The most 1980s stereo system: Soundesign Audio Core

[@Skawo]

I genuinely thought the thumbnail was a screenshot

[@Chester200100]

It looks like a winamp skin

[@Skawo]

@@Chester200100 Yeah, that's exactly what I thought

[@vwestlife]

It is a screenshot of the video, just with a bit of background graphics added.

[@fulsgold1749]

I thought it was a screenshot of a VST synth of something

[@waynesharp1690]

So did I lol

[@teacfan1080]

It doesn't just look 80's, it SCREAMS 80's!

[@CassetteComeback]

That's lovely. When you were young, you didn't care about sound quality. You just cared that it looked cool and that it worked. I'd gladly have this on display and use it.

[@cuoresportivo155]

Yet the comments just loved those! And I did too. I just started putting videos up this week so don't know what's normal or not with youtube studio, but the counts are all over the place depending on the page you're looking at, or even the part of the page you look at.

[@BillAnt]

I had a similar looking Fisher Electronics tower back in the 80's. It was my tall "music altar" (lol), looked and sounded great with lots of fancy graphics, buttons, and blinking lights. :)

[@zangl2955]

“Audiophiles listen use music to listen to their equipment.”

[@chrislj2890]

You never cease to amaze me with your ability to find old el cheapo gizmos, fix them when needed, and demonstrate and review them in a manner that makes them desirable to own. It's because of you that I've gotten back into cassettes, and I'm not sure whether to thank you or curse you, lol.

[@yuriivanov12]

I did a step even further, and returned to old tube radios 😂 They make me feel like I'm in ancient times.

[@chrislj2890]

@@yuriivanov12 Yeah, and what's really cool is that on those things you can tune in old radio programs from the '40s and '50s and relive the past. 😉

[@El_K_Bron_Del_Moycas]

I would have definitely loved to have a system like that back in the day when I was a kid.

[@Oli1974]

they were really crappy, I still remember

[@xaenon]

I had one similar to this for many years as an adult, though like you, I ash swapped the original speakers in favor of some better ones. And yes, I was glad to have it.

[@LarryWaldbillig]

These were the Kmart special; usually sold for $99 from 1985-88. For those who couldn't afford the big 400 watt Sharp and Fisher tower stereos these were designed to mimic. They were incredibly popular with apartment dwellers (It's primary advantage being LOOKING high power and impressive without the neighbor complaints and eviction threats of a Sharp tower.)

[@michaelfuller34]

I’m always associated SoundDesign with Radio Shack though I know they also had Realistic branded items. Maybe I’m wrong.

[@xaenon]

@@michaelfuller34 Radio Shack had a wide range of stuff, from the Optimus brand (the higher-end stuff) down to their 'Clarinette' brand which was their budget all-in-ones and entry-level component stuff. I tripped over a Clarinette AM/FM/8-Track 'receiver' a few weeks ago at a yard sale. They had another low-end brand, too, though the name escapes me at the moment.

[@MrDuncl]

That was presumably 400W peak Music Power. Have you seen the size of transformer needed for 400W continuous ?

[@xaenon]

@@MrDuncl My old Marantz receiver was spec'd for 40W/channel, continuous, and its power transformer occupied nearly a quarter of the cabinet. I promise, Sharp never built anything THAT damned solid.

[@brianleeper5737]

@@xaenon Realistic was another Radio Shack brand.

[@TechTimeWithEric]

The thing I've found is, these were low end and many considered them junk... yet every single example I find still works 100%.

[@velvetpilot2008]

I don't know where you find these items, but I approve! New Jersey must have the best second hand shops in the world!

[@STR82DVD]

Remember buying stereos in the 80s, and thinking was - the busier the better. Bloody great content lad. Great find!

[@markoprskalo6127]

I have Nikola Tesla stereo amplifier It's still working to this day

[@DeadKoby]

I had a SoundDesign unit from the late 70's... it had christmas bulbs and the double mirror making the infinite depth illusion. It looked SUPER COOL... sounded OK... and eventually fell apart.

[@MotownBatman]

That thing is BEAUTIFUL! I swear I had an Aunt with this Home Deck

[@robertlandrum1971]

I had one of those stereo systems back in the late 80s through early 90s. I hooked up a TV antenna to the FM external antenna to get better reception. Then I plugged in a CD Walkman to the Aux. It was a great college dorm stereo at the time.

[@douglasallen9428]

Even now, I would absolutely love to have a stereo system like this one (despite its overall cheapness)…. but oddly enough, it’s also what makes it so appealing to me! Thank you for another wonderful video!!!

[@F40PH-2CAT]

My first stereo system was a Soundesign 6821M all in one complete with particle board tower and skinny tower speakers back in 1986. You could even store your cassettes in the central support column. It was awesome and the tapes i recorded with it still sound good today. It was a sound design.

[@LarryWaldbillig]

I remember those; They were the kind of stereos you bought when you couldn't afford those awesome Sharp or Fisher towers the cool kids had.

[@epicwildstar1918]

@@LarryWaldbilligdennon and Sony were the big boy brands, not sure what kind of whole you grew up in!

[@F40PH-2CAT]

​@@LarryWaldbilligi actually upgraded to a Fisher MC723BK system when I got my first job at 16 😂

[@segamanxero]

That specific Soundesign unit and that specific Memorex tape are the chef's kiss. Would of passed this one up as a kid, but as a adult do not care that its cheap, it simply looks amazing!

[@HBC101TVStudios]

Gotta love this 1980’s all in one stereo system. Sure, it’s not audiophile approved but for the average Joe, an all-in-one stereo system from Soundesign would suffice to make them happy and