My new fascination for Boomboxes - any help appreciated!

Dear all,

I just signed in after reading through some threads and must say I am excited!

My first contact with a boombox was in 2008 when I went on holiday and the guest house we stayed in had a 1981 Pantronic CX-473F.
I loved the box, on holiday I managed to make it work with my mp3 by balancing my 3.5mm jack in the mic in a mono position (sorry if that's blasphemy, I was 17!). I loved the sound, the LED VU meters and look...

I really want to find this box again for sentimental reasons OR find a similar or superior boombox.


(This is my own photo for authenticity)

Here are more photos found online.

(the one that I wanted to buy but got sold)

I have not found any info about this box or brand in your forums, apparently it can be also called Trident CX-743 (don't know if that might be a typo in the #) or Prosonic PQR-9850.
http://stereo80s.com/bbx.cfm?id=1719

A video of the Trident variant.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dIW9qZQi8b8


Recently I've tried to look for it online. I found an ad in Spain but the time I needed to organize my trip, the unit was sold in the meantime (went for 200€) ... There might be another in a pawn shop nearby for 50€ so I'll go anyway just in case it wasn't sold.

However, talking with the seller, he offered me a Sharp GF-9696 for 400€. The biggest issue I have with that Sharp is that it doesn't have a Line In, only Phono.
What do you think about that Sharp?

From what I can tell you, what you can see, what do you guys think? What do you recommend? Is the Sharp a good alternative in case I can't find my Pantronic / Trident ? Are the asking prices reasonable?

I quickly found out that one of the best ghettoblasters ever made was the Sharp GF-777 so I have an eye out for that one. However, what can you guys recommend to me as a beginner...?

Many thanks for your help and your passion!

That's a cool story, nice to see the younger generation appreciating these beautys.

The box you highlighted has many aka's so might be worth tracking them down. Also I agree with you looking for something with a proper line in as it just adds to the versatility.

The Jvc m70 is a classic box, there are variations for each country some with line and some without so keep an eye on that. The 777 you mention is a classic box and has line in so if you find a good one go for it. Some of the Panasonic models are good to with excellent build and often do have line in.

The Gf9696 is a great box but slightly overrated I think, it doesn't perform amazingly, although it's not too bad it just doesn't cut it for me. Bass is reasonable at low level but get all out of shape at higher volumes.

Welcome to the fun

Welcome!

Yeh the 9696 is beautiful but you can get better sounding ones for less and I think 400 euros is way too much. 777 is a corker.

T-STER said:

The box you highlighted has many aka's so might be worth tracking them down. Also I agree with you looking for something with a proper line in as it just adds to the versatility.

The Jvc m70 is a classic box, there are variations for each country some with line and some without so keep an eye on that. The 777 you mention is a classic box and has line in so if you find a good one go for it. Some of the Panasonic models are good to with excellent build and often do have line in.

The Gf9696 is a great box but slightly overrated I think, it doesn't perform amazingly, although it's not too bad it just doesn't cut it for me. Bass is reasonable at low level but get all out of shape at higher volumes.

Click to expand...

How would I go about tracking down the akas? I only found 3 for now but I do feel like it's a very obscure info to look for.

Somehow I feel like the M70 is too "small."
Could you estimate the size of the woofers of the CX? I'm looking for a model that is as good or better in bass presence and general volume.

It's hard to find out which box I want the most apart from the original Pantronic I mentioned. The world of eighties boomboxes is such an undocumented one online. It's very hard to come by information on them and what models exist.

Have you ever come accross a CX-473 like the one I'm looking for? I'm sure there are better quality makes in the same power and size range.

Northerner said:

777 is a corker.

Click to expand...

What do you mean? What is a corker in boombox terms?
Is a 777 with its quad woofers that incredible? Are there other quad woofer boxes to look out for?

Cyriac said:

The box you highlighted has many aka's so might be worth tracking them down. Also I agree with you looking for something with a proper line in as it just adds to the versatility.

The Jvc m70 is a classic box, there are variations for each country some with line and some without so keep an eye on that. The 777 you mention is a classic box and has line in so if you find a good one go for it. Some of the Panasonic models are good to with excellent build and often do have line in.

The Gf9696 is a great box but slightly overrated I think, it doesn't perform amazingly, although it's not too bad it just doesn't cut it for me. Bass is reasonable at low level but get all out of shape at higher volumes.

