Today we will tell you what a boombox is. It's about a kind of portable audio center. Initially this name was given to a two-cassette portable stereo tape recorder with large speakers and a radio receiver. Since the nineties, CD players are included in the boom box. Comments on this innovation were very positive. However, today such devices are increasingly rare.
Appearance
Start talking about what a boombox is, with a description of the first representative of this type of equipment. He appeared in 1975. The device was invented by the twin brothers Scott and Stacy Welfel. As the initial elements, they used an eight-track car radio and a wooden case, supplemented with built-in speakers. By the end of the 70s, what a boombox is, has already been understood by a lot of people, because by this time different companies have demonstrated their device options. Then, powerful enough models were created. However, these players gained real popularity only in the eighties, when such trends as breakdance and hip-hop culture began to develop.
Gettoblaster
It is difficult to understand the question of what a boombox is, passing by this term. In fact, it is synonymous with the traditional name, but it can mean an approving or offensive reaction based on context. The word "ghettoblaster" appeared in the United States, in cities and neighborhoods, where the black population was predominant. It was this term that became common for Australia and the UK and called portable large stereos. The word is used both as the name of the magazine and the record company. In addition, it became an element of the popular phenomenon in African American culture of the 70s and 80s, which is associated, as a rule, with breakdance, rap, hip-hop and funk.
In the UK in the nineties, the use of this word has significantly decreased. It gave way to the term "Bristston portfolio". The company called "Virgin Games" released a game for the eight-bit home computer in 1985. Its essence is that the hero moved with a boombox on the street and fired people to music, forcing them to dance.
Flowering
The main factor in the rise in demand for such types of devices were types of street activity - battles and jams. In them, groups of young people began to show their own styles and compete in the skill of rap reading and dance skills. This type of audio device attracted the following features: it allowed to record, exchange tracks and dance in any convenient place. The popularity of boomboxes was strongly influenced by the media. Television and FM stations spurred the craving for amateur creativity and broad communication. Firms have a powerful incentive. In particular, companies tried to make devices with the most pure sound and the longest period of battery life.
Nowadays
Today, boomboxes are almost everywhere replaced by digital players or amplifiers for mobile phones. However, for those who like these solutions, several types of devices are produced that can replace them in many ways. It's about large digital players that can work with a flash card. Externally, they copy the early boomboxes of the eighties. In loudness they also do not concede. There are even simulators of the tape recorder for iPhone and other mobile devices. In fact, they are portable speakers. There is one more option for fans of the described devices: an mp3-cassette, which is a digital media player, but has a magnetic head.
Now you know what a boombox is. Photos of the device are attached to this material.