What's wrong with the GPO Brooklyn Boombox?

Рет қаралды 600,216

Күн бұрын

I'm finally taking a good long look at the GPO Boombox. Is it really worth £250?
My modern-day boombox recommendation remains the Panasonic RX-D50
Here are some AFFILIATED Amazon Links to the RX-D50.
UK amzn.to/3uVfuZ2
GERMANY amzn.to/3jq9ySd
FRANCE amzn.to/32qeLCw
SPAIN amzn.to/3gx4olu
Note - There are no US or CAN links as it's not listed on Amazon in these territories.
CHAPTERS
00:00 Start
01:40 GPO?
03:29 Box anomalies
04:18 Here it is
07:09 RADIO
09:34 Call this a tape counter?
10:49 TAPE
12:21 Flashy lights
12:57 CD
16:12 TAPE RECORDING TEST
17:00 MP3
18:07 BLUETOOTH
18:19 AUX IN
18:51 Wow & Flutter Tests
19:54 Unexpected distortion
22:00 Frequency Response
22:35 What’s inside?
25:06 Summing it up
27:33 Alternative 1
29:12 Alternative 2
31:02 What about old ones?
33:09 Credits
Some of my other reviews of NEW BOOMBOXES
Panasonic RX-D55 • REVIEW: Panasonic RX-D...
Philips AZB-798T • The Philips Bumbox tha...
Sony CFD-S70 & CDF-S401 • Sony's New Cassette Bo...
-------------- SUBSCRIBE -----------------
kzfaq.info?...
------------ Merchandise ----------------
teespring.com/stores/techmoan...
------------ SUPPORT --------------
This channel can be supported through Patreon
/ techmoan
******Patrons usually have early access to videos******
--------- Outro Music ----------
Over Time - Vibe Tracks • Over Time - Vibe Track...
----- Outro Sound Effect -----
ThatSFXGuy - • Six Million Dollar man...
----- AFFILIATED LINKS/ADVERTISING NOTICE ------
All links are Affiliated where possible.
When you click on links to various merchants posted here and make a purchase, this can result in me earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network & Amazon.
I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to AMAZON Sites (including, but not limited to Amazon US/UK/DE/ES/FR/NL/IT/CAN)
FAQ
Q) Why are there comments from a week ago when this video has just gone live today?
A) Patrons usually have early access to videos. I'll show the first version of a video on Patreon and often the feedback I get results in a video going through further revisions to improve it. e.g. Fix audio issues, clarify points, add extra footage or cut extraneous things out. The video that goes live on youtube is the final version.
PFAQ (Predicted FAQ)
Q) Why is there a picture of a cheese sandwich on screen at the beginning?
A) A cheese sandwich indicates that this is a basic video with no frills (like a cheese sandwich is usually a basic sandwich).

Пікірлер: 2 500

@rangerkasdorf4476 3 жыл бұрын

Gotta love that “counter”. It’s like the people who designed this didn’t know why one would want a counter on a tapedeck and just thought people liked watching a number go up while listening to music.

@HebaruSan 3 жыл бұрын

Or while the music is paused, or rewinding ...

@roberte2945 3 жыл бұрын

It's like aliens designed this thing. It has all the features you'd expect but they're just _off_ somehow.

@80s_Boombox_Collector 3 жыл бұрын

What do you expect from China. They think their customers are idiots, so they spec products to those expectations unless you demand otherwise.

@MrTaxiRob 3 жыл бұрын

@@80s_Boombox_Collector well, SOMEONE is buying them, not sure who or why. Do you have any idea where they all end up?

@80s_Boombox_Collector 3 жыл бұрын

@@MrTaxiRob If I had to guess, I'd say probably 50% Americans, 40% Brits, 10% EU

@startedtech 3 жыл бұрын

8:40 "Why do the Belgians have a greater love of mussels than the British" Absolutely riveting.

@benholroyd5221 3 жыл бұрын

There's one job I worked, where R4 was the default. It is simultaneously extremely relaxing and the world's longest running troll.

@matsamuel5655 3 жыл бұрын

Jean Claude Van Damme : The Mussels From Brussels

@vooveks 3 жыл бұрын

@@benholroyd5221 You should be grateful, though. The places I’ve worked it’s usually Capital or Kiss FM. You’d be begging for the sweet relief of boring Radio 4 after a few minutes of that, let alone all day, I can assure you.

@WorldCupWillie 3 жыл бұрын

@@vooveks especially as they rotate the same 5 or 6 songs all day.

@hoilst265 3 жыл бұрын

@@matsamuel5655 Is he 6'4"?

@Epinardscaramel 3 жыл бұрын

They got their quote for next box: “It’s not quality, but at least it’s stereo” -Techmoan

@almighty1984 3 жыл бұрын

Lmao

@puckcat22679 3 жыл бұрын

Oh, they'll do what every other shameless company does: "... quality... it's stereo" --Techmoan

@amnril 3 жыл бұрын

@@puckcat22679 or shorten it more to ‘Quality Stereo’

@micheal65536 3 жыл бұрын

"The tweeters are real and they are connected."

@StormcloudLive 3 жыл бұрын

13:28 you know it's been 1,166,832,000 seconds in my life and I finally find a CD player that tracks time like I do, just had to wait 808 seconds into this 2,039 second long youtube video,.

@moonshiner2977 3 жыл бұрын

lol, yes, even the domestic reel to reel tape recorders counter often only related to the amount of times the take up reel turned and not actual time. Very accurate counters are only really needed for editing or for professional use. But my oh my if you try to sell a recorder with a dodgy belt expect all hell to be let loose :)

@captainsergeant 3 жыл бұрын

"Who wants to play cassette tapes anymore?" I recently came across several tapes that were stashed away in my deceased father's possessions. Many of them contained the Christmas music I heard around the house as child, and it was great to hear those tapes again.

@JC20XX 3 жыл бұрын

Digitize those when you have a chance

@whatwedointheshadows3349 3 жыл бұрын

I listen to tapes all the time.

@juicyfruit6311 3 жыл бұрын

We found some old tapes that had recordings of my grandfather interacting with us back in the 1980s. We converted the tapes to digital to preserve them. But, we sometimes play the tapes as we feel closer to him because we were listening to HIS tapes.

