When I was young my parents took me to the brand new Media Play store that opened, and my dad showed me how to pick out a good stereo based on how hard it was to turn the volume knob, if the knobs had little LED lights in them, and how soft the tape deck door opened.
I remember my sister buying a Philips D8254 'ghetto blaster' in the early to mid 80s which had amongst other groovy features a beautifully smooth soft touch eject. The version she bought was a sort of burgundy colour. I think she's still got it and it still works to this day actually!
I can never understand people who post comments like that. Yes, objectively, and for many, subjectively, tapes sound horrendous compared to modern technology, but that's not the point. Tangent: I was born in 1995 into a low-income working-class family. I never really saw the vast majority of the cool technology Mat collects, displays, trials and explains. My only real memories of cassettes are: -The audiobooks I used to borrow from the library. -Cassettes used in French and German language classes -Aux to cassette adaptor tape my father used in the car. -My father's personal collection of cassettes and vinyl. As such, I don't really have the nostalgia associated nor the issue of having media that is only available on tape. When I look back at my childhood, mostly, it was CDs, DVDs, VHS. In late primary and early secondary, I changed over to digital (MP3 etc.) thanks to my friend... ummm... Mr Sleep Mix *ahem*. Following that, I transitioned to Spotify in 2010. My first CD, Offspring's Conspiracy of One, I bought from Woolworths in February 2001 with my birthday money. This was to go with a personal cd player my parents gave me for said birthday. Sailing onward, past that, possibly, unneeded ramble. My point is, I do not watch this channel for nostalgia. I watch Mat and support him on Patreon because I find old technology fascinating and enjoy watching how excited and interested he is in the products he demonstrates. Learning how past developers of technology worked around the limitations of their time and discovering what technology was like when my parents were my age is absolutely thrilling. I also get to see some of the incredibly handy features old tech had that could still be useful in modern applications. That is if they weren't ignored because they are seen as old OR have just been plain forgotten about. For me, watching Mat is like having a personal guided tour around The Museum of Technology Past and Present. Comments like "tapes r bad" and "gr0w ⬆️ old mannnn iz twenty20 we has streems now" just reek to me of the desperate need for attention and insatiable desire to always have to comment or Moan about Tech.
Josh Giles lol you were born in 1995 and know what a Woolworth’s is?? WOW. Where do you live, in some tiny town in the Midwest or the south? No offense, but those are like the only regions that kept old chains that disappeared everywhere else. We lost our last one in Portland around, like, 1989. But that was a cool store, with their old-fashioned soda fountain counters.
Josh Giles And a good cassette deck sounds great; most people wouldn’t know it’s a cassette if they didn’t know on a good deck. They certainly sound better than modern, compressed, shitty digital streams from Spotify, etc lol. Pretty sad that the old Red Book format (CDs’ 16-Bit, 44.1 KHz) sounds better than most modern formats because it’s an uncompressed bitstream. I say that because early on, CDs sounded like shit because the players usually had shitty converters and early CDs were replicated from CD masters that were just copies off the analog masters which were mastered for LPs or, if you’re lucky, cassette and they didn’t spend any time remastering them for digital. So they always sounded shrill and harsh to me, vs something mastered properly for CDs. Plus it was startlingly accurate at the same time, so analog sounded warmer because analog typically _wasn’t_ terribly accurate, and we were used to that. Anyway. Cassettes sound great on a decent deck :) Whether compared to “modern technology” or not, and probably sounds better if comparing to streaming. Most younger people don’t know what music is supposed to sound like, what most people’s home stereos _could_ sound like. Especially with one of those giant Kenwood receivers and massive speakers. Those things sound so much better than nearly any modern home stereo unless you spend a good deal of money.
I have over 600 cassettes, many of which are private recordings, and unique. There is no way that I'll be digitising them all in a hurry; cassettes will last for many decades if played on decent deck, and stored properly. They're far more durable than many writable CD's. Some in my collection date back to the 1960's, and they still sound perfectly acceptable when played. Sure they never were truly 'Hi-Fi', but they're a good sight better sound quality than many of the so-called 'near CD quality' MP3 recordings that can be bought and downloaded today. The dynamic range is better, and the noise levels and distortion can be lower than MP3 files. They can also be better than FM radio, and the best cassettes certainly are better sound fidelity than DAB radio. It's common to hear people saying that cassettes are rubbish, and then they listen happily to 128kHz MP3 or AAC music on their tiny plastic earphones.
My mother has been using one of these for about 7 years now as the easiest possible way for audio playback in her bedroom. Granted, she only listens to her old cassette library from the 70s onwards once in a while, but she uses CD audio books for bringing herself to sleep every night. She can even be considered a heavy user of the USB functionality since that's where i store all of those ripped CDs instead of burning the MP3s to a disc. (One of her favorites is a complete collection of all Columbo episodes that i just dubbed the audio tracks from... :) ) The boombox itself hasn't let her down ever since, the only real downside being a somewhat clunky menu navigation for large MP3 collections, which is mostly due to the small display. Apart from that, the Panasonic has been the first somewhat usable and quality feeling all-in-one audio device for us since the mid 90s...
@noo dles We have been using the Panasonic for about 7 years now, but it's the first time since the mid 90s that we actually got a good boombox. In the meantime, we have owned several of them, and the only one that's still working is a Sony CFD-5100L which sadly doesn't offer neither MP3 nor USB support.
I don't quite get the hate some of this stuff gets. Some people still love tapes, some people still love cds, some like restoring old players. I just enjoy watching these videos and find them interesting. Just let people enjoy what they enjoy, nobody gains anything from being negative all the time and trying to force that negativity on others.
3:57 That’s great because Indonesia was one of the last places to use cassettes in the world. I own a copy Minutes To Midnight by Linkin Park on cassette that I imported from Indonesia, which released in 2007. Also Death Magnetic by Metallica and Circus by Britney Spears were released on cassette in Indonesia and those albums both released in 2008
I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that, a design from 2010, now counts as coming from the good old days. Wasn't the year 2000 supposed to be the far off future? How did it happen?
I'm getting baffled by the amount of modern devices that need extra batteries just to remember things. I2C interface is almost 40 years old and I2C EEPROMs have been available at least since the 90's, PIC16C84 microcontroller with built-in EEPROM was released in 1993, what would be the excuse for not designing in some pennies worth of nonvolatile memory just to avoid batteries? My tecsun radio has EEPROM for station presets, and also could keep time for a good 30 minutes on a supercap to facilitate replacing dead batteries. TVs had EEPROMs in them ever since digital tuning was a thing.
It's a combination of corporate greed and the oligopolies in today's huge internationalized markets. Things are made for the lowest common denominator to minimize production costs. If most people don't care enough to complain or not buy it over a missing feature, it's not going to have it -- pennies saved per unit can add up to thousands of dollars in extra revenue when you're manufacturing en masse. There's not enough competition for people to have any real choice; we have to take what we can get at the price they demand, or gamble on cheap import junk that almost always even worse.
An EEPROM doesn't stop the passage of time. Whether a piece of electronics remembers the precise time when it was shut off or not is useless if it hasn't been counting up the time since, hence AAs for this and CR2032s in laptops.
Remember the good old days when cars and everything else had dial clocks or flip clocks? If you're car battery died or the power went out at your house, you just looked at your wristwatch to reset the clock. You could even call a phone number to get the current time. I guess you could use your cell phone for that, oh, wait...
I like this guy. He actually reads AND explains the instruction manual or the papers of a product unlike other people who just discards the manual just because its easy to use, therefore not utilizing or having the proper knowledge of the product they are buying. Patience pays. Ima gonna start watching more of this guy's video about this one. A fellow collector of old tech too.
I'm 19, and I adore cassettes as a format, so I'm always glad to hear of a cassette-playing boombox for me to purchase. Currently, I've got a portable player by Jensen that's got me through at least the past year or so.
Same here I'm 17, but I been always interested in this technology. I got now a 20 year old simple boombox from Sony, it lasts for sure but if it will die one day I'll buy this Panasonic one
@Sixto ReWired well.. tapes are kinda LoFi tho.. but yeah I find mechanized soft control tapedecks interesting because you can hear them moving heads and stuff. It's trully great when people go extra step to make them more convenient to use and make them seem less outdated. i would love to see a deck that closes the door too, by pressing eject button, much like cd tray
Just reached my 20s and received my first Walkman (TCM-450) a few weeks ago. Had also bought a new model Sony boombox (CFD-S70) with a cassette player earlier this year. Hope to get older model Walkmans and a true cassette deck in the hopefully not far too distant future
As new follower of this channel I want to say it's absolutely brilliant. I've always loved technology (born in 70) so I can relate to a lot of stuff. Keep up the excellent work 👍🏻
I went to Best Buy today and I saw an ION Boombox with an AM/FM radio, cassette recorder, USB and SD slot for playing MP3’s, and a Bluetooth device to stream your music. I’m not going to get it, because I have enough devices including my recent one, is a Superscope Storyteller kiddie cassette player where I can use a Bluetooth cassette adapter for playing music from other devices, and it works.
