TDK 3 Speaker Boombox
Here we have the biggest and baddest TDK ever made! The 3-Speaker "Life on Record" Boombox, code number TP6803BLK. It was introduced in 2010 for $499, and it's got a beautiful design with carbon-fiber speakers on a piano-black face. Thick aluminum handle with a leather hand grip. Touch-sensitive controls, spectrum analyzer, and track display. This thing is a beast, and difficult to carry, because it weighs 27 lbs. And that's without batteries! With batteries, it would weigh about 32 lbs. Maybe that's why TDK put a tripod mount on the bottom, because they knew most people would leave it at home! Who's going to buy twelve D-cell batteries anyway?
They call it the 3-Speaker Boombox, but technically it has 5 speakers: Two 5.5" full-range speakers, two 1.5" tweeters mounted coaxially, and one 5.5" subwoofer. The output power is 35 watts (2x10 to the outer speakers and 15 to the subwoofer). The sub can really move! In terms of a sound quality review, this thing pumps, and it's loud as hell...louder than most people will need indoors. Mids and treble are very clear and present, and the bass is solid too. And unlike most boomboxes, there's no rattles or vibration....they did a really good job sealing this thing up. The battery cover is held down by thumbscrews, and there's a full-length rubber pad on the bottom. It's built SOLID.
The anodized aluminum handle is very thick and sturdy, and it has a brown leather pad on the underside for comfort. This pad often comes loose. It's merely glued on, so you will need to apply some new glue.
Some owners have experienced problems with the volume knob malfunctioning. It could be because of bad firmware (see the paragraph below). Or it could be due to the wires inside the knob that light the LED light. These wires can become tangled, and over time they will get caught on a ridge inside the knob. So when you turn the volume up, those wires will try to pull the knob back down. This will cause a phantom volume drop-off. To fix it, just pull off the silver knob cover and rearrange the wires.
Make sure you have the latest firmware installed. The last version I'm aware of was 2.3.7. You can see what version you have by holding down the OK button while turning the power on (keep holding it down for several seconds until the menu appears), and then select "Version" in the menu. This boombox was manufactured by Imation Corp, which is now known as Glassbridge Enterprises. After-sale service will continue until the end of 2020. Here is a website that might help: http://tdkperformance.host4kb.com/
Specs / Specifications:
- Dimensions: 24.3" x 15.5" x 5.3"
- Weight: 26.8 lbs (not including batteries)
- Power source: 24V/1.68A adapter (part number GPE602-240168D), or 12 D-cell batteries.
- Inputs: USB, 3.5mm Line In, 1/4" instruments/mics, and L&R RCA jacks
- USB port accepts flash drives with MP3 or WMA files (bitrate up to 320kbps).
- USB port also accepts iPods (the instructions say iPhone 3G and 3GS, iPod Classic, iPod Touch 2nd gen, and iPod Nano 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th gen).
- There's no Bluetooth....TDK didn't add that feature until 2012, in a totally redesigned model called the A73 Wireless Boombox (see that page for details).
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