What Do You Hate Most About A Boombox?
- Thread starter redbenjoe
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Member (SA)
Dishonesty: Seller descriptions
Age: Odor from decayed battery door foam, yellowed plastic, smoke residue, dirt'n'grime
Cost cutting: Plastic instead of metal, reduced material thicknesses , making it appear stuff exists but don't (tweeters, LEDs, etc.)
Poor design: Location of controls/sockets, lack of servicability due to soldered wires or poor internal arrangement
Age: Odor from decayed battery door foam, yellowed plastic, smoke residue, dirt'n'grime
Cost cutting: Plastic instead of metal, reduced material thicknesses , making it appear stuff exists but don't (tweeters, LEDs, etc.)
Poor design: Location of controls/sockets, lack of servicability due to soldered wires or poor internal arrangement
The super high prices demanded from eBay sellers who don’t know **** about and have no interest in what they’re selling.
Stupid descriptions that include the following phrases are the worst:
1. Tape deck makes a noise but can’t check function as I don’t have tapes anymore. ( who does).
2. Can’t check battery function as I don’t have enough D cells.
3. Haven’t checked if it works as I don’t have a power lead.
4. It worked last time when I tried it 10 years ago.
5. FM stereo light doesn’t come on - probably just a blown bulb.
6. Would make a great costume / party / comedy prop.
7. I’ve priced it cheap at $500 because it won’t turn on, but I’ve seen examples that turn on go for over $2000.
8. Anyone who describes a vintage Boombox as ‘OldSkool’.
9. Some teenage sounding eBay seller who says he’s had this box since the 80s.
10. An eBay listing that, despite the blurry, out of focus and dimly lit photos, you can still see obvious physical damage that’s not detailed in the description. ‘Photos form part of the description.’
Stupid descriptions that include the following phrases are the worst:
1. Tape deck makes a noise but can’t check function as I don’t have tapes anymore. ( who does).
2. Can’t check battery function as I don’t have enough D cells.
3. Haven’t checked if it works as I don’t have a power lead.
4. It worked last time when I tried it 10 years ago.
5. FM stereo light doesn’t come on - probably just a blown bulb.
6. Would make a great costume / party / comedy prop.
7. I’ve priced it cheap at $500 because it won’t turn on, but I’ve seen examples that turn on go for over $2000.
8. Anyone who describes a vintage Boombox as ‘OldSkool’.
9. Some teenage sounding eBay seller who says he’s had this box since the 80s.
10. An eBay listing that, despite the blurry, out of focus and dimly lit photos, you can still see obvious physical damage that’s not detailed in the description. ‘Photos form part of the description.’
Radio raheem
Requiem Æternam
You’re unlikely to find any bargains for sale here but one thing is for sure:Rimmer36 said:
You will be getting one hell of a box that’s been fully sorted by a pro who has a genuine love and respect for these vintage pieces of audio craftsmanship.
Paying Boomboxery prices for unsorted, barnfind eBay boxes is just crazy.
Hisrudeness
Member (SA)
There are 7 Sanyo M9994’s for sale on EBay at the moment. Now these are good boxes and some say the very best in their size and class, but the cheapest one is 900 odd dollars on a starting bid... The cheapest!! The most expensive is $2400!!!
There’s no way these are worth that much. They’re just not! But all 7 boxes are now pretty inaccessible and will remain so. Just a waste of everyone’s time.
There’s no way these are worth that much. They’re just not! But all 7 boxes are now pretty inaccessible and will remain so. Just a waste of everyone’s time.
Reli
Boomus Fidelis
There's a Russian who seems to be trying to attract attention to his boombox exhibit/store, by setting the highest prices on Ebay. He has more than 100 boxes on there, and I guess it's his way of getting free publicity.
The funny thing is how all the nobody yard-sale resellers see his prices and think that's what they should price theirs at too.
The funny thing is how all the nobody yard-sale resellers see his prices and think that's what they should price theirs at too.
koleloi
Member (SA)
Focus only on the boxes, here are some design failures to me:
1. Tape not placed on the middle of the box. (e.g Sharp 777)
2. Asymmetrical tuner area. (e.g JVC 838) & short tuner area
3. Slider volume control.
4. Separate slider volume controls.
5. Slider control on front of the box. (stupid)
6. Fake tweeters.
7. Small speakers behind huge grills.
8. Meaningless large decals.
9. Instantly opened cassette doors.
I will update this list when I remember other things
1. Tape not placed on the middle of the box. (e.g Sharp 777)
2. Asymmetrical tuner area. (e.g JVC 838) & short tuner area
3. Slider volume control.
4. Separate slider volume controls.
5. Slider control on front of the box. (stupid)
6. Fake tweeters.
7. Small speakers behind huge grills.
8. Meaningless large decals.
9. Instantly opened cassette doors.
I will update this list when I remember other things
Radio raheem
Requiem Æternam
Not always the case my friend, iv had boxes that have cost a fortune from well respected members and they were dead in two days through no fault of my own and i didn't get a penny back but i guess you move on and that's thatjimmyjimmy19702010 said:You’re unlikely to find any bargains for sale here but one thing is for sure:
You will be getting one hell of a box that’s been fully sorted by a pro who has a genuine love and respect for these vintage pieces of audio craftsmanship.
Paying Boomboxery prices for unsorted, barnfind eBay boxes is just crazy.