I like Panasonic because their old boombox, I think that you will still bet something decen from the good brand like Panasonic and Sony. They dont cheap their product to the hell, they still hold a bit of pride ... I think. I will never buy ION nor Crossley things. Panasonic has bee doing boomboxes from mid 70. Crossley is not the old well known brand and ION does not even got a clue on what thing should be sound like
@@Musicradio77Network I think your best bet anymore is to look in the thrift stores and find an 80s or 90s Aiwa or Sony mini system that's not been too mistreated. Then connect a BT adapter or similar to it. Love the USB and MP3 support on modern devices, but usually the audio is total crap compared to these old units.
problem is that 'decent equipment' costs an arm and a leg... for something that costs over $100 this should have recorded better than it did... or maybe im just used to cd/dvd burners only costing about $40 for a new one...
@@mephitusincognito7918 Buy second hand and it does not. Look out for deals online and in some audiophile magazines as some readers sell their used gear in those, you will be gobsmacked on how cheep some people sell really experience gear for. Think outside of the box and your save yourself a ton of money.
@@huleyn135 I would argue that they do have something great about them, that is, if you're willing to look at things away from a strictly audio perspective. So what's so great you ask? They're fun. Even without the lens of nostalgia, it's an enjoyable experience to have a tangible thing in your hand that represents your music. Having to rewind, fast forward, and witch to side B makes listening to music a more engaging experience. Plus you get to watch the reels spin witch is always mesmerizing.
Well, I just received mine from the delivery man. I have to say, upon first listen to the CD and tape, I'm pretty happy with this thing. Not a super-loud box, but clean and that makes up for a lot. Doing a bit of recording. I recorded a song onto a very cheap "bargain bin" Type I and while not overwhelming, the box did a credible job. Then I recorded onto a Korean-manufactured Memorex "clown cassette". Again, not the greatest sound in the world, but if this had been my only music machine in 1995, and I recorded a CD borrowed from a friend, I would have been good with it. Overall, happy with the purchase at this point.
Thank you for this suggestion. I bought one from amazon germany and I am very pleased with the build quality and sound. It feels like a piece of my childhood again!
Back in the day I'd take one of those tapes which has a wire coming from it with a headphone jack on the end to plug in to a portable CD player.. I'm sure they might still be around.
@@RayRayP2001 discman yeah! I couldn't remember the name but that sounds like the Badger. Very useful! With a double tape deck it was also possible to record from cd to the disc man tape adapter and make mix tapes that way too 😀
@@JoeOG Actually, berg only means 'mountain' not 'rock' so you are more correct than Tony is. Odd language to want to learn unless youi either move there or have a swedish girlfriend or something. I don't live there anymore since a long time but I was born and raised there. Not my favourite country, last time I visited was 2003.
My mum bought a Panasonic boom box for us to listen to CDs in the car (that didn't have a CD player built in) back in the 90s. We were homeless for a couple of months, so we lived out of the car, and needless to say it was a hassle to run that thing of so many C cell batteries. Mum needed her music for relaxation, and I can distinctly remember the sound being so crystal clear. Enya was her artist of choice :)
Panasonic is one of the most trustworthy brands I know. You get a toothbrush, a tv, a cassette deck, a flippin’eck phone pbx and you’ll be sure that thing will last 20 years at least
@@Dan_07 I have a panasonic Micro/Convection combo gets used a few times a day and still going strong, its around 25 years old, only thing is lightbulb has blown and I never have bothered replacing that.
I wonder was this intended to be one (I think he actually calls them a 'cheese sandwich' video) or did he just reuse the opening from a previous video and forget to remove the symbol? This video doesn't feel like the previous ones.
For those who say no one listens to tape anymore, I own a 1979 F100 with the orginal radio, because I want to keep my truck as stock as possible, I listen to tapes. Also, tapes are still being made. I can currently buy Eminem's "Music to be murdered by" (2020) on cassette for $15 and play it in my truck. I also have an old boombox in my tool shed that I use when working on my truck, or other vehicles.
I'd wire a bt modul. This can be done by leaving pretty much everything about the radio stock.. still preserving the truck as stock as possible, without limiting yourself only to tapes. It's very small and can be easily hidden it the cable nest, or even inside the radio itself
The radio in my car is really complicated to replace (even more than most), and the cassette deck is the only thing on that radio that still fully works. The AM/FM radio is going out, and the CD player doesn’t work at all anymore.
I'm big into Vaporwave and Synthwave, and most of those artists release their albums on cassette, so I have quite the collection of modern cassette albums. So people are definitely still playing tapes.
C cell rechargeable tend to be overpriced and often have the same capacity as AA cells (they are just an A cell in a larger case). By far you are better off buying C cell adaptors that you can fit 2x AA rechargables in, you'll get more runtime and it's usually much cheaper.
I bought a charger with 4 Rechargeable C batteries for 30$ on Amazon...The PALO Charger....I am using them with my Cosmic Combat Electronic Game....they are 4000 MiAmp...A Duracell Charger and rechargeable batteries costs a similar amount....It was 30$ Canadian on Amazon.ca....
@@circattle Really? I'd be very skeptical about that without hearing a demonstration. Surely what the speakers are capable of is the only determining factor?
Dónal O'Flynn Well if you think about it, you’ve got a plastic box with a decent size cavity in it. 8 x C cells is a large space. Not only are you filling that and preventing resonance, you’re also adding the mass of 8 C cells to the device itself. It’s not a huge leap in sound quality, but it does add a little more bass authority and improves mid bass colouration.
Those were rather touchy buttons, weren't they? Seemingly not at all like a tact switch... but, maybe it does have tact switches, and he just happens to cradle the device with enough force. I like my buttons to have some resistance, and I especially don't like the membrane switches (hate them).
I remember as a nipper in 1968, being enthralled at the school's very first Philips portable cassette tape recorder! It was the most amazing and wondrous thing I'd ever seen. Music (etc) in a tiny plastic box, no threading up, turns over in an instant - Brilliant. Kids today, don't even know they're born!
I use tapes (almost) daily since I was about 4 years old. I'm 35 now. Never stopped using, never stopped recording (and occasionally fixing machines). 29:54 my school had one of these (not the same model, it had needle meters, but close). Damn did I want one of these!
@@noth606 The early 2000s was a time when a sizable amount of people were still using the supposedly dead format to record audio as one normally would in the 80s and 90s, which is by means of live recording (of radio, CD dubbing, audio through mic, etc.) as opposed to burning mp3 files onto a CD-R disc using a computer optical drive which is a totally different animal.
It's really sad that the quality of any product really has been going downhill last couple of years. The fact that you have to buy a 2010 vintage product to avoid the contemporary chinese turds is shocking to be honest.
Not really, sadly in this time business simply wants something to ship out that satisfies the "definition" of functional, but reflects cost cuts and oversimplification. It's all retro now. The best quality devices like this have to be either rebuilt, rebelted, or completely restored and since those skills are rapidly dying out if one would rather consider one expensive restore device rather than a cheap China box every year.
Companies build stuff because it will make them money not because they want to build the best. Companies only build the best to out do the competition and so get your money. No real competition then no real reason for companies to spend money on building the best something. If there was a high enough demand for a good tape deck in companies would make one and it would play chrome and metal tapes and sound better than most if not all tape decks from the past but there is no money to be made out of making tape decks anymore hence why there are no good tape decks today. Nothing to do with quality of products getting made today as I have a Naim Mu-so which was built only a few years ago and it's a super well made product.
@@MrStephen182 My tape deck is an ADS Atelier imported by ADS (Analog Digital Systems) of Massachusetts and made by Braun in Germany with a Denon front loading cassette mechanism. It's from 1978 and with the exception of 2 rebeltings and a minor head azimuth adjustment, is the finest deck I've ever owned. All metal, minimal plastic and it even sounds as good as my old Akai GX 3 head. But these were phenomenal decks when competition was widespread. So while I do agree some modern devices are well built you pay for that quality. Naim is high end and of course you would expect that. But try to find it now. It's rare because this is becoming niche. Try finding a good, lower priced turntable for example. Not easy to find and even Audio Technica isn't cheap.
I had an Aimor box that was killer. Had a phono preamp in it, good stereo condenser mics, and the best shortwave radio receiver I've ever seen, with dual rabbit ear antennae. Missing it so much lately.
@@pyeltd.5457 not the first gen model. you're confusing it with later models. the first gen kaboom was quite probably the single best boom box ever made by anyone.
Sharp GF 777. The dream boombox for everyone and used by everyone in alternative music back then, from LL Cool J and Run DMC to The Replacements and Dee Dee Ramone.
Indonesian manufacture is pretty good these days and trusted by some big brands. Fender guitars make very high quality budget guitars under the squire brand there.
Please check Polytron XL2910BA boombox youtube reviews (you can search using youtube search), it is still available new for around $80, I am sure it has a better sound than the panasonic.
