What are some good "Proper" Beginner boomboxes/ghettoblasters?

[Madadh]

So the vintage boombox bug has chomped on my shoulder once again, and here I am scrolling some eBay on...primarily cheap 90's, 00's CD Player Melonboxes, or late 80's 3-Piece bulky pieces of crap that perform no better than what I currently have...mediocre take-to-the-beach cassette recorders;

-1990 General Electric 3-5667A 3-Piece Cassette Recorder


-19?? Sanyo U4S6 Compact "Japanese" Single-piece Cassette Recorder (I say Japanese b.c. while it's made in Malaysia, all controls are written in Japanese characters)


-1979 Sanyo M9909 Single-piece Cassette Recorder


None of them are that special to me anymore, ever since I got a Zenith Trans-Oceanic D7000Y on July 2nd. No matter what, they all look like crap compared to it. It also means that It is time that I upgrade to a higher end tier of portables, especially boomboxes, since I've quickly outgrown the trio.



Currently I only have $140 or so to spend (including shipping costs and taxes, if any), but if I sell all three Cassette Recorders for a quick buck, then I may have $200 or so to spend. Not that I would, but just an estimation.

I bet with that sorta budget, I can find a proper starter boombox or ghettoblaster, and not another cheap stereo Cassette Recorder.

Ideally I want a Single-piece Boombox (Not a 3-piece, too bulky and you risk dropping and busting open the speakers) with Bass & Treble controls...not just a tone control (A.K.A. Treble adjustment). Something with decent bass response as well, down to at least 100Hz. I'd also like a Line-in or 3.5mm input so I can play whatever crap I have on my phone.

I'm in the Portland/Vancouver area...or at least I live near it.

I prefer a box made anywhere between 1975-1986, preferably in good shape...a few minor dents and scratches are fine (none of my vintage electronics ever came out perfect anyway), even a non-working Cassette deck ain't no deal breaker , cause I don't have any Cassette tapes to use. But I don't want a parts or repair unit, no missing knobs, switches, etc.

Any decent makes & models that I can do research on and find on used online marketplaces like eBay, Craigslist, Goodwill Auctions, etc, considering the desires I have provided?

 

[Northerner]

That describes so many boxes it’s hard to narrow it down tbh. And values are all over the place at times...a box can go for mega bucks one day and very little the next but you should be able to get something decent for $200...I’ve bought many good boxes for less but you have to search constantly and sometimes just be a bit lucky

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

That Sanyo is awesome! I have really turned a corner on late 70's boxes and waffle grills. Strange how that happens, but now when I see waffle grills or telephone dial grills my eyes perk up!

 

[Reli]

Sanyo M9990 is good to look for

 

[Madadh]

Btw, I left out a few details. I actually prefer a boombox from 1975-1983, due to the Fact that they weren't cutting many corners during that time. But I'd also like a boombox that can be found on eBay, or somewhere in the used online markeplace for a reasonable price (and not just examples from people that think they're worth 3 months' worth of rent).

While I do listen to some vintage hip hop & rap, and rock/metal, I'm more of a chill, quiet type of person. So I'm more into Bluegrass, 50's country and that kinda stuff. Here's a few examples that I like so you can get a good idea of the kinda taste that I have:

With my T/O, due to the more emphasized frequencies on baritone/tenor, tends to gives me the chills (and it's also the way I like such tracks to sound). So if there's any boxes out there that can provide a similar experience regardless of the size or power rating, that would be great (But if not, it's fine).

In short, I like a mellow, colored sound with decent bass response.

In video form, here you can listen to my T/O playing one of the same tracks I listed above (on an FM radio station, since there's no Auxillary connections):

As well as it playing a bit of Grateful Dead:

Due to the limited headroom from the 500mW transistors driving the single 4x6 22 Ohm AlNiCo full-range driver, on radio stations with more emphasized bass (especially those that play more upbeat classic rock), I can't turn it up to a reasonable volume level with a defeated tone control without distortion kicking in and overdriving the transistors unless I want to turn the tone control all the way to the right and make it sound tinny. So a boombox with a decent amount of headroom to spare would be nice, without having to decrease bass from a flat mode. Ideally I'd like more than 2W/Ch to spare, or something with high efficiency drivers.

Hopefully that narrows the selection of suitable boomboxes.

 

[DPaignall]

Generally the earlier boxes are well built but lack bass - narrows the field down even more. A JVC B90 might suit.

 

[floyd]

The Panasonic rx series , like the , 5050 5080 5090.
These boxes last forever and are easy to work on and light weight but they are built to last and sound great.

 

[floyd]

Even the rx 5025 with only tone control sounds awesome.

 

[Madadh]

Generally the earlier boxes are well built but lack bass - narrows the field down even more. A JVC B90 might suit.

