What would you really pay for a modern box?

[hemiguy2006]

I actually only use the USB port on my TDK 3 speaker and have had zero issues...AND i use it a lot...in the summer by the pool it's what i use most, and i let it run often for 5-6 hours straight in the heat ...the sound is so nice

Spot on. My 3 speaker TDK has been an absolute gem and I use it with my 160gb iPod USB all the time. Best new school box I ever bought. Next to the Altec imt800

 

[ford93]

I wonder what Pioneer and Sharp has in store for 2015 after introducing those tube radios the last time.

I call them tubes but they are Boomboxes.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Spot on. My 3 speaker TDK has been an absolute gem and I use it with my 160gb iPod USB all the time. Best new school box I ever bought. Next to the Altec imt800

That's cool to know. I know you have always waved the flag for these two modern Blasters. I know neither were cheap, but as long as they deliver the goods and hold up to the hand of time then all is good right?

I wonder what Pioneer and Sharp has in store for 2015 after introducing those tube radios the last time.

I call them tubes but they are Boomboxes.

I know that many can't get past the tube shape, but from a practical point of view, it's the easiest way to get bass. I have never heard either. I think they were a little pricey? But I heard some people liked them

 

[im_alan_partridge]

Ive voted up to 250, for me the new lasonics have been great (which is why I have two).
It ticks all the boxes, connectivity, looks, size, volume. It may not be be the best sounding quality wise but I don't really care.

As much as I love the TDK's (I have the 2 speaker b/t model) they are to much money. The was 3 speaker was about £500 ($760) iirc, crazy.

I have never heard the new Sharps and Pioneer models and tbh I don't know what they retail for over here.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

It's tough to be a collector when many of these companies don't sell world wide

 

[hemiguy2006]

I think i'm one of the few that like/love new boxes . My most used, is the TDK 3 speaker and i931's...i put in my tiny little USB in these boxes and i never have to do anything for hours...this is only at home though in private . In the streets, it's a COMPLETE different story

Nope you are not alone. I have TDK 3 speaker 1st edition
Use it all the time with 160gb iPod via USB.
ALTEC IMT800 , Pioneer Steez Crew, Sharp GX-M10.
I love them all. I don't discriminate New and old, as long as they have style, good sound and I cam plug my iPod in.

 

[bill]

I'd like to see this philosophy applied to a m90 c100 or whatever http://www.korg.com/us/products/dj/ms_20kit/


I'm not that uncertain to be honest 3d printing once it evolves will be a real game changer in terms of what we can buy.
We might live to see the day where you can print products in whatever shape configuration ect you want.

 

[restocat]

Bill, so you are saying we should build our own from a kit? That would be fun.

To take it to the next level, we could create the kit.
Lasonic could provide the cases, to our specs of course (square corners, stainless trim, uv resistant , thick high quality plastic) .

Brand: Boomboxery
Model: M100
speakers: 8inch x 2, 80s style chrome covers. metal mesh grills.
tweeters: 4
wt: 20lbs

 

[bill]

Bill, so you are saying we should build our own from a kit? That would be fun.
To take it to the next level, we could create the kit.
Lasonic could provide the cases, to our specs of course (square corners, stainless trim, uv resistant , thick high quality plastic) .
Brand: Boomboxery
Model: M100
speakers: 8inch x 2, 80s style chrome covers. metal mesh grills.
tweeters: 4
wt: 20lbs

I can zero reason why it is not a feasible possibly profitable proposition. I mean this website probably gets enough traffic that if you approached the right people they would jump at the idea. It's a niche market for sure but, why the heck isn't someone doing this already

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

I can zero reason why it is not a feasible possibly profitable proposition. I mean this website probably gets enough traffic that if you approached the right people they would jump at the idea. It's a niche market for sure but, why the heck isn't someone doing this already

Bringing a product to market is so hard. The guy doing the Diamond box is really going for it. Even though it's not for me, that is a true startup company.

