Clairtone 7980 vs JVC M90

Here we go..

Battle of the 'commercial' big boys

now IF I had the chance to ONLY get one of either the 7980 or M90, which should it be?

Might be a stupid question, but upon my quest for a 1 piece system, I am bombarded by info left and right..

your valued opinions please

cheers

M90 if you want the best quality and you listen to classic rock, jazz, vocals, string, etc. It's just a more precise-sounding box.

The Clairtone is a bit louder, but it's not as clean. It's good for hiphop and electro though.

All depends if you want to show it off and impress people. If so, get the Clairtone, it makes a bigger impression.

^^^ What Reli said.

However, if you want either of those to be your first real boombox, you will be missing out on so many other sweet sounding, high quality boomboxes that might not cost nearly as much.

Fatdog said:

^^^ What Reli said.

However, if you want either of those to be your first real boombox, you will be missing out on so many other sweet sounding, high quality boomboxes that might not cost nearly as much.

Click to expand...

I have a prelim list of boxes:

JVC M70
JVC M80
JVC 838
JVC PC-55

Sanyo M999
Aiwa 660

Realistic SCR-8

Panasonic RX 5500
Panasonic RX 5050
Panasonic RX 5150
Panasonic RX 5250

any others I should be looking at?

thanks gang !!!

RocklandSally said:

^^^ What Reli said.

However, if you want either of those to be your first real boombox, you will be missing out on so many other sweet sounding, high quality boomboxes that might not cost nearly as much.

Click to expand...

I have a prelim list of boxes:

JVC M70
JVC M80
JVC 838
JVC PC-55

Sanyo M999
Aiwa 660

Realistic SCR-8

Panasonic RX 5500
Panasonic RX 5050
Panasonic RX 5150
Panasonic RX 5250

any others I should be looking at?

thanks gang !!!

Click to expand...

Some very good boxes in that list for sure!

If you are looking for the best sound quality check these models out:

National (Panasonic) RX-7000
National (Panasonic) RX-5350
Toshiba RT-S90
Aiwa CS-880
Sharp GF-777 (some people may have different opinions on this one though, I consider it to be a high end piece of equipment with a very detailed and precise sound)

All of the above, especially the Aiwa CS-880 and the Toshiba RT-S90 are VERY close to the M90 in my opinion.

It is nothing but a myth that the M90 is the undisputed king when it comes to sound quality. It is great and deserves to be one of the most sought after boxes out there. But the competition comes very close and does some things better than the M90. In the end, it all comes to down to personal preferences.

The Clairtone is definitely one of the most representative radios of its time. As Reli said, if you want one that has the looks of a classic boombox and decent sound output, go with the Clairtone. Can't go wrong with one of those anyway.

If I had to choose between the two, I would be in a really tough spot as I could not imagine getting rid of either of them. So I really cannot answer the hypothetical "When it comes down to only one box..." question.
We are lucky enough to live in a time where it is possible to own more than only one boombox. Think about it, there were no boombox collectors back in the 1980s. The machines were new and cost a fortune and buying more than one must have seemed ridiculous at that time. I mean imagine someone collecting smartphones nowadays. One is enough because it is an item to use on a daily basis and not something to put on a shelf and admire.

That being said, I strongly recommend you get whichever one you can find first - M90 or Clairtone. Then wait a little and get the other one.

ether is as good but the deck on the m90 is something special with dolby c

your missing out on so much on just wanting these 2

Either box you buy at least you'll have something to listen to on your way to the poor house lol.

I'm always reminded of the movie I saw where this old ass man was walking down the sidewalk carrying a big ass boombox strutting his stuff , I thought it was absolutely pathetic and I don't want to be that guy lol.



lol...nice one

RocklandSally said:

I'm always reminded of the movie I saw where this old ass man was walking down the sidewalk carrying a big ass boombox strutting his stuff , I thought it was absolutely pathetic and I don't want to be that guy lol.


lol...nice one

Click to expand...

I am that guy! I carry my boomboxes to the park, beach, gym...everywhere. People love them. I get more picture requests than a Ferrari...lol.

That movie was made in the 80's and the guy was prolly in his 80's , it would be like watching somebody's grandfather dance like john travolta in Saturday night fever.

The deck on my M90 is awesome. The speakers don't distort at very high volumes. I use it weekly and in the 5yrs I owned it, hasn't failed me!

I just wish it was more stylish.

I'd also consider the Lasonic TRC-920 and JVC-550 if you want a badass look at a reasonable price. I'm partial since I own these, yet honest! Also the Toshiba Bombeat 16 has been that elusive box that I really want. Obviously the Bombeat 40 is way nicer looking, but that's not going to happen...unless I win the lottery and buy that $8k one on ebay.

I think JVC and Toshiba are built great. I've had luck with them both. Laconic's are, relatively, cheapish....but the street price reflects that.

Oh and don't forget about that Sharp 9X9X series. The 9696 is a beat!

Got my eye on these 3:


RX-5150 BUT playing tape makes background noise come out of speakers, no antenna $125

Realistic SCR-8 with no issues $250

Clairtone 7980 BUT tapes dont work $450


so would add some $$$ for repairs on 2 of them....


bahhhhhhh

I have them all.

The 5150 has no bass response and is too 'bright' sounding for me. The scr-8 will treat you well at low volume but leave you reaching for more bass but distorts if you feed it more. 7980 in good shape will be a power house and decent price.

The "ambience" mode on the RX-5150 is a nice addition. I've never thought the 5150 was too bright to my ears. However, I do agree with Joe on the SCR-8. I think its close cousin, the G.E. 3-5259A (Blockbuster), would be a better choice. The 7980 might be the best bet, IF the only problems are the tape decks. If it has other issues, I'd wait.

The SCR-8 you listed is a better sounding box than a 5150, IMHO. The tweeters didn't do anything on the three 5150's I've owned.

$250 is a stretch for an SCR-8 though, even a fully working one. I'd say $175 is more appropriate.

Really need to decide how often you're going to play tapes. If it's just for nostalgia, and you don't have a vast tape collection, I wouldn't worry about having functional decks. Most boombox decks are kinda low-quality anyway.

You could also look for an Aiwa CS-660, it shouldn't go for much more money than an SCR-8 does, and its tape deck is better quality, rivaling some home decks.

Talking about faulty decks, the Sharp GF-8989 I've just bought needs a set of belts, but I've been cranking it up using one of those tape adapters to my smartphone and the sound quality's very good (much better than off a tape imo). As long as the tape deck head is clean and functioning on the box you get, then one of these adapters is a great solution for blasting the tunes from almost any source.

Or you can connect one of those $5 rechargeable bluetooth receivers to the Aux In jacks. Secure it with Velcro tape.

retroclub said:

Talking about faulty decks, the Sharp GF-8989 I've just bought needs a set of belts, but I've been cranking it up using one of those tape adapters to my smartphone and the sound quality's very good (much better than off a tape imo). As long as the tape deck head is clean and functioning on the box you get, then one of these adapters is a great solution for blasting the tunes from almost any source.

Click to expand...

Agreed. I use these http://boomboxery.com/forum/index.php/topic/22093-anyone-else-using-this-cassette-mp3-player/

http://ebay.com/itm/173750489780

You would be running the motor while using it though, right?

Of course - but I'm not sure why that's a concern, if you were playing a real cassette, it would be running anyway.