Lasonic TRC-920 said:
I know there have a been a few solid reviews of this box, but I would like to know how you feel about the quality of the components used and the over all sound quality.
I got to see one in Germany but with 75 Boomboxes ROARING at once, I couldn't hear if it sounded any good.
I'd be happy to give you my opinion on this box.
I'll start off with the negatives.
You can tell that the components used in this portable are mostly chip versus solid state. Not a shocker here. Most new electronics are these days. From what I could see by looking inside, its very similar to the Lasonic i931 boards. All potentiometers are the type that rotate endlessly left and right with no stop or centering locator. It's all digital. The knobs are wobbly and the cassette deck buttons would need to be used with care. The radio is a little difficult to tune. The turning ratio to knob movement is almost as if the rotating knob is directly connected to the tuner box itself. I do not know this to be true but the reason I say this is because the stations come up and go by very quick and with little movement of the knob. The radio station sensitively is average but will introduce static while charging sometimes and there is no stereo or signal indicator. The manual says not to move the set while a CD is playing because disc scratching could occur. The cassette deck will only FF and Rew when on Tape mode and does not feature music search. Bass response is not all that great but I imagine this will improve as the woofers loosen up. The LEDs do not accurately represent input/output and are more for looks however, to be fair, they do feed off the left and right channel. They're not fake but max out shortly after the volume is past 4 (which is a low volume). Speaking of volume, 30 is the max. It is loud enough to work in the kitchen and around the house but (no surprise) it's not going to blow you away like the big vintage blasters. Also, if you play a MP3 or CD that has any hot tracks, anything over 91db, this box tends to add slight distortion. Because the distortion is at any volume I believe this to be the input feeding the amp being a little high internally. While the distortion is minimal, an audiophile will pick up on it. The internal battery will get you around 4 hours. Would be nice to see at least 8. The handle will slam down when let go so you need to gently lower it. Also make sure your antennas are both down or the handle will hit them and cannot be lowered until they are retracted.
Ok. Now the Good
If you're looking for the best new product to come out with the spirit of the 80's and you want a boombox that best represents what was, look no further. The sound is what you would expect for a plastic enclosure. The highs are crisp, the mids are decent and surprisingly enough, the boxes vents are open in the rear just like our older boxes letting the lower frequencies escape out the back. So, unlike the DJ-Tech, you don't need to be right in front of it to hear it. The Bluetooth feature works really well and has good range. Loads of inputs and even has an output just like our vintage boxes. The cassette player plays well and sounds decent. It will auto stop with FF, REW and Play just like our older boxes. The tuner is actually analog! The dial sweeps through the frequencies just like our vintage models. CD player seems to work as it should. Many possibilities and formats to play from and record to. Want to go from CD to cassette, no problem. How about cassette to MP3 on USB or CD to USB. No issues there. Or Radio to cassette or USB. And my favorite, Bluetooth to cassette or USB. You can do it all. The battery charges quickly despite its 4 hour run time and because it is a lithium battery, its lighter than our 8 to 10D battery or SLA AGM battery boxes. If you miss the USB on the side and the CD player on top, you could easily pass this box as an 82 model. The handle has real chrome plated metal on the sides with a clip style battery compartment on the back. The LEDs can be switched on or off so they do not disturb you at night but are there when you want a little flash.
My end thoughts are: So far I love this box. I enjoy and appreciate the effort that has gone in to make a portable that represents the 80s era well.
I will add to this as I get time.
