Is this the smallest boombox ever made?

Discussion in 'Chat Area' started by Mister X, Aug 18, 2019.

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  1. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    The Unitech MINI 1004AF.

    I probably dismissed UNITECH as a cheap Korean Knockoff in the past but I found one years ago and just unpacked this little gem after hiding in storage. I searched through the site and was unable to find another link to it. UNITECH was (is?) a Korean Electronics Manufacturer that made less expensive versions of popular Japanese Products. I was exposed to them by their big write-ups in the DAK Ads in the 1980's, I posted some below in the brochure section.

    This is a beefy unit with very nice build quality, there's a ton of small screws and it even looks like an azimuth adjustment on the black area above the letter E. The STEREO/MONO switch also controls NOR/MET, pretty odd to have both using the same switch.

    I'm a little naive, this has play, FF, REV, Stop and "PROG"? what is PROG?

    While this may or may not be a contender for the smallest, it has to be in the top three.

    DSC_5923sm.jpg
     
    Mister X, Aug 18, 2019
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  2. Radio Raheem

    Radio Raheem Well-Known Member

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    that's a walkman mr x had a few like it lol
     
    Radio Raheem, Aug 18, 2019
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  3. stuck-in-time

    stuck-in-time Well-Known Member

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    Quite an Aiwa-esque design looks like an HS-J02 in the body of an HS-F2.

    I'd personally classify this as a walkman, yeah. While the boundary may be a bit blurred in the smaller units, I think the #1 characteristic of a boombox would be that the speakers must be on the front side.
     
    stuck-in-time, Aug 18, 2019
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  4. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    The rules have changed, this may be on the fence since it doesn't have a handle but I've got a shelf of minis with no handles and nobody disputes if they're little boomboxes.

    DSC_5926sm.jpg
     
    Mister X, Aug 18, 2019
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  5. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    Whenever I look up equipment that I find, it seems like HIFI Tom was already here. In the old days he always had really cood stuff, this was before the thousands of threads on the forums brought all of these fantastic units out in the public. I just found this thread but he has the Universum Version of the UNITECH and a neat ELIN Micro Boombox. The Kenwood is nice, I've got one of those and they're very unique and also a high quality build.
    http://www.stereo2go.com/topic/index.php?board_oid=193392314111653340&content_oid=193392314112029801

    1z69hcw.jpg
     
    Mister X, Aug 18, 2019
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  6. lupogtiboy

    lupogtiboy Well-Known Member

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    Slightly unfortunate name on the Universum version, City Bummler! :loldiag:
     
    lupogtiboy, Aug 19, 2019
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  7. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    I was wondering what that said, any idea what a Bummler is?
     
    Mister X, Aug 19, 2019
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  8. lupogtiboy

    lupogtiboy Well-Known Member

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    Maybe you're meant to wear it around your waist like a bum-bag?
     
    lupogtiboy, Aug 20, 2019
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  9. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    We don't have bum bags, we have fanny packs.....
     
    Mister X, Aug 20, 2019
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  10. stuck-in-time

    stuck-in-time Well-Known Member

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    Universum was German brand right? While I my German isn't that well, Bummler does sound a bit "german-y" to me. So I put in to Google Translate and it translates as a a loafer/dawdler. That don't seem to bring about a good impression as a product name though, but I do get the connection: some sort of city-explorer.

    With that in mind, going back and forth a bit around the synonyms brings me to the German word "Weltenbummler" which means Gl0betrotter, now that's a good impression. So name is actually something lik "City-Trotter"
     
    stuck-in-time, Aug 20, 2019
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  11. Harryl89

    Harryl89 New Member

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    You can also translate the German „bummeln“ into „walking around with no hurry, or no defined way, like walking trough a city and exploring, looking to the people, shops, café and so on“, but City-Trotter will be a good English Name for it, City-Walker also possible. I’m from Austria and and don’t know if you have an really better description for a chilled walk.
     
    Harryl89, Aug 21, 2019
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  12. Longman

    Longman Well-Known Member S2G Supporter

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    What a coincidence. Yesterday I saw an Austrian coach with Bummler written on the side which made me laugh.

    Mister X. In the UK "Fanny Packs" sounds like something you would buy in Anne Summers. You will have to Google them if you aren't familiar with the shop.
     
    Longman, Aug 21, 2019
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  13. Papa

    Papa Member

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    I would have them on my shelve if I could find them. :thumbsup2:
     
    Papa, Aug 23, 2019
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  14. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    One of these days I'll post a photo, or two, or more of my shelves! Lots of minis, I really like the compact size and some of them are engineering marvals. When I was a kid it was pretty much some entry level Sharps, the retro bright colored rounded Radio Shacks and Soundesign bottom of the bowl. I never knew all of these existed before joining this forum.
     
    Mister X, Aug 23, 2019
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  15. Jorge

    Jorge Well-Known Member

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    Me too! Since my attempt of getting the biggest one-piecer ever had failed (posted at bboxery section here) I want one of these!!! :)

    How do you fight this gene for collecting stuff???!!!;)
     
    Jorge, Aug 23, 2019
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  16. Tim Walters

    Tim Walters Member

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    My candidates would be the tiny Fisher: https://www.just-cassette.com/post/fisher-ph-m85-stereo-metal-microcassette-recorder-system#! or something like this Sanyo with speakers on front... https://www.ebay.com/itm/392286488325, or maybe a JVC or a Sharp with TV like this one: https://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-VINTA...037794?hash=item469b77e9a2:g:LksAAOSwJshc9YUG which I believe I have one, anyone interested?
     
    Tim Walters, Aug 24, 2019
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  17. WheelyPanamax2

    WheelyPanamax2 Active Member

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    WheelyPanamax2, Aug 24, 2019
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  18. Mister X

    Mister X Moderator Staff Member

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    It's hard to hold back but I try Jorge, that Sanyo has eluded me Tim Walters, they come up about once a year but they're always in silly money territory. The one you posted looks like the nicest version that's come up in the past few years.
     
    Mister X, Aug 24, 2019
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  19. nickeccles

    nickeccles Well-Known Member

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    Nice little generic builds well made & pretty desirable!
     
    nickeccles, Aug 31, 2019
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  20. A O

    A O Well-Known Member

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    Reminds me of my old Universum City Bummler. Here it is with the suspiciously similar Aiwa HS-P03.

    [​IMG]
     
    A O, Sep 1, 2019
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