i see a lot of ppl. collection walkmen here. also some really nice showcase pics. well, do you just collect, or do you still use your portable cassette players ? and what`s the reaction of ppl around you, when they see you using your walkman or turning over a cassette ?

I still use mine when the mood strikes. I used to collect but I think I'm done there, just about all my personal favourites have now been obtained. As regards reactions, it's usually in my pocket. I assume people just think I'm as deformed as I am pleased to see them.

Classic Nak D.......i would use mine if i had some decent cans (please nobody mention porta pro) have some great cans but they need fixing

yes, i didn`t use the portapro in public yet ...

i just took my cassette player in my breast pocket of my military field jacket, which makes it easy to carry even 80s fatties around... atm, i`m still using my sennheiser earbuds...

but one day, i`ll take my portapro with me. it cannot be uglier than the nowadays stuff some ppl. wear on their heads.. :

i just didn't like porta pro.....sorry mate...i had a pair of grado rs1. since sold...and i have a pair of sony xb 1000 but the jack plug is busted....still any thing is better than the i poop

Have collected walkmans to determine which play the best sound to my ears and ease of operation, also have recieved ( said working but do not ) walkmans which need repair - so when parts and or repair people have been sourced - then those WM's will be repaired and evaluated and or ?

People generally dont get that close to me  to see what i am listening to - nor do most seem to care  

I collect and give them love by using it once or two in a week.

well .. i collect, record tapes and use it all again after 15 years . beside the reasons i already told in another thread, it gives me the same feeling like meeting an old friend again after long time ^_^...

and or bring's back Memories of time's past depending upon which boombox you are playing at your moment in Your mind

I once brought my Clairtone into a Mc Donald's resturant sat it on the table,had my wife order us some food when the manager approached me,as not to take it outside but rather if he could hear it play,i was kinda shocked,but turn's out he too is a Boombox collecter anyway long story short we had quite the fanfare parent's and their kid's alike were in amazement it brought back memories for the parent's and the kids adored it,funny just grabbing a burger with the wife and the Clairtone would bring so much attention.  

I'm relative new into Walkmans, as I was more into boomboxes. But now I use my Walkmans daily. The Sony's reporter types (D6C and D5M) to feed my boomboxes with new music tapes and Panasonics Walkmans for the outdoor stuff... I like Panasonic especially cause I collect Toughbooks for about 15 years... My iPod is only used in the gym... People react mainly positive to my Walkmans, as retro is very hip nowadays...

I use my Walkman EVERY day. I'm more of a user than a collector although i have over 50 pieces! The main reason being that due to the unavailabilty of new units over the counter,and me not being technically minded enought to fix them,when they encounter problems as they invariably do,i just put them in storage and move onto the next one!

I'm promarily collector, but I also enjoy listening to good walkmans with high quality.

But, the more I learn about audio quality and the more I listen to good decks, the less I enjoy walkmans.

So I have now only a few that I consider real enjoy when listening; the best ones.

i listen mostly to my sony DDs. really nice sound. and i cannot carry my tapedecks to a walk into the city ^_^ ...

Hey gearwheel posted up earlyier bout the boom box thing at MC.D'S but for got to mention my walkman usage ,anyway's i do have quite a few,so i try to mix it up a bit with their usage as to keep the old belt's from cracking,for sound quality i use JBL 410 reference headphone's to most of my walkman's and sound is superb especially the one's which take 4 AA lot's of power pump from these baby's  when i strap on my Sony Wm1 and go out no one seem's to notice other then them looking at my balding head.  

oh man, thats huge ..

I am not a collector, I use mine everyday on my journey to and from work. I wear them on my belt along with a headphone amp, every can see it and yes I do get funny looks when I change the tape over. 

Haha. I'd like to see those funny looks  (I can imagine them...)

Yes, DDs are so good. Mines all suffer from Center cracke gear, except a very used DD9. I'm waiting for some repairs from Dr Walkman so in a near future I'll enjoy some full working DD.

The ony exception is a beautiful DD33 that has an intact -not cracked- center gear! I'm going to sell it very soon.

The others I listen to are the best PX from AIWA: PX101, 303 and 505.

User here. Listening to an AIWA PX347 at the moment since my Sony WM-EX652 bummed out(RIP). I like cassettes and vinyl for home listening but I use the Sony NWZ-X1060 for travelling etc. I'm on the lookout for a late 90's Sony EX device to take me into the future but also for a working WM 10/20 for nostalgia purposes. 

I have 2 DDs, and no cracked gear .

