Gf 9696 vs Jvc RC M70

I was thinking of picking up a box and just wanted to know if a JVC RC M70 would out perform a SHARP GF 9696 by a lot with regards to sound quality

I think the GF-9696 beats the M70 when it comes to looks, but for sound, the M70 wins (in my opinion). The M70 has a warmer, smoother sound and better bass response. That being said... If you listen to a lot of classic rock, then the GF-9696 will be an excellent choice.

9696 the looks but lacks a bit of the low end bass... the 70 the sound if you are looking for a more bassy sound

Would they be generally in the same price range?

The prices for the range of M70's is extremely varied so they can be cheaper, they can be more expensive. The M70 if a far more common boombox. The GF-9696 is much more rare. I also agree that it's a much more attractive boombox. Also, I think it has 3-way's as opposed to the M70's 2-ways. The M70 has a bit more power. I also agree with the others that the GF-9696 has less bass than the M70 although I do believe that can be compensated for by installing a true crossover that attenuates the mids and highs to the woofer.

If you already have the M70, you'll probably start eyeing the 9696 to have some variety. But if you could only get 1, the M70 is overall better for sound. That is provided you get a good working example. They get beat up a bit and the sliders is a definite weak link in this model, although I do believe the 9696 also shares the same overall slider design and issues.

I agree with everything said...

Would love to know more about what SD said about the true crossovers... Seems that would be a most worthwhile mod.

Any designs our premade crossovers out there that you recommend? What about simply using a coil to kill the mids and highs going to the woofer, rather than a full blown crossover?

I must agree that 9696 looks sweet, but SOUND does matter, it's a tuff trade off. I appreciate the info on the two boxes, I guess price will probably be the determining factor with which one presents itself the best bang for buck.

Thanks again

jaetee said:

Any designs our premade crossovers out there that you recommend? What about simply using a coil to kill the mids and highs going to the woofer, rather than a full blown crossover?

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Coils would work. Although highly underpowered, when played at moderate sound levels, the RX-7700 has an extremely sweet and mellow sound, no doubt partially attributable to the inductor coils inline with the woofers. I believe it's no mere coincidence that those small 6.5" woofers sound so much bigger. This is the only 1-piecer where I've seen coils installed from the factory. I also believe the same can be achieved with the GF-9696. I have no problem with the sound of the Sharp because I love treble in boomboxes. In fact, any boombox that is lacking in treble would not excite me because I consider treble-light sound quite bland. However, the full range woofers of the Sharp causes it to reproduce far too much of the mids. Add a tweeter and a super tweeter and, well, you can see how the sound might be too brassy or bright for the tastes of many. I don't have any premade crossovers that I can recommend. Firstly, true crossovers are typically fairly large as they are intended to be used with home speakers where space is not a concern and power handling capacity is more important. On the sharp, space is probably at a premium. My recommendation -- install a simple coil between the woofer and the outputs and go from there.

It's certainly worth a try, anyhow.

Jwrok707 said:

I must agree that 9696 looks sweet, but SOUND does matter, it's a tuff trade off. I appreciate the info on the two boxes, I guess price will probably be the determining factor with which one presents itself the best bang for buck.

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I doubt you will get the type of deals on the GF-9696 that you can get on the more common JVC. So bang for the buck, JVC. As for sound -- that is all subjective, everyone's ears are different so can't really say how your ears will respond. But I'm pretty sure the most prevalent opinion on sound is going to be the JVC due to better low end response.