Gizmodo
We've covered a handful of new and modded Lasonic gear here at Giz, but I finally got up close with their fabled i931 iPod Ghetto Blaster. If you're unfamiliar, Lasonic made some classic boomboxes during the 80s, and now they've updated their TRC-931 boombox with a built-in iPod dock, SD card reader and USB port. The picture and description pretty much sum up what makes this $170 retro wonder so amazing, but I have a laundry list of reasons why the i931 boombox is one of my favorite gadgets I've ever laid hands on.
We've covered a handful of new and modded
The main appeal of the i931 is it's nostalgia factor, hands down. If you have any sort of infatuation with the 1988, boom-bap era of hip-hop, you can't help but be in love with this thing. And after I spent a few hours with the i931, I was ready to march down to the nearest 7-Eleven, boombox in hand, and yell at the guy behind the counter for D batteries (This boombox takes TEN D batteries, but there's also a power cord, so fear not). The i931 also stays true to the historical design of Lasonic boomboxes. The speaker grates, the cheesy color graphics, the volume knob and power button, all taken from Lasonic designs of the past. The iPod dock even pops open like a tape player and you insert your iPod like a cassette. Awesome.
The iPod function works about as well as you could expect; the menu system is semi-complicated to learn, but functions efficiently with the external button interface, and the window in the dock face makes the screen clearly visible. The i931 is compatible with any iPod up though the 5.5g model iPod and the 1g and 2g iPod Nanos. I assume its also compatible with the iPod Classic and 3g Nano, but I wasn't able to test that, so I cant confirm. There is also an AV out in the back if you want to route video playback to your TV.
On the technical side of things, the i931 has an AM/FM tuner (w/telescoping antenna), 3.5mm stereo auxiliary input, USB input and an SD card reader for direct MP3 playback. It has a glowing spectrum analyzer and a 1/4" headphone jack. The two 15w speakers are powerful and clear, with no distortion until level 35 of a 40 point volume scale (with the bass turned up).This is all controlled by 10 buttons on the right, with the standard array of play/pause, stop, track up/down, random, repeat and function buttons. It also has a folder button for browsing file structures.
There are, however, a few issues I have with the i931. The most glaring problem is the lack of support for the iPod touch and iPhone. They don't close into the iPod dock, and they can't be controlled by the button interface. And the plastic on the door of the dock means you can't get to the touch screen. There are other minor issues like the omittance of the physical EQ sliders (pure nostalgia), which are replaced by presets and bass/treble controls. The AM/FM tuner graphic doesn't actually do anything, and the former tape deck buttons have been replaced with generic graphics that don't do anything. Also odd, is that the i931 will occasionally and randomly shut off during playback. Not enough to be an annoyance, but enough to notice.
That said, the i931 gets a big, fat Giz stamp of approval. The '88-'94 golden era of hip-hop occupies a special place in my heart, and the boombox was one of it's universal symbols. This isn't the most technically advanced or well-built audio gadget around, but that's not what this is about. The i931 gives a nod to the past with it's head in the future, exuding charisma along the way. At $170, you get a that sounds good, and it doesn't break the bank if you buy it just as a novelty item. Personally, this will be one of my favorite gadgets I ever play with. [Lasonic on Giz]
This review is dedicated to Radio Raheem, who was killed on the fictional streets of Brooklyn by the fictional N.Y.P.D.
Video by Chris Mascari
Comments
DO WANT
I would look like douchebag walking with that in the OC.
damn where'd you get those kicks
Damn where'd you get those kicks?
With USB/SD playback, does it only recognize MP3 files or WAV Files as well?
No Touch? Boooo!
Does the USB/SD playback support any files other than mp3, im especially thinking .wav files?
wtf, get this and stay a virgin.
Ozone and Turbo would be pleased.
Wait. No 8-track slot?
Pass.
Wait...1988? Too young son.
1983-84 was the Golden Age.
@92BuickLeSabre: word sonnn.
Dude, that's so weird, I just fucking sold my Tecsonic J2 JumboJet (the very same used by Raheem in "do the right thing") on Craigslist no less than an hour ago.
I wouldn't dare screw with someone carrying this boombox for fear that his Pat Benatar cassette would eject, turn into Laserbeak, and kick my ass.
@92BuickLeSabre: Wrong. The majority of the top albums and artists discussed right now came out between 88 and 94. The Golden Era.
Note to self:
Must Have
But does it break the concrete?
Can't wait to strap it to my 10 speed with bungee chords.
i just cant get over the fake dials and stickers, way too cheesy for anyone over 14
Do not want, unless my zune fits. =)
@applesgoinpies: the dials arent fake. they all work. only the decals are functionless.
Too bad iPod touch doesn't fit. As for iPhone fit, that's also too bad, but can you imagine using this badass as a speakerphone. Phat city, no doubt.
I have one like Madonna's in her Hung Up music video.
[www.pocketcalculatorshow.com]
@Rabid Penguin: that would be HILARIOUS!
I really want this! However, I have a feeling that their customer base is going to be pretty limited.
@Adrian Covert: While this old-school head is tempted to defend Grandmaster Flash and Afrika Bambaataa against your LL and PE, what I was referring to was the Golden Age of the Boombox.
