Hi Guys,
Well I haven’t been too active lately with no new box finds to get excited about!
I’m a very, very camper now that I have finally scored a box I’ve been searching for for years and years!!!!
The Sony CF-490s mono with its lovely 8 inch bass driver has been on my list since I worked on a members’ 490s and fell in love with the build and sound quality. Unlike the JDM CF-1990 version, the 490S has a full FM tuner frequency setup - essential !!!
To say these things are rare is an understatement. Well today, my dream came true - a complete, filthy barn find but that’s how I like them - unmolested, original and complete.
The tuner works on all bands, all sliders work fine without contact cleaner. The deck is dead but looks like a quality set up and will get the full resto treatment.
Here are a couple of ‘as found’ pics. More pics to follow as the restoration process continues.
BTW, to anyone who hasn’t heard one of these, they are a great sounding box with lovely bass and clear highs and a proper line in. No stereo Sony Boombox from 1976 sounds as BASSY as this thing!!
As found:
1st update:
Quick exterior clean up. Under all of the dirt, the top panel is actually in super nice condition with zero corrosion. The side metal panels are a little knocked about though. Couldn’t get it to run on batteries after cleaning the terminals. As a last resort effort, I tested my brand new Duracell’s and found a dead one! All working fine now after swapping out the DOA cell. 
Well I haven’t been too active lately with no new box finds to get excited about!
I’m a very, very camper now that I have finally scored a box I’ve been searching for for years and years!!!!
The Sony CF-490s mono with its lovely 8 inch bass driver has been on my list since I worked on a members’ 490s and fell in love with the build and sound quality. Unlike the JDM CF-1990 version, the 490S has a full FM tuner frequency setup - essential !!!
To say these things are rare is an understatement. Well today, my dream came true - a complete, filthy barn find but that’s how I like them - unmolested, original and complete.
The tuner works on all bands, all sliders work fine without contact cleaner. The deck is dead but looks like a quality set up and will get the full resto treatment.
Here are a couple of ‘as found’ pics. More pics to follow as the restoration process continues.
BTW, to anyone who hasn’t heard one of these, they are a great sounding box with lovely bass and clear highs and a proper line in. No stereo Sony Boombox from 1976 sounds as BASSY as this thing!!
As found:
1st update:
Quick exterior clean up. Under all of the dirt, the top panel is actually in super nice condition with zero corrosion. The side metal panels are a little knocked about though. Couldn’t get it to run on batteries after cleaning the terminals. As a last resort effort, I tested my brand new Duracell’s and found a dead one! All working fine now after swapping out the DOA cell.
