Sharp GF-9191 or similar? Help!

[gimp69]

Hi,

I've long has a fondness of boomboxes and owned a couple during my yoof starting with the Toshiba RT-80s around 1984 (which I recalled from the depths of my memory cells after some serious googling). I have been lurking around the forums seeking ideas on what to buy and there is a fair amount of choice.

It will be used around the home, so no need for batteries and connected to a mobile phone headphone jack, so an input that works well is a mandatory requirement (I note some have to have a key depressed on the tape deck for the input to work). The tuner may get some little use on UK FM frequencies, but the tape deck will not be used at all, except to get the input to work if necessary.

Location is UK and budget up to 150 GBP / 177 EURO / 195 USD, so fairly common availability in the UK is a must.

Here is an idea of the the styling I like.

Sharp GF-9191 / 9494 etc
Panasonic RX-5250
Aiwa TPR-950/955

So before pressing play on a GF-9191 / 9494 any other ideas would be very much appreciated!

Ed.

 

[Northerner]

All good choices. Some need a phono attenuator but that's no biggie. Got lots to choose from for £150

 

[MART]

The GF-9191 would definitely be a good choice
IPhone / IPad sounds good when plugged direct into the Mic Jack (No need to press record button or use any kind of attenuator)
I've seen some really good examples sell on UK Ebay over the last few weeks, one went for about £80 inc P&P & another sold for about £112 inc P&P
They were both in nice clean condition but decks needed a bit of attention.

All the best

Martin

 

[-GZ-]

GF-8989

 

[im_alan_partridge]

Whereabouts in the UK are you Dude?

 

[Reli]

9191HB, dark gray

 

[Fatdog]

Welcome aboard, gimp69! Of the ones you listed, I would go with the GF-9191 first, then the GF-9494. The Panasonic RX-5250 is a beautiful boombox with classic styling and would be a really close third.

 

[gimp69]

Welcome aboard, gimp69! Of the ones you listed, I would go with the GF-9191 first, then the GF-9494. The Panasonic RX-5250 is a beautiful boombox with classic styling and would be a really close third.

Thank you guys for the warm welcome and quick responses!

The GF-9191 would definitely be a good choice
IPhone / IPad sounds good when plugged direct into the Mic Jack (No need to press record button or use any kind of attenuator)
I've seen some really good examples sell on UK Ebay over the last few weeks, one went for about £80 inc P&P & another sold for about £112 inc P&P
They were both in nice clean condition but decks needed a bit of attention.

All the best

Martin

Interesting comment on the GF-9191 input, thank you.

Ed.

9191HB, dark gray

Now that is nice....

GF-8989

Yup, nice styling. Dials like the Philips D8444.

All good choices. Some need a phono attenuator but that's no biggie. Got lots to choose from for £150

Which was my next question!

Whereabouts in the UK are you Dude?

Manchester.

 

[MART]

9191HB, dark gray

See my BLACK Beauty post for more about this model!!!!
https://boomboxery.com/forum/index.php/topic/26307-my-new-black-beauty-looking-good-for-a-38-year-old/?hl=%2Bblack+%2Bbeauty

 

[Hisrudeness]

Crown CSC-950 Pretty common.
Sharp GF-9191. Very common in the UK
Panasonic RX-5500
Hitachi TRK-8600

Good luck with your search. Difficult to stop at just one if you really like these things.

 

[Northerner]

Crown CSC-950 Pretty common.
Sharp GF-9191. Very common in the UK
Panasonic RX-5500
Hitachi TRK-8600

Good luck with your search. Difficult to stop at just one if you really like these things.

I have all the above lol. I have a real soft spot for the 9191 tho, not sure why, still one of my favourites despite having better boxes

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Love the 9191, I have the DIN plug on mine and never got it to work properly on a line in as other have. But it's a great sounding box, great controls, good features and gets damn loud too! Was using mine the last two weeks in fact!

IMPO, I would find a radio with a proper line in if you plan to use it with your phone. Of course you could just get them all and then rotate them

Fill out your profile so we know where your coming from.

 

[T-STER]

Just throwing it out there but i have a Aiwa TPR950, Euro version so has a proper line in, non working tape but line in and radio sound cracking. The tape is beyond repair as i pinched the spindles for another box, missing either one or both aerials (id have to check the loft) but a cracking sounding box and would look nice with moderate tidying.

 

[Reli]

TPR-950 or 955 is the best sounding box of all these, IMO. So precise and detailed.

 

[gimp69]

Just throwing it out there but i have a Aiwa TPR950, Euro version so has a proper line in, non working tape but line in and radio sound cracking. The tape is beyond repair as i pinched the spindles for another box, missing either one or both aerials (id have to check the loft) but a cracking sounding box and would look nice with moderate tidying.

Hi, thanks for the offer the positive 9191 comments and wide availability has made my decision much clearer.

 

[gimp69]

I am likely to pick up a GF-9191 as it looks the job and is widely available to use for spare parts in the UK.

Would a kind member let me know if any UK sellers have one currently in the For Sale forum please.

Thank you everybody for your contributions.

Well, ok, another one like the TPR-950/955 might be nice in the living room sat on the mantelpiece to, erm, save me carrying the GF-9191 around the house. I do have to think of my back and all that....

 

[Hisrudeness]

There's three currently on eBay.co.uk

Good luck with your hunt

 

[Reli]

Ebay Germany always has 2 or 3 of them. They typically go for 70 to 150 euro.

 

[jimmyjimmy19702010]

The GF-9191 is a cool box but I'd suggest you upgrade to a GF-9494 if you have the funds - better sounding box for sure.

 

[Superduper]

Frankly, I think the Sanyo M9994 should receive serious consideration. It's a great sounding boombox, similar in size to those others and has the best line in feature of almost all boomboxes because it's the only one I can think of that has a line control plus it's controls being rotary is better sealed and much more problem free than the sliders found on the sharps.