@siliconinsect 3 жыл бұрын

Still use them daily in my 1995 Camry

@jimmartin7881 3 жыл бұрын

I've got thousands of cassettes, almost as many as I have records. I know I have a problem but I don't care, lol.

@insanebase8883 3 жыл бұрын

Oh, you didn't even buy the 1000 Dollar Yves Saint Laurent special edition. (I am not kidding, there is a mega expensive YSL version of this.)

@Techmoan 3 жыл бұрын

Flippin eck.

@Damien_N 3 жыл бұрын

Good grief I thought you were joking. The only apparent difference is the colour of plastic used. What a horrendous money spinner

@DavidDatura 3 жыл бұрын

WTF! 🤯

@gummboote 3 жыл бұрын

Made of 90% stainless steel and 10% calfskin leather, apparently.

@WELLINGTON20 3 жыл бұрын

We actually think they only specialise in making junk, We’re very mistaken

@adamgh0 3 жыл бұрын

3:12 I love the "add to trolley" instead of "add to cart." It makes me feel like my order comes with hot buttered toast with Marmite.

@brpadington 3 жыл бұрын

This is why thrift stores are better for tape decks. I found an old Technics tape deck that had never been used. The tape counter actually works too.

@dcflake5645 3 жыл бұрын

Techmoan going into the history of the general post office is the most british thing I'll experience today.

@Blitterbug 3 жыл бұрын

You mean English! I'm not sure our other regions would feel it's particularly Welsh, Irish or Scottish - but perhaps I'm wrong...

@Casey-Jones 3 жыл бұрын

@@Blitterbug The GPO served all of Britain - you're 100% wrong

@gwishart 3 жыл бұрын

I was quite disappointed that "GPO Brooklyn" wasn't a Massachusetts based spin off the General Post Office.

@bjwoodruff 3 жыл бұрын

lol It is but I think Techmoan is Welsh so i would be careful ;-)

@80srenaissance67 3 жыл бұрын

Yep..you won't hear much positivity about being English or British anywhere else in Communist Britain

@FerHivore 3 жыл бұрын

Been looking for a premium stopwatch. Might give this a go.

@NicodemusT 3 жыл бұрын

Only premium stop watches work.

@tjw9128 3 жыл бұрын

lol thats funny

@mhoppy6639 2 жыл бұрын

😂 you’re right there. I do love a premium stopwatch or a premium bum box^ as a previous video indicates. ^see Philips boom box review also by Mat.

@getoffamylan6844 2 жыл бұрын

Unlike most other so-called "premium" stopwatches, you can read this one from across the room.

@wal 3 жыл бұрын

So many of these Alibaba, generic Chinese audio devices out there. Too bad quality is a thing of the past for these devices. The retro styling is interesting and the included speakers are almost impressive (big magnets). As usual, very thorough review...great job!

@KarldorisLambley 3 жыл бұрын

@@WesTheHunter that's a bit harsh. Shit piece of audio kit is shit, i think you may be overly sensitive to go from that to 'that's why I hate life', unless of course Life is the name of a product that represents all you loathe about shit audio stuff. Perhaps Life have a reputation for making things which have hardly at all useful features that ostensibly appear like a different probably more useful thing. Like cars that appear to offer a handy display which tells the user how much fuel they have remaining, yet the display is actually a pollen count meter.

@MetalTrabant 3 жыл бұрын

We need Japan and Korea to start assemble stuff again, not just design them. They've made the quality things back in the past with rigorous quality control.

@rickoshay8317 3 жыл бұрын

@williston audio labs Big D Wiz in the house!!

@MrPaukann 3 жыл бұрын

@@MetalTrabant, Chinese can make quality stuff too, it just won't cost 100 dollars.

@Three_Random_Words 3 жыл бұрын

Love to hate China. So many issues to pick from.

@rubberonasphalt 3 жыл бұрын

I think a boombox that actually does what this one says it does would sell quite well. I'm getting nostalgic for original 80's/90's electronics, but it's hard to find one in good condition

@adriansdigitalbasement 3 жыл бұрын

Awesome thorough review. I'm shocked they wanted £250 for that thing! Even at £100, that feels like too much. I really felt like you were more positive about the GPO Brooklyn than it actually deserved! I would have been much more harsh :-)

@Agri458 3 жыл бұрын

How is yours from 4 days ago? And if it is patron please tell me what it is.

@6581punk 3 жыл бұрын

@@Agri458 Patreon. Go to the site and search for Techmoan. Then you can sign up to support his channel with a monthly fee, you then get early access to videos etc.

@matejmatej3554 3 жыл бұрын

50€ maximum not a cent more

@vooveks 3 жыл бұрын

You can buy some of the best Bluetooth speakers available for that price. What a joke.

@Agri458 3 жыл бұрын

@@6581punk oh ok thanks that helped! Might go sign up now!

@freesaxon6835 3 жыл бұрын

Let's face it Matt you were so diplomatic reviewing this you should work for the U.N. So I will say it for you " this is a pile of plasticly crappy overpriced trash"

@mervynstent1578 3 жыл бұрын

Made out of coal to add more landfill for the environment

@genekwagmyrsingh9433 3 жыл бұрын

8:08 I'm old enough that it's still neat that it can display the channel name.

@andreib302 3 жыл бұрын

“The thing can’t even hear properly” at 21:45 really cracked me up

@naota3k 3 жыл бұрын

That "tape counter" is hilarious. It's like the designer had seen something incrementing numbers on an old deck at his gran's house, so decided to implement it without understanding what it was/how it works.

@marcusdamberger 3 жыл бұрын

The other problem for the 'designer' is that there is no existing tape deck mechanism on the market with a tape counter option built in. It seems all the Tanashin tape transport mechanisms are the same, and none have a counter. Its too bad all the tooling for any decent kind of tape transport is probably long gone, thrown in the dumpster along with any designs and drawings locked up in some vault as intellectual property with a price tag too high for anyone to consider. I wonder if Nakamichi still owns and has any of it's designs or if they were bought off and are now locked up somewhere with some random company that specializes in intellectual property.

