iPod from the 80s. Review of popular audio devices of the past

Today, the Apple iPod music player is an icon on the audio market. But everything ever ends. No, iPods will be popular for more than one year, but it's hard not to notice that the market of portable audio players is gradually becoming more modest: more and more users are now satisfied with the musical capabilities of their smartphones and tablets. Some time ago, boomboxes, also known as gettoblasters, passed through a similar stage to everybody’s childhood memorabilia. The first boombox was created in 1975 by the brothers Stacy and Scott Welfel, who used a wooden case with built-in speakers and an 8-track car stereo. In the late 70s, large companies began to represent their models, but boomboxes got real popularity only in the 80s. Slowly the boomboxes became more and more functional. The device from the company Conic could boast of detachable speakers, which allowed to expand the stereo image. The number of models grew by leaps and bounds, more and more new features appeared in them: lights, color music, the number of speakers grew, tape type switches appeared, the possibility of noise cancellation and even graphic equalizers up to 10 bands. And now let's go back to the beginning of 2015. The era of cassette boom boxes has already passed, but this does not mean that the patient is dead. On the contrary, in American flea markets and auctions, this type of audio equipment is still in demand. To verify this, just go to the well-known eBay and enter “tape boombox” or “Ghettoblaster” into the search box. Let's go through some of the legends of the 80s. Authority among authorities - Conion C-100F This device was born back in 1984 and literally from the start began to make its way not only in low-income quarters of American cities, but also in Hollywood. The model managed to play in a number of films, among which “The Breaking” and the “Police Academy” known to all Russians. Successful samples in the cinema ordered the Conion C-100F to become one of the most popular and respected gettoblasters of its time. The authority of the boombox by default extended to young people who “tore” their favorite music through it. The passage of time and technical progress forced the Conion C-100F to disappear from the shelves, but it can still be found on the market with hands. Finding a device in good condition is not a problem even in 2015. Its estimated cost is now at $ 1,000 , but with successful participation in the auction, you can snatch a more reasonable price. Gettoblasters from JVC It is no secret that Japanese manufacturers were among the strongest players on the gettoblaster market. The aforementioned Conion, JVC, Aiwa, Panasonic, Sony, Sharp and similar offices at the time pulled everything that was possible out of the market. However, now let's dwell more specifically on JVC. The JVC cassette boom box portfolio was presented by such models as the RC-M70, RC-M80 and RC-M90. They remain popular among enthusiasts now. However, the JVC blaster RC-M90 (in the photo it is surrounded by some young guys), released in 1981, turned out to be a truly masterpiece. This model was crammed with all sorts of technical bells and whistles: an 8-wave receiver, a proprietary noise reduction system Super ANRS (which successfully competed with Dolby B and C), etc. But the main advantage of the RC-M90 is the ultra-low detonation coefficient (WRMS) - 0.05%. Finding a JVC RC-M90 on sale is a little more difficult than a Conion C-100F, but on eBay it sometimes still jumps. Do not expect to buy this model in good condition for less than $ 1,000 . Legendary Sharp GF-777 1981 turned out to be generous with good-quality boom boxes. This year, the legendary model GF-777 was released by Sharp. It was simply enormous even by the standards of the then gettoblaster: in addition to the two cassette compartments, it had four large speakers (one pair was responsible for the bass). Without batteries, "three sevens" weigh more than 12 kilograms! However, many buyers were attracted not only by the power that the Sharp GF-777 was capable of issuing, but also by its low (of course, in relative terms) retail price - it was about $ 400. True, now for such a price you can hardly find a copy in a decent condition. The second half of the 80s: Crown SZ-5100 and Lasonic TRC-931 In the second half of the 80s, the ghettoblaster color emphasis shifted from gray to black. Another feature of the blasters of the late 80s - early 90s was their reverse decrease. Apparently, by that time, American teenagers had already pumped up enough, and now they had to take some time off from the 12-pound engines. And, perhaps, it was one of the first signs that the golden age of boomboxes was already running out. Among the most significant models of the second half of the 80s, there is a radio, such as the Crown SZ-5100 and Lasonic TRC-931 (in fact, these are two direct competitors). Find the first model (pictured above) is already problematic , but with the Lasonic TRC-931 (pictured below), things are a little better. Nowadays, these “lasonics” cost less than a thousand US dollars (meaning the specimens are in good condition), therefore they are most accessible in comparison with other models from this article. It is worth noting that the 90s were also not stingy with the release of gettoblaster, but still the most interesting models saw the market from the late 70s to the end of the 80s. Boomboxes are available to this day, but they have almost no success, although they correspond to the latest fashion trends (they are equipped with CD drives, built-in memory, wireless communication modules, etc.). Maybe 30 years ago, manufacturers really invested in each product, the soul, and not chased only for profit? In the end, I want to add: listen to good music and love high-quality sound!