An extremely large and attractive model, it does not have the glitz and glitter or flashy looks like it's bigger brother, the 7980 (aka of <a href="tiki-index.php?page=Conion+C-100F" title="The C100 was the heaviest and highest-quality Conion boombox, with a weighted tuner knob and better-quality controls." class="wiki wiki_page">Conion C-100</a>). However, what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in sound quality and features as technically, this product has more higher end features than the Clairtone 7980.
Physically, it is about the size of the <a class="wiki" href="JVC RC-M90" rel="">JVC RC-M90</a>, and has dual center mounted FM antennas. It also has separate FM presets like many <a class="wiki" href="Grundig" rel="">Grundig</a> radios have. However unlike modern station presets that digitally retunes a tuner, this one like the Grundigs actually has separate tuner circuitry that allows each preset (actually presents and is selected like a separate band) to be tuned indepedantly using a small knob located at the top. Perhaps it is the uniqueness of the colors but the meters are exeptionally attractive, with a yellowish almost LCD'ish look to them. They meters can switch from VU function to Battery/Tune function via a space age (for it's time) capacitive touch switch. When you touch the tuning knob, the meters switch from the VU function to allow you to fine tune the tuner. As soon as you release the knob, the meters return to VU function.
The deck is a soft touch servo controlled deck which is a nice upgrade from the more archaic piano or car-stereo style depress keys of the 7980 model. Although it does not have a spinning simulated deck operation status led circuitry found on the 7980, it does have it's own unique running led indicators, which instead of spinning in a circle, does the same thing but in linear fashion. In other words, the leds chase from left to right during playback, fast left to right durign FF and fast right to left during RW. Sound is tremenous as it has plenty of power to back up it's large size.
This author suspects that the Clairtone branded boomboxes were OEM rebranded products and not manufactured on their own. Their 7878 model appears to be an aka Clone of the Rising SRC-2015 model. Their 7980 model is clearly an aka of the <a class="wiki" href="Conion C-100F" rel="">Conion C-100F</a> model and this model has features and appearance (although none exactly like this that we know of) with several european models such as produced by Palladin and Beston brands.
