HI all. I found your boards while searching for information on what I grew up with, Ghetto blasters or Boomboxe's. So far I've been reading your posts daily since I really like to do research before I buy one.

Well I've been on a hunt for a nice original Boom box. I have a dollar amount in mind but from what I have read It seems like I may not be able to afford one a nice. But again I'm seeking knowledge so I do not get ripped off if I do find one to purchase.


First off what box offers a tighter bass V.S. a loose boomy base?
I prefer tight bass myself. Would the Lasonic fit the bill. I found the new Lasonic I-931 but noticed the experts state that the sound quality is poor. I love my music so Sound really matters to me..I listned to a decent You tube on a lasonic from the day and damn it had a nice sound.

Also from you the experts on this subject, do the Line in jacks offer good sound from MP3 players with little distortion? Some Current high end home units tend to have a muffled sound on the line in and I have to turn up the volume on high on the mp3 player to get sound at medium volume on the console.
Again I have no experience on these Boxes so forgive the questions. I have read as many post's and opinions that have been posted and now need your expert advice.

Also how many members in here live in Texas that maybe selling a nice Box should I find that they are affordable. Would make purchasing a little easier I hope.
(Craigs list in Corpus bites so I may have to travel)

Thanks to all I do not offend.

Good luck on your hunt. Tight bass, the Sanyo M9994K comes to mind. The JVC PC-5 is also a good choice. I'm sure others will chime in with suggestions. Some say that the Lasonic TRC-920 is the best model from them, but I would definitely give one a listen in person first with your MP3 player hooked up.

vladi123456 is a good member from Texas who might be able to hook you up with a nice one. Avoid anyone named James from Houston

welcome in and well done for doing the homework

this is some thing that you really one to get right as it shows in the way you have gone around and tried to find out what is best for you and what you want in a box

i take it that you have been on you-tube for hour with you selection seeing if you can hear what there all like ?

see what other have to say on here as well - not that PF is wrong, just see if the same boxes are choosen as well

good luck B

Thank you both for the reply's and info. Yeah I had a long listning on you Tube. Some samples were lousy and some were very good. I have hit every store I could think of and While there I usually plug My Sansa in to the stereo's to have a listen. Today's stuff really lacks quality. I'm old school.

Hopefully others will pour in more knowledge.

Thanks

Buy the best JVC RC-M70 that you can afford. If a good M70 is not in your price range buy a nice JVC RC-656 for less than $100. If you want more classic styling than the 656 offers then one of the Sharps like the 9191 might be a good choice. But I am a JVC man and even those that are not will recommend the RC-M70. You can pick up an OK one with some issues for around $150. $200,$250 will get you better ones, $300+ a really nice one. If you don't plan on using the tapedeck then you can find one that looks good and needs a belt replaced for $200.

It would help if we knew what you wanted to spend. Heck if you had $800-$1200 I would be recommending a JVC RC-M90.

I agree with Spud on the M70. The Sanyo M9994 in my opinion has slightly better sound at normal listening volumes, but both are fantastic boxes. Perfect size for carrying around.

Audio recordings of boomboxes in action can be misleading. They are good to verify functionality (IE, tuner works, tape plays at correct pace, etc.) but the sound you hear can be very misleading (good or bad).

So I have a good starting point. I agree the recorded clips do not offer a decent representation of quality. But I'm stuck since I cannot even here one live around here.
Of the recorded Boobtube samples the M70 did exhibit a nice sound over other models but it's just used for representation.
As far as how much I have around $100.00 to $125.00 arranged. This would basically be my fathers day gift but I would have to convince my wife that the older models are better than the newer Ipod lasonic.
Are M70's available for around that or is going to be something else. I have to figure in shipping even if it's in Texas.

Thanks

Majestic

quote:

RC-M70

Oh yeah. Other than FleaBay, does anybody have links to For Sale listing on these units. FleaBay over inflates prices on everything since people bid to win, not what it's worth. So far this forum has helped me get a realistic price value so your input thus far is not wasted.

Again thanks for all the help.

Stick to local sales and thrift stores.
And you can get your boxes for next to nothing.
But if your looking for one
particular model
than you will end up on ebay.

Comparing sound quality of youtube representations is like trying to find the best sounding blaster, turned way up, through a telephone -- you just can't do it. The worst boombox has better sound quality than you're going to get through a mono-recorded video camera (or phone), then translated through a computer monitor speaker (or laptop).

If you really want to make sure you aren't going wrong, then you've got to do it live. Perhaps another member close to you might be willing to let you see and hear their collection.

Either the Sanyo M9994 or the JVC-M70 are great boxes and you can't go wrong with either but the Sanyo is likely going to cost you more as it's much more scarce than the ubiquitous M70. I have both and I prefer the Sanyo but then again, that's just me. There's a very nice Sanyo M9994k on ebay right now but it's already over $300.

Great bargains with very good bass: Panasonic CS-780 or any of the S-XBS series have very good bass, sound terrific and typically can be found at low prices. Shh... They might be the best kept secret...

If you want the classic 80's one piece styling and decent sound quality, for $100, I would go with a Sharp GF-8989. Good sound quality, great looks and not bad on the bass either. They come up on the bay every once in a while and they are rarely over $100. Be forwarned though, it was my first box and I now have 25+...

Any members here that live near Corpus Christi Texas?

quote:

Sanyo M9994

I tell you what. It takes patience. To put it another way I have yet to see anything suggested here at any pawn shops or second hand stores here in corpus. Sometimes I feel like this city is stuck in a hole where picking up great finds can be daunting.

Take my Mustang. In Dallas, Houston or Austin you can get parts from fellow mustang owners cheap or free. I cannot even trade good parts i have for things I need since nothing past S.A. seems to exist. I drives me nuts.
So far it seems that the older Lasonic or Sanyo may be in te price range I can afford. But I'm still searching. I can see now from the research why you end up with so many Boxes. They all offer something different from sound to style. But I will prevail and get something that feels and sounds right to me.

Question: Do many of these boxes have AUX inputs as RCA hookups or 4MM jacks.

Thanks.

quote:

Originally posted by Majestic:
Question: Do many of these boxes have AUX inputs as RCA hookups or 4MM jacks.

Thanks.

Most 80,s boomboxs have a RCA or DIN or MIC input.
I have a very basic Sanyo mono
box that has a MIC input in the back.

Just to follow up on that, most but not all boomboxes will have line-in jacks and outputs. Very few will have a 3.5mm (or is that 4mm?) jack. Adapters to convert the mini phono jack to RCAs can be had anywhere.

Now comes the confusion. The presence of a line-in jack doesn't mean that the boombox has an auxilary input playback feature. That's a higher end feature that is lacking on more basic machines. The line-in jack on those boxes is intended primarily as a means to record external sources. If you wish to playback your CD or MP3 through a boombox that is missing an aux-in feature, then you can use the record monitoring feature. In other words, pretend like you're recording and you can hear the external source signal. I say pretend because if you press the pause button, the cassette obviously is not recording but will continue to monitor the external source signal.

That's what I was thinking Stormin.

Using a cassette adaptor might help too.
Also see these FM transmitter adaptors too.
But a box with a proper LINE IN or AUX
with a aux-line input switch is the best way to go.

I think your right Stormin, I believe it is a 3.5mm jack.