The ‘King of Boomboxes’.
A little bit later than planned - here’s my (long) look at a classic Boombox - the RC-M90.
To get myself back on track, if there are no issues I may make this video live on youtube on Sunday.
To make up for any reduced window of patreon exclusivity, since I’ve still got everything set up for the to-camera sections I’ve recorded for this video, I’ll try to get right on and shoot a new Patreon update next.
Take it easy and have a good week.
UPDATE: I’m adding a few seconds to the video to better explain the difference between the mic controls on the Japanese and US model as I can see I didn’t do a good job first time. As a result I’ve disabled the comments over on youtube.
UPDATE 2: The new version has now uploaded but currently only available in 1080p - the updated section starts at 09:10 https://youtu.be/MTq4-fHFSk8 - when UHD has processed, I'll swap this for the embedded one.
UPDATE 3: The UHD re-up has processed and since a good proportion of comments on the original video were relating to the section I'd reworded - I've decided to kill the original and embed the new one instead.
Comments (77)
Have you ever considered laying down an alternate sound-track using the tracks you'd like to have played if it hadn't been for YT content-matching, and render a separate video for your patrons only? Just a thought..
Great video Matt.. As always, interesting and informative... You don't disappoint. While I'm sure it would mortify a true collector, I think if I had one of these I'd install LEDs to illuminate the dial and VU meters. I updated the VU meters in an old tape-deck recently by painting the needles with nail varnish which glows brightly under UV light and installed a couple of 405nm leds in each meter - hardly affects the face of the meter but makes the needles very noticeable...
This is the first video that f yours I have actively avoided watching because I KNEW if I watched it I'd have to own one and I just can't lol. Thanks for the great videos, man!
Late to this party and just watched this today ... did I hear correctly? The lack of a dial light left you fiddling with your knob in the dark?
My high school graduation present in 1981 was an Hitachi boom box, an excellent unit. I used it to transfer all my records to tape. My next graduation present in 2008 (PhD) was a 6th gen iPod, at which point I transferred my abundant CD collection to mp3. The boom box got stolen, but I still have the iPod.
COOL!!
I miss the comedy. 😟
"Fiddling with your knob in the Dark" ... a spiritual successor to Karl Pilkington's "Knob at night".
I wonder if you are considering tracking down Radio Raheem's Promax Super Jumbo boombox. I would assume that unit is at least as iconic as the JVC.
I’ve got a big dislike for the Jingle Truck poor quality Hong Kong market stall tat like that.
Really enjoyed that video on many levels. Really sparked nostalgia for discovering hip hop in the mid 80s, growing up not too far from Techmoan. Wish I’d kept my tapes in better order, although I still have off air recordings from a Manchester radio station that broadcast hip hop for a whole one hour per week! Which is incredible given how mainstream it was to become.
Stu Allen - Key 103?
Excellent video as usual. There was a boombox on the cover of 'Duck Rock' by Malcolm McLaren; it was stylised, and I have no idea what it was but not this one I don't think. I recall it looked like it had 'bumper bars' on it - but these could have been added.
Again an awesome video, Best overview I've seen of this unit ever. interesting point about the cost of the unit compared to modern versions and justifying it back in the day. Phones and such gadgets are crazy expensive and only getting more (for no real recent innovation/features) so unlike the past where other electronics typically have become cheaper. I have 3 80's Boomboxes (Ghetto blasters) in the store, I really must get them out and restore them. Two are nice retro looking rectangular units, and one is a smaller square National "Ambience Stereo"
I think the difference between the boomboxes of the 80s and something like mobiles is the cost for the boombox is on quality components, where I think we are paying a great deal for the technology on a mobile - for example, the new iPhone uses 5nm technology, has three cameras with multiple lenses, is waterproof, scratch-resistant, dust-proof, has an amazing HDR screen, great sound... when you look at them, they really are quite astonishing tech. £1000 for one really isn't that much when you think about what you are getting.
Excellent as always, Mat - with a true LOL gag in the middle. :-) A good start to a Saturday morning.
I know, right?
What a neat machine, thanks for sharing it! It could be you on the ladder of Radio Hier. ;-)
I just hope he hasn’t left any Kirkland batteries in them.
As a long time member of Stereo2Go I think that the M90 prices are mainly down to the looks. A significant proportion of members have the same opinion of "Eggs" as people had about the Ford Sierra when it came out. Look at https://www.redbubble.com/i/poster/HYUNDAI-STELLAR-by-ThrowbackMotors/32207501.LVTDI to see what I mean. A Stereo2Go member who has had just about every box made including a couple of M90s has recently got a JDM only Panasonic Rx-DT9 and reckons it sounds better than any 1980s box. Styling wise though it is a large black egg http://www.stereo2go.com/forums/threads/my-thoughts-about-boomboxes.142/page-2 Regarding prices I was working out the equivalent price today of the M90s predecessor the RC-838 and got $1260. The original reason I joined Stereo2Go was to point out that in 1980 when I boiught the bottom of the range Sony CFS-45L boombox it cost 1/6th of the price of my new Honda motorbike. Boxes like the M90 were the Samsung Galaxy Fold of their time. Of course back in the early 1980s no one was spending money on a mobile phone, laptop, or gaming PC.