I was in the electronics business in the early 90's and it's a bitch. Lasonic has struggled to find that little tiny spot between old design, cost, quality and market share. Lasonic, Diamond Box and any other start up are going against MASSIVE companies that have already bought up all their competition giving them a better market share and better buying and manufacturing power in terms of quantity purchased for price savings.

It's easy for SHARP to market a product. They have a massive supply chain & dealer chain and a well known name. Who the Fark has heard of Diamond Box? US, but if he ran a TV commercial, it would be muted by 98% of people while they take a piss and grab a beer.

To make small quantity radios that are HIGH quality, they would be very expensive and the profit, very low if any.

 

[bill]

I agree with most of what you said. Yup it would be hard. Yes there would be very little profit .that's not why you would do it initially tho.
Also the diamond box is a fantastic effort. The problem there is he's chasing the world with a product that's pretty niche. I guess for me it's like opening a bacon shop in Baghdad. Well the reception probably would be a little more hostile.
Almost every idea is slowed by the fear of failure. It's a continuous flow of attempts that finally makes something possible. Those synth kits are pretty amazing. It's something ten years back I was told would never ever ever happen.it started with one person deciding to make a clone of the roland bass line the tb303. The x0xbox came out as a bag of parts you put together. It took almost ten years for a major manufacturer to snag the idea and turn it into its own. Korg is owned by yamaha and I actually could see korg doing a boombox kit or even a finished boombox. If they could see the potential market.in fact I don't think the usual suspects will be the ones who give us a new blaster. It also will probably be radio less . The rapidly growing trend of small battery powered electronic music gear is interesting because you need a way to play the stuff back. Roland has some pretty loud battery powered PA systems now. The even have some that run of AA batteries that are incredibly loud and efficient. They look like crap tho.

 

[bill]

I also remember when the rumour of Lasonic bringing a new 931 to market showed up.a heck of a lot of people said never . That no one would ever do that.

 

[bill]

Make this bigger squarer and well yeah http://www.korgcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/lg_soundboxmini_front.jpg

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

Make this bigger squarer and well yeah http://www.korgcanada.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/lg_soundboxmini_front.jpg

I click, then I puke...

The beauty part about a company like Korg making somthing is the quality of the components. Musicians will NOT put up with crappy components (i.e. switches, potentiometers)

Plus the stuff has to be road worthy. If they built a road tough radio, built like a 777 in terms of build quality, that would be sweet, it would also cost a fortune. Sadly you have to add on the Corporate 93.726% CEO profit margin AND it will still be made in China for pennies on the dollar.

Lasonic had plans for remaking a few other classic models, but the market isn't allowing for it. There just isn't enough old geezers out there looking to buy this stuff.

We want 975 size, that thumps like a Kaboom, that costs like a Colby, with the connectability of a TDK that looks like a C100.

WTF is the PROBLEM HERE?

 

[bill]

I don't know if I think it's only old geezers.i mean a lot of kids release cassettes right now. As for not seeing how that little vox amp isn't too far off from a boombox I guess it's all subjective. We just aren't going to see something with the same build quality. I actually think a lot of the early boomboxes from jvc had a guitar jack on them. The diamond box guys almost have the right idea. It would be righter if they took a few more styling cues from the past and offered thier product for less money unassembled.

 

[Lasonic TRC-920]

I don't know if I think it's only old geezers.i mean a lot of kids release cassettes right now. As for not seeing how that little vox amp isn't too far off from a boombox I guess it's all subjective. We just aren't going to see something with the same build quality. I actually think a lot of the early boomboxes from jvc had a guitar jack on them. The diamond box guys almost have the right idea. It would be righter if they took a few more styling cues from the past and offered thier product for less money unassembled.

A diamond box kit would be sick.

ask him to sell you one that way!

