GE Blockbuster vs M50...and the winner is.....

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mellymelsr

mellymelsr

Member (SA)
Today we have on tap 2 middleweight contenders: the JVC RC-M50 and the GE 3-5259a Blockbuster. First off let met start by saying I am a huge fan of JVC's and I am really pulling for the M50 to win this challenge. Ok, now to the nitty-gritty...I put the 2 boomers through a series of tests that would challenge their tuner signal strength and sound qualtity and clarity when using the tuner, line input and cassette at high and low volume. The playlist consisted of music from Steely Dan, Earth Wind & Fire, and Euge Groove. TUNER: I tuned in to several popular radio stations and found both units performed well in picking up stations but the M50 tuner signal strength was a little stronger. In sound quality and clarity at low volume (notch 4) the Blockbuster surprised me with its strong bass and overall warm and crisp sound compared to the M50's brassy sound which is almost devoid of bass. The M50's biphonic feature is nice but does not make up for the lack of bass. CASSETTE: Once again the Blockbuster shined with solid bass and a warm well balanced sound while the M50's sound focuses a little too much on reproducing strong mids and highs. Line Input: Using my Creative mp3 player with the eq setting on normal I played a list of tracks which included some jazz, soft rock and r&b. The Blockbuster stole the show once again. I must say when you look at the 2 side by side the size of the M50's speakers give the impression that this thing can thump. Unfortunately this is not the case. The Blockbuster was just too strong a player in this contest and scored a knockout I am sad to say. It's solid bass and crisp highs compliment the smooth midrange in an overall great sounding box. The M50 is a pretty boy that never should have gotten into the ring with the Blockbuster.
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bill

bill

Member (SA)
its kind of what i expected in a ways.
i mean i think the m50 came out with a list price of 179 dollar.
i seem to remember the ge block buster in the radio shack badging being 250 ish maybe a bit more when new.
they both look really good and i think that if i came across one of those block busters i would most likely need to get it if the price was right.
 
MasterBlaster84

MasterBlaster84

Boomus Fidelis
Good comparison MM, I new the blockbuster was no slouch because it's Rat Shack twin isn't. :thumbsup:

It would make the posts easier to read if you put a break before each pic so they stack on top of each other instead of side by side.
 
redbenjoe

redbenjoe

I Am Legend
[quote=, I new the blockbuster was no slouch because it's Rat Shack twin isn't.

there are so many members and past posts that state that the ge and the scr8
are twins -- :-O

i am not so sure of that :huh:

any more solid opinions ?
 
bill

bill

Member (SA)
MasterBlaster84 said:
Good comparison MM, I new the blockbuster was no slouch because it's Rat Shack twin isn't. :thumbsup:

rat shack made sold a lot of really good things with there name on it back at that time.
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redbenjoe

redbenjoe

I Am Legend
redbenjoe said:
[quote=, I new the blockbuster was no slouch because it's Rat Shack twin isn't.

there are so many members and past posts that state that the ge and the scr8
are twins --
Click to expand...
 
erniejade

erniejade

Member (SA)
Good match up. I used to own both ( i still have the blockbuster) the JVC though for whatever reason at higher volume though to me sounded a bit cleaner Not at normal volume but at high volume the M50 to me had a bit more of a cleaner sound to it. It seemed to get any bass out of the M50 you had to have it cranked up close to its max.

Other then that, the GE hands down!!

Good topic!!
 
Jovie

Jovie

Member (SA)
Very good writeup :yes: Your observations are pretty close to mine.On music not requiring bass (vocals,folk perhaps),the M50 would run away with the prize.Otherwise,most music is just going to sound more pleasing from a blockbuster.The balance of the sound (lows to mids to high)s has everything to do with this.For me the M50 has better fidelity but the balance for your selected music is a far more important factor than this.

With its microphone echo effect,I personally feel the M50 must have been optimized for good voice reproduction from a "budget" package (even so the JVC is a slightly better build quality than the G.E.).Perhaps it was designed as a lower cost P.A. system with lots of output.And the M50 certainly cranks out volume! It's louder than a Blockbuster to my ears with a midrange (voice frequencies) that just screams!

As for the blockbuster,it certainly is a loud box also (in the old school tradition).It's a box you might find it difficult to push aside to give another one some exercise! However while sparse on features my sleek G.E. 3-6000 will blow it away for volume and bass! This is probably a little known fact.It's particularly curious as the blockbuster is rated at 49w input and the 6000 at a mere 22w.Though I've not done a comparison,I feel the 6000 would be stiff competition for the M50.The final decision would probably come down to the M50s slightly better fidelity and the 6000s superior bass output.Which do you prefer...

Since the M50 and the 'buster" may have been designed for different purposes,this may be an apples to oranges comparison.Of much more importance though is letting others know of the bass deficiency of the M50 on balance compared to its powerful midrange.Reviews like yours are very important in this way.I only wish others would take the time to relate their impressions and comparisons of different boxes :-)
 
mellymelsr

mellymelsr

Member (SA)
....thanks Jovie. When my M9994k is out of the shop I am going to test it against the mighty M70....I think the results will be very interesting. I think JVC had a good idea with the M50, the highs and mids really scream, I was surprised by the lack of bass considering the speaker size. They really could have made this a superb boomer with a little added punch of bass. The build quality, weight, and look are far superior to the GE it just came up a little short on sound.
 
mellymelsr

mellymelsr

Member (SA)
erniejade said:
The 70 will be louder i will tell you that lol.
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:agree: ...but will it be able to beat the m9994k's clarity and warmth? Its crisp highs and tight lows, and its ability to highlight those faint background sounds in the music and bring them to the foreground?.....I look forward to finding out as these are 2 of my alltime favorite boomers......
 
erniejade

erniejade

Member (SA)
I can answer that also but, I would like to see your opinion. My opinion yes but please do not let my opinion influance you in any way shape or form.
 
monchito

monchito

Boomus Fidelis
the ge should be against the m70 thats were you will know how it sounds,, the m50 is no match for the ge.. the 9994 to me has better sound than the m70 :yes: :yes: :yes:
 
oldskool69

oldskool69

Moderator
Staff member
monchito said:
the ge should be against the m70 thats were you will know how it sounds,, the m50 is no match for the ge.. the 9994 to me has better sound than the m70 :yes: :yes: :yes:
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I'm sure there will be an M70 at the next meet, and a Blockbuster (mine anyway) to compare. :-)
 
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