I just bought a Panasonic RX-ED50, circa 1999 off eBay for £40. It's a similar shape to a Bose WaveRadio and has twin cassette decks, one for recording, CD tray and 3.5mm aux port for hooking up iPods, smartphones etc. The tape heads swivel into place when you press play and I can see the magnetic erasing head is part of the main head, it's not a separate head so I guess it's electromagnetic, and definitely not a Tanashin! The sound is remarkably good especially for CDs, aux and the radio pickup is not too bad. The speakers are 10W RMS each and they have a bass port too. The LCD display is kind of similar to the the RX-D55 but wider, with more options and info. The only function not available on the unit is pre-setting FM stations, so I had to buy a cheap "RM Series" remote control which seems to work for most of the functions. Anyway, if someone is thinking about buying the RX-D55 I would definitely take a look at a second-hand RX-ED50. I'll do a review on it, probably won't be as good as one of yours, more like a ham sandwich.
The versatility of the compact cassette genuinely fascinates me. It made album length music portable and cheap enough to be shared with the masses... They truely were the "Spotify" of the 80s and early 90s.
I don't know Spotify. But, you can expand your time frame for cassettes. They were absolutely THE go-to format throughout the 1970s. Fact is, I was already onto cassettes in the late 1960s and totally sidestepped the 8-Track format. But, literally everybody with an ounce of sense was into cassettes in the 1970s.
Thanks Techmoan! I love old-school tech. Still have a beef with remote only controls, was very confusing back then, especially if you lost the remote and had to figure out how else to get the functionality.
You can use a Bluetooth cassette receiver adapter to gain Bluetooth functionality on this unit. A Bluetooth cassette receiver adapter is a device that allows you to add Bluetooth connectivity to any stereo system that has a cassette player or tape deck. This adapter enables you to wirelessly stream audio from your phone or computer or other Bluetooth-enabled devices to the radio's speakers, enhancing the audio connectivity and playback capabilities. These adapters are usually used in older cars. But, they are a viable solution in this case as well. The functionality of a Bluetooth cassette adapter is relatively straightforward. The adapter unit functions like a regular cassette tape, similar to the mixtapes popular in the 1980s. However, instead of containing magnetic tape with audio recordings, the cassette adapter contains a Bluetooth receiver. The Bluetooth receiver within the cassette adapter pairs with your Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a smartphone, allowing it to transmit the audio signal wirelessly. The cassette adapter serves as a "container" for the Bluetooth receiver, utilizing the cassette player as a medium for playing back the audio through your stereo system or boombox. To power the Bluetooth functionality, the cassette adapter needs to be either plugged in or charged. Most Bluetooth cassette adapters can be charged using a micro-USB cable, which can be charged from devices like USB wall chargers or laptops. Depending on the model, the adapter can provide approximately 6-10 hours of playback on a single charge. It's important to remember to charge the adapter regularly to ensure uninterrupted functionality. In terms of comparing Bluetooth and wired cassette adapters, it is generally recommended to consider a wired cassette adapter initially. While Bluetooth adapters offer wireless convenience, they can sometimes have connectivity issues, and you need to keep them powered or charged. Sound quality-wise, both options can provide good audio, but a quality wired adapter may have a slight edge. It's important to note that the overall output quality of any adapter, whether wired or wireless, is limited by the capabilities and quality of your stereo system. However, Bluetooth adapters may offer additional features such as audio playback control and call handling via an attached control dongle. To limit any noise coming from the Bluetooth Cassette adapter, open The plastic cassette casing and remove all wheels except the ones that the capstan and the pinch roller fit into. if you can do this,the noise should be gone.
The video matches my experience. If you need an all-in-one stereo and don't have the budget or space for a component system, the D55 will do the job. Keep the "virtualizer" on, but test which equalizer setting works best on which recording. On some music, it sounds better with no EQ at all. The tape deck is dreck for recording tapes, but it plays commercially recorded tapes fine (if the volume is 20 or less). The best solution for a flash memory USB stick: combine MP3s into one file (i.e. listen to albums beginning to end). It means fewer files to navigate on that inadequate screen. 17:00 - Don't use a 4cm long memory stick. Get a 2cm long device, it only sticks out a centimetre when plugged in, much less chance of hitting it. But beware that it gets very warm if you leave it in for a long time.
It is good to know that Panasonic raised the bar a little on the dismal state of current portable cassette recorder/players. I guess I'm getting too old, but I do not get the same joy making a streaming playlist as I did years ago making a mix tape that I felt would please me and blow away my friends. Making mix tapes was about the cleanest fun one could engage in.
Hello! Thanks to you Sir I bought the rx-d55 one. And I am more than happy to admit that I am pleased with my purchase. You’ve made my cassettes alive! Thank you!
Sharp GF 777 an absolute Beast !!!!! Please feature it in a video soon !!! Little red triple-cassette Panasonic you fixed up,was a lovely little machine !!
I have a big respect to Panasonic even over Sony because they do really care about the minimum requirement and the value for the money. They just can't go below a decent standard. (unless it's a lame imitation) :) Same happening LG vs Samsung nowadays. Besides I like the Orange backlight, I like less the USB power not working when other things are used at least they could have added a leaf-switch to switch USB on when a usb plug is inserted. and the fact that the line input is only activated via the RC... Good catch Matt!
@@donaloflynn from the last 15 yrs in every attempt of buying a TV set I ended up buying LG where I paid a little less and getting a little more of features, this tasted imho like the time when I had to compare similar worldband receivers. I might sound arrogant stating this as the ultimate truth... of course this imo and perhaps other markets (than southern spain) are having a different experience, even I spend some fun time on amazon assessing products,brands & customer experience. I'm curious if your experience is different.
USB is off probably as battery saving feature, even if not used 5V supply for it will waste some power. Device is 10 years old, they didn't know back then that we will have 1$ usb powered bluetooth receivers available.
This sounds like a decent bit of kit, esp for playing cassettes. The output of 2x 10 Watts RMS is impressive as is the two way speaker system on each stereo channel. No wonder it eats up batts with all that output. Hard to buy, but want one!
In Poland we would call boomboxes the "jamnik" = Dachshound. Guess why :) Thank you Matt for a superb video. Already very much looking forward to another one. You've sharpened my appetite with the "I'll show them in a future video" statement. Cheers!
I Will never stop using Audio Compact Cassette Tapes. One of the best invention for music and sound Reproduction. Recording Audio Compact Cassette Tapes separately on a Professional Studio Quality Tape Deck will make them sound LOUDER SHARPER RICHER and CLEANER than CD's. Tape is a longer lasting format as well, no reason to stop using tapes.
@@digitalrailroader Well, we still have major gaps for mobile phones as in no network at all, many areas have no 4G or even 3G as well. Internet via cable is often slow and still runs on copper wire. Oh, and mobile data is expensive, but prices started to drop about a year ago.
dies ist kein Name that pretty much sounds word for word the same for Internet in rural America; spotty cell service outside of large cities and towns, some people have to still use dial up Internet on copper phone line, and the people that are lucky to have broadband service in a rural area, pay upwards of $200USD for MAYBE 150 Mbps.
After seeing this video of yours, I got one of these little wonders (around 140 Euros with VAT), it's really nice. Got it in May 2021, now they are no longer available anywhere in my country (Romania), all gone, out of stock or no longer sold. I'm so glad I got it, actually right now I'm listening to a Malmsteen CD I got some 23 years ago. I use it also for cassettes that are more than 24 years old, used the USB port to play MP3s, all works nicely! I hope it lasts me for a long time, cause this one of those things I would like to use forever. So, late by a lot, but - Thank You for this review! 💯
I still have and use my old Panasonic RX-DS30. The sound is very good from this kind of boombox. I'm probably lucky, but the tape and CD still works after 3 decades ! One of the best purchase I ever made in my life considering that it still works 30 years later. I never had to repair it (yet), but if something would break, i'd surely consider to repair it. I've plug a Chromecast Audio in the AUX port and it sounds very good. I still love it!
I've started listening to cassettes again, mostly used to keep the price down. I've gotten nostalgic for physical and analogue music. The D55 plays them well.
Another fantastic video as usual. To most 2010 doesnt seem like a long time ago, but we sometimes forget that it was a decade ago. A bit like 1990 was to the year 2000, if you look at it in that context. Or 1990 compared to 1980. But that doesnt mean the products have got better (or worse) a lot of products tend to be made as cheap as possible as time goes on.
nice ,, I still run my old faithful Panasonic RX-DT5 as a sound source for my PC,, everything still working , including remote control amazing sound ,, first CD player I owned :) 10 HP2 cells lasted just over 6 hrs,, cost me 6 weeks wages,, lol
I remember my father spending a lot of money on a portable Sanyo in the 80s and it looked amazing, it was a M9998LU and I've just seen the price of them on ebay....
I just looked up that model it looks great, I bet it was a sure performer and was very pricey in its day. I had a Mitsubishi tx-86, nice but not as stylish as the unit you speak of.
I always use older electronics when I can, some of these modern stuff just isn't too reassuring But I do have to take care of them like an elderly person, can't just crank up the volume and stuff
discovered this channel recently. really am enjoying it! I am fascinated with lots of technology so its nice to hear of people talk about different designs that people take for granted. i am studying vHDL so each item is a fascinating piece of engineering.
