Sharp GF-9000

The Sharp GF-9000 was introduced in 1982. It was called the GF-535 in Japan. It's a big one, measuring 677mm across, 326mm tall, and 169mm deep. It has big 20cm woofers protected by shiny chrome bars (I think Lasonic copied this design concept for their TRC-931). The tape deck has Dolby and APLD song search. The tuner has 4 bands (FM/AM/SW1/SW2 on the GF-9000Z, and FM/MW/SW/LW on the GF-9000E and GF-9000H). But the huge, colorful VU meter is what really distinguishes this model. It's just so big and colorful, and it's the only one I've seen that sweeps at that particular angle.

I've never owned one, but a few collectors have said it doesn't have as much bass as they expected from such a big box. The first reason is because the woofers are rather stiff. Some collectors have had good results replacing them with more flexible ones, like the ones in Lasonic 931's. The second reason is because the amplifier isn't very powerful. It's just one Hitachi HA1392 chip. The Sharp GF-777 and GF-9696 have two of those chips. But still, this is a nice looking box that will always be a collectors' favorite.