Ghetto Blaster: The First Portable Speaker System

Lets go back to a simpler time where ghetto blasters were abundant and break-dancing was the way you got the ladies.  A time where lugging around a huge speaker on your back was a thing of the norm and the Beastie Boys were the world’s leaders.  The boombox had a good run and created the catalyst for more recent technologies such as the Walkman and MP3 player.

Boomboxes gained worldwide attention in the 80s with artist such as the Beastie Boys glorifying them

It all started in the late 60s when stereos started to become more compact and portable. By the mid 70s they were a popular choice among urban environments in areas such as New York, L.A, and Washington D.C. As a result, they earned the name ghetto blaster for their use in hip-hop and break dance culture. At first they were equipped with only an AM/FM radio and a few input and outputs for connection of a microphone or turntable. They were the first portable music device and we’re eventually diminished with the emergence of the walkman and eventually the MP3 player.

Recently, the boombox has returned with updated technology. Lasonic is one of the frontrunners in bringing back the ghetto blaster back to life with much success. They got their start with models such as TRC935 and TRC 922 in the 80s and have since released the i931bt which was redesigned in 2011 with Bluetooth streaming. Lasonic is going as far as to create custom colors that will exclusively be sold here at Sonic Electronix. The boombox is making a comback so grab your best dance shoes and get ready to party like its 1985!