@Techmoan *In the USA back in the 80s they were also definitely called "Ghettoblasters" too!* Just like everything else the term was deemed politically not correct so it was sanitized by the industry. Panasonic has always been strong when it comes to portable audio and radio for consumers. They were among the best when it came to easily available shortwave portables as well which often times performed almost as well as super expensive receivers from the top communications receiver brands back in the 60s-80s.
I'm still listening to the tapes but on the deck...they are still in good condition even after so many years and as I listen to them I remember the days when I was young ...im 48 now....those were beautiful times
I had a RX-DS45 and it was lovely. So solid and well over-engineered. Full remote control for everything, including all cassette functions, motorised volume knob! Sounded great. Not mega loud but never distorted - I reckon it’d hold up pretty well today. Might be just rose-tints!! 🌹
The noisy radio signal sounded like it was in stereo and would have benefited from switching the mono. Was the Sony in stereo, or had it automatically switched to mono?
And there was the Sharp 10P-35, which threw in a ten-inch black-and-white TV. Back in the day people didn't go to gyms, they got a complete workout just carrying their sounds around!
I always wanted one after seeing Mike D with one on MTV2 in the early 2000s. Unfortunately I've never had the disposable income to spend what they're going for and I've never got lucky enough to find one in the wild cheaply as some people have. One day though.
I'm 34 year old and still love cassete and CD's. My 98 Corvette still have the Cd changer and Cassete and I love it! Love the old boombox look, imagine an office full of old boombox, look so cool.
re: cassette tapes I have been watching you channel over these few months, and I enjoy it very much - no posting is ever long or boring - I always watch your postings until the every end. Thank you. Recently, I moved and in the unpacking I found about 3 boxes of old prerecorded cassette tapes bought in the 80's - just as they were getting rid of them because of CDs coming in. They were listen to but put away for safe keeping as they were US mixes that were different than the newer CDs. As I also did not have a good tape deck to play them on, I purchased a TASCAM CD-A580, that you reviewed. It did not play them properly, so I had the tape deck checked at the service center for TASCAM. They told me that they reset the deck to the original settings and returned it??? It was received unopened in a new condition from AMAZON - but I do not know the year it was made and packed. The tapes did not play as they should, still, so I began to think that maybe the problem was the tapes. They were kept in a dry, safe place. Can cassette tapes go bad by storing and not being played? Can they be fixed - or are they just gone? Since then I also found smaller tape players from the day and they seem to have the same problem playing them. I have tried to fast forward and rewinding them in small increments to ease the slack and maybe the tightness of the tape , but no luck. Hope that you can help. Thanks for your channel and everything you know and share. Stay safe and healthy.
I would love to see a video on the Sharp VZ-2000. It was huge, with a vertical record player on the front. I had one in the day until my college roommate knocked it off the shelf and ruined it. :-(
Every time I hear the music track at the end of these videos, I think of this channel. I mean if I hear it on a different channel, I still think of this channel. I am thinking of making a 10 hour MP3 of it for sleeping. This channel is my top #1 channel of music tech channels.
This brings back memories. When I was growing up, something like this was how I experienced music, period (Minus usb and mp3 functionality of course). If you had one with a CD player you were one lucky sob.
The weird part is that I have an easier time recognizing the youtube audio library tracks than the snippets of commercial songs that gets channels striked... I may be watching these channels a bit too mich.
Bought one a year ago based on this review. The cassette part is indeed surprisingly good. With a quality recorded cassette type 1 (and no azimuth difference) from an analogue source (I have a lot of FM recorded tapes but also vinyl) almost better then cds. Warmer sound. I converted a few cassettes to mp3 using laptop. Very nice results. Much better then these noname usb/cassette devices. If you do that make sure eq is set to off (no line out , you have to use the headphone output, NOTE:: this is mentioned in another comment) or the endresult will be too "boomy" even for a boombox😏. really good review btw . Thank you😉
![[#2024MAMA] ROSÉ (로제), Bruno Mars - APT. | Mnet 241122 방송](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/dgGqD28J6aQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I remember being a kid in the 80s and 90s and judging quality of tape decks solely via how soft opening the cassette door was :)
When I was young my parents took me to the brand new Media Play store that opened, and my dad showed me how to pick out a good stereo based on how hard it was to turn the volume knob, if the knobs had little LED lights in them, and how soft the tape deck door opened.
It was a valid gauge though
I remember my sister buying a Philips D8254 'ghetto blaster' in the early to mid 80s which had amongst other groovy features a beautifully smooth soft touch eject. The version she bought was a sort of burgundy colour.
I think she's still got it and it still works to this day actually!
Nice action. Quality action
'Dampening', was the in-word when cassette decks where the in-thing.
The people who say “tapes are rubbish” and “no one wants to play tapes anymore” don’t really get this channel, do they.
I can never understand people who post comments like that. Yes, objectively, and for many, subjectively, tapes sound horrendous compared to modern technology, but that's not the point.
Tangent: I was born in 1995 into a low-income working-class family. I never really saw the vast majority of the cool technology Mat collects, displays, trials and explains. My only real memories of cassettes are:
-The audiobooks I used to borrow from the library.
-Cassettes used in French and German language classes
-Aux to cassette adaptor tape my father used in the car.
-My father's personal collection of cassettes and vinyl.
As such, I don't really have the nostalgia associated nor the issue of having media that is only available on tape.
When I look back at my childhood, mostly, it was CDs, DVDs, VHS. In late primary and early secondary, I changed over to digital (MP3 etc.) thanks to my friend... ummm... Mr Sleep Mix *ahem*. Following that, I transitioned to Spotify in 2010. My first CD, Offspring's Conspiracy of One, I bought from Woolworths in February 2001 with my birthday money. This was to go with a personal cd player my parents gave me for said birthday.
Sailing onward, past that, possibly, unneeded ramble. My point is, I do not watch this channel for nostalgia. I watch Mat and support him on Patreon because I find old technology fascinating and enjoy watching how excited and interested he is in the products he demonstrates. Learning how past developers of technology worked around the limitations of their time and discovering what technology was like when my parents were my age is absolutely thrilling. I also get to see some of the incredibly handy features old tech had that could still be useful in modern applications. That is if they weren't ignored because they are seen as old OR have just been plain forgotten about.
For me, watching Mat is like having a personal guided tour around The Museum of Technology Past and Present. Comments like "tapes r bad" and "gr0w ⬆️ old mannnn iz twenty20 we has streems now" just reek to me of the desperate need for attention and insatiable desire to always have to comment or Moan about Tech.
lol No doubt!
Josh Giles lol you were born in 1995 and know what a Woolworth’s is?? WOW. Where do you live, in some tiny town in the Midwest or the south? No offense, but those are like the only regions that kept old chains that disappeared everywhere else. We lost our last one in Portland around, like, 1989. But that was a cool store, with their old-fashioned soda fountain counters.
Josh Giles And a good cassette deck sounds great; most people wouldn’t know it’s a cassette if they didn’t know on a good deck. They certainly sound better than modern, compressed, shitty digital streams from Spotify, etc lol.
Pretty sad that the old Red Book format (CDs’ 16-Bit, 44.1 KHz) sounds better than most modern formats because it’s an uncompressed bitstream. I say that because early on, CDs sounded like shit because the players usually had shitty converters and early CDs were replicated from CD masters that were just copies off the analog masters which were mastered for LPs or, if you’re lucky, cassette and they didn’t spend any time remastering them for digital. So they always sounded shrill and harsh to me, vs something mastered properly for CDs. Plus it was startlingly accurate at the same time, so analog sounded warmer because analog typically _wasn’t_ terribly accurate, and we were used to that.
Anyway. Cassettes sound great on a decent deck :) Whether compared to “modern technology” or not, and probably sounds better if comparing to streaming. Most younger people don’t know what music is supposed to sound like, what most people’s home stereos _could_ sound like. Especially with one of those giant Kenwood receivers and massive speakers. Those things sound so much better than nearly any modern home stereo unless you spend a good deal of money.
I have over 600 cassettes, many of which are private recordings, and unique. There is no way that I'll be digitising them all in a hurry; cassettes will last for many decades if played on decent deck, and stored properly. They're far more durable than many writable CD's. Some in my collection date back to the 1960's, and they still sound perfectly acceptable when played.
Sure they never were truly 'Hi-Fi', but they're a good sight better sound quality than many of the so-called 'near CD quality' MP3 recordings that can be bought and downloaded today. The dynamic range is better, and the noise levels and distortion can be lower than MP3 files. They can also be better than FM radio, and the best cassettes certainly are better sound fidelity than DAB radio.
It's common to hear people saying that cassettes are rubbish, and then they listen happily to 128kHz MP3 or AAC music on their tiny plastic earphones.
My mother has been using one of these for about 7 years now as the easiest possible way for audio playback in her bedroom. Granted, she only listens to her old cassette library from the 70s onwards once in a while, but she uses CD audio books for bringing herself to sleep every night. She can even be considered a heavy user of the USB functionality since that's where i store all of those ripped CDs instead of burning the MP3s to a disc. (One of her favorites is a complete collection of all Columbo episodes that i just dubbed the audio tracks from... :) ) The boombox itself hasn't let her down ever since, the only real downside being a somewhat clunky menu navigation for large MP3 collections, which is mostly due to the small display. Apart from that, the Panasonic has been the first somewhat usable and quality feeling all-in-one audio device for us since the mid 90s...
@noo dles We have been using the Panasonic for about 7 years now, but it's the first time since the mid 90s that we actually got a good boombox. In the meantime, we have owned several of them, and the only one that's still working is a Sony CFD-5100L which sadly doesn't offer neither MP3 nor USB support.
@noo dles You need a lesson in reading comprehension.
I don't quite get the hate some of this stuff gets. Some people still love tapes, some people still love cds, some like restoring old players. I just enjoy watching these videos and find them interesting. Just let people enjoy what they enjoy, nobody gains anything from being negative all the time and trying to force that negativity on others.
LAAAAAAME!!! :P ;)
Right said 👍
3:57 That’s great because Indonesia was one of the last places to use cassettes in the world. I own a copy Minutes To Midnight by Linkin Park on cassette that I imported from Indonesia, which released in 2007. Also Death Magnetic by Metallica and Circus by Britney Spears were released on cassette in Indonesia and those albums both released in 2008
I have a hard time wrapping my head around the fact that, a design from 2010, now counts as coming from the good old days. Wasn't the year 2000 supposed to be the far off future? How did it happen?
Time?
Simple. You got old. Congratulations, it's better than the alternative. I'm just glad I don't have to work with modem init strings anymore.
Let's party like it's 1999
Lay off the luudes, they eat your time.
@@fooboomoo yeah, I suspected that.
I'm getting baffled by the amount of modern devices that need extra batteries just to remember things.
I2C interface is almost 40 years old and I2C EEPROMs have been available at least since the 90's, PIC16C84 microcontroller with built-in EEPROM was released in 1993, what would be the excuse for not designing in some pennies worth of nonvolatile memory just to avoid batteries?
My tecsun radio has EEPROM for station presets, and also could keep time for a good 30 minutes on a supercap to facilitate replacing dead batteries.
TVs had EEPROMs in them ever since digital tuning was a thing.
It's a combination of corporate greed and the oligopolies in today's huge internationalized markets. Things are made for the lowest common denominator to minimize production costs. If most people don't care enough to complain or not buy it over a missing feature, it's not going to have it -- pennies saved per unit can add up to thousands of dollars in extra revenue when you're manufacturing en masse. There's not enough competition for people to have any real choice; we have to take what we can get at the price they demand, or gamble on cheap import junk that almost always even worse.
@Pet your cats They still have a 2032 today. Like every other computer. But what´s the problem? A CR2032 should last at least 10 years or so.
Automobiles made before digital displays never forget their radio preset stations.
An EEPROM doesn't stop the passage of time. Whether a piece of electronics remembers the precise time when it was shut off or not is useless if it hasn't been counting up the time since, hence AAs for this and CR2032s in laptops.
Remember the good old days when cars and everything else had dial clocks or flip clocks? If you're car battery died or the power went out at your house, you just looked at your wristwatch to reset the clock. You could even call a phone number to get the current time. I guess you could use your cell phone for that, oh, wait...
Tapes are massive in underground music right now. So finding a tape player is something a lot of people are doing.
I like this guy. He actually reads AND explains the instruction manual or the papers of a product unlike other people who just discards the manual just because its easy to use, therefore not utilizing or having the proper knowledge of the product they are buying. Patience pays. Ima gonna start watching more of this guy's video about this one. A fellow collector of old tech too.
I'm 19, and I adore cassettes as a format, so I'm always glad to hear of a cassette-playing boombox for me to purchase. Currently, I've got a portable player by Jensen that's got me through at least the past year or so.
Same here I'm 17, but I been always interested in this technology. I got now a 20 year old simple boombox from Sony, it lasts for sure but if it will die one day I'll buy this Panasonic one
I’m 18 and I grew up with cassettes and VHS, still love the formats and am building a HiFi setup to play my old tapes again
@Sixto ReWired well.. tapes are kinda LoFi tho.. but yeah I find mechanized soft control tapedecks interesting because you can hear them moving heads and stuff. It's trully great when people go extra step to make them more convenient to use and make them seem less outdated. i would love to see a deck that closes the door too, by pressing eject button, much like cd tray
You should buy an old refurbished deck, it looks cooler and sounds better
Just reached my 20s and received my first Walkman (TCM-450) a few weeks ago. Had also bought a new model Sony boombox (CFD-S70) with a cassette player earlier this year. Hope to get older model Walkmans and a true cassette deck in the hopefully not far too distant future
As new follower of this channel I want to say it's absolutely brilliant. I've always loved technology (born in 70) so I can relate to a lot of stuff. Keep up the excellent work 👍🏻
All the older videos are still relevant. Lots to enjoy.
It’s pretty sad that “not junk” is the 2020 standard of what’s acceptable in a boom box.
I went to Best Buy today and I saw an ION Boombox with an AM/FM radio, cassette recorder, USB and SD slot for playing MP3’s, and a Bluetooth device to stream your music. I’m not going to get it, because I have enough devices including my recent one, is a Superscope Storyteller kiddie cassette player where I can use a Bluetooth cassette adapter for playing music from other devices, and it works.
Amen
I like Panasonic because their old boombox, I think that you will still bet something decen from the good brand like Panasonic and Sony. They dont cheap their product to the hell, they still hold a bit of pride ... I think. I will never buy ION nor Crossley things. Panasonic has bee doing boomboxes from mid 70. Crossley is not the old well known brand and ION does not even got a clue on what thing should be sound like
@@Musicradio77Network I think your best bet anymore is to look in the thrift stores and find an 80s or 90s Aiwa or Sony mini system that's not been too mistreated. Then connect a BT adapter or similar to it. Love the USB and MP3 support on modern devices, but usually the audio is total crap compared to these old units.
Many old boomboxes were bad too, it's just the format (although with modern technology they _could_ sound great).
Nothing wrong with cassettes...a properly recorded cassette on decent equipment sounds superb.
They eventually wear out ... like vinil. Twist plot, I have late 60 recordings from my Grand Aunt making to 0db NOW in 2020. Good luck with CDs !!!!!!
Nothin wrong with them, but nothing great about them either. Its just nostalgia.
problem is that 'decent equipment' costs an arm and a leg... for something that costs over $100 this should have recorded better than it did... or maybe im just used to cd/dvd burners only costing about $40 for a new one...
@@mephitusincognito7918
Buy second hand and it does not. Look out for deals online and in some audiophile magazines as some readers sell their used gear in those, you will be gobsmacked on how cheep some people sell really experience gear for. Think outside of the box and your save yourself a ton of money.
@@huleyn135 I would argue that they do have something great about them, that is, if you're willing to look at things away from a strictly audio perspective.
So what's so great you ask? They're fun. Even without the lens of nostalgia, it's an enjoyable experience to have a tangible thing in your hand that represents your music. Having to rewind, fast forward, and witch to side B makes listening to music a more engaging experience. Plus you get to watch the reels spin witch is always mesmerizing.
Well, I just received mine from the delivery man. I have to say, upon first listen to the CD and tape, I'm pretty happy with this thing. Not a super-loud box, but clean and that makes up for a lot. Doing a bit of recording. I recorded a song onto a very cheap "bargain bin" Type I and while not overwhelming, the box did a credible job. Then I recorded onto a Korean-manufactured Memorex "clown cassette". Again, not the greatest sound in the world, but if this had been my only music machine in 1995, and I recorded a CD borrowed from a friend, I would have been good with it. Overall, happy with the purchase at this point.
Thank you for this suggestion. I bought one from amazon germany and I am very pleased with the build quality and sound. It feels like a piece of my childhood again!
So the sound quality is good how about the bass?
I love the fact you can record cds to tape, since my horseless carriage only has cassette tape player I love it
Back in the day I'd take one of those tapes which has a wire coming from it with a headphone jack on the end to plug in to a portable CD player.. I'm sure they might still be around.
@@ollieb9875 i got one of them. came with a car cd player discman from the 90's i bought before changing to a cd deck in my truck in high school.
@@RayRayP2001 discman yeah! I couldn't remember the name but that sounds like the Badger. Very useful! With a double tape deck it was also possible to record from cd to the disc man tape adapter and make mix tapes that way too 😀
@@ollieb9875 I use that I hook my phone up to it
Actually the lowest writing on the box in hungarian saying "magnó" means magnetophon, is the term for a casette player.
By the way, in Finnish the traditional colloquial term for a boombox is "mankka", short for "magnetofoni". :)
In polish it's "magnetofon" too. I think words like magnetofon, magnetophon etc. are present in a bunch of languages.
havent seen another hungarian in a long time on youtube
That's awesome. Considering "phono" means "sound", "Magnetic Sound" is just the perfect name for a tape deck.
But the English text makes no mention of the cassette player. Did it somehow get lost in the translation? And why the cover over the cassette buttons?
I really enjoyed the ramble at the end. More of those please.
In Sweden we call them "Bergssprängare", which means "Rock Blaster" (as in stone).
Doesn't berg mean mountain? Like blasting through mountains with TNT?
@@JoeOG True, same word actually. A rock can also be "klippa".
@@Algabatz I'm learning Swedish. I've noticed many words have multiple meanings haha.
@@JoeOG Actually, berg only means 'mountain' not 'rock' so you are more correct than Tony is. Odd language to want to learn unless youi either move there or have a swedish girlfriend or something. I don't live there anymore since a long time but I was born and raised there. Not my favourite country, last time I visited was 2003.
My mum bought a Panasonic boom box for us to listen to CDs in the car (that didn't have a CD player built in) back in the 90s. We were homeless for a couple of months, so we lived out of the car, and needless to say it was a hassle to run that thing of so many C cell batteries. Mum needed her music for relaxation, and I can distinctly remember the sound being so crystal clear. Enya was her artist of choice :)
Panasonic is one of the most trustworthy brands I know. You get a toothbrush, a tv, a cassette deck, a flippin’eck phone pbx and you’ll be sure that thing will last 20 years at least
My microwave lasted forever!!!! Finally dies a few weeks ago, for another Panasonic. Sad the new one is Chinese made not Japanese though
Now all products are made in China, everything is garbage, nothing lasts this long anymore
@@Dan_07 I have a panasonic Micro/Convection combo gets used a few times a day and still going strong, its around 25 years old, only thing is lightbulb has blown and I never have bothered replacing that.
Same with our panasonic vacuum lol
I have National microwave purchased back in 1999. Still going strong till today although it having yellowish discoloration on door and front panel
I love how your "cheese on toast" video is still 36 minutes long.
I didn't get to see that one. Probably one of his videos that I never come across yet.
@@christophermcmichael880 Nor I, and I've been binging on these things.
@@christophermcmichael880 This one. It had the cheese sandwich logo in the beginning and it is thirty-six minutes long.
36 thumbs up. Perfect.
I wonder was this intended to be one (I think he actually calls them a 'cheese sandwich' video) or did he just reuse the opening from a previous video and forget to remove the symbol? This video doesn't feel like the previous ones.
For those who say no one listens to tape anymore, I own a 1979 F100 with the orginal radio, because I want to keep my truck as stock as possible, I listen to tapes. Also, tapes are still being made. I can currently buy Eminem's "Music to be murdered by" (2020) on cassette for $15 and play it in my truck.
I also have an old boombox in my tool shed that I use when working on my truck, or other vehicles.
I'd wire a bt modul. This can be done by leaving pretty much everything about the radio stock.. still preserving the truck as stock as possible, without limiting yourself only to tapes. It's very small and can be easily hidden it the cable nest, or even inside the radio itself
The radio in my car is really complicated to replace (even more than most), and the cassette deck is the only thing on that radio that still fully works. The AM/FM radio is going out, and the CD player doesn’t work at all anymore.
I'm big into Vaporwave and Synthwave, and most of those artists release their albums on cassette, so I have quite the collection of modern cassette albums. So people are definitely still playing tapes.
My mother has been searching for a somewhat competent cassette player for ages, and I think you just helped me find her one.
C cell rechargeable tend to be overpriced and often have the same capacity as AA cells (they are just an A cell in a larger case). By far you are better off buying C cell adaptors that you can fit 2x AA rechargables in, you'll get more runtime and it's usually much cheaper.
At that point it'd be wiser to make a 12V li-ion battery pack (with a proper bms).
The additional mass of C cells usually improves the sound quality of the device wrt the bass response.
I bought a charger with 4 Rechargeable C batteries for 30$ on Amazon...The PALO Charger....I am using them with my Cosmic Combat Electronic Game....they are 4000 MiAmp...A Duracell Charger and rechargeable batteries costs a similar amount....It was 30$ Canadian on Amazon.ca....
@@circattle Really? I'd be very skeptical about that without hearing a demonstration. Surely what the speakers are capable of is the only determining factor?
Dónal O'Flynn Well if you think about it, you’ve got a plastic box with a decent size cavity in it. 8 x C cells is a large space. Not only are you filling that and preventing resonance, you’re also adding the mass of 8 C cells to the device itself. It’s not a huge leap in sound quality, but it does add a little more bass authority and improves mid bass colouration.
"Sandwich" video. 36 minutes! I don't believe your "low effort" icon at all :D
“Thanks, Phil” made me lose it
TunedinTraveller the look on his face was priceless!
Those were rather touchy buttons, weren't they? Seemingly not at all like a tact switch... but, maybe it does have tact switches, and he just happens to cradle the device with enough force. I like my buttons to have some resistance, and I especially don't like the membrane switches (hate them).
I remember as a nipper in 1968, being enthralled at the school's very first Philips portable cassette tape recorder! It was the most amazing and wondrous thing I'd ever seen. Music (etc) in a tiny plastic box, no threading up, turns over in an instant - Brilliant.
Kids today, don't even know they're born!
I use tapes (almost) daily since I was about 4 years old. I'm 35 now. Never stopped using, never stopped recording (and occasionally fixing machines).
29:54 my school had one of these (not the same model, it had needle meters, but close). Damn did I want one of these!
Techmoan, LGR and 8bit Guy are the only channels worthy of turning off the adblocker before watching their videos. Oh and Cody's Lab.
It depends on what you're interested in, how about RMC , Adrians Digital Basement, Nostalgia Nerd or Dan Wood?
A new Techmoan video means dropping everything to see this
😂💖
I like the ejectable cd tray. Very nice. And that left right track is my absolute jam. I remember when that first came out people went crazy.
3:39 Whoa Mat I'm impressed, you really nailed the French, with the accent and everything! Bravo!
I was born in the 90s and this is so nostalgic of my childhood in the early 2000s except for the USB that’s such a classy touch LOL
uh? I was born in the '70s and used CD's since early 90's? Tape was a dead format in the 2000's... I started with MP3 late '90's lol.
@@noth606 The early 2000s was a time when a sizable amount of people were still using the supposedly dead format to record audio as one normally would in the 80s and 90s, which is by means of live recording (of radio, CD dubbing, audio through mic, etc.) as opposed to burning mp3 files onto a CD-R disc using a computer optical drive which is a totally different animal.
It's really sad that the quality of any product really has been going downhill last couple of years. The fact that you have to buy a 2010 vintage product to avoid the contemporary chinese turds is shocking to be honest.
Not really, sadly in this time business simply wants something to ship out that satisfies the "definition" of functional, but reflects cost cuts and oversimplification. It's all retro now. The best quality devices like this have to be either rebuilt, rebelted, or completely restored and since those skills are rapidly dying out if one would rather consider one expensive restore device rather than a cheap China box every year.
Companies build stuff because it will make them money not because they want to build the best. Companies only build the best to out do the competition and so get your money. No real competition then no real reason for companies to spend money on building the best something. If there was a high enough demand for a good tape deck in companies would make one and it would play chrome and metal tapes and sound better than most if not all tape decks from the past but there is no money to be made out of making tape decks anymore hence why there are no good tape decks today. Nothing to do with quality of products getting made today as I have a Naim Mu-so which was built only a few years ago and it's a super well made product.
@@MrStephen182 My tape deck is an ADS Atelier imported by ADS (Analog Digital Systems) of Massachusetts and made by Braun in Germany with a Denon front loading cassette mechanism. It's from 1978 and with the exception of 2 rebeltings and a minor head azimuth adjustment, is the finest deck I've ever owned. All metal, minimal plastic and it even sounds as good as my old Akai GX 3 head. But these were phenomenal decks when competition was widespread. So while I do agree some modern devices are well built you pay for that quality. Naim is high end and of course you would expect that. But try to find it now. It's rare because this is becoming niche. Try finding a good, lower priced turntable for example. Not easy to find and even Audio Technica isn't cheap.
"It's Not Completely Terrible!"
...welp...I'm sold. I'll take two!
Seeing some of the new crappy boomboxes these days really make me wish I'd held on to my old JVC Kaboom RV-B550BU-RD. That thing was rock solid!
I had an Aimor box that was killer. Had a phono preamp in it, good stereo condenser mics, and the best shortwave radio receiver I've ever seen, with dual rabbit ear antennae. Missing it so much lately.
Hitachi 3D Super Woofer for the win
I miss my old RV-DP100 that kaboom box was loud AF, 52 watts and took 10 D batteries
oh man i had one of those things too. it was amazing. i pawned it off in my 20s and wish i wouldn't have.
@@pyeltd.5457 not the first gen model. you're confusing it with later models. the first gen kaboom was quite probably the single best boom box ever made by anyone.
I'm 42 years old and grew up in rural america. I have always called them Boom Boxes, even growing up.
Just got mine a week ago, I'm pretty impressed by the quality, sound and features.
I only trust RUclipsrs who use Eric B. & Rakim - Follow The Leader to test their gear.
Thanks, now I'm on a Eric B. & Rakim + Gangstarr binge.
Again...
I trust only people who test their gear with playing Rick Astley - Never Gonna Give You Up
I only trust RUclipsrs who use Doug E. Fresh - The Show to test their gear..
I only trust RUclipsrs who use Sugar Bear - ‘Don’t Scandalize Mine’ to test their gear.
Amen to that!