@Astralify 3 жыл бұрын

@@marcusdamberger There are several different mechanisms actually. In fact, there is a solenoid driven logic controlled version of this particular mechanism that TEAC/TASCAM currently uses in their TEAC W-1200 and TASCAM 202mkVII respectively, with a proper tape counter. Yeah, it's not a proper mid/high end mech, but it's not the trash tanashin (or more often clones of it) that we all know. And, since we have the Philips patent with the specifications for the compact cassette, there is no problem designing a proper high end mechanism these days, in fact, I am working on designing one. Probably it's not going anywhere, it's just a hobby project, but still. With today's 3D printing tech, we can build some good mechanisms if we want.

@charlieangkor8649 3 жыл бұрын

It looks like the whole boombox was done by someone who doesn't understand what boomboxes do... Like the distorting sound input. The designed didn't understand that the output is supposed to play the same music that goes into it, not some kind of distorted copy.

@iscander_s 3 жыл бұрын

@@truesoundchris Making an analog counter would be more difficult nowadays, but it wouldn't be THAT difficult to add a piece of foil on take up wheel and a simple light sensor.

@derekmillar318 2 ай бұрын

Ying tong crap!

@dralenvan 3 жыл бұрын

Nothing better to soothe a Saturday hangover than watching 30+ minutes of Techmoan.

@Steve-GM0HUU 3 жыл бұрын

The best thing about the GPO Brooklyn Boombox is Techmoan's video 😄.

@enricosanchez894 3 жыл бұрын

7:54 "The Bee Gees and Massachussetts". If this radio can tune into the late 1960s, I'll buy one, regardless of whether it has maximum balance or not.

@YaBoiThomas 3 жыл бұрын

This is like someone described a boom box to someone who's never seen or used one took no notes and went on to make one based on what they remembered

@e.c.listening326 3 жыл бұрын

‘Write that down....write that down...’

@Jehty_ 3 жыл бұрын

Nah, more like someone wanted to make a decent looking boom box for as cheap as possible.

@mattgies 3 жыл бұрын

Reminds me a bit of the "tree swing cartoon" (Google images will know what this means).

@charlieangkor8649 3 жыл бұрын

There are people you ask to draw a clock face and they draw only the right half or all the numbers show 1 or they are backwards or in a straight line... Hemispatial neglect and other brain problems... Seems like this was designed by one of them.

@marqsee7948 3 жыл бұрын

the Yertub channel named Forgotten Weapons showed a few Chinese pistol copies from decades ago that were just like that. 'It's like somebody saw one of these automatics and didn't know what any of the buttons on it did, then invented uses for them when they copied the design.'

@scofab 3 жыл бұрын

The 80's boy in me is sad... in those days we really worked and saved for our JVC/Victor/AIWA whatever, adjusted for today's dollars they were really quite expensive. A sad shadow of what we had... or still have. My RC-M70 and -60 are still near-mint and fully serviced and functional, and still worth every penny I've put into 'em. Thanks again as always.

@andreasklindt7144 3 жыл бұрын

@SteelRodent Yes, my Panasonic RX-FS430, which was a lower quality beginners boombox with only a radio and one non-dolby cassette deck, still works great (after maintenance). The sound quality of the speakers and the mechanism was ok'ish back in the day and still outperforms all the boomboxes of today in terms of sound quality I think. With a bluetooth cassette adapter I can connect it to my phone and get some nice retro "bluetooth speakers". The FS430 definitly was on the low end of Panasonic's catalog at around 1990-1992, but that makes it to me even stranger that today's machines sound so bad...

@mipmipmipmipmip 3 жыл бұрын

Around 2000s you would buy a 2.1-7.1 surround system which was crap. The 2.0 micro systems even from sony were decent. Current stuff digitally gets better sound from smaller speakers, though within a very limited dynamic range. I bought a 70 euro sound bar from Aldi which is really made to do everything digitally through small speakers and it is very crap. Should have returned it.

@robc4191 3 жыл бұрын

@SteelRodent nah, there was low end stuff back then. Brands like Yorx and Sharp and such sold low cost, fairly trashy copies of whatever Sony and Technics were making. As much as we may choose not to remember it, there is always a sub-market for lowvend crap.

@vooveks 3 жыл бұрын

@SteelRodent Oh, I don’t know. We had Amstrad, Saisho etc, available in your local Dixons (which I actually did my work experience in, in the late 80s). That was bad gear. My brother was a hi-fi nut, so even then I knew it was crap and actually advised a few customers not to buy it. Needless to say, I didn’t get a ‘salesman of the month” award. 😀

@vooveks 3 жыл бұрын

@@andreasklindt7144 Some of those RX Panasonic’s were good. I had an RXC41-L and loved it. You can pick a tidy one of those up for about 70 quid now, probably only needing a bit of ‘Techmoan style’ maintenance. No CD player, but had an AUX in for an external one. Either way, it would beat this pile of nonsense hands down.

@nicoledalton5809 3 жыл бұрын

Love watching your videos, they're absolutely brilliant. Can't wait for your next upload. Keep up all the great content, all the best from Vancouver Canada 🇨🇦

@SFSVHS 3 жыл бұрын

Normally I hate ads with a passion, but I’ll watch them and click the advertiser for you. I feel you are one of the few channels who deserves it - keep up the great work. Your videos comfort me!

@Spaniard47 3 жыл бұрын

I love how serious and thorough of a review this is for an item we all knew was utter trash just from looking at the thumbnail. Love this channel lmao

@alexyo3927 3 жыл бұрын

Just burn your money

@hanklewis6371 3 жыл бұрын

Techmoan: “i have spoken long enough” Us: “You don’t know us really well, do you?”

@livardo 3 жыл бұрын

I hated that he became self conscious about how lengthy his videos are because some knob said he talks to much. It's why we're here of course.

@madwax4771 3 жыл бұрын

Techmoan should have a talkshow 5 hrs every morning

@marrrtin 3 жыл бұрын

@@madwax4771 I'd listen to it over R4 any day.

@remixandkaraoke 3 жыл бұрын

@@livardo Right!

@HulksterHogan 3 жыл бұрын

Don't you just love it when your audio equipment is built like an easy bake oven?

@IvanOoze1990 3 жыл бұрын

Easy Bake oven was a way better product.

