Hi all

I would be very interested in people’s views/ opinions on the following Sharp radio cassette players.

GF-9494

GF-9595

GF-7500

GF-555

GF-575

GF-500

GF-450

I know they are all quite different machines; but I’d love to know how you good people rate them!

for my taste --EVERY sharp  boombox has an annoying screeeeechie high end -

and a very cheap//thin bass sound --

if you like smooth balance and bass you can feel -

then collect the best sanyos,  pannys & JVCs

( and a few crowns & pioneers )

The models you have listed are low to mid-end machines that you should pick on looks, as they sound...ok-ish like Redbenjoe said. The one you should pick (even if it is not on that list) would be the 9696.

Pretty much what they said.  These Sharp boxes look superb but really are all fart and no poo.  Sharp, like Hitachi were one of those manufacturers who concentrated their efforts on the cosmetic appearances of their machines rather than sound/build quality.

As Nev says, the 9696 almost gets in there but despite it's 40w boast it still falls short of some far less powerful Panasonics and JVCs. 

the Sharps i love are either iconic blasters or masterpieces of design. hence my preference for the gf 9090 & 9191, and the vz 2000 & 2500. as for their sound, it is true that sometimes what i call "the sharp bass" sounds slightly synthetic; but not at all bad, especially in units such as the gf 9797. among those in your list, i would go after the gf 9494: powerful and undoubtedly visual

99 percent of sharps are worth a swerve...the only ones i would go for are the 777 series and 3 piece like the gx 300 and the wf939

forgot to mention AIWA :::

get a 950//955 or an 880

I remain hugely disappointed with the GF555 and 575 but while I accept what the others say about the 9494, 9595 and 9696 they are capable of more...

When i plug in my Sony mp3 player and change the settings to boost treble and bass, these machines seem to come alive with a deep and tight (rather than warm) bass and a much sweeter treble. It's like the power is there but the built in tone controls don't make the most of the amp's capabilities. I like those machines because they are well built, heavy and good looking and can be made to sound better through the phono or line inputs if you use a device that can be adjusted like a CD player or mp3. An Aiwa DSL equipped portable tape player would sound fantastic through one of these, but that is an irony too far. Best to start with an Aiwa!

well made wasps bar the 7 series  .

forgot to mention that the gf 777 and 999 are my favs in a series that somehow i gave for granted was a desirable one

Now the GF9696 has always interested me.

Please, someone who owns one, do the "Attenuator" controls (on the front left & right, behind the grills) make much difference? I believe they're supposed to control output from whichever speaker handles midrange...

Sharp... when the sound got better, the looks went. 

Unfortunately for Sharp, the time when their X-Bass came along & also their clever TwinCam single door double cassette decks, the look of all boomers was going all black & eggy.

A Sharp boomer I bought my girlfriend back in 1988-89 (wq-t237) had really very impressive sound quality, but not at the highest volumes. Build quality was below par though...

Talk about "all fart and no poo" I almost kacked myself laughing at that!  I like your style!  

I have owned GF-9090's and 9191's and thought they were good solid performers that looked as cool as anything. Would like to get one of each for my collection. I have always had a soft spot for Sharp and used to lust after them as a teenager; but there is an often huge gulf between nostalgia and how these things really perform. With so many Sharp models out there I would like to build up a picture of what is good and what isn’t. This won’t put me off picking things up if they are cheap but your advise is much appreciated.

Ahh 9696, thanks I'll Google that, not heard of that one!

I love my JVC's and have a lot of respect for Panasonic and Pioneer, You reckon Crown's are worth a punt too, I remember a huge silver one from an Argos catalogue years ago, always liked the look of it but can't remember the model number! (Of course I realise that saying "huge silver one" isn't much help!! )

Those 777 series machines look very impresive but I think maybe a bit too big for my taste. Would be a nice thing to have in the corner of a living room or bedroom though!

Ah, yes, had a 555 for a while and thought it sounded very weedy given its size. What you say about the 575 has certainly shattered an illusion; I always wanted one of these.
As for Aiwa's, well yes, I bought one partly because many people on this forum really rate them and partly because I really liked the look of it. I have to say that it is one of the best portables I have ever owned!

Unfortunately that is true of many things; personaly the JVC Kaboom is not to my taste but the performance is excellent!! Trouble is that I want that sort of performance out of a box that looks like one I wanted as a teenager! Maybe I'm asking too much!

"Wasps" I like that description; very apt for some of the portables I've heard over the years!

Thanks very much for all your replies; you all given me a lot to think about!  Just a couple more I forgot to mention - GF-8585 (Quite like the look of this one!) and GF-8989. Any good, or would you lump the in with the others?