Click to expand...

How would I go about tracking down the akas? I only found 3 for now but I do feel like it's a very obscure info to look for.

Somehow I feel like the M70 is too "small."
Could you estimate the size of the woofers of the CX? I'm looking for a model that is as good or better in bass presence and general volume.

It's hard to find out which box I want the most apart from the original Pantronic I mentioned. The world of eighties boomboxes is such an undocumented one online. It's very hard to come by information on them and what models exist.

Have you ever come accross a CX-473 like the one I'm looking for? I'm sure there are better quality makes in the same power and size range.

Northerner said:

777 is a corker.

Click to expand...

What do you mean? What is a corker in boombox terms?
Is a 777 with its quad woofers that incredible? Are there other quad woofer boxes to look out for?

Click to expand...

The Panatronic that you are looking for was mostly manufactured by Trident in the states. The 2 I own don't have a line in. Their sound is fairly good but there are much superior sounding boxes out there. I believe the woofers are in the 6 1/2 inch range?

I strongly suggest you search the "Collections" forum as most of the members here have posted pictures of their collections with a wide ranging array of models posted.

There are dozens of 4 speaker boxes available. you can search for them in the search engine. Recently, Brooklyn Sound (Jimmy) posted his superb collection including his numerous 4 speaker boxes in the "Boom Room" forum, take a look.

"Corker" is English slang for = really cool, he means he really likes the 777.

Welcome to the forum!

Jerry

I did have a 777 but I gave that to my girlfriend as a present, I have a 767 for sale that has Line In and Phono - check the for sale section mate.

Okay so I'm establishing a list of a.k.a.'s for my Pantronic...

Those models appear on Ebay Germany often

Hey guys, thanks for all your input!

Well, I admit that the original one is a lesser box, easily out-classed by others but alas, it is my reference!

Reasonably I don't think I want to start with a valuable collector's box... Instead something around $ 300 €... And even then, if I can get a cheaper buut just as powerful one I'd be happier since I plan on also using it out on my Jeep trips so it might be shaken a little even if I secure it.

I don't need a perfectly working cassette deck, I could fix that down the line just the Line In/Aux to connect my phone.

Styleking said:

The Panatronic that you are looking for was mostly manufactured by Trident in the states. The 2 I own don't have a line in. Their sound is fairly good but there are much superior sounding boxes out there. I believe the woofers are in the 6 1/2 inch range?

Click to expand...

Could you check again because I've always seen the dual 3.5mm mono jack inputs on the back side like so:


Also aren't they all made in Japan? It says so on all the labels I've seen...


Finally, thanks for the 767 offer but it's slightly out of my budget! I think I'd be happy to get those grail boxes once I build my collection though!

I'll check out the sections you mentioned. Cheers!

I'm a cabin crew based in Dubai so if I can find a really great deal, I'll be happy to fly out to meet whoever is selling a box like the one I'm looking for.

If the inputs say "Mic" they won't work. The signal will be bad quality. You need inputs that say Aux, Line In, Rec/PB, or Phono.

The 9696 is a great sounding box. Even though the inputs say Phono, you can still play MP3 through it if you adjust your phone's volume.

Welcome Cyriac! Welcome to the best forum on the planet. Cyriac from Dubai...then you should speak my native language.



JVC RC M70 will be your best box to buy. Forget Pantronic CX-473F. You will suffer to get parts.

Reli said:

If the inputs say "Mic" they won't work. The signal will be bad quality. You need inputs that say Aux, Line In, Rec/PB, or Phono.

The 9696 is a great sounding box. Even though the inputs say Phono, you can still play MP3 through it if you adjust your phone's volume.

Click to expand...

They do, there's both!

BoomboxLover48 said:

Welcome Cyriac! Welcome to the best forum on the planet. Cyriac from Dubai...then you should speak my native language.



JVC RC M70 will be your best box to buy. Forget Pantronic CX-473F. You will suffer to get parts.

Click to expand...

Thanks! Sounds cool! Ah I'm not sure! What do you speak? I'm from France so I only speak French and English.

Hmm, I see what you mean, what parts would I typically need to get for a boombox generally speaking?

