This is something I wanted to open a thread about way earlier but I never got to it. 
So, here it is: My VZ 2500. It had a rather sad destiniy since it sat in a place where I could hardly reach it and insert records safely etc. so it has not played in a long time.
But then I got to re-arrange my collection (see collections section) and now it is in like the perfect place I think
.
I have played around with it a lot and guys, believe me, if you have one of those and the record player is not working, run to the next tech store and let it be fixed!!!
Because of a very simple reason: A working VZ is so much fun, it is amazing to see it change the turning direction and play the B-side and it is pure satisfaction to slowly see the arm moving to the side of a 45 single and recognize it as such!
That is high-tech, even today! And I am still impressed by it. Imagine what it must have been back then when it was released! A milestone for its time!
Heavy as heck but so awesome! Picture vinyls look amazing in it!
And not enough with a one-piece fully working record player! Sharp included a full 4-band radio and a tape deck with music serach system!
That thing is just crazy! But in the most positive way! I do not think that even those big juke boxes are more amazing! I turly believe the Sharp is the most innovative home unit to play records.
Okay, as far as sound goes they are not the BEST because you expect more from the size BUT come on! There is a record player between those speaker and witout it, it would weight just as much as a normal mid-size box and therefor it sounds pretty darn good! It is not pumping as good as a 777 but it has a nice, smooth sound to it.
The only thing I have to say to the inventors and designers: WHY ON EARTH SLIDERS??? They start to crackle so badly after a while, wether you clean them or not
. Some big knobs would have looked much better on it and would have probably worked much longer. Then I thing this thing is dying for big LED VUs in the big aluminum front plate with the 4 indicatior lights but oh well...
The VZ 2000 (which I will absolutely buy when I get my ahnds on one for a decent price) had a little advantage in looks, it looks more beefy and just meaner with its red woofers and the big blue top-plate. But Sharp designers, why do the VU meter ONLY work for the tape deck
?
The radio scale look pretty awesome on and so do the sliders, no idea how reliable they are but I heard they are pretty fragile sadly.
The front looks a lot better than on the VZ2500 because of the nice tweeters but after all, they are pretty similar function-wise and the 2500 has a nicer handle
Now, just to mention it, the home systems that existed. They were what avergae Joe wanted I guess because nobody would be crazy enough to walk around with a record player on the streets that weights so much (and who would have carried their record collection?). But as far as if you needed to transport a turntable, it was a good alternative but not for "on the go".
The home systems were pretty requested I think and it is understandable. I still see them on eBay more often than the one-piece VZs. When I ever get my hands on one with original peakers, I might get weak .
The Japanese models kicked the butt of all of them! The red VZ2500 is some crazy machine and it is the invisible number 1 on my wnated list but i know how my chances are to somehow get one in Europe. I would rather win the lottery than getting one here safely from Japan! And I would probably need to win the lottery to pay for it
After all, I am saying that the VZ series is one of the most unique series and superior to all turntable-boomboxes ever made!
Save the vinyl, save the cassette, save the boombox, save the VZ!
So, here it is: My VZ 2500. It had a rather sad destiniy since it sat in a place where I could hardly reach it and insert records safely etc. so it has not played in a long time.
But then I got to re-arrange my collection (see collections section) and now it is in like the perfect place I think
.I have played around with it a lot and guys, believe me, if you have one of those and the record player is not working, run to the next tech store and let it be fixed!!!
Because of a very simple reason: A working VZ is so much fun, it is amazing to see it change the turning direction and play the B-side and it is pure satisfaction to slowly see the arm moving to the side of a 45 single and recognize it as such!That is high-tech, even today! And I am still impressed by it. Imagine what it must have been back then when it was released! A milestone for its time!
Heavy as heck but so awesome! Picture vinyls look amazing in it!
And not enough with a one-piece fully working record player! Sharp included a full 4-band radio and a tape deck with music serach system!
That thing is just crazy! But in the most positive way! I do not think that even those big juke boxes are more amazing! I turly believe the Sharp is the most innovative home unit to play records.
Okay, as far as sound goes they are not the BEST because you expect more from the size BUT come on! There is a record player between those speaker and witout it, it would weight just as much as a normal mid-size box and therefor it sounds pretty darn good! It is not pumping as good as a 777 but it has a nice, smooth sound to it.
The only thing I have to say to the inventors and designers: WHY ON EARTH SLIDERS??? They start to crackle so badly after a while, wether you clean them or not
. Some big knobs would have looked much better on it and would have probably worked much longer. Then I thing this thing is dying for big LED VUs in the big aluminum front plate with the 4 indicatior lights but oh well...The VZ 2000 (which I will absolutely buy when I get my ahnds on one for a decent price) had a little advantage in looks, it looks more beefy and just meaner with its red woofers and the big blue top-plate. But Sharp designers, why do the VU meter ONLY work for the tape deck
?The radio scale look pretty awesome on and so do the sliders, no idea how reliable they are but I heard they are pretty fragile sadly.
The front looks a lot better than on the VZ2500 because of the nice tweeters but after all, they are pretty similar function-wise and the 2500 has a nicer handle
Now, just to mention it, the home systems that existed. They were what avergae Joe wanted I guess because nobody would be crazy enough to walk around with a record player on the streets that weights so much (and who would have carried their record collection?). But as far as if you needed to transport a turntable, it was a good alternative but not for "on the go".
The home systems were pretty requested I think and it is understandable. I still see them on eBay more often than the one-piece VZs. When I ever get my hands on one with original peakers, I might get weak
.The Japanese models kicked the butt of all of them! The red VZ2500 is some crazy machine and it is the invisible number 1 on my wnated list but i know how my chances are to somehow get one in Europe. I would rather win the lottery than getting one here safely from Japan!
And I would probably need to win the lottery to pay for it After all, I am saying that the VZ series is one of the most unique series and superior to all turntable-boomboxes ever made!
Save the vinyl, save the cassette, save the boombox, save the VZ!