I'm not really interested in Cylindrical "Boomboxes". Besides, I'm not expecting seriously deep bass from a vintage plastic box that performs like an Infinite baffle. If I want bass, I've got my Aiwa Exos-9 for that. But for the time being, I just want a real, late 70's early 80's 4-driver ghettoblaster that can play loud without breaking up. Of course, that means eliminating all the mini Cassette Recorders with 4" full-range drivers.

 

[floyd]

All these Panasonic have line input as well.

 

[Radio raheem]

i cant see why an m70 cant be had for $200, forget the dreamers on ebay

 

[DPaignall]

JVC RC 656 is a classic mid sized box with great detailed sound, can be found cheap too.

 

[hopey]

The only way to get something good for that budget is buy it from someone who doesn't have a clue. Not from a forum.

 

[Reli]

i cant see why an m70 cant be had for $200

Not in America. Too many sheep driving up their prices.

 

[floyd]

JVC RC 656 is a classic mid sized box with great detailed sound, can be found cheap too.

I love the RC 656 it's the most underrated Boombox in history .

 

[Radio raheem]

I would recommend the 656 over the m70 based on how cheap they are and it has Dolby to boot unlike the m70

it also has stereo wide unlike the m70

 

[Madadh]

So I've looked at a Sanyo C9 and the belts probably need replacing, however it's an absolutely tedious process to even replace them at all, so I'm gonna pass on that and say that I want something that's also easy to service (and take apart), but doesn't feel cheap or filmsy like the back cover off my Sanyo M9909 (that feels like flexible PVC). I'm surprised it hasn't cracked or broken up to this point.

 

[Madadh]

Okay so I am going to go ahead and update my list a bit, since I don't really have that kinda cash as of this moment, and the holidays are closing in on us. So I figured that would be a good opportunity then and there to get my first REAL Vintage Ghettoblaster. Not another mediocre beach-type Cassette Recorder.

My original budget was estimated to be $140, and eventually $200. But that didn't really occur. I did however sell both my Sanyo U4S6 and GE 3-5667A for $20 each, both in good working condition.
Since Christmas is coming up, I can raise my budget a bit, to say, $300 or so. So long as I'm not looking at the eBay Dreamers smoking crack, it's actually quite a bit of cash to spend on a Ghettoblaster.

Anyway, here come the pizza toppings:

-VU Meters (not some lame blinking bulb for a recording level meter) Either Analog or LED.

-Bass & Treble Controls (Doesn't matter if knobs or EQ bands)

-Decent bass response (I've heard my Trans-Oceanic barely reproduce into the high 70's which I think is quite impressive for a "matched pair" of 500mW (0.5W) push-pull audio output transistors pushing a single 4x6 22 Ohm full-range, but it does distort with the more bass emphasized stations) If any vintage box out there can do similar or any better, without distortion at fairly moderate levels of course, that would be great.

-Late 70's-Early 80's Build (to reduce cost-cutting measures)

-No Waffle-type or thick grilles. I want to see the Woofer cones and shiny polychrome dustcap as to make it appear less cheap "in a way" and more dope.

-If inoperable Cassette decks are a common thing with the suggested make & model due to worn or missing belts, make sure it is easily accessible.

-Good build quality. I don't want cracked or brittle plastic or the handle breaking off being commonplace.

-Dial Illumination (Optional)

-Single-piece

-Two way stereo (Woofer & Real Cone Tweeter, No full-range drivers or Piezo discs)

-AM & FM, SW optional

-Line-In or 3.5mm input Jack (I don't mind using an adapter if neither of these are available)

-Loudness control (for low-level listening)

-Armstrap (Optional)

Hopefully this will bring out a few new suggestions. However, to narrow it down slightly, I listen to pretty much everything from vintage Hip-Hop & Rap to Bluegrass.

Aesthetic-wise, I like the appearance of such boxes. Like the Panasonic RX-5250, JVC M70, JVC M90, Sanyo M999X(k), Zenith R99, Sanyo Big Ben, Conion C-100, you name it.

I will also be holding on to this box for decades if I like it to such an extent, so it will certainly need to last provided it's been given the proper maintenance.

Hopefully this shortens out the cluttered lists

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[retroclub]

The 1981 Sharp 8989 is a box I bought when I started collecting last year. Then I ended up with 2 of them. (both model 1's)
The first model with the silver grills doesn't have proper line-in though, but the model 2 black grill version does. They are still selling for resonable money on ebay.

Model 1 -

Model 2 -

 

[Madadh]

The 1981 Sharp 8989 is a box I bought when I started collecting last year. Then I ended up with 2 of them. (both model 1's)
The first model with the silver grills doesn't have proper line-in though, but the model 2 black grill version does. They are still selling for resonable money on ebay.

Model 1 -

Model 2 -

Great suggestion, there's one up for sale for $250 fairly close by me...in pristine condition. However I can see that the headphone jack is on the back of the unit, and chances are I will be using a boombox inside of a car or truck, with my Samsung AKG earphones plugged in for private listening. Just like as you see here with my Trans-Oceanic: