Incorporating TV audio into personal stereos was a short-lived fad in which I, too became caught up. Not until I spotted this Pioneer system up for sale in Japan did I realize the fad reached boomboxes, too. This SK-80 also uses some funky dials, rather than the traditional switches for mode selection.
What do you get when you mix Breakin’, Flashdance, Lorenzo Lamas, a troupe of awful actors and a 20 foot boombox? Well, you’ve got yourself the finest piece of cinematography of all time, the film that swept the ’84 Oscars, Body Rock.
Anyone who’s owned one of these magnificant systems will admit to the curse of the near-instantaneous consumption of batteries. Energizer naturally used a boombox to poise itself as the battery brand of choice for these systems. We were ecstatic to find this commercial lodged between late night movies on an old VHS tape. While we can’t determine the make or model on this system, it’s easy to see that boomboxes had reached mass appeal in 1983 when they wind up as the center of attention in a little girl’s slumber party.
The second boombox we spotted in the classic film Wild Style. This one apparently allowed the DJ to pre-amplify his wheels of steel in the concluding concert scene. The ghettoblaster pictured is a 1981 Panasonic RX-5030–the little LED meter is pulsating to the riff from Chic’s Good Times.
While inundating the US with microprocessors in 1982, Hitachi was strutting it stuff in the boombox scene with the likes of this TRK-8290. This system was equipped with Dolby noise reduction, 4 1/2″ woofers, and a cue and review tape system. Yours for $200 in 1982, 10 “D” batteries not included.
Our friend Rick is another boombox collector (yeah, there are a few of us out there!) from New Hampshire. He provided a picture of this pristine RX-5090, laden with chrome. Of all of the ghettoblasters we’ve played with, Pansonic is one of the best in terms of sound quality and durability. This particular model offers sharp metal switches, and a multi-segment LED sound/vu meter. Want a Panasonic radio of your own? Maybe you’ll find one here!
Paul in New Jersey is a long time ghettoblaster fan, recalling the 1981 JVC Quintet commercials on TV as advertised by the Harlem Globertrotters! He provides this impressive Akai multi-band monster from that same era. This one oddly has its controls and tuner section on the bottom. Sadly, Akai stuff seemed to have disappear from US shelves as the ’80s endured.
Worth mentioning is the fact that many ghettoblasters reached the US from not-so-well-known east Asian manufacturers. They’re responsible for producing some of the largest, clunkiest, chromiest and most lovable systems ever to clutter our street corners and fill our ears with irritating sound. Conion, Prosonic, Helix and Orion are a few names that come to mind. Canada received its share of imports too, and Candle was a popular name in affordable systems up North. Take a look at this one!
Thanks, Paul in NJ for providing us this nice Zenith! We’re not sure, but we’re guessing this was manufactured in Asia as Zenith moved its manufacturing operations to cheaper locations in the ’80s. Dig the 7-segment LEDs, one strip for each channel!.
Wow, this stretches the boombox size limit, literally! Sweet Pioneer with quad speakers and slide-control graphic equalizer! LEDs up top illuminate to indicate function, and there are twin analog meters up on the left. What are those tiny switches above the well door? Those are logic controls for the tape system! We should congratulate Rick in New Hampshire for keeping this in such nice shape.
