Angelo's Toshiba SW Boombox Review

Delivered yesterday, a recent E-Bay win---a Toshiba shortwave boombox.

 

I can't report on its shortwave performance yet, as I've had it at my office and have only used it during the day.  AM tuning is good and sound is good---though the radio must be rotated to improve reception on some AM signals.  It's a long footprint to spin on its axis---more than a bit inconvenient for a big radio. 

 

On FM, it has "large and in charge" stereo sound and again, good tuning.  The whip antenna is able to pull in stations loud and clear.  I will update my review once I've had a chance to give shortwave a spin.  I am encouraged that it has a "fine tuning" knob.  Speaker sound is big and strong, with an option for "Wide Stereo" instead of mere stereo.  Whatever.

 

For the record, the cassette deck seems to be working, though I didn't have a cassette to actually try it out.  Seller claims it works on play but he couldn't test "record" without a microphone.

 

As for the physical radio itself:  I'd rate its quality as close to the same league as Sony and Panasonic, and that's a good thing.  It's reasonable quality plastic for the 1980's, the ubiquitous silver/gray finish.  The chrome look toggle switches and knobs are plastic, not metal----but good quality.  The handle is a rubberized plastic and heavy duty.     

 

A word on boomboxes:  There are actually collectors out there.  Check out Google to see this first hand----but yes, boomboxes are loved by some as we love our radios.  Even though I wouldn't trade my vintage portable shortwave radios for boomboxes, it's easy to understand the appeal.  1960's/70's radios are from my childhood.  Collecting them is like recreating life somehow, or at least reaching back in time and feeling transported back to when I was young.  So for someone 10-15 years younger than me, my Panasonic RF-3000 is like an antique to them---sort of like old tube radios are to me---interesting, but hard to relate to directly.  Conversly, a vintage boombox is something they remember from when they were 8-9 years old---something they are comfortable with.  Also, the great manufacturers all got in on the boombox craze.  You can find good German brands as well as Sony, Panasonic, Marantz, Toshiba, Hitachi, Sanyo, Sharp, General Electric, Sears, Radio Shack----off brands like Yorx and Lasonic----surprisingly, even our old friend Candle made boomboxes.  And many of the manufacturers had an amazing array of models in all sizes.

Over time, I think they might rise in value.  Right now, there are an abundance of good ones available, but we know that this will change as they break down, wear out, etc.  

 

Comments

[Mike W]

In the early 90's, I started getting the itch for better AM reception and stumbled upon a Toshiba boom box that my brother had stored away before moving to Thailand.

Since it also had SW, I tried tuning around, found the BBC, and was bit by the SW bug for almost a decade.

[herculodge]

I like "large and in charge," one of my favorite phrases in the radiophile world that I have stumbled upon and captures what I am looking for in a radio, which means vintage since today's radios do not have that quality. I will subsequently "use" this phrase, or steal or whatever. Thank you.

[S Patrick]

Good review Angelo. I had probably one of the largest ones they ever made back in the early 80s a JVC. Use the cassette, turn up the bass, and get ready to replace 6 or 8 D sized batteries every hour or two. I think a car with the headlights on used less power. But back then, it was all about the power.

Miss that radio. Lot's of boombox's for sale at the local Flea Market here.

[Angelo]

Yes, I got "E-Bay Fever" and jumped for this boombox (I've been looking for a Toshiba radio with shortwave---and decided to add a boombox to my radio collection.). But I SHOULD HAVE gone to thrift stores in my area, where there are dozens of boomboxes available. It would have cost me less than half as much. But then again, I think Toshibas are harder to find.