Hands on: Sharp GX-M10 Boombox review

Portable music gets a retro-futuro update

What is a hands on review?
Sharp GX-M10 Boombox
The Boombox with Miss IFA - cherish this image

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Sometimes a gadget appears at a technology tradeshow which makes collective jaws drop; this year at IFA 2012 it was the Sharp GX-M10 Boombox.

Now, there's nothing wrong with the '80s. This writer remembers fondly shell suits, M*A*S*K, the choice of three channels and the Walkman. But, do we really want age-old technology making a re-appearance?

When it comes to the Boombox, maybe, just maybe. This massive 'portable' hi-fi was a system favoured by B-Boys, rappers such as LL Cool J and even The Clash approved of the big sound,

Sharp was very much part of the Boombox, er, boom in the '80s – its Sharp HK-9000 was owned by Fab Freddy, putting it up there with the coolest of the cool.

Sharp Boombox

30 years on, though, and a lot has changed. Rappers are now moguls, favouring to create their own products like earphones, than adopt those available in the shops.

Couple this with music in 2012 being very much a private thing (thanks or no thanks to Apple) and even when it is played out loud, the device's used are small – crammed with technology to make sure that, despite their size, the sound is big.

Sharp GX-M10 Boombox

With the GX-M10 Boombox, Sharp has scrunched up the rule book and decided that big music machines are back in style.

Looks-wise, the GX-MX10 is a mountain of orange. It looks like a barrel of Irn-Bru, packed with enough audio fizz to give… well, you get the idea.

Sharp GX-M10 Boombox

The Boombox has been given 100 Watts of power, through the two 13cm woofers offering up some big bass.

Like the Boombox of yore, Sharp has made the GX-MX10 portable. All you need is a boatload of batteries to make the thing work – or an optional adaptor that can make the Boombox car (or party bus) friendly.

Sharp GX-M10 Boombox

Given that the Boombox has been re-upped for the modern day, it is iPod and iPhone 4 ready. The iDevice has to be protected for some reason, we are guessing because when you use the Boombox it will be on your shoulders as you blast Nero to the world.

Sharp GX-M10 Boombox

If you are not a shoulder person, then there's also a shoulder strap supplied - so you have no excuse for taking this baby outside.

The Sharp GX-M10 Boombox is currently prices at 299 Euros and will be available in metallic orange from October.

Marc Chacksfield

Marc Chacksfield is the Editor In Chief, Shortlist.com at DC Thomson. He started out life as a movie writer for numerous (now defunct) magazines and soon found himself online - editing a gaggle of gadget sites, including TechRadar, Digital Camera World and Tom's Guide UK. At Shortlist you'll find him mostly writing about movies and tech, so no change there then.

What is a hands on review?

Hands on reviews' are a journalist's first impressions of a piece of kit based on spending some time with it. It may be just a few moments, or a few hours. The important thing is we have been able to play with it ourselves and can give you some sense of what it's like to use, even if it's only an embryonic view. For more information, see TechRadar's Reviews Guarantee.