutiful box you have posted up....im working on getting one in the future.. you wont go wrong with the 920 retro..one of my biggest regrets was selling mine...i sold an m90 at the same time but as you know m90's are not rare anymore...the sanyo on the other hand mmmmm