Would love to see you do a video on the 80's boombox you showed a picture of.
Sharp GF 777. The dream boombox for everyone and used by everyone in alternative music back then, from LL Cool J and Run DMC to The Replacements and Dee Dee Ramone.
Indonesian manufacture is pretty good these days and trusted by some big brands. Fender guitars make very high quality budget guitars under the squire brand there.
Please check Polytron XL2910BA boombox youtube reviews (you can search using youtube search), it is still available new for around $80, I am sure it has a better sound than the panasonic.
I just bought a Panasonic RX-ED50, circa 1999 off eBay for £40. It's a similar shape to a Bose WaveRadio and has twin cassette decks, one for recording, CD tray and 3.5mm aux port for hooking up iPods, smartphones etc. The tape heads swivel into place when you press play and I can see the magnetic erasing head is part of the main head, it's not a separate head so I guess it's electromagnetic, and definitely not a Tanashin!
The sound is remarkably good especially for CDs, aux and the radio pickup is not too bad. The speakers are 10W RMS each and they have a bass port too. The LCD display is kind of similar to the the RX-D55 but wider, with more options and info. The only function not available on the unit is pre-setting FM stations, so I had to buy a cheap "RM Series" remote control which seems to work for most of the functions.
Anyway, if someone is thinking about buying the RX-D55 I would definitely take a look at a second-hand RX-ED50. I'll do a review on it, probably won't be as good as one of yours, more like a ham sandwich.
The versatility of the compact cassette genuinely fascinates me. It made album length music portable and cheap enough to be shared with the masses... They truely were the "Spotify" of the 80s and early 90s.
I don't know Spotify. But, you can expand your time frame for cassettes. They were absolutely THE go-to format throughout the 1970s. Fact is, I was already onto cassettes in the late 1960s and totally sidestepped the 8-Track format. But, literally everybody with an ounce of sense was into cassettes in the 1970s.
Thanks Techmoan! I love old-school tech. Still have a beef with remote only controls, was very confusing back then, especially if you lost the remote and had to figure out how else to get the functionality.
One of my newer 4K camcorders has no physical buttons apart from Record, and zoom, all on the touchscreen, so buggered if that goes!
The one and only car I’ve ever owned was a 73 mini clubman and I miss it dearly.
Turns on radio by mistake and Techmoan’s twin plays “You Can’t Hurry Love”. lol
You can use a Bluetooth cassette receiver adapter to gain Bluetooth functionality on this unit. A Bluetooth cassette receiver adapter is a device that allows you to add Bluetooth connectivity to any stereo system that has a cassette player or tape deck. This adapter enables you to wirelessly stream audio from your phone or computer or other Bluetooth-enabled devices to the radio's speakers, enhancing the audio connectivity and playback capabilities. These adapters are usually used in older cars. But, they are a viable solution in this case as well.
The functionality of a Bluetooth cassette adapter is relatively straightforward. The adapter unit functions like a regular cassette tape, similar to the mixtapes popular in the 1980s. However, instead of containing magnetic tape with audio recordings, the cassette adapter contains a Bluetooth receiver.
The Bluetooth receiver within the cassette adapter pairs with your Bluetooth-enabled device, such as a smartphone, allowing it to transmit the audio signal wirelessly. The cassette adapter serves as a "container" for the Bluetooth receiver, utilizing the cassette player as a medium for playing back the audio through your stereo system or boombox.
To power the Bluetooth functionality, the cassette adapter needs to be either plugged in or charged. Most Bluetooth cassette adapters can be charged using a micro-USB cable, which can be charged from devices like USB wall chargers or laptops. Depending on the model, the adapter can provide approximately 6-10 hours of playback on a single charge. It's important to remember to charge the adapter regularly to ensure uninterrupted functionality.
In terms of comparing Bluetooth and wired cassette adapters, it is generally recommended to consider a wired cassette adapter initially. While Bluetooth adapters offer wireless convenience, they can sometimes have connectivity issues, and you need to keep them powered or charged. Sound quality-wise, both options can provide good audio, but a quality wired adapter may have a slight edge. It's important to note that the overall output quality of any adapter, whether wired or wireless, is limited by the capabilities and quality of your stereo system. However, Bluetooth adapters may offer additional features such as audio playback control and call handling via an attached control dongle. To limit any noise coming from the Bluetooth Cassette adapter, open The plastic cassette casing and remove all wheels except the ones that the capstan and the pinch roller fit into. if you can do this,the noise should be gone.
The video matches my experience. If you need an all-in-one stereo and don't have the budget or space for a component system, the D55 will do the job. Keep the "virtualizer" on, but test which equalizer setting works best on which recording. On some music, it sounds better with no EQ at all. The tape deck is dreck for recording tapes, but it plays commercially recorded tapes fine (if the volume is 20 or less). The best solution for a flash memory USB stick: combine MP3s into one file (i.e. listen to albums beginning to end). It means fewer files to navigate on that inadequate screen.
17:00 - Don't use a 4cm long memory stick. Get a 2cm long device, it only sticks out a centimetre when plugged in, much less chance of hitting it. But beware that it gets very warm if you leave it in for a long time.
It is good to know that Panasonic raised the bar a little on the dismal state of current portable cassette recorder/players. I guess I'm getting too old, but I do not get the same joy making a streaming playlist as I did years ago making a mix tape that I felt would please me and blow away my friends. Making mix tapes was about the cleanest fun one could engage in.
In Estonian we call it "handle".
Because this kind of devices have always carrying handle.
I like that.
I've had friends call it a "draagbare" which is dutch for "portable".
Reminds me of the German colloquial term for a mobile (cell) phone, a handy.
That's what we call 1.75L bottles of liquor
@@tim3172 ah yes, of course. That's using a different handle.
@@FroggyMosh We estonians actually don't use english word "handle" but estonian "sang". Which means carrying handle.
Finally a machine I can transfer my music from usb .mp3 to that up and coming cassette format. Future proof, baby
Hello! Thanks to you Sir I bought the rx-d55 one. And I am more than happy to admit that I am pleased with my purchase. You’ve made my cassettes alive! Thank you!
Sharp GF 777 an absolute Beast !!!!!
Please feature it in a video soon !!!
Little red triple-cassette Panasonic you fixed up,was a lovely little machine !!
I have a big respect to Panasonic even over Sony because they do really care about the minimum requirement and the value for the money. They just can't go below a decent standard. (unless it's a lame imitation) :) Same happening LG vs Samsung nowadays.
Besides I like the Orange backlight, I like less the USB power not working when other things are used at least they could have added a leaf-switch to switch USB on when a usb plug is inserted. and the fact that the line input is only activated via the RC... Good catch Matt!
Just to be clear, are you saying that LG keep things to a higher minimum standard than Samsung?
@@donaloflynn from the last 15 yrs in every attempt of buying a TV set I ended up buying LG where I paid a little less and getting a little more of features, this tasted imho like the time when I had to compare similar worldband receivers. I might sound arrogant stating this as the ultimate truth... of course this imo and perhaps other markets (than southern spain) are having a different experience, even I spend some fun time on amazon assessing products,brands & customer experience. I'm curious if your experience is different.
@@hadireg I don't have any experience to speak of, it's been a long time since I bought a new TV. Thanks for the insight.
USB is off probably as battery saving feature, even if not used 5V supply for it will waste some power. Device is 10 years old, they didn't know back then that we will have 1$ usb powered bluetooth receivers available.
@@gorjy9610 Good point indeed!
This sounds like a decent bit of kit, esp for playing cassettes. The output of 2x 10 Watts RMS is impressive as is the two way speaker system on each stereo channel. No wonder it eats up batts with all that output.
Hard to buy, but want one!
I'm absolutely not interested in "Boomboxes" in the least but watching your videos (regardless of topic) is so relaxing. Bliss. :-)
Me too!
In Poland we would call boomboxes the "jamnik" = Dachshound. Guess why :)
Thank you Matt for a superb video. Already very much looking forward to another one. You've sharpened my appetite with the "I'll show them in a future video" statement. Cheers!
I Will never stop using Audio Compact Cassette Tapes. One of the best invention for music and sound Reproduction. Recording Audio Compact Cassette Tapes separately on a Professional Studio Quality Tape Deck will make them sound LOUDER SHARPER RICHER and CLEANER than CD's. Tape is a longer lasting format as well, no reason to stop using tapes.
A new 36 minute Techmoan video.. What a pleasant thing to wake up to.
I can’t wait for your museum to open!
Thanks for the ‘addressing common comments’ section. I couldn’t agree more! ;o)
They sell it still here in Germany because our internet is to slow for spotify :D
Und, zu teuer...
I’ve heard some horror stories about Deutsche Telekom from family that was stationed in southwest Germany a few years ago.
@@digitalrailroader Well, we still have major gaps for mobile phones as in no network at all, many areas have no 4G or even 3G as well.
Internet via cable is often slow and still runs on copper wire.
Oh, and mobile data is expensive, but prices started to drop about a year ago.
dies ist kein Name that pretty much sounds word for word the same for Internet in rural America; spotty cell service outside of large cities and towns, some people have to still use dial up Internet on copper phone line, and the people that are lucky to have broadband service in a rural area, pay upwards of $200USD for MAYBE 150 Mbps.