@qpol 3 жыл бұрын

"bruh shut up you built like a M̶̡̡̡̡͈͈̠̪̼̖̱̠̼̬̺̈̈́̈́̓̅̋̚͝͝ͅṀ̷̨̛̜̤͇̰͚̳͛̿̀͝M̶̧̨͇̰̮̙͙̰̖͍̮͖̲̻̤͇͓͓͔̓̊́̂̿̌̑͛̊͜͠M̵̢̛͍͔͔̲͕̪͇͍̾͂̑̄̿̊̈́̄̏̕̚̕͠͝͠ͅM̸̱̠̩͇͖̳̚͠Ḿ̴̢̧̢̛̲̻̻̺͓̤̠͓̜̌̒̅̉̄̍́̐̾͋̀͛̾̂͌̀̈́̚Ḿ̷̱͓͈̫͓͍̘͊̌̈́̀̓̈́̎̒͝M̴̛̰̠̰͚̜̯͖̮̱̥̜̥͔̤̥͛̄͛̈́̓̉̄̒͐͋͛̈́̄̀̔̿̽̎͜͝ͅM̵̢̨̢̦̞̗̣̗͈̜͂͋̔̑́̐̆͝M̸̯̜͙̫͐̍̋̑̓͆͋͂̔́̂͋̚͘̚ B̴̩͖͎̠̘͓̄̀ͅE̸̜͠͝E̶̠̥̔̿͛̅̃͋͝P̴̨͇̻̑̿̄ ̷̜̻̇͑̄̂͑̄B̷͖͔̂̃͗̂̅̎̿Ę̵͖̞͖͇̜͒ͅE̴͓̺̮̥̠̩̝̤͌͊̔̀͑̌P̷͓̱̪̣̪̝̐̃̍̂̈͗͜ͅ ̷̛̖̳̥̞͙̑̒̔̿B̷͔̈́͆̐̓͋̄͊Ë̶͇͙̅͗̿͜͝E̴̛͖̫͔͖̣̥͖͂̾̇̌͌̅P̵̧̣͓͎̑̎͒̑͠ ̴̢̺̭̟̀̾̀̊̔̓͊B̷̟͙̑͊͊̎̑̚͝Ȩ̵̹̭̤́̌͆̈̅Ẽ̷̖͛͝P̶̨͇̗̆̌̐̀̔̍̚

@prismstudios001 3 жыл бұрын

“What does the thing do?” “ Look interesting ...What do you want, functionality?“

@CandyAppleBlue 3 жыл бұрын

One million subscribers can't be wrong. You, Techmoan, are the KZfaq king of technology! We are so grateful for your kindness in choosing our new album, Second Sight, to demonstrate the compact disc and cassette recording features of the GPO Brooklyn Boombox. Although this device misses the mark in build quality, it does seem to hit the bullseye for being a cool-looking new retro portable paperweight. Thank you, Mat, for another informative and thorough product review video. Signing off with massive love, respect, and appreciation. Sincerely, Candy Apple Blue

@Cre80s 3 жыл бұрын

Your jams on the best tech reviewer and the worst boombox at the same time! 😂🤘💙

@CandyAppleBlue 3 жыл бұрын

@@Cre80s oh, yeah, the Brooklyn Boombox is a portable paperweight. Who knew? Goes to show that beauty is only skip deep. It does look nice. 🙃

@tali3san337 3 жыл бұрын

lol, the audio quality difference between the Sony radio and the "Boombox" even via a mic is astounding. Muffled and wooly indeed!

@Number-tf7ce 3 жыл бұрын

That counter reminded me of the story of the kid who saw a 3.5" floppy disk and asked "Why do you have a model of the save icon?". Apparently that kid now designs retro consumer electronics.

@kcharles1149 3 жыл бұрын

Relaxing vid as always....you sir are the Bob Ross of electronics !

@Choujeen 3 жыл бұрын

"I want maximum balance. Yeah, that sounds all right."

@LuciferStarr 3 жыл бұрын

Maximum balance should dead centre, yes?

@9mmmike642 3 жыл бұрын

Only if it goes to eleven.

@simonwarren65 3 жыл бұрын

LOL! :)

@bigfil1981 3 жыл бұрын

Setting it to minimum Left a lot to be desired!

@abadenoughdude300 3 жыл бұрын

Perfectly balanced. As all things should be.

@vermis8344 3 жыл бұрын

First thought on clicking on this video is that those kids on the box front have no clue what the thing is that they're posing with.

@stevesstuff1450 3 жыл бұрын

Sad part is, those kids are probably posing with something else, and this 'thing' was just photoshopped over it!! :-D

@CantankerousDave 3 жыл бұрын

The people who designed it clearly didn’t know what the tape counter is for.

@philismenko 3 жыл бұрын

@@CantankerousDave i bet the kids could work an original one better than the people who made that thing

@amyholcomb6484 2 жыл бұрын

Fantastic review and technical information. Great input in looking for CD player as a gift and possible extra features. Thank You

@005AGIMA 2 жыл бұрын

Thank you so much for taking the time to make such a detailed review. I spotted the Brooklyn in BigW today (Australia) for $199 (about £99) and this review was perfect. I may still consider the Brooklyn as my usage is to have some 80's poor quality sounding playback (yes I want it to sound poor lol) but also as a backup cassette player to load 80's computer games from. So what interests me is the wave form test and drift and warble, which actually seemed fine. There are cheaper players but most suffer from irregular speed which kills game loading. If I can get hold of that Panasonic here though, that may be the better option. Thanks again. Great info and channel. Subbed.

@the_failed_states 3 жыл бұрын

Container loads of this sort of crap is shipped around the world. It lasts a couple of years - if that, then ends up on landfill.

@noccy80 3 жыл бұрын

At least the battery is user replaceable, so slightly less "landfill attraction" than most modern smartphones :)

@SlocketSeven 3 жыл бұрын

If a Chinese product lasts a couple years it was over engineered. It should last only long enough to make it out of the packaging before being thrown in the trash. What do you know. Communism produces trash.

@detrage5483 3 жыл бұрын

What do you know. Capitalism buys trash.

@the_failed_states 3 жыл бұрын

@@SlocketSeven I doubt the system of Government in PRC is in any way communism - private enterprise seems pretty rampant. If there wasn't a market for crap like this, then it wouldn't be produced - I don't in any way blame the manufacturer, it's been made to spec, with the cheapest components to maximise profit - that's pure undiluted Capitalism. Also, lots of really good quality stuff is made in China, like your iPhone for example.

