Oct 28th Rolling Stone Article: Is the Boombox Back?

[m40dotcom]

Excerpt.....

Curiously in an age where digital music players are shrinking in size and going more mobile and online-centric, that most massive and sacred of 1980s staples, the boombox, is quietly making a comeback. Though still hovering on the fringes of mainstream awareness, courtesy of several new high-tech apps and electronics, with each passing month, the humble ghetto blaster is steadily amping up the volume and vying to be heard.

"The boombox is the global, iconic symbol for audiophiles who love to play and share music," explains Steve Swenson, brand manager for TDK's Life on Record imprint. "Compared to other systems, it's a… centerpiece for music and social gathering, and serves as a connection point for people." Obvious fans of waving bass in your face, as he alludes, the company quietly rolled out futuristic two- and three-speaker models last year. Giving the original icon a sci-fi makeover, units also add modern features like iPod and iPhone connectivity, support for attaching external instruments and options to play and control tunes right from USB flash drives.


Read more: http://www.rollingstone.com/culture/blo ... z1cTIWWGNb

 

[ClaretBadger]

Uh oh - there goes the neighbourhood! :'-(

 

[m40dotcom]

Hey ClaretBadger and any of you UK or European living folk on here, make me jealous and go see the Rhymesayers tour rolling through there in the coming weeks. If you like any good hip hop the tour is pretty sick, and of course the label and a few of the artists are from my home city of Minneapolis.

Atmosphere, Brother Ali, Evidence, Blueprint, Greives and Budo

London: Nov 7
Amsterdam Nov 8
Paris Nov 9
and more....

http://rhymesayers.com/news/buy_your_ti ... tour_today

 

[MONOLITHIC]

Uh oh - there goes the neighbourhood! :'-(

They're mostly talking about new school radios like boxes and tubes, with not much mention of the old school boxes we collect.

We're in the clear... for now!

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

"After significant research and discussion with audiophiles globally,"

Ummmmm

No one asked me!

 

[bill]

Lol. Articles like that stink of insincerity. I mean the latest portable music devices are shadows compared to the old boomboxes. I have no idea how those pioneer units actually sound but I can't see anything with such a tiny footprint doing any kind of air moving bass like the portable stereos of time gone by.

 

[shane higgins]

i spent a few years in photographic journalism and this is not a real atrticale more of a payed one
to help sell product awareness
they will always be 99% of the time full page storyies and always talk up the current market
who are they to tell us what we want
does any one have one of these pioners
no because they dont look like a boombox
does any one have a lasonic 931i yes why
and does anyone have a jvc kaboom yes why because jvc make greta boomboxs
in ten years it will give us something to find in the swap meet lololololololol

 

[m40dotcom]

Of any of these new boxes, I've only seen the TDK 3 speaker model, and it was ABSURDLY awesome. I had my doubts of course being how we all love our vintage ones and their power and all. Well that TDK sound quality, power and overall bada**ness was off the charts. It's like a boombox you'd see in a art gallery too as it's so sleek. They aren't trying to do a remake or current version of an 80s classic like the i931, but taking a fresh look at a 2011 technology boom box. I also assumed it had a cheap new school build quality and wouldn't weight much at all. The bad boy weighs 33 pounds, just a beast and you can feel the build quality of it. All the materials seemed real deal bada** stuff, no cheap lasonic plastic knobs or anything that didn't seem like it'd last.

So I too assumed any new ones wouldn't do anything for me, but after my friend who works for Imation/TDK brought that 3 speaker TDK one over, I was drooling to get one. To me it seemed like the M90 of today and I still might have to get one as they are just too damn cool.

Now, the tube style ones, I have never like them (unless it's a bazooka sub in the trunk in 93), I need a standard 1 piece rectangle boom box with a standard style handle and no speakers facing any direction but straight at your face.

Wish I had a picture of it on as the screen and interface with it's simplicity is just great. Again, I'd but the sound quality and power against any vintage one. Hard to compete when the technology is 30+ years newer.

 

[wowminister]

Lol. Articles like that stink of insincerity. I mean the latest portable music devices are shadows compared to the old boomboxes. I have no idea how those pioneer units actually sound but I can't see anything with such a tiny footprint doing any kind of air moving bass like the portable stereos of time gone by.

Cant agree with you there.

My i800 Altec Lansing is a great medium boombox and my TDK 3 Speaker looks, feels and sounds just as good as any old boombox. The only other box in my collection that comes close on wow factor is the VZ2000.

 

[vladi123456]

And more on the subject of TDK - I see that the two speaker one is already discounted by $100 on Amazon, but the 3 speaker one is still the same cool $500. I guess those are selling well, but not the 2 speaker ones

 

[wowminister]

I have the 3, but the 2 Speaker is great as well. Looks great and the strap really makes it pop.

Shame it does not fit the 3.