 

[Cpl-Chronic]

I think that if a company wants to succeed in the modern boombox arena, they should bring back the chrome rings, silver colors, BIG VU's, bumper bars to protect it & make it look mean, include an RGB LED system of course, & M90 sound/power, ruggedness, etc. Replace the decks with a universal card reader, usb & Bluetooth inputs....BANG!!! you have a real monster on your hands, especially if you can load 10" pounders into the cabinet like a Wheely 5000, etc. Modern materials can go a long way to improve sound to the point where you have true subwoofer performance & possibly a true 30w per channel RMS into 4 ohms......

The real problem with that dream, as many have pointed out, is the suits in the boardrooms now have no pride in what they create & produce anymore. It's gotten so bad that even the financial markets are rigged for bust & boom economic cycles while illegally foreclosing on hard working families, hoping they can't bring legal action to save their homes from predatory practices. Heck, even our insurance policies are rigged against us when it's time to make a claim....

Cpl

 

[jimmyjimmy19702010]

If you guys are really expecting a mainstream manufacturer to build a big boomer with full chrome treatment, big power and a set of 10s, you're going to be waiting a long, long time! The market for a big arse unit like that is very limited.

Heck, even the Diamond Box makers go on and on how compact and lightweight their offering is. 10s are heavy (real ones that can handle big power). They also take up a lot of room. My huge V2 box only has 8s and they only just fit!

Although high quality and awesome boomboxes aren't readily available in the mainstream, high quality individual component parts still are. All the parts you need to build a monster box are sitting on Ebay right now but they're not cheap.

Even though the Diamond Box might seem expensive at $1000, the parts bill to build the internals would still come to at least $500. And you would still have to build a case so $1000 all of a sudden doesn't seem so expensive.

 

[SK-95]

What would it really take for one of the big companies do what something along the lines of what Tesla did? A few concept designs, with no production, let the public help with the choices and then go with 3 or 4 choices, then use the internet and other media to get the word out and let the public place some orders. If quantities make sense, go into production. Let the customer know what's to go into the boxes, all specs and features, warranties, etc.

Honestly, I don't see the difficulty, and I also don't see the need to lose a few million on producing boxes that potentially no one may want. This way, anyone company going into production would know beforehand if it there was enough demand to go into producing some new "1980's" decent boxes. They (Pioneer, Aiwa, Sony, JVC, etc.) apparently do not want to use the word "Retro" to describe this possible new attempt at bringing back this concept. Then call it, "Limited Edition Vintage", or something else, anyone got any ideas? Obviously the manufacturer of the Diamond Box has gone into production into a box he expects to sell for $1000, that has speakers, an amp and it looks like a mere box with speakers with an old style luggage kind of handle on top. It's really nothing to look at. It might sound amazing, but today's "music" boxes are totally unappealing to me.

Also, should they consider a tape mechanism? Yes, without the slightest doubt. This box would not be designed and produced for the young generations, not really!There are still many tapes around, and it should be a good deck too. VU meters, recording level control, bias control. What would be the point otherwise? Would it be an attempt to bring tapes and all of it back? No, I wouldn't call it that! It would be a limited edition for a reason. Could be to capitalize on a market that still exists, albeit small, but probably still worth one last run at it. Could such an attempt bring it all back? I doubt it, today's generation is not ready to take a walk into the past to exist there. Some of them will like it, but very few, who can blame them? The present and the future belongs to them, let them decide, but the question remains, are there enough of us that would make it worth it for these companies to get one last one run in?

Should they incorporate all the new technologies? Bluetooth, ability to connect with smart phones, laptops, etc. Yes of course! How else would you even attempt to get some of the younger generations to even look at it?

I'd like to see it! I'm in for one... at least! Cheers!!

 

[jimmyjimmy19702010]

You want to know the leading reason why the mainstream manufacturers aren't interested in making the best possible quality audio gear anymore?:
View attachment 30233

Modern consumers are addicted to small, light, cute and above all, cheap!!

They don't give a damn where it's made or if it will last 30 years. They expect every new trinket to be 'spectacular, wonderful, exciting and unique' but don't expect them to be happy paying for it.

All glitz and no substance is what modern **** gear is all about.

Sorry guys but the golden era of electronics finished a long time ago.