Oh OK those will work. You will need a cable like this:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/3ft-Stereo-3-5mm-Male-to-Dual-3-5mm-Stereo-Male-Y-Splitter-Audio-Cable-AV-Y093/390797824700?hash=item5afd5d92bc:g:A54AAOSwezVWzncR

Hey hey hey, somebody posts on the Pantronic and I miss it? I actually have that box and also the Trident version, both in silver & with the blue radio scale.

The bad news is that they're not for sale/trade, unless I am offered something really special. The good news is that they are not at all rare.

These units are elegant and sound fantastic -- in my humble opinion, with a better sound definition than the 9696, which I agree with Reli is a great sounding unit. So chances are that are that Cyril (welcome on board!) will soon find his grail

samovar said:

Hey hey hey, somebody posts on the Pantronic and I miss it? I actually have that box and also the Trident version, both in silver & with the blue radio scale.

The bad news is that they're not for sale/trade, unless I am offered something really special. The good news is that they are not at all rare.

These units are elegant and sound fantastic -- in my humble opinion, with a better sound definition than the 9696, which I agree with Reli is a great sounding unit. So chances are that are that Cyril (welcome on board!) will soon find his grail

Click to expand...

I agree these will stomp a mud hole in many JVC sharp Panasonic ect models ,for sound . they a built well and are heavy ,not much cheesyness going anywhere on these boxes they are all business.

samovar said:

Hey hey hey, somebody posts on the Pantronic and I miss it? I actually have that box and also the Trident version, both in silver & with the blue radio scale.

The bad news is that they're not for sale/trade, unless I am offered something really special. The good news is that they are not at all rare.

These units are elegant and sound fantastic -- in my humble opinion, with a better sound definition than the 9696, which I agree with Reli is a great sounding unit. So chances are that are that Cyril (welcome on board!) will soon find his grail

Click to expand...

Mi dispiace! I should have put a big old PANTRONIC in the post title!!

I guess Pantronic were more prevalent in Europe? These are all rebrands of a common manufacturer anyway but I do strictly want the silver/blue combo...

To make it clear, I'm not ever going to ask to buy a box, they're yours they're yours! However I would greatly appreciate any help in finding one of these!
Besides, right now I have niente to offer apart from money lol
How much do you think a reasonable price would be for a functional Pantronic box? Almost found one in Barcelona but it got sold before I could reach it... I like the idea of having one because they're rugged, aren't tooo precious and blast quite hard. If I have a GF-777 in my hands I'd barely take it out!

The thing is, being in Dubai means I'll have to travel far to buy, which means I need to search everywhere... Maybe I'll end up in Germany! lol

I have a good memory of playing around with that box when I was a teen and the sound and volume were really acceptable. I wonder how different boxes rank though... Which is the bassiest, the loudest etc...

I saw a video of the GF-1000 blasting "Dynamite" with all 4 woofers bouncing and that got me dreaming...!

Anyway, I'll continue searching tomorrow!

Thanks for the positivity Samovar!!!

JVC Floyd said:

I agree these will stomp a mud hole in many JVC sharp Panasonic ect models ,for sound . they a built well and are heavy ,not much cheesyness going anywhere on these boxes they are all business.

Click to expand...

That's the feeling I got too! They don't even have removable grilles!

These are a lot easier to work on than most boxes and the boards inside all have connectors .also these can be had for much cheaper than the mainstream so called grails.these have quality parts and plenty of them inside plus the whole inner frame is removable for easy access to the deck, the deck is probably the cheapest part but it still sounds good.I added line in rca jack to mine by desoldering the input Jack's and soldering female rca cables to the board and mounting the rca plug end by drilling holes in the back case
.

I've heard one of these, and it is indeed loud, and it looks fantastic.....but it doesn't sound as "hi-fi" as an M70 or GF-9696 or Aiwa TPR-950 for example. It's good enough for hip-hop or heavy metal, but I wouldn't play jazz or classic rock on it.

That's true but these were never meant to directly compete with high end models. In my opinion these don't spend as much down time as the high end boxes and require a hell of a lot less work for a marginal sound quality difference. These are not HiFi but they'll make the average person very happy. These have nowhere near the amount of problems as JVC sharp etc.and they usually punch better outdoors where they were made to be used.my sharp gf 9000. Sound nice indoors but sound funking awesome outside.

I will say that my sharps and lasonic having been my most dependable boxes, my JVC always have issues but I still love em lol.