@SkigBiggler 3 жыл бұрын

@@the_failed_states in China the government still effectively owns and controls all the companies, but they are quite light handed when it comes to interfering, but companies in China are expected to share any product designs they create, which is why you see so many slightly different clones of the same product. Individuals can run companies and reap the rewards, but the government has the final say and total access to anything that happens. Not capitalist, but definitely not communist either.

@tanhockjun 3 жыл бұрын

We all know it's not going to be good... Just want to watch Mr techmoan roasting it

@roberte2945 3 жыл бұрын

That scathing British disappointment.

@hifismiffy 3 жыл бұрын

I have seen another review of this crap on youtube and sorry to say, the reviewer loved it. My last great radio/cassette recorder was an Aiwa TPR990 and it was a beauty.

@calvaryapologetics 3 жыл бұрын

Love the chapters. Very handy

@GlennHamblin 3 жыл бұрын

I have an old Sony CD8 boom box that works a treat. I had to replace the belts in the tape player and while I was in there I scabbed in a Bluetooth reciever and a switch to swap the input from the tape to the module so it's been modernized to a point. I love and use it every day!

@imnickleonard 3 жыл бұрын

All of the cheap brands of the 80s and 90s became luxurious quality components overnight when they come out with this one

@evensgrey 3 жыл бұрын

Back in the 80's and 90's, 'cheap' still had to sound decent to non-audiophiles, since that was who was buying it. These days, audiophiles are off being scammed with digital devices with lots of gold on them for no actual reason. (As I like to point out, digital either works or it doesn't. The 6$ HDMI cable works precisely as well as the 150$ one. It might be more prone to failing on repeated disconnection and reconnection, but then, a gold-plated one might actually fair worse there because softer metal will wear faster. Yes, you can plate it with a harder gold alloy, but actual quality isn't what's being gone for in the audiophool market.)

@thephoenixhasflown 3 жыл бұрын

I've got a Sony boombox one speaker radio with 4D batteries in it and I bet even in the condition it's in now it can run rings around the GPO something or other on this video. When the tape deck actually worked it would have one hands down.

@couldntmixapotnoodle 3 жыл бұрын

@@evensgrey thank god somebody else shares the opinion that the audiophile market is bollocks I got into an argument with one about how tapes only sounded as good as they were recorded. And there would be no point recapping an almost brand new product for a "clearer" sound.

@MrTaxiRob 3 жыл бұрын

@@couldntmixapotnoodle but it IS worth renovating classic era analog audio gear for warm, rich sound. Go ahead and pump digital media through it if you like, it will still sound better. Wider range, deeper lows and higher highs. And you'll still save a bindle over the new high-end stuff.

@dcarbs2979 3 жыл бұрын

Even makes Matsui look good!

@hunterericson6782 3 жыл бұрын

“Sounded muffled and wooly” ... proper description

@TheKingOfBeans 3 жыл бұрын

👌

@rolfs2165 3 жыл бұрын

Like screaming into a sheep.

@franzpattison 3 жыл бұрын

@@rolfs2165 😂😂😂 the last time I did that I thought "this sounds just like a cheap cassette player" 🐏🐏🐏

@cjmarsh504 3 жыл бұрын

It sounds like a fisher-price tape player.

@sezwo5774 3 жыл бұрын

I love these reviews, ...the subdued voice of the reviewer says it all here :)))

@raul82 3 жыл бұрын

I bought the Panasonic after watching your review... I'm very happy with it... Thank you and greetings from Spain!! 😉✌️

@StarkRG 3 жыл бұрын

That "Designed in the UK" bit really made me wonder about the effectiveness of false advertising laws in the UK.

@D4rkS4v4nt 3 жыл бұрын

Makes you wonder about the disparity in prosecution. Lots of large companies including amazon churning out unsafe and possibly illegal products with no visible consequences. I guess someone is turning a blind eye... Yet if you had a little shop in your local town and did the same they'd probably lock you up!

@neuman356 3 жыл бұрын

@Marc Carran Maybe they sent some chinese "engineers" over to the UK for a couple of weeks to draw up this piece of garbage?

@dgpsf 3 жыл бұрын

@Marc Carran Yeah I suppose someone in the UK decided what logo files and box art to send to the Chinese mfg on alibaba and you could argue that was "designing" the boombox 😞

@DaraGaming42 2 жыл бұрын

Seems if it’s not advertised in magazines, TV air radio they can get away with anything

@robc4191 3 жыл бұрын

At least you don't have to pour a tiny little cup of water in the top to get steamed hipster toast out of it.

@seanfagan6998 3 жыл бұрын

That's the name of my newest song steamed hipster toast. Available on iTunes and Starbucks

@AlsCollectibles 2 жыл бұрын

Awesome! Love boomboxes! I have a few myself.. thanks for sharing

@jimmartin7881 3 жыл бұрын

The guy at my local landfill pulls audio/electronics for me and I go down once a month and toss him a few bucks. I've gotten some absolute treasures over the years.

@MartinOmander 3 жыл бұрын

What are some of the cool things you've found this way?

@jimmartin7881 3 жыл бұрын

@@MartinOmander A brand new in the box Philco tape recorder from the mid 60s, never even opened. A crate of JBL tweeters for a concert hall, they're huge, like 20 lbs a piece.

@MartinOmander 3 жыл бұрын

@@jimmartin7881 Wow, those are some great finds. Congratulations!

@gordonwelcher9598 5 ай бұрын

I found 2 Audiomaster monoblocks with preamps sitting on the side of the road. EL34 valves with Partridge output tranformers. Changed grid coupling capacitors and now the monoblocks work and sound great. Someone threw out Grandpa's old stereo.

@tinplategeek1058 3 жыл бұрын

"All fur coat and no knickers" as my dear old mum would have said.

@morzemus1805 3 жыл бұрын

Most british insult I've read today.

@scaper8 3 жыл бұрын

I don't know; depending who's in that fur coat, that might not be a bad thing…

@RCAvhstape 3 жыл бұрын

In Texas it'd be "all hat and no cattle."

@NewFalconerRecords 3 жыл бұрын

Australia: "All sizzle and no sausage".

@Shifter-1040ST 3 жыл бұрын

Germany: "All foam and no beer."