Well I love my Sharps...from your list the 9494 is a stunner and sounds pretty good to me. The 9595 doesn't quite do it for me...looks a bit too hifi in styling. The 555 is a good box for the money...you can usually get them really cheap as they're so ugly...built like a tank.  The 575 is ok, not that special. The rest of the list I wouldn't bother with

Hi Si, have to ask, how does the GF-9595 compare with the M-70? These machines look about the same size too me! Is it as good?

there isn't one...if you want something inbetween try the panna dt680 3 piece but sounds better than the aiwa 880 imho

the m70 is far better seb .

here isn't one...if you want something inbtween try the panna dt680 3 piece but sounds better than the aiwa 880 imho .          agreed the 680 is a cracker 

Thanks, thought that was the case. Will check out the dt680 though.

OK, thanks mate, will definately check out the 680!

i forgot if you don't want cd then get the rxct990 same as 680 but without cd

Cheers

My loudest box is a Sharp. An HK-9000. I can not imagine there are portable boxes louder than this one. Would love to compare one to the power of a M90

There is one haha i forgot about her.....the jvc pcx200 it is a 90's box though...floors them all but it isn't a box you want if you need power...but it is loud enough

the sharp wf939 has the same power and sounds a bit better...it would be as loud as the m90 if it weren't for the fact you need to use the 10 band eq to push her

Ahh, not seen the GF-8686 before, just Googled it; I think it looks rather sweet!

Just Googled that one as well; bloody hell Michiel, thats a behemoth monster!!  Is it as big as a 777?

Actually Mr Northerner, it was probably you that convinced me to try other Sharp's after I was so disappointed with my first; the 555 and second the 575.

Seb...

Don't bother with the 8989. 

Very poor indeed.

Originally Posted by Michiel:

My loudest box is a Sharp. An HK-9000. I can not imagine there are portable boxes louder than this one. Would love to compare one to the power of a M90

Just Googled that one as well; bloody hell Michiel, thats a behemoth monster!! Is it as big as a 777?

Dont know yet, I get my 777 Sunday . But it's a big heavy box, most of its housing is made of wood. Something like 15 kilos! And very powerfull. It's longer than the J1 jumbo, so I think it's bigger than the 777. It's definetly one of my favorites 

Agree with Nick, the 8686 is a lovely sounding box for its size! Mine sounds nearly the same as the 9494 despite its smaller size.

I've always had a soft spot for Sharps 

admittedly, Sharps are fascinating even when sometimes they sound slightly disappointing. a model that intrigues me is the 5P-37G: the black unit with a TV. i have the feeling that it sounds better than expected, and certainly looks super-cool (smart design and lovely VUs...) 

Originally Posted by Northerner:

I've always had a soft spot for Sharps 

admittedly, Sharps are fascinating even when sometimes they sound slightly disappointing. a model that intrigues me is the 5P-37G: the black unit with a TV. i have the feeling that it sounds better than expected, and certainly looks super-cool (smart design and lovely VUs...) 

I like the looks of that one too plus jvc made a unit with a bw tv which looks even better

Originally Posted by samovar:

Originally Posted by Northerner:

I've always had a soft spot for Sharps 

admittedly, Sharps are fascinating even when sometimes they sound slightly disappointing. a model that intrigues me is the 5P-37G: the black unit with a TV. i have the feeling that it sounds better than expected, and certainly looks super-cool (smart design and lovely VUs...) 

I like the looks of that one too plus jvc mad a unit with a bw tv which looks even better

the JVC unit you refer to is the 3090, a quality box that sounds like an m90 and looks like a sci-fi project  i won't argue which is the better box, but my rather subjective view is that i'd rather have the Sharp 

the earlier sharps are better but still lack in the sound dept like everyone says,

the digital tuner ones on your list are a good buy i regret selling mine,also the 9191 like Si mentioned is a great must have box and there are loads of them about

ive had my 525 on via line in tonight and it sounds good,its had an easy life so its gonna sound better than something thats been thrashed,i think that surely must be a relevant issue in 30 year old audio gear

Originally Posted by radio raheem:

Originally Posted by samovar:

Originally Posted by Northerner:

I've always had a soft spot for Sharps 

admittedly, Sharps are fascinating even when sometimes they sound slightly disappointing. a model that intrigues me is the 5P-37G: the black unit with a TV. i have the feeling that it sounds better than expected, and certainly looks super-cool (smart design and lovely VUs...) 

I like the looks of that one too plus jvc mad a unit with a bw tv which looks even better

the JVC unit you refer to is the 3090, a quality box that sounds like an m90 and looks like a sci-fi project  i won't argue which is the better box, but my rather subjective view is that i'd rather have the Sharp 

That's the one sal...nearly had one once but didn't want to trade for an m90....it's atually quite a small unit. about m70 in size

Definitely makes a difference if its not been thrashed...my 525 is a one previous owner from new cherished box so has also had an easy life...sounds good and loud...good recordings on it too Obviously there are lots of better boxes but I've got rid of several other boxes and kept the 525...says something about it

i have a mint 575 that sounds good too..maybe sharps dont age well

I think some age better than others, the 9191 I used to own had aged a lot better than my 5454, but the 5454 was relativly cheap!! Cheaper plastics, cheaper components!

I was never impressed with sharp even back in the day...most of them are just for looks imho