That last point you make is very important. Many people wouldn’t think twice of carrying around getting on for £/$ 2K worth of things nowadays. It must be close to that if you have a top of the range iPhone, Airpods Pro and a Apple Watch on your person.
I was looking forward to this one and you sure didn't disappoint. I love the design story that boomboxes tell. I have a sort of proto-boombox from the 1970s in which the tape mech is inside one of the two speakers and it's connected to the other with a hinge. They can be pulled apart completely for better stereo separation or closed up and latched into a briefcase-looking configuration for carrying around. Cool...but once the market hit upon the "one wide solid block, speaker at each end, tape mech in the middle" design, that was it. It certainly exposed all of the working controls and surfaces to abuse and damage, but it's the design that "fit" how consumers wanted to use these things. Not to mention that the design showed off all of the stuff your radio had.
I’ve got a Learjet 8-Track portable that fits together like that. In comparison to plonking down your boombox and pressing play it’s like putting up a tent each time you want to use it. It seems Bill Lear never considered the possibility of B-Boys wanting to play one on the move while carrying it around on a shoulder - seems rather short sighted of him.
I'm having a Friday night pizza-and-YouTube marathon and couldn't help noticing that you and the guys at Bad Obsession Motorsports seem to be in sync this week. Two knob gags (they're wrapping up a car racing series by polishing the helmet) plus you've got a terrific example of applied CAD technology (what they call "Cardboard-Aided Design").
I wish the pizza would last as long as the youtube videos. I finish like 3 slices halfway through a video and I'm done haha.
I love these boom boxes. I bought an M70 about 6 months ago and have gotten as far as replacing one of the belts but I'm having the toughest time ever putting it back together properly.
It really didn’t look easy getting to those belts - so I sympathise with your predicament.
wow sex drugs and rock and roll all in tonight’s techmoan!
Nice one Mat! Hey... The beard is looking good. It Really suits you!
"Fiddling around with your knob in the dark" sounds like a fun thing to do ;-)
I notice it's the same stylised METAL logo on the JVC we had in the 80s and 90s. I guess only JVC used it? Ours was this, and very heavy it was too. The speakers detached. I'd love another one, I was very fond of it. https://i.paste.pics/AONA2.png
I've never really thought about who used that Metal logo - I wonder if it appears elsewhere.
JVC RC838 FTW! Sold these wholesale in NYC in the late 70s. In NYC they were the king then.
Would you say €20K was a good price? ;-) https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JVC-RC-838W-biphonic-boombox-ghettoblaster-vintage/274361018802
Great video, once again. Perhaps the microphone function (using it simultaneously with radio or tape) is meant as a karaoke function? It is a Japanese machine, so it wouldn’t surprise me if that’s what it is meant to do: singing along, or even using karaoke tapes?
I've gone into this function in more detail in the updated version - the new section starts at 09:10 https://youtu.be/MTq4-fHFSk8 - when UHD has processed, I'll swap this for the embedded one.
Hey Mat, good video as always - looking around ebay, found this you may be interested in: item 114497476419
I've bought a wired remote for this from Japan - ETA 2021. It looks in pretty good nick.
ngl I was getting a little worried about you for a while there, Mat. Then I remembered you mentioning something about taking a short break. Unless I misremembered that last part... Great to see you're back anyways.
Bills to pay. I can die when I'm dead.
I really enjoy these “longer” videos. I like it when you give yourself the extra time to give a very well rounded look at something- I.e. the culture around its creation. Secondary uses, entertainment references and the like. Very enjoyable video. Yes... I would Love one of those boxes.
Thanks for that - I like taking my time. Unfortunately many of the youtube comments I see are 'you talk too much' and 'get to the point'. It's best to block them from the channel. If they can't adequately operate their own computer, I'll help from my end.
On the back panel, what are those connectors that aren't RCA? They look 3.5mm sized (ish), but I thought I heard Mat refer to them as speaker outs? Also, love the beard. Has a strong "Mirror Universe" vibe.
They are speaker outputs, not too sure of the configuration of the connector. In the UK version these have a different type of speaker connector - you can see those here: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JVC-RC-M90LB-PORTABLE-STEREO-RADIO-CASSETTE-RECORDER-GHETTO-BLASTER/323776850984
Re the LL Cool J Settings, maybe the difference between the record controls might be for two different microphones? One for voice, one for guitar or some other input?
The new version explains it better - https://youtu.be/MTq4-fHFSk8 jump to 09:10 I'm waiting for the 4K to process before replacing the video.