@nslouka90 3 жыл бұрын

That delay when switching between inputs was probably the most hilarious thing.

@oliverlotus 3 жыл бұрын

Great video. The subject you do best!

@life5161 2 жыл бұрын

That tape Counter is the best!! I totally have to order one of these immediately!!!

@JessHull 3 жыл бұрын

That "tape counter" cracks me up. I couldn't stop laughing when you showed that. This clearly proves this device isn't for anyone that actually used a real tape player or boombox back in the day. This is for a younger audience that just wants to have something that looks boombox like and has never really used or seen a real one.

@PaulioBee 3 жыл бұрын

"Designed in UK." It might be time to update those consumer laws.

@LuciferStarr 3 жыл бұрын

Well. The people in the UK sent the logo across as an email attachment, requested it be placed on the front and back optional locations, thought up the model number and provided the address for the label on the back... That qualifies as "designed". Doesn't it? It doesn't?? Ooh you're so picky!

@thefamilydad8635 3 жыл бұрын

Note that it doesn’t say “engineered.”

@davebulluk 3 жыл бұрын

Time to teach uk consumers not to be dingbats.

@timothybrown7792 3 жыл бұрын

The shell of the radio probably was designed in the Uk but built in China with cheap components

@ArdaKaraduman 2 жыл бұрын

Maybe they meant United Kong ?

@TheFlyingBusman 3 жыл бұрын

I’ve been waiting to see a review on this if only to confirm how dire I expected it to be. One of those items you keep the packaging as it may come in useful and bin the contents!

@lunes-1 3 жыл бұрын

Great video,keep it up!🎵

@hadireg 3 жыл бұрын

The price tag is outrageous for that boombox. Thanks for the review Matt!

@jonathaneastwood2927 3 жыл бұрын

For the amount of technology that resides within it I would say it's pretty cheap. The public has got way to used to getting complex electronics for peanuts.

@jonathaneastwood2927 3 жыл бұрын

@@Android-ng1wn I disregard your predictable and rude comment.

@meetoo594 3 жыл бұрын

@@jonathaneastwood2927 At the volumes these things are churned out at it probably cost £5 in electronics and £10 for the rest tops. £250 for something that costs under £20 to make and doesn't even work properly is the definition of a rip-off.

@iamstartower 3 жыл бұрын

God i mis the 80's and early 90's when everything was still being made in japan and quality was miles ahead.

@xp8969 3 жыл бұрын

Seriously, Japan would have taken the time to both capitalize the "I" and spell the word "miss" right 😅

@Aaron48219 3 жыл бұрын

There was a lot of crappy "fantastic plastic" back then too though. I remember my mother having a stereo console made by Soundesign and it was *horrible*. The big name stuff, Kenwood, Pioneer, Sony, Denon, Onkyo....were all usually good quality...with the exception of Sonys CD optic laser systems.

@paididoy 3 жыл бұрын

@@xp8969 ,nice try Mr. GRAMMAR!

@valrond 3 жыл бұрын

Indeed. I own 5 MSX computers, 4 of them from Sony, all of them made in Japan. Great quality, still working.

@Ruojis 3 жыл бұрын

@@Aaron48219 thats exactly right. Good stuff is made today also. Just wait 30 years and see what survives

@HandFromCoffin 3 жыл бұрын

OH MAN! That old red boom box you have. My friend had one when I was a kid and I remember listening to tapes on it thinking we where cool.

@IDann1 3 жыл бұрын

Thank you for demonstrating this, I have never any intention of buying one anyway, but really interesting to see the boombox chod.

@ninefingerdeathgrip 3 жыл бұрын

Ah, it has all my favourite output levels, on and off

@andymouse 3 жыл бұрын

"There's no belt going up to a counter mech " made me chuckle...cheers

@timogul 3 жыл бұрын

I love this thing. It's like a very clever _simulation_ of a boombox.

@ronalmeida2536 3 жыл бұрын

I was thinking way too much about the cheese sandwich. Thank you for posting an explanation!

@shadshowadradna 3 жыл бұрын

The Imperial Typewriter Company brand must be available, if anyone's looking to market - oh I don't know - a new fridge that _looks_ a bit like a good one from the 1950s, only with a video streaming twist.

@georgemaragos2378 3 жыл бұрын

BMC available ??

@RCAvhstape 3 жыл бұрын

When I was growing up in the 80s, I thought, "We have such cool music gear, and with companies like Sony, etc., imagine what cool stuff we'll have a few decades into the future!" 3 decades into the future:

@GreenAppelPie 3 жыл бұрын

I had a proper boom box AM/FM/cassette/AUX. with actual functional switch for tone, stereo/mono, casette type, Dolby, etc. with 6” woofers, 1” tweeters, actual analog tuning. It could easily serve as the primary house stereo. It took 6 ‘D’ size batteries. The main thing is, it was heavy, and it sounded full and wonderful. Nothing felt cheap.

@RCAvhstape 3 жыл бұрын

@@GreenAppelPie I had an Aimor boombox that was really high quality, even had shortwave radio bands. Long gone.

@evensgrey 3 жыл бұрын

@@RCAvhstape Damn, I'm trying to think back to when I last saw a radio with short wave capability. I think it was in high school, back in the 1980's. I haven't gone LOOKING for one, but the internet has largely done for short wave services these days. It's so much cheaper for a broadcaster to just offer their foreign service as a stream.

@BertGrink 3 жыл бұрын

As a sexagenarian who's always been interested in HiFi and stuff, I would say that even in the 80s the general quality of audio gear had begun declining slightly, compared to the 50s, 60s, and 70s. Most of the brands that existed back then, and are still around now, are a travesty in my opinion.

@vooveks 3 жыл бұрын

@@GreenAppelPie They go for crazy money now, in good condition. But they were really well made and sounded amazing. Which one did you have?

@mikefc55 3 жыл бұрын

one of your best videos ever. I laughed out loud many times....

@dwyaris 2 жыл бұрын

Glad I watched your review - saved me making a purchase that I now know I would end up being very disappointed with - thank you Techmoan

@SheddyIan 3 жыл бұрын

That Sony Dab radio you used for comparison sounds nice, lovely clear sound

@Techmoan 3 жыл бұрын

Yes it’s a lovely little thing - it was in Lidl one day...a really good price too.