By the late 80's and mid-90s the Walkman and the CD contributed to the decline of the Boombox. Breakin had started to fade. Grafitti was losing the war with the cities. Boombox culture was waning.
Even Do the Right Thing was both timely and nostalgic. It captured an era, but also marked the end of an era.
You can love N.W.A. without the Boombox. You can't love Kool Herc without the Boombox.
The elders have knowledge too.
Fair enough, i'll give you that.
This and a flattened-out cardboard box, and my weekend is set.
Whodini..."Funky Beat"...constant rotation...memories (tear slides down cheek)
@92BuickLeSabre: I was born in '83.
OMG, what kind of shoes are those?
This is great...now can we get truly new boom boxes? Is it a piracy thing? I know they've been trying to kill line-in devices at the consumer level.
Its just that they still make plenty of stereos in this price/class range, and not one is the least bit portable by design. It makes little sense.
Of course, I'm that dude that still wonders WTF killed arcade gaming, so its possible I'm just totally clueless as to what creates and drives trends in this country ;)
@Substance_D: Nike Air Tech Challenge II
This makes me happy.
Saw these at fry's. It sounds horrible. I wanted one so bad, but it is seriously weak.
so sweet, I Can't wait to bust out some ill rhymes by my home boy Morten Harket and his crew A-Ha. that's right bitches take me on...
I WANT ONE!!!! I use to have their original BOOM BOX it was great! I had it for years..but sadly lost it during a move. I must have one to replace my lost one and to give my friends and family somthing talk about.
Please...boom boxes were more hip BEFORE 1988.
@innout3x3:
You would get digits with this thing in HB, but you'd lose them again for calling Orange County "the OC".
hey guys! I just found my old Raiders Starter hat!! it was beside an old pair of Adidas shoes (funny the laces are missing)now i'm loading up the old ipod with some tracks by 2live crew, NWA, Easy E, Run DMC, and my homeboys from Norway A-ha!!!
haha. i just bought one. :D
Dropped by Urban Outfitters and picked one up for $220. Now I need to find some cardboard and a book on break dancing.
RADIOOOO!!!!!! FIGHT THE POWER!!
We just want some Black People on the MuthaF***N wall!
"I can't survive with out my radio"
Man this brings back memories.
Any chance I can get this with the MCM track suit and gold rope chain...and please dont forget my kangol bucket and Troop sneakers
$170 so you can announce to the world you're stuck on the 80s?
[www.zappos.com]
these were the lick in the N.O.
[www.vivalavintage.com]
I cant stop...
We called these Gangsta Nikes in the N.O. (Nike Cortez)
*tears begin to fall*
But does it have the power of Panasonic Platinum???
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@92BuickLeSabre:
92 Buick speaks the gospel truth, though I got my finest ghetto blaster in 1982. It had the 6 band graphic equalizer, more chrome than a 59 Caddy, 6-inch woofers,soft-touch controls for the cassette deck, auto reverse, and, most importantly, it was LOUD.
I remember carrying it to the beach every day confident in the knowledge that I could blow away any challenger to my audio supremacy as long as I had a fresh set of 8 D-cells, which lasted about a week if I didn't use the fast-forward and rewind too much on the cassette deck.
BTW: for a great visual history of the Boombox/Ghettoblaster check out: [www.pocketcalculatorshow.com]
@btrotta: NOW THATS HOW YOU REP THE 80's
sweet but....Fuck D-Cells man what a hassle. should be rechargeable. this well cost cost more than itself in a week if you rock it on the beach every day.-i speak from experience.
love the oldschool style but..
not the oldschool batteries.
I'd be worried that inserting your iPod like a cassette would scratch the hell out of it. But as far as looks and appeal goes, this has got it sky high.
It's ugly,in your face retro and just plain stupid! I just think its' style sucks!
looks good...but whats so "ghetto" about it...i think i know what you mean...dick!
It's interesting the way personal music systems have developed to where they are now entirely isolated, as are the people using them who walk around to their own secret soundtracks. (Does anyone actually squirt their zunes?)
Boomboxes, on the other hand, are an instant party, although they're arguably as selfish as they are generous: generous because you're sharing your music with others, selfish, because you're imposing your music on others.
Maybe "selfish" isn't the right word... more like "provocative," which also describes a lot of the music played on them. In a sense, the software and hardware, music and playback system, created a coherent ecosystem, both optimized for "in your face."
These days, however, it's hard to imagine a reconstituted boombox culture in an iPod world. While showing up at a MOMA opening with PE blaring from a boombox cranked to bass-distorting levels never goes out of style, walking down the street cranking John Mayer at top volume from an ear-level boombox seems so culturally inappropriate, it could potentially rip through the very fabric of the time-space continuum.
Want. Then step 1 will be out of the way.
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1. Boombox
2. Snappy long coat
3. 80's Chevy
4. ????
5. Romantic Hero
it should say no iphone love in the title or something to that effect. and those shoes are gay. i mean who wears 1980's andre agassi shoes? tennis is for teh gaze.
How many people claiming 'want' are actually going to throw down the $170 for you to use this once, then put it in the closet?
That's what I thought...none.