21:09 "You're left fiddling around with your knob in the dark" :-)) ROFL... Just in the process of fixing a FERGUSON 3T19 which is actually a JVC Radio Cassette Recorder and the build quality is similar to the RC-M90, just not as sophisticated or pretty.
I was just about to make the same comment about the "knob" statement.
I was almost surprised to see actual tweeters in there. They really don't make them like they used to
I was curious if the tape specs still held up since you do have that wow and flutter tester...
They don’t - I think I was getting 0.1 or something, but I noticed the speed was too high and rather than attract a load of complaints about me not noticing this - I removed the section. I’ll have to open it back up again when I can find the time and alter the speed. It’s not really fair expecting a 40 year old device to remain in spec through - the fact it still works at all is good enough for me.
I think the only real modern alternative to these (considering speaker size, volume, and richness of the sound) are the big Bluetooth boomboxes. Like the JBL Boombox or the AIWA EXOS-9. I haven't heard any of those in person, but I think those should sound good for their size. But of course there's no tape or tuner.
I am interested in how some of the Bumpboxx models perform. Google them - they’re interesting.
Between the "Ventilation Sluts" and the "Fiddling around with your knob in the dark", this video has no hope of monetization. ;)
Wowser, just went to buy a can of deoxit D5 after seeing it in the video. Those amazon prices surprised me so I'm gonna hold off for a while - add some affiliate links when you up to it to YT
Yes De-oxit is a rip off in the UK - you can use any old contact cleaner though and get good results.
Cheers Mat, enjoyed that one. As an old-person myself ( 50 in Jan ) I enjoy seeing items 'in the flesh' that I may not have been able to see / have back in the day. Your videos inspired me to rig up a separates system in my office/workshop/den and I'm re-enjoying loads of old cassettes. Currently rocking a new Marantz Pm5005, with a Technics RS-B665 ( replaced the RS-B405 which is still working and i may sell ) along with a Sony CDP-CX355 and a new OceanDigital WR10. Actually look forward to paperwork time. So I thank you for that :o) Stay well
That sounds like a nice set-up. I like those little Marantz amps.
Could the extra dial be related to karaoke somehow? I think karaoke was/is popular in Japan, and singing over your tape or radio seems like a baby version of that idea.
This is why I’m in the process of a re-edit, this section has caused a bit of a sticking point due to me not explaining it properly. The re-edit should rectify that.
The inside of this thing really showed the attention to detail that's missing in a lot of today's products. All the individual subassemblies spaced out and properly connectorized, no shoddy soldering jobs and hot-snot all over the place. As you mention though... this thing wasn't cheap. Back in the day if this broke you'd probably try to get it fixed and this definitely looks like it had repairability in mind.
It wasn't long ago that most things got fixed. A friend lives in what is now a £500000 bungalow paid for by fixing TVs etc in his garage (he did have the training to do so). In the 1990s a colleague was delighted when he fixed her Aiwa Midi Hi-Fi for £80. The alternative would have been to buy a new one for £250. Nowadays the same Hi_Fi would be £25 in a charity shop.
Maybe if they did a music quiz so you could talk over it whilst the music is playing my though
What is the difference between line in/out and phono in/out? I assume both are lower strength signals than speaker output and need amplification, but is one much stronger than the other? Wikipedia entries did not penetrate my thick skull, so maybe someone else can explain it better.
Line- in can take a CD or Cassette player - but most record players don’t output a line level signal as they don’t have a built in phono pre-amp or phono stage to bring the level of the output up to line level. A phono stage also deals with the RIAA equalisation. A record player without a built in pre-amp outputs audio that needs boosting and equalising - the phono stage in the M90 will do this (if the switch is set to the right position).
Still have my GE 3-6035 boom box from 1984. Excellent sound. First tape played, 1984 by Van Halen.
They just don't make them like they used to. Thank you for bring us such a classic Mat........ playing with your knobs in the dark HAHA.
That middle knob that brings in the radio is labeled "Wireless Mic/Radio". Maybe they sold a wireless mic that broadcasts on FM?
I got that translation too - but didn’t really know if it was accurate. Seems like it must have been.
Little known fact, the J in LL Cool J actually stands for JVC. Little known because I made it up, but relevant all the same.
Ha. I'm not sure Ladies Love Cool JVC would have had quite the same cache.
“Left fiddling with your knob in the dark” Cheeky! As always.. great video!
Reminded me of the bone phone video edit! 😂
Hey Mat, havent watched yet and im sure its awesome. Just wanted to say though that, if you could include a image of a famous rapper with the boombox in the thumbnail, I think it will really help with the clicks!
Photos like that would belong to someone - photographers (or the companies that acquired their work) are extremely litigious, better to steer clear of that kind of thing. But the good news is that I’ve never seen a good picture of anyone famous with one of these.
Oh awesome, always love a good bit of boom box! And take it easy right back at you, we certainly are living in interesting times.
Look forward to watching it and take it easy with what going on in the world