@raychambers3646 3 жыл бұрын

I bought a mis priced dab radio in tescos years ago £6 could have sold 10 s over at work still going strong.

@robertschnobert9090 3 жыл бұрын

@@Techmoan Hello Techmoan! Take care and stay healthy 🌈

@valentingartner3793 3 жыл бұрын

@@Techmoan you guys have Lidl in England?

@theheathster2 3 жыл бұрын

It looks like a ‘parts bin’ special. Surprised there’s not a Compact Flash card reader on there!

@supernova6486 3 жыл бұрын

Matt the capacitor you mentioned in the video is to block low frequencies from the tweeters found in lots of two way setups. The value of the capacitor determines the crossover point and likely contributed to the harshness metallic sound you hear when they use the tweeter to play some of the midrange.

@thecianinator 3 жыл бұрын

You are a ray of sunshine, Techmoan.

@hau5ofmau5 3 жыл бұрын

What a great way to start a Saturday morning. Having my breakfast and watching fresh Techmoan content.

@synthpilot23 3 жыл бұрын

It’s 3 in the morning and there is a tornado watch. This isn’t how I anticipated my night but the video should make it better.

@ridingtheflow6752 3 жыл бұрын

it might've actually been designed in uk. Its not uncommon for factory to immediately start selling design contracted by brand "on the side", unbranded by cheaper if they like it - or simply "leak" all design docs to another factory which starts unbranded production. because of this one of long known rules to follow was - never contract single factory to do whole thing.

@80s_Boombox_Collector 3 жыл бұрын

"Designing" something simply means creating a drawing and then getting bids from China.

@MrStevanpx 3 жыл бұрын

Tnx for great review...

@JMRSplatt 3 жыл бұрын

I'm trying to eat and that subtle whisper got me good. haha

@6581punk 3 жыл бұрын

That feeling that they spent more on the box design than the actual product.

@kaisersoymilk6912 3 жыл бұрын

I actually like the box, It's a British interpretation of 80s Brooklin, it's brilliant.

@stridermt2k 3 жыл бұрын

I really enjoy this channel and can see why it is so highly regarded! Great stuff!

@jooei2810 3 жыл бұрын

It truly is!

@Twin_Flyer 3 жыл бұрын

Found a vintage Lasonic boom box from the early '80s at a yard sale for $1. Works too! Going to put a Bluetooth module in it, will be nice for the garage or back yard.

@SaschaRobitzki 3 жыл бұрын

I love the tape counter!

@charlesrozhon2139 3 жыл бұрын

Best part about this video is you showing the higher quality alternatives for folks who wouldn’t know. ♥️

@abadenoughdude300 3 жыл бұрын

Or at least ones that are far less crap for far less buck.

@amnril 3 жыл бұрын

Meanwhile over his shoulder lurks the JVC RC M90 🤫

@Brookspirit 3 жыл бұрын

The sad thing is that young people will probably never know what quality items like this are really like, they are only seeing cheap rubbish. These days seem to have only top quality or junk, not a lot in the middle, the 80's and 90's had a huge variety of good quality mid-range products.

@bookfound 3 жыл бұрын

Its worse then you think it is, seeing as you have to pay top dollar for junk too.

@PileOfEmptyTapes 3 жыл бұрын

To be fair, an arguable dead device category like the portable boombox may not be the best basis to judge this on. For what a decent one cost back in the day, you could probably assemble a playback system that'll beat the pants off of most old boomboxes in terms of sound quality, e.g. using some active "studio" monitor speakers (maybe JBL 305P, ADAM T5V or Kali LP6, or some iLoud Micro Monitors for something small and cute) and maybe a USB audio interface or DAC and a Raspberry Pi as a streamer.

@SkigBiggler 3 жыл бұрын

I can see some truth in this as a young person myself. Most consumer electronics are built like shit, even expensive ones are a gamble as to whether they cared or just inflated the price tag. Tools are particularly bad. The model now seems to be to manufacture something that breaks quickly, but is cheap enough people don’t grumble too much about buying another one. The they fleece you on the batteries. Older tools might not be battery powered, but they were far far better built. You can still find good quality tools, but it’s not as simple. Everything seems to be value engineered to last just long enough, and the amount of rubbish this kind of practice ends up producing is and should be criminal. Companies ought to be held responsible for basically selling rubbish.

@genekwagmyrsingh9433 3 жыл бұрын

It's just harder to find that stuff, I think. It still exists.

@bookfound 3 жыл бұрын

@@genekwagmyrsingh9433 Of course it still exists. The real question is if any current manufacture is providing quality products. If Techmoan's videos are anything to go by then the answer is no.

@SuperCrazyDiscoKangaroo9001 3 жыл бұрын

8:53 That Sony DAB Radio is an excellent receiver for both FM and DAB based on my use of it.

@doubleT84 2 жыл бұрын

"What's wrong with the GPO Brooklyn Boombox?" [Gary Oldman:] EVERYTHING!

@jdatlas4668 3 жыл бұрын

Ahhh, another nice relaxed Techmoan video to watch during breakfast. What a nice start to my weekend.

@NewFalconerRecords 3 жыл бұрын

This device reminds me of that "Mr Mann" character from Little Britain who's always going into the shop asking for the most obscure items you can think of: "I'm looking for a 1980s style boombox that has a red light display that constantly counts seconds upwards for no apparent reason." "Margaret!! Margaret!!.. Do we have a 1980s style boombox.... etc"

@ericpode6095 3 жыл бұрын

"This is a local shop for local people" Oops Wrong show

@sgtrock68 3 жыл бұрын

Have a look at the JVC Bazooka. It is the very best boombox I've ever had, and I had "that one", monster boombox in the 80s. If you were in school in 84 to 87 you'd remember seeing this thing. It was usually on display in "those" electronics stores downtown, if you know what i mean. It was about twice the size of this GPC. Mine had a built in motion detector and like a 130db siren anti theft alarm. Sounded like a car alarm. Came in handy when you finally had to put the 30 pound monster down...so great. I miss the 80s. But no, NOW, the JVC Bazooka was clearer, louder, had a remote, and it was still in production a couple years ago. It had every combo of MP3, Bluetooth, Apple dock, SD card, CD, tape and USB. Mine has a flip out door where the tape deck would normally be but instead you can dock an old style Apple 30 pin cell of MP3 player inside and close the door. I'm trying to dig up an adapter to go from old Apple 30 pin to Bluetooth receiver to reboot my old boom tube. Its best quality was super deep bass and distance. It's like a searchlight of sound. Perfect on a boat or to fill a 2 acre barnyard with music, if you're tired of moos and roosters...which I am. OMG, I can't believe I just wrote a boombox essay, AND on a Friday night lol.