To be fair he did offer to repair it but im to i'll to post out things these days unless it's a small item
Hisrudeness
Member (SA)
Not a fan of modded boxes.
I forgot about the snappy tape ejects lol.
Crumbly battery door foam
The ft! ft! ft! ft! ft! line-in sound you sometimes get!
Dead insects inside a box.
I forgot about the snappy tape ejects lol.
Crumbly battery door foam
The ft! ft! ft! ft! ft! line-in sound you sometimes get!
Dead insects inside a box.
Radio raheem
Requiem Æternam
I wish there was something new and exiting to talk about instead of m90's and conions Floyd lad but that will never happen now and if it did they would want millions for it lol....personally id love a bombeat 40 but too many people say the construction and sound is not that good, so i just couldn't spend a fortune on 1 but back 15 20 years ago they were boxes of mistory and wonder
Line Out
Member (SA)
Ok, here goes:
-Small volume knobs (Goldstar TSR-800, Sharp GF-700)
-Fake speaker "bolts" under the grill or even at plain sight
-Small woofers on huge boxes
-Separate eject button (makes quick side changes more of a hassle)
-Some controls on top, that could easily be installed on the front
-Piezo tweeters without any engineering/crossovers (GF-575 seems to be a rare example of piezos done right)
-Underpowered amps (Philips D8444)
-Bass ports that are too small and start suffocating at high volume (Hitachi CX-W700, Philips AW7694)
-Flimsy plastic feet
-Flimsy antennas
-Flimsy carry handles (Philips)
-Stereo "WIDE" that makes the thing sound like its screaming at you
> "Surround" nonsense (CX-W700, 3D80, AW7694).
> Same effect as "WIDE", but with the name SURROUND
>SURROUND labeling and options that make no sense and have nothing to do with Surround sound (3 or 4 channels)
-DIN inputs that work only as record inputs without the recorded sound coming through the speakers
-Bad shielding on top controls that let dust and grime in (3D80)
-Bad design of power section that makes a lot of hum in a silent environment
-Bad balance at lowest volumes
-Loud cassette mechanism
-Tape doors that misalign the tape (Philips D8634 Mark II)
-Torx screws on azimuth adjustment (Philips)
-Mechanic deck controls that are swiweling on a radius that makes them hard to press
-Mechanic deck controls that are too soft to press and go bollocks when doing fast fwd/rew searches
-PMPO or other maximum power figures (20W, 40W, 50W...100W...200W!!!)
-Hard to service insides (messy, no removable connectors, just soldered wires etc.) (Siemens Club 745, Sanyo M9990)
-Big speaker grills, small speakers
-Grill that are probably impossible to remove without hacking (molten/glued on place)
-Molding around speaker that looks like a fat modern upper surround, but is fake
-Adhesive tape or metal plates in the place of piezos (probably made no difference, but still)
Aging related:
-Stiffened upper suspensions on woofers
-Yellow tint on gray
-Hazed tuner windows
-Molten rubber
-Hardened rubber
-Bad function switches
-Bad tuners
-Dust and grime under the grills
-Weird smells
-etc.
-Small volume knobs (Goldstar TSR-800, Sharp GF-700)
-Fake speaker "bolts" under the grill or even at plain sight
-Small woofers on huge boxes
-Separate eject button (makes quick side changes more of a hassle)
-Some controls on top, that could easily be installed on the front
-Piezo tweeters without any engineering/crossovers (GF-575 seems to be a rare example of piezos done right)
-Underpowered amps (Philips D8444)
-Bass ports that are too small and start suffocating at high volume (Hitachi CX-W700, Philips AW7694)
-Flimsy plastic feet
-Flimsy antennas
-Flimsy carry handles (Philips)
-Stereo "WIDE" that makes the thing sound like its screaming at you
> "Surround" nonsense (CX-W700, 3D80, AW7694).
> Same effect as "WIDE", but with the name SURROUND
>SURROUND labeling and options that make no sense and have nothing to do with Surround sound (3 or 4 channels)
-DIN inputs that work only as record inputs without the recorded sound coming through the speakers
-Bad shielding on top controls that let dust and grime in (3D80)
-Bad design of power section that makes a lot of hum in a silent environment
-Bad balance at lowest volumes
-Loud cassette mechanism
-Tape doors that misalign the tape (Philips D8634 Mark II)
-Torx screws on azimuth adjustment (Philips)
-Mechanic deck controls that are swiweling on a radius that makes them hard to press
-Mechanic deck controls that are too soft to press and go bollocks when doing fast fwd/rew searches
-PMPO or other maximum power figures (20W, 40W, 50W...100W...200W!!!)
-Hard to service insides (messy, no removable connectors, just soldered wires etc.) (Siemens Club 745, Sanyo M9990)
-Big speaker grills, small speakers
-Grill that are probably impossible to remove without hacking (molten/glued on place)
-Molding around speaker that looks like a fat modern upper surround, but is fake
-Adhesive tape or metal plates in the place of piezos (probably made no difference, but still)
Aging related:
-Stiffened upper suspensions on woofers
-Yellow tint on gray
-Hazed tuner windows
-Molten rubber
-Hardened rubber
-Bad function switches
-Bad tuners
-Dust and grime under the grills
-Weird smells
-etc.
They provide "character" and look tuff.
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