Modern music players are nice, but sometimes it's nice to step back and enjoy something that stirs great musical memories.
I grew up with one of those huge, old 1970s-era stereos. It had a record player (no, we didn't call them "turntables," you young whippersnappers), an AM/FM stereo with a rotating dial that you used to manually tune into a station but never seemed to get it exactly right, and the top-of-the-line feature: An 8-track tape player. Oh yes, we were stylin', y'all.
where it’s @
The Electrohome Signature Music System requires a plug and can play music in vinyl, AM/FM, CD or MP3 formats. The product retails for $199. More information is available at electrohome.com.
Technology has come a long way since then. Yes, stereos can now fit in a pocket, and yes, digital music sounds amazing. But sometimes, I miss the loud "pop" of hitting those old stereo buttons and the gentle hisses and pops of a record as the song died away.
This week's product brought all those memories back, and I'm loving it. The Electrohome Signature Music System combines modern technology with a retro look, feel and sound.
First, a warning: This thing is big and heavy. It's about a foot tall, 18 inches wide and 13.5 inches deep, by my scientific measuring tool (also known as a yardstick). It weighs several pounds, so you'll need a sturdy shelf to place it on. You'll also need a nearby electric outlet. The power cord is about 4 feet long, which isn't a lot if you put the system on a high shelf or table.
The Electrohome combines a record player, AM/FM radio and CD player with a USB port capable of playing MP3 songs from a phone or flash drive and an auxiliary port on the back capable of playing music from digital players or smartphones using a 3.5mm jack and the player's headphone port (wire not included, unfortunately).
The USB port also allows users to record music from the record or CD player. Those with old records that they'd love to digitize can use this device to make a backup of the music they own. CD or MP3 playback includes the ability to program certain songs to play or for the unit to memorize. You can even set the CD player to random (shuffle to the younger folks) or repeat.
What I love about the Electrohome is it takes the whole retro thing and runs with it all the way.
The volume and tuner knobs are real knobs. They turn and they get you close, but you may or may not hit exactly what you want. The buttons that move from CD to Phono (for phonograph, another word you kids need to learn) to AM or FM radio make that wonderful loud "pop" sound when pressed. Just like the good ol' days.
The radio dial is a dial -- no digital numbers, just a dial with a stick gliding over the numbers and lines that give listeners a general idea what frequency they might be near. Even the speaker is covered in a glittery gold material similar to what the old speakers used to use before black became the in thing. It's a thing of beauty, you guys, and worth showing off.
Granted, the cabinet is plastic, but at least it has a strong look of wood. The buttons and dials are a brushed bronze color. The only modern look is a small, blue LCD display for use with the CD and USB components. The unit also includes a small remote that can be used with these two modes, but it won't adjust the volume or radio tuner, nor will it work with the phonograph.
It's not just the look that is retro. The sound has a retro feel as well.
The front-facing speaker isn't going to give true Dolby surround sound. Although it sounds like a retro speaker, it still has a great sound. You'll still get some depth out of the modern CDs, but those records are likely to have the mono, bass-light sound they were made to have -- and that's just fine.
I have some original albums from The Monkees a friend gave to me years ago. While I had long ago purchased digital versions of all the songs, there was something special about hearing the original recordings on vinyl. Then, I put a flash drive into the USB port built into the front of the Electrohome, hit the record button twice as instructed, and the sound from the record was recorded into an MP3 file on the flash drive, complete with the hisses and pops that only a vinyl record can properly produce.
The recordings are true to their source. If the record was created in mono, the MP3 file will be mono. If the record had a stereo sound, you'll get it on the MP3 file as well. Recording from CDs works just the same -- the sound was as sharp, clear and the stereo surrounded as you were listening straight from the CD.
The buttons on the front are subtle and there are several that often serve multiple purposes and require more than one punch to complete a function. The commands can get a bit complicated, so it's good to have the manual around for a few days.
The bottom line is, the Electrohome is exactly what it claims to be. It takes the retro look and feel of the 1960s and 1970s and puts them into a system that can handle new technology just as well. It has a nice sound, good functions and a great look. If you're looking or a conversation piece or just a special stereo for the home, this is definitely one to see.
It certainly brings back some great memories.
SundayMonday Business on 02/16/2015