ClassicBoombox.com

Panasonic made a few boomboxes that incorporated turntables in the design. This particular boombox is the Panasonic SG-J555. Panasonic called it the Ambience Stereo Music System which definitely sounds impressive though the word Ambience sounds a little passive for a boombox. In reality the Ambience feature was similar to a tone switch or Loudness boost (though it had a Loudness button as well) which would emphasize the mid range frequencies to give the music a fuller sound. This was accomplished by turning the Ambience switch on or off. The more common Panasonic SG-J500 looks very similar to the SG-J555 but does not have the Ambience switch.

The SG-J555 had a single auto-stop cassette deck player / recorder but was really known for its retractable, belt drive, two speed turntable. It could play both 33 rpm and 45 rpm records and was fully manual. It also has AM and FM.

The Panasonic SG-J555 was switchable between 22v and 110v and could also run on 8 D cell batteries. It also came in a gray version as opposed to the black version shown here and was made by the Matsushita Co. in Japan. It put out 15 watts per channel. While boomboxes that incorporate turntables are highly collectible this particular box doesn’t fetch much on the auction market. Possibly because of its dull design or lower quality construction. Nonetheless a Panasonic SG-J555 in very good working condition recently sold for $122.00 (10-8-2011). The SG-J500 is more common and sells from about $40.00 up to $100.00.

This is a JVC PC-R11C that features clean, hi-tech styling. The unit will break down into four separate parts including the two detachable high ceramic speakers. It also has a single cassette deck, 4 band tuner (AM/FM/SW1/SW2), Phono input and Aux input. The boombox features:

• 5 Band SEA Graphic Equalizer
• Dolby B / ANRS Noise Reduction
• 6 Segment LED VU Meter
• Independent Record Level Control
• 2 Mono Microphone Inputs
• Normal / Chrome / Metal Tape Selector
• Record Mute Button
• 21.9″ (W) x  x 8.6″ (H) x 9.85″ (D)
• Weight: 21 lb

One of these PC-R11C’s in near mint fully functioning condition sold for $205.00 – 5-8-2011.

The RC-M75w by JVC was manufactured between 1982 and 1984. It is a single cassette machine and has a “Fine Tuning” knob as well as a “Tape Speed” knob. There are apparently two versions of this boombox. One is the standard metallic color while the other, harder to find version, has some champagne colored accents like the one pictured here. Many of the controls are on the top of the box and utilize slider knobs. It also had a number of bands including:

• FM
• MW
• SW1
• SW2
• SW3
• SW4

In good condition the JVC RC-M75w can sell for over $500.

 
This is one odd JVC boombox. As you can see the JVC 3090 CQM has a small tv built in to it. It even has a UHF antenna hookup on the back along with v-hold and h-hold controls.The front has brightness and contrast control for the TV. It also featured:

• Two VU meters for battery and tuner
• Line in  / Line out
• External Speaker out
• Dimensions: 20 x 12 x 8
• Weight: approx. 20 pounds
• 120/240V Switch
• FM/AM/SW1/SW2 and UHF/VHF
• Single Cassette
• Dual Antennas

 
The JVC PC-R550C is a rarely seen model that featured a single cassette, two detachable speakers and a 5 band graphic equalizer.  It’s been mentioned that the “C” may identify it as a Canadian model. They’ve sold for over $200.