I use mine DAILY !!!   No mp3 /mp4 for me.   Yes I am a collector but in past year only bought about a dozen but in many years past my collection grew now to 403 so have nearly all ones I want.   I go through phases of using one or two Walkman for few weeks then I move onto few others.  Lately been into the stronger amp late 80's top models that have really excellent bass/treble boost (most when you turn up vol the boost muddy's the sound or gets distorted but a few really rock ).   I totally enjoy the faces of people.  I don't wear /use them like going to grocery store but sometimes waiting in line at banks, always at gym and anytime know am going to wait long times like doctor offices or dealing with government, at beach/pool.  I will set player on knee so all can see and flip tape even when not needed just to look around as I do it see the perplexed faces of younger or older who remember them smile or often strike up a conversation.   A few young guys at gym asked me about them (and yes I wear port a pro at gym sorry am a bass freak and love old rock and roll).  Let kid put on the porta pros to some Van Halen vs his Ipod with buds... his eyes popped out and when I cranked it up he said NO WAY.... before walking away said hey that is really cool.

  Best was waiting in line to vote for last presidential election long line was even outside the building in line had one of the first Walkman I bought that day a beauty the Panasonic RQ-S75 in metallic Blue and reasonably higher quality sound and love the quality heavy solid build plus drop down door mechanism.   I decided to change to another tape pulled it tape out of my back pocket and took player from belt case ( not a big player) proceeded to change tape hear a voice behind me say " wow my daughter would not even know what that is"....... hmm somehow I just KNEW dude was talking about my cassette tape so I turned around he looked at me asked you really listen to tapes still.  Yes I said am a high tech rebel he laughed.  Told me he never saw a Walkman with a door like mine when he held it was like gee I dont remember quality like this or seeing or having one like this.  They usually were plastic and not sound too good ( sad most people only remember the plastic low budget ones).   

  Bottom line yeah from youth I get oddest looks and they most of time dont say anything ( btw the headphones some of them wear in the gym neon red or green full over ear with WIDE solid bands even band over head colored brite geesh... my porta pro's are nothin or some others have for outside use).   The middle age or older folk usually SMILE when they see Walkman... and often enough strike up a conversation.   Especially few times I take a out a TPS-L2 put on my leg while sitting lots of people speak up about oh I REMEMBER THAT WALKMAN !    Its about fun right ? 

  Oh and yes I will take out and use my DD9, DD100, Aiwa PC-202 and other top players.  I believe in using even the rarest best often because they are the best sounding with different players being best at certain types of music while others better at other types of music.    

   AND every time I pick one up the feel in my hand and looking down at it give me a moment of deja vu makes me remember HAPPY TIMES had with them in the golden age of Walkman 80's even though was in my 20's my first Walkman the Sony WM-3 and others.

Panasonic RQ-S75 ( got Long ago from fellow S2G member)

great stories, man .

i gave away all my flatmen within the last weeks because of the quality. i notized, the "bricker" it is, the more solid and easier to repair it seems to ... i opened up some of that pana rq-sx something from end of 90s to the last models ...but the boards where so incredible thin and even the belts. i don`t know where to get such thin belts. so they had to go ...

but i have some panas, that are more solid... have 4 of them with radio, great thingies .

Yes the looks are a picture but I get the last laugh, as I know I am getting good sound.

You should see them when I am using the D6C, even more of a picture.

The Panasonic SX series is no where NEAR the quality build or sound of of the S series. Although the SX has twin amps for very clean sound the power is too low.  Only SX model that ranks high is the SX75 ( non radio version as the SX75V it totally different mechanically and a poorer performing model.

hmm that's funny I owned a RQ-SX20  back in 1997, but I didn't notice any flaws.

Untill  I noticed 3 years later, the stickbattery has leaked and the belts are dead.

It must be something to do with head alignment, it sounds dull. The head is clean and looks fine. The wow is terrible when moving the player also. Probably wear and tear at this stage in it's life. By comparison my AIWA PX347 is a far better player and very loud ( but I don't listen loud) despite what others have said about the later AIWA's. 

Fantastic, John! Ha, ha, I enjoyed so much reading. I'd like to see those faces ;-D

Love the way you enjoy and live walkmans! Keep it up.

For bass I can recommed a Panasonic RQ-SW20 with the original headset. It has this vmss thing and you will be very aware of the bass!... it's a tank, sound is far from the best, but its my favorite by far. Using it makes me just plain happy.. 

too much colour ....

it's for indoor use only... 

lol underwater timebomb

Saldly it doesn't have a clock... And certainly no alarm.... I'm so extremely happy with my bright yellow version!. Lol..