What is the best sounding and most powerful boombox?

[mellymelsr]

After some of my recent heavy-hitting boombox acquisitions, I was wondering, what do you guys feel is the best sounding and most powerful boombox out there? I mean all the 1 piece, 3 piece, and 6 piece boxes included...what is the ultimate top dog? If you like you can answer the two items seperately because for each of you the answer may be different. I have been fortunate enough to have been able to listen to a lot of the major players out there...but there are many I have never heard. The list may be long but the more the merrier. Initially for me the M90 was always the box I wanted to wait to add to my collection last because it was considered the top 1 piece grail in terms of power and sound...and I wanted to save the best for last. Now after having a chance to hear an M90 and comparing it (unfairly I might add) to the top 3 piece and 6 piece boxes, I have come to the conclusion that for me the M90 is not the best box available. Tops on my list for power and sound is the Sony FH7. This series of Sony boomboxes has ridiculous power and sound. With its wooden enclosed speaker design and separate amp design this thing was built with heavy-duty power in mind...but they did not forget about the quality of sound. Every time I crank up my favorite jazz on this box the sound just comes alive!! When you slide the volume control over to level 3 it is VERY loud, if you are sadistic enough to crank it up to 10 I would advise you to back way up...cause it is ear-shattering loud. Just try and pick up this little box and you will think someone has filled the inside with concrete cause it weighs a ton! So I want all to weigh in with your heaviest of heavy hitters and lets see which one(s) come out on top....but the FH7 gets my vote...

 

[MONOLITHIC]

That Sony is a small and portable home stereo system. Unless you've got the optional battery pack, you can't even take that out into the streets. Then again, as heavy as that box is, you really wouldn't wanna take that out into the streets, especially when people notice you switching arms every 10 steps.

 

[redbenjoe]

melly --never heard the great FH7...
so lemme just suggest that my last rig -
which runs at 100% of its talent on batteries

might sound as good or BETTER (my gut feel)

 

[oldskool69]

Here are some fr you all to give your thoughts to....I posted these elshwere regarding heavy hitters. (The PC-55 is no longer with me, but with Booby. He trade me Franks 'Funken HP-800 for it.)

JVC PC-55

JVC PC-W350

Panasonic RX-C300

Panasonic RX-DT680 w/Remote

Pioneer CK-5F

Sansui CP-5

Sansui CP-7

Sansui CP-77W

Sansui CP-99W

Sanyo C9

Sharp GX-300H

Sharp WF-939z

Sony FH-5

Telefunken HiFi Studio 1

 

[floyd]

the fisher
ph 480
490
492
are good competition to the fh series boxes.

 

[oldskool69]

the fisher
ph 480
490
492
are good competition to the fh series boxes.

Gotta disagree with you here....this is the one I sold to Llopez...

And my Sony FH-5 would lay waste to it sound and power wise. Not to mention the others above I posted would do the same to the 480. The Fisher is a very, very good sounding box...but were getting into the rarer air here.

 

[redbenjoe]

oldy --thats a great set of box photos you just posted --
but --you left us with no comparos --

specifically --is your FH 5 sound better than all those others ???

and since you know the 55 amp --and the tele studio speakers
do you agree that my combo rig might whomp that FH 7 ??

 

[oldskool69]

oldy --thats a great set of box photos you just posted --
but --you left us with no comparos --

specifically --is your FH 5 sound better than all those others ???

and since you know the 55 amp --and the tele studio speakers
do you agree that my combo rig might whomp that FH 7 ??

The only problem with your rig is the speakers themselves. And it's the achilles heel of the Studio 1/1M. As rich as they sound, you cannot get beyond 50% power with them. Hell, it's a problem for the PC-55 with it's original speakers. Come to think of it, that's what hurts all of my "super" component boxes. (Super being small high powered home stereo component systems with the option to run on batteries.)

That (regarding what you said about comparos) is one of the reasons my Sharp GX-300H is special to me. Yes it can be overdriven but it seems to have higher limits to my ears. I wish we had time at the last meet so you could hear what I'm talking about. The GX I would choose over the FH-5. Why? Despite the incredible soundstage, the GX-300H hits harder and goes deep like the 'Funken whie also hiting those quiet passages that often are missed with boomboxes. There's a reason it earned that DIN45500 rating.

At what you would consider normal listening levels however, the field evens up real quick...

 

[redbenjoe]

ok -- thanks alot oldy --

now - i have some news for you and you guys that have concluded that the tele speakers
have that puny 4" limit ...

the news is that i HOPE norm :super: will kindly post up the PM
re this subject --that i sent him a while back --

lets wait

 

[oldskool69]

...the news is that i HOPE norm :super: will kindly post up the PM
re this subject --that i sent him a while back --...

:super:

Wait I shall...

 

[Radio raheem]

Best sounding but not the loudest is the panasonic platinum series i have been using one of mine of late and although not as loud as the m90

she has a way richer sound than all 3 of my m90's. the fh7 is a power house will blow away the likes of the pc55 but to me it dosent have that warm sound

 

[Superduper]

Here is his PM, quoted below. The bottom line is that redbenjoe claims that he fed 1000 watts rms from a home stereo into those little telefunken studio monitors thingamajiggys and they kicked butt, then barked, more please.

its been agreed and posted for years --
that the M1 amp was always to powerful for those little M1 ..... 4 " woofs-

and , as that you have also just said --that the m1 woofs distort too early
when some real bass is turned up --
i have also said that --way back

however --the m1 speakers have a proprietary plug -
so -- prolly -- no one - has gone thru the little effort to
connect these 'wimpy' m1 speakers to a real clean home amp -

EXCEPT for ME !!!

and -- lemme tell ya
these speakers do not distort --until the bloddy end

they are awesome with a good amp-

so --after all these years of erroneous conclusions -
by incompetent members ---

it then has to be the M1 amp thats clipping -and is underpowered
for these speakers -- no matter WHAT fake power its 'ratings'
are labeled !! :

so there .

 

[oldskool69]

I guess I could feed 1000w into my SP-5500x home speakers too!

BTW Ira, I know where and what you live in...did you weld the walls back together afterward? And what about the collateral damage to the neighbors? How did Florida Light & Power feel about that? Have you contacted "Spinal Tap" for a reunion tour?

 

[Superduper]

My guess, that those little speakers blew up. Like nuclear style. Then the backdraft sucked everything back together again.

 

[Radio raheem]

The telefunken is a great unit but has anybody actually seen a main speaker on one???? the magnets are tiny and btw they are 5"" not 4

 

[oldskool69]

My guess, that those little speakers blew up. Like nuclear style. Then the backdraft sucked everything back together again.

 

[redbenjoe]

around this trailer park --all my smart // rich neighbors move into their REAL homes
during the long summer hurricane season -
so all thats left -is me and a pack of dumb rednecks

and for this crowd --
they like EVERYTHING LOUD !!!

 

[floyd]

alrighty then i guess i nominate the panasonic rx 6400 if the fh can beat that i give up.

 

[redbenjoe]

hey floyd --you are prolly very correct -
i seriously doubt if that big 6400 can be beat bad by anything !!!!

 

[oldskool69]

alrighty then i guess i nominate the panasonic rx 6400 if the fh can beat that i give up.

I'm not sure there either...the RX-6400 tends to sound more PA system like to me. And yes the FH's will send it home from a sound quality standpoint, at least I think so. Now one I haven't heard mentioned is the Rotel RPM-10. These are very rich sounding boxes as well.