colortrakker
Thinking in color...
I've got that PC-8 on the bottom, and it's quite a beast indeed. I'm proud to have one, despite the tape deck not playing. Keyboard input is great for retro jams with a vintage-appropriate PortaSound.
Mini-stereo / boombox nostalgia
- Thread starter Tommy2D
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Bone Yard
Super Member
I never thought about hooking my Portasound to it, now I have to check that out, it might be the only one with that input option.
Yea the PC-8 was sold as a mini-studio boombox, probably one of the last, there were several in the mid-70's but for some reason they didn't stick around.
Yea the PC-8 was sold as a mini-studio boombox, probably one of the last, there were several in the mid-70's but for some reason they didn't stick around.
Stack
Active Member
I recently picked up, restored and recapped this Panasonic RX-C45, from circa 1983.
What a sleeper! It seems like Panasonic was taking the assignment seriously when they made this thing. I've been surprised at how good it sounds for a 3 piece portable stereo. It makes a decent amount of power for a little guy (claims 20w peak.) It doesn't match up a true audio setup but you can get a nice soundstage with careful speaker positioning and manipulation of the equalizer. It sounds legitimately good in a small space (I'm running it in my office now), and it's probably the best I've ever heard from this class of device.
For the speakers: not only are the tweeters real (not a guarantee on smaller boomboxes), but the speakers are properly braced and dampened.
The whole thing is heavy and well built, feels like maybe 15 pounds without batteries, and from having fixed it I can say that it's very well laid out and serviceable internally.
I also like how the speakers connect internally when they're locked onto the unit so it doesn't have wires hanging off the back, and that it has a line out, line in and phono in. That makes it still useful in the present day.
Finally, it just looks neat. Chromed up, but not too chromed up.
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Bone Yard
Super Member
I have the slightly larger RX-C50W (W=dual deck), it has AUX but no phono in. Many boomboxes had phono in, maybe more so in Japan and EU, the BBX was the center of an audio system with the ability to add external components perfect for those with small homes.
I think most people remember the horrible BPC three-piecers from the 80's but there were some major gems, JVC had several TOTL like the PC-55, PC-11 and the monsterously large DC-7 with a built in TT. Marantz had the PMS-6820 and the PMS-3500 and many very nice smaller UNIX Branded Models (JDM only). Goldstar had the rediculously huge TSR-951 and Sony had some very high end with the CFS-9000 and the silly money XF-5000 that retailed for a little under $2000.00.
Nice work Stack, that one looks great!
I think most people remember the horrible BPC three-piecers from the 80's but there were some major gems, JVC had several TOTL like the PC-55, PC-11 and the monsterously large DC-7 with a built in TT. Marantz had the PMS-6820 and the PMS-3500 and many very nice smaller UNIX Branded Models (JDM only). Goldstar had the rediculously huge TSR-951 and Sony had some very high end with the CFS-9000 and the silly money XF-5000 that retailed for a little under $2000.00.
Nice work Stack, that one looks great!
Stack
Active Member
If I'm being honest the phono preamp is the main thing that initially convinced me to buy it. I'd never seen that before on a boombox.
I tested it out, and, yeah, it works just fine with moving magnet carts. I'm not sure when I'll have an opportunity to use it outside of a very contrived situation, but it's neat. Maybe if I have to test a turntable in a facebook marketplace purchase or something?
Mrv8q
Audiofool
Rey1
Super Member
Had that exact box, bought new in 1983/84 ish for use in my college dorm!
hemiram
Active Member
I've had one of these for about 8 years now, Yamaha CRX-E150, and the speakers too. It's my PC's sound system. It replaced an old NEC AV350 surround receiver that I got "dead" for $50, fixed and used for almost 25 years. I found a remote on Ebay for the CRX-E150, and it works great. I have an old Sony subwoofer hooked up with it, and I think the whole deal cost about $175, including the sub, which was priced in error at $49.95 at Best Buy many years ago.
The Av350 it relaced:
The Av350 it relaced:
I have that same Yamaha unit. Works great, but I’m having trouble pairing it with just the right speakers.I've had one of these for about 8 years now, Yamaha CRX-E150, and the speakers too. It's my PC's sound system. It replaced an old NEC AV350 surround receiver that I got "dead" for $50, fixed and used for almost 25 years. I found a remote on Ebay for the CRX-E150, and it works great. I have an old Sony subwoofer hooked up with it, and I think the whole deal cost about $175, including the sub, which was priced in error at $49.95 at Best Buy many years ago.
The Av350 it relaced:
hemiram
Active Member
I got those Yamaha speakers for almost nothing on Ebay about a year after I got the CRX-E150. I had it running a pair of Optimus LX-5 speakers on it, but I liked the Yamaha ones pictured better. I sold the LX-5's to a friend who loves them in his bedroom setup. I thought the LX-5's were just too much on the high end.
Bone Yard
Super Member
The JVC's with the wooden speaker enclosures are the models I posted above with the PC-55 being the TOTL and unique with it's larger LCD display. I was at a thrift store last year and spied some orphan wooden speakers that I ended up getting for the PC-11, I'm probably the only one in a few hundred miles that knew what they went with. The PC-11 is also an elbow breaker model with some weight to it. These were considered as "compo's" more than three-piecers, they could usually split up into five and tended to be more like a mini-stereo build without much movement in mind. I've got a few big compo's around here with the heaviest at 50 lbs but most are 20-40 lbs.
I can't tell what Jeff G's BBX is but there were only three like that, two from AKAI, PJ-11 & PJ-35 and one from Sony, the CFS-700. It looks more like the Sony, kind of rare for them and I think more up-line which makes them harder to find.
I can't tell what Jeff G's BBX is but there were only three like that, two from AKAI, PJ-11 & PJ-35 and one from Sony, the CFS-700. It looks more like the Sony, kind of rare for them and I think more up-line which makes them harder to find.
I don't consider myself a boombox collector, but I have picked up a few interesting examples over the years. I actually just saved a Panasonic RX-C41 from the local electronics recycler yesterday.
D8734 baby, yeahhhh.
A friend had one back in the day and I was so impressed when he showed me the massive unit. Until it started playing that is.
So not much love from me for these kind of things for their sonic qualities, but if I can grab a broken one for peanuts somewhere I'll definitely build modern hardware into it to transform it into a fun retro portable garden system.
Used to see the D8734 and many of its Philips brothers a lot in thrift stores over here (Philips, the Netherlands.. Go figure..) but they are a rare sight nowadays.
Have never ever seen a D8304 in real life come to think of it.
A friend had one back in the day and I was so impressed when he showed me the massive unit. Until it started playing that is.
So not much love from me for these kind of things for their sonic qualities, but if I can grab a broken one for peanuts somewhere I'll definitely build modern hardware into it to transform it into a fun retro portable garden system.
Used to see the D8734 and many of its Philips brothers a lot in thrift stores over here (Philips, the Netherlands.. Go figure..) but they are a rare sight nowadays.
Have never ever seen a D8304 in real life come to think of it.
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I keep coming across the same boring late 80s/early 90s boxes from Sony and Panasonic.