wnyc.org / 93.9fm / am 820

Most people have zero idea what good sound (or taste) is. Even the best boomboxes are simply audio junk compared with even a lowly 1980's NAD budget audiophile receiver of the same period with a decent set of speakers. What annoys me is that so many ignorant, tasteless trenders spend hundreds and hundreds on boomboxes and ipods that sound like louder versions of a subway PA-- and the $3,000.00 plus earphone stupidity doesn't help the ipod either. It's hard to tell some died in the wool, thoroughly cooled-out hipster that his or her cutting edge boombox and fashion was first worn and carried by your mother or father 40 years ago. Yes, big radio portables date back to the late 1950's early 1960's. And they were annoying even then.
'livin in Willaimsburg and hatin' it.

I am listening in my studio now on my panasonic boom box. I bought it in the 70's. Still works great although the tape player needs scotch tape to keep it shut.

I don't think I thought of my radio as a Boombox.In the sixties it was my connection to my favorite radio talk shows. It went to the beach with me,to the back yard as I worked on my garden.
And now, in my two room retirement home, it is my source of news and all the great programs on NPR. My big Yamaha stereo receiver sits silent(lousy reception here in NJ), while my old Panasonic RXFS450($5 at a yard sale) in the living room,and my Optimus( Radio Shack long ago),in the bedroom,antenae fully extended, give me true Surround Sound!

I always had a good collection of cassette tapes with MC's at live parties. I have some great memories of walking with a boom box and getting stopped and asked "who is that rhyming on that cassette?" I'd get many requests to dub that tape.

'member all the cut up corrugated cardboard boxes, all over the place, that were used by the breakdancers[beat-boys].

LL Cool J's ode to the boombox - "Radio" was probably his best Album he ever made.

Summer camp ....the counselors would blast music every afternoon from each cabin and the kitchen staff were always dancing around to mix tapes. Now we send our kids with their pods and it's just not the same!

Have you ever heard of Super Bad Brad? He sings on the Streets of nYC. He's great! He was on the apollo. Check him out! mention him.http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=txNbqwg1KM0

Check out this boombox with LED lights! HOOKED UP!!! http://youtu.be/r0aumKOGzoQ

Don't forget Frankie Lyman's "Portable on my Shoulder"!

The boom box, with the proliferation of "dubbing" boom boxes (that is, a boom box with 2 cassette decks and a function for one deck to record a copy of the cassette playing in the other) gave rise to the culture of collecting and trading "DJ mix tapes." Back in the 80's DJ's started recording their club sets on cassettes so collectors could dub them and circulate them. I still cherish my tapes from DJ Marty, which he made in the Limelight Club in Atlanta in 1982 and 83.

Believe it or not I'm listening to WNYC on my old boombox right now! I bought it here in NYC in 1995! I could be listening on my Macbook Pro but am still impressed by the great sound this Samsung broadcasts!

My 18 year old just got a ipod station with tiny speaker but looks just like a boom box!Big but light! RETRO!

Boom boxes beat listening to people talking on their cell phones...

How would anyone be able to break dance now on the IPOD?

Just checked ebay - the SHARP GF-777 is still going upwards from $999.

although, we were, more "party-sociable" back then,before humans morphed into androids, with wires sticking out of their heads,walking around like the living urban dead.

i get a headache just looking at these damn things.