Hitachi TRK-9900
The TRK-9900 was a very heavy, high-quality 3-piece ghettoblaster sold by Hitachi in 1981. Here are its specifications:
- 4-band tuner (FM/MW/LW/SW)
- Tape deck with CrO2, Metal, Dolby, and DRPS music search.
- Phono and Line In
- Dimensions: 580mm wide, 298mm tall (with the handle down), and 227mm deep.
- Speakers: 12cm woofers (3.2 ohm), 5cm tweeters (4 ohm)
- Frequency response: 20 Hz to 17,000 Hz when using Metal tape
- Wow and flutter: 0.05% WRMS
- Weight: Center unit 7.3 kg, each speaker 2.4 kg, for a combined total of 12.1 kg (not including batteries).
- Batteries: 10 D-cells, plus one AA for the clock.
- Model variations: TRK-9900E, TRK-9900W, TRK-9900H, and TRK-9900HC.
- Color variations: Silver, gold/brown, and brown/silver.
To disassemble it, remove the screws in the rear case, plus the 2 screws on top. Slowly pull the rear cover off (disconnect the antenna and power supply cables while you are doing this). All the electronics are mounted on a chassis that can be pulled out.
The power supply is much better than the typical boombox. It's a toroidal-style transformer, feeding a Sanyo STK430II amplifier that is attached to a very big heat sink. According to Hitachi, its output is 2x25 watts "Music Power". But its RMS output would be less than that.
The tuner gets outstanding reception, and it has a fast, flywheel-weighted knob. It also has 3 station presets, AFC, and FM muting. The LCD screen has a light, but it is only temporary (you must hold the button down).
There is a 2-channel LED meter with a total of 24 segments (green and red). It functions as a VU input-level meter.
The tape deck includes Dolby, Metal, and DRPS music search.
But wait, there's more! The TRK9900 is loaded with features! Under the tape deck is a hidden compartment which contains the Recording Level knobs, the FM preset setters, and the headphone and mic jacks.
The speakers are built better than the ones on the TRK-9140/9150. They have better quality plastic walls, thicker gauge wires, and bigger magnets. Also, the tweeters are located higher for better sound projection. And these tweeters sound very precise, and they produce a lot of sound. The woofers are very good too, they make nice tight bass. Brutal, in fact, if you crank it up. This really is one of the most hifi-like boomboxes of the 80's.