boombox recommendations

[dodger]

First of all apologies if this is a repost or there is a similar thread but search didn't really provide me with the answers I needed

I'm after a boombox to use as part of my studio, basically It will be used as a distortion unit so it needs to have the following...

Phono in
Outputs (these can be from detachable speakers as long as they are jacks of some kind and not speaker cables)
A VU would be nice but not 100 percent needed
three heads on the cassette would also be nice as I'd like to experiment with making it into a delay at some point.
fairly small in terms of height

I've been looking at the JVC PC70 but its going for about £100 at the moment

so id like something a bit cheaper if at all possible.

I'd like it as old as possible too so definitely before CD era as its the analogue converters I'm really craving

also I don't know how much truth is in this but apparently most of these old boom boxes have the phono input wired through the tape head before the output so if thats the case id love that too


Thanks in advance for any help, I'm very new to this so if none of this makes sense I apologise

likewise if its the 1,000,000th repost

 

[Superduper]

There’s probably zero Boomboxes with 3 heads, the PC70 included. If any exists, you can probably count with 1 finger on 1 hand. As for price, $100 isn’t very much for a quality Boombox.

 

[Hisrudeness]

The only box I can think of with 3 heads is a Marantz CRS-5000. It’s a JDM product and rare even over there.
You‘d need more money than that for it.

 

[dubout]

Take a look at the Telefunken CR 100. It has Phono in, VU LEDs, Outputs, easy to work on, great build quality (and sound) and they are not especially rare. They go for about 60 Euros in auctions, and even less if you can wait.

 

[dodger]

Yeh the three head is a pipe dream I think. So anything without the three heads?

 

[Reli]

Phono In because you're using a turntable?
What kind of style and size are you looking for?

 

[Reli]

You could try a Sharp GF9191 or GF9090, although they go almost as expensive as the M70.
Or a Crown CSC-850, CSC-950, CSC-945, CSC-960
Or a Sanyo M4500 or an M9996

 

[dodger]

Yeh phono in because I want to run audio through it and phono in has the amazing EQ curve I’m after for distortion

 

[Reli]

Are you interested in adjustable echo? Some boxes have that as well, although I think it only works with the mic input?

 

[dodger]

Oh quite possibly, but I would happily take one with or without.

my main issue is I’m looking on eBay etc, there’s hundreds of them with hundreds of model numbers so I dont know where to start.

 

[Reli]

Check out the models I listed, but there's hundreds of others with those features

 

[Hisrudeness]

There has to be a point where you can narrow it down a bit, even to the point of what style or brands you like.
Perhaps a generic search of boombox pictures, otherwise take a chance on the PC-70 since it’s cheap enough and you can maybe re-sell it if you don’t like it.

 

[dodger]

So that’s why I’m here to try and get help narrowing it down.

there aren’t any pc70’s for sale at the moment so I can’t grab one if I wanted to.

I’m in the uk, so brands that were popular there in the 80’s would be a start.

but are there any that I should steer clear of and any I should gravitate towards.

I understand that this isn’t much to go on, but anything to help narrow down searches would be hugely helpful.

 

[Hisrudeness]

Well there are a couple on eBay right now that are under £100 with rca’s and in the classic style.
Theres a JVC RC-828W a Sharp 555 and Aiwa CS-600.

All under ‘boombox’ on eBay uk.

p.s. The 828w is interesting as it’s the ’w’ version with RCA’s. Rough on top but hey it’s cheap.

 

[Hisrudeness]

Sorry scratch the 828. It’s not working.