@kennethgroves6552 Жыл бұрын

"It's got to be rubbish- isn't it. Rubbish!" Love it Mate! Greetings from someone who loves your videos, in the U.S.A. All well done sir, thank you for the work! UK & U.S.A. friends forever!

@limelorax 3 жыл бұрын

I had seen this a few years ago and i was WAITING for someone to do this. Thanks a lot man.

@samuelschwager 3 жыл бұрын

I just like that wow and flutter meter, it looks so classy.

@alexk1395 3 жыл бұрын

Not sure if it's been mentioned, but the distortion you saw when plugging the recorder into the input is likely a clipping problem - reduce the volume on the source to see if it goes away. When you clip a digital input, you get square wave distortion, resulting in peaks at each harmonic - just like what you saw. While I expect a lot of loss in the recording, it didn't fail the test as hard as it seems =)

@simonwarren65 3 жыл бұрын

Great, avuncular manner about him, that guy, could listen to him all day, haha! :) Just this afternoon, I returned a GPO Brooklyn boombox to the retailer for a refund. A number of problems. I tried the radio first, and when I pulled on the left-hand antenna to extend it, the endmost section came away in my hand! Broken through. Wow. Great start. The cassette deck struggled to play [several different] tapes at a satisfactory speed. Then after a short period of playback, the STOP/EJECT button wouldn't fully depress, thus I couldn't stop the tape. I pressed down on the PLAY button momentarily, then STOP worked, but that shouldn't be necessary, should it? Also, on the model I received, there was no cue/review function, which ticked me off, 'cos the seller's feature list and photos boasted such. Then, insult to injury, after 24hrs or so, the LED clock display went bonkers and quit on me. In short; the GPO Brooklyn looks cute, but it's cheapo Chinese rubbish. Although not cheap ENOUGH! I'm surprised the features list on the box doesn't begin with: 'Magnificent and Noble in Shape!' Now, I still love the IDEA of this thing. If, say, JVC were to make a similar-looking product - with all the integrated components of far higher quality and better functionality - then I for one would be all over it, albeit no doubt at greater expense. The tweeter casing should be rectangular for a truly retro look, but I'm just geeking, haha! Was fun to try it out, but not a keeper.

@KanalFrump 3 жыл бұрын

OMG chopsticks font. I'd not last a day in the GPO office without getting a restraining order to keep me from strangling their entire art department.

@elonmask50 3 жыл бұрын

Kanal Frump, that's gives a whole new level too going postal.

@SwampGas703 3 жыл бұрын

Yeah... they are trying way too hard to appeal to their target demographic.

@newtronix 3 жыл бұрын

Could have been worse could have been Comic Sans!

@jmi5969 3 жыл бұрын

A disposable box of a disposable boombox... isn't worth a criminal record, or is it?

@jimmymcgill2961 3 жыл бұрын

General post office office?

@gbshahaq 3 жыл бұрын

As always, thanks for providing some Saturday morning entertainment!

@RichardWraith 3 жыл бұрын

After a few beers, my Balance goes from Maximum to Minimum, so technically, its accurate 🤣

@God-yb2cg 3 жыл бұрын

You mean after buying that trash, your balance goes.

@shaunmk 3 жыл бұрын

i got one for my birthday..little retro feel for my gaming room... im happy enough with it..at the price of £100 it seemed ok..hooked up my turn table and rather pleased with the sound..

@rusuclaudiu1988 3 жыл бұрын

Maybe just my interest grew on cassette players but I also believe that in this uncertain world simple things like having the music in a physical format (Lp or cassette) simply gives us a false sentiment of certainty. I mean, I have two decks, planning to buy the third one, three walkmans and one great record player and 95% of the time I am still listening flac's or YT music. But those 5 percent are extremely important to me. Just sitting in front of the shelf and choosing the album to be played makes all the sense in the world

@jmi5969 3 жыл бұрын

So true.

@rusuclaudiu1988 3 жыл бұрын

@@mycosys I am no audiophile for sure. I have a jvc td472 and an onkyo integra with a pioneer on the way. Not Nakamichi but for sure not Ion tape to usb. Both of them are fully cleaned, libbed, checked and calibrated. Truth being spoken only ferric and chrome tapes on them, no metal ones. I have a hearing well over medium being capable to hear 23000 hz as per the doctor two months ago (this is the reason why at work inside the office the noise is killing me). Because of this I enjoy listening more the tapes because I do not feel the ears going fatigued. But this is due to the lack of highs. True, the sound is warmer due to this, I like it because is not like cutting the highs from pc, the pioneer amp is superb, the woofer adds a little pinch of warmth but the reality is that at least these two types of tapes are not as close to reality as a CD or FLAC. I enjoy them more? Yeah. Are over the bluetooth music streamed by youtube? Yes...but we also should be honest with ourselves. It is something we like more, not something better. And it is fine just like that

@namespacetoosmall 3 жыл бұрын

The huge magnets on the back are probably there for "magnetic shielding" - they used to have to glue a magnet to the armature in the opposite polarity to stop the magnetic field spreading outside the speakers too much and distorting the image on old CRT monitors.

@Lucien86 3 жыл бұрын

Techmoan ever heard of the JVC PC-55 boombox? That was a machine I lusted over for years and just recently rediscovered (today). It was the about most advanced top of the range machine for its time - about the mid 80's. - With complete full logic control, loads of features, a lot of power, and a big LCD display..

@railgap 3 жыл бұрын

I had a non-portable boombox when I first joined the USAF in 1980. It was, erm, "luggable". It did indeed have a handle, so it met the _industry_ definition of "portable". It was also a complete, separatable, bookshelf component system if you took off the handle and some other bits. Made by JBL, ran on line voltage or several kilos of D cells. I will have to search whether you've reviewed it...