@@digitalrailroader That's not only in rural areas though.
After seeing this video of yours, I got one of these little wonders (around 140 Euros with VAT), it's really nice. Got it in May 2021, now they are no longer available anywhere in my country (Romania), all gone, out of stock or no longer sold.
I'm so glad I got it, actually right now I'm listening to a Malmsteen CD I got some 23 years ago.
I use it also for cassettes that are more than 24 years old, used the USB port to play MP3s, all works nicely! I hope it lasts me for a long time, cause this one of those things I would like to use forever.
So, late by a lot, but - Thank You for this review!
💯
I still have and use my old Panasonic RX-DS30. The sound is very good from this kind of boombox. I'm probably lucky, but the tape and CD still works after 3 decades ! One of the best purchase I ever made in my life considering that it still works 30 years later. I never had to repair it (yet), but if something would break, i'd surely consider to repair it. I've plug a Chromecast Audio in the AUX port and it sounds very good. I still love it!
"Nobody wants to play tapes anymore" I love my tapes and listen to them just as much as I listen to my CDs, records and spotify
Spotify is good ... source, to get some new music on your tapes
I've started listening to cassettes again, mostly used to keep the price down. I've gotten nostalgic for physical and analogue music. The D55 plays them well.
Nothing can replicate the growl of cassette music, it's still good stuff today.
Tape > anything else (except hi bitrate streaming)
tape crushes CD
Another fantastic video as usual. To most 2010 doesnt seem like a long time ago, but we sometimes forget that it was a decade ago. A bit like 1990 was to the year 2000, if you look at it in that context. Or 1990 compared to 1980. But that doesnt mean the products have got better (or worse) a lot of products tend to be made as cheap as possible as time goes on.
10:14 I don't think there's any delay. I think it's hitting some kind of spring or cushion that bounces it back a bit.
I just bought this one from B&H based on your recommendation. Thank you! I've saved a lot of money not buying crappy cassette players.
nice ,, I still run my old faithful Panasonic RX-DT5 as a sound source for my PC,, everything still working , including remote control
amazing sound ,, first CD player I owned :) 10 HP2 cells lasted just over 6 hrs,, cost me 6 weeks wages,, lol
I remember my father spending a lot of money on a portable Sanyo in the 80s and it looked amazing, it was a M9998LU and I've just seen the price of them on ebay....
Sanyo made some great products.
I just looked up that model it looks great, I bet it was a sure performer and was very pricey in its day. I had a Mitsubishi tx-86, nice but not as stylish as the unit you speak of.
There's a refurbished one on ebay for 1400€ :'D
@@kylosalvesen The sanyo unit?
@@steviebboy69 yeah; tinyurl.com/y4sgtztk
Thank you, I was actually on the fence about buying this boom box
I always use older electronics when I can, some of these modern stuff just isn't too reassuring
But I do have to take care of them like an elderly person, can't just crank up the volume and stuff
I really love your content, ultra fine quality. You really hit the important details
discovered this channel recently. really am enjoying it! I am fascinated with lots of technology so its nice to hear of people talk about different designs that people take for granted. i am studying vHDL so each item is a fascinating piece of engineering.
lol at the right left test tape
Nice to see how track names on MP3 CD's work.
Digging the beard, dude!!
@Techmoan
*In the USA back in the 80s they were also definitely called "Ghettoblasters" too!*
Just like everything else the term was deemed politically not correct so it was sanitized by the industry.
Panasonic has always been strong when it comes to portable audio and radio for consumers. They were among the best when it came to easily available shortwave portables as well which often times performed almost as well as super expensive receivers from the top communications receiver brands back in the 60s-80s.
I'm still listening to the tapes but on the deck...they are still in good condition even after so many years and as I listen to them I remember the days when I was young ...im 48 now....those were beautiful times
I had a RX-DS45 and it was lovely. So solid and well over-engineered. Full remote control for everything, including all cassette functions, motorised volume knob! Sounded great. Not mega loud but never distorted - I reckon it’d hold up pretty well today. Might be just rose-tints!! 🌹
29:55 I most definitely want to see the review for that boombox. Look at that monster. It bet it takes 12 D-Cell batteries.
It took 10 D batteries bro, It's the Sharp GF-777 People say it's the Holy Grail of boomboxes of the time 1984.
It wants the D
The noisy radio signal sounded like it was in stereo and would have benefited from switching the mono. Was the Sony in stereo, or had it automatically switched to mono?
29:56 Thats a Sharp GF 777! The mac daddy of all boomboxes.
And there was the Sharp 10P-35, which threw in a ten-inch black-and-white TV. Back in the day people didn't go to gyms, they got a complete workout just carrying their sounds around!
I always wanted one after seeing Mike D with one on MTV2 in the early 2000s. Unfortunately I've never had the disposable income to spend what they're going for and I've never got lucky enough to find one in the wild cheaply as some people have. One day though.
@@thisisnev I had the Emerson xlc-450 as a kid it was pretty heavy to me at the time 20lbs lol
I'm 34 year old and still love cassete and CD's. My 98 Corvette still have the Cd changer and Cassete and I love it!
Love the old boombox look, imagine an office full of old boombox, look so cool.
re: cassette tapes
I have been watching you channel over these few months, and I enjoy it very much - no posting is ever long or boring - I always watch your postings until the every end. Thank you.
Recently, I moved and in the unpacking I found about 3 boxes of old prerecorded cassette tapes bought in the 80's - just as they were getting rid of them because of CDs coming in. They were listen to but put away for safe keeping as they were US mixes that were different than the newer CDs.
As I also did not have a good tape deck to play them on, I purchased a TASCAM CD-A580, that you reviewed. It did not play them properly, so I had the tape deck checked at the service center for TASCAM. They told me that they reset the deck to the original settings and returned it??? It was received unopened in a new condition from AMAZON - but I do not know the year it was made and packed. The tapes did not play as they should, still, so I began to think that maybe the problem was the tapes. They were kept in a dry, safe place.
Can cassette tapes go bad by storing and not being played?
Can they be fixed - or are they just gone?
Since then I also found smaller tape players from the day and they seem to have the same problem playing them. I have tried to fast forward and rewinding them in small increments to ease the slack and maybe the tightness of the tape , but no luck.
Hope that you can help. Thanks for your channel and everything you know and share. Stay safe and healthy.
22:20 Greetings, and welcome, to a Teachmoan thing.
Oh yes where is the wood grain ? 😆
A hand did reach in as well, but it didn't do the gesture.
Don't forget that warm charismatic tone in the voice. Hmmmmm. Yeeeeehh.
What-I missed an *LGR* reference in the video?
I would love to see a video on the Sharp VZ-2000. It was huge, with a vertical record player on the front. I had one in the day until my college roommate knocked it off the shelf and ruined it. :-(
I read the title in Jeremy Clarkson's voice: "The last half-decent cassette boombox...
...
...in the world."
I felt that.
That's the joke
I am sure that is the intention.
Every time I hear the music track at the end of these videos, I think of this channel.
I mean if I hear it on a different channel, I still think of this channel.
I am thinking of making a 10 hour MP3 of it for sleeping.
This channel is my top #1 channel of music tech channels.
This brings back memories. When I was growing up, something like this was how I experienced music, period (Minus usb and mp3 functionality of course). If you had one with a CD player you were one lucky sob.
"We used to call cars horseless carriages"
lol How old are you Techmoan? 😉
5.
he looks pretty old for his age, I know
No, *we* didn't :-)
maybe he meant the society in general long long ago
As a Royal Enfield Bullet owner here I appreciated the reference :)
I bet he watches Forgotten Weapons
You'd lose that bet, I'm not familiar with that one.
@@beetooex A Royal Enfield Bullet is a motorcycle.
I thought he was making a firearms reference too... The Indian military used the Enfield in .303 long after the UK gave it up.
@@TWX1138 well I feel bloody stupid
The weird part is that I have an easier time recognizing the youtube audio library tracks than the snippets of commercial songs that gets channels striked...
I may be watching these channels a bit too mich.
Congrats, Mat on ONE MILLION subscribers!!
I'm definetely considering buying one of these.
Do it you won't regret it
Did only I read "in the world" in Jeremy Clarkson's voice ?
No.
You can't hurry love, no you just have to wait.
29:55 Techmoan is Lloyd Dobler in “Say Anything...” 😄
2:45 that box is so 90s it is amazing. love that two tone aesthetic
right left right left right left
I love that too, and it's also much cheaper to print
Bought one a year ago based on this review.
The cassette part is indeed surprisingly good. With a quality recorded cassette type 1 (and no azimuth difference) from an analogue source (I have a lot of FM recorded tapes but also vinyl) almost better then cds. Warmer sound.
I converted a few cassettes to mp3 using laptop. Very nice results. Much better then these noname usb/cassette devices. If you do that make sure eq is set to off (no line out , you have to use the headphone output, NOTE:: this is mentioned in another comment) or the endresult will be too "boomy" even for a boombox😏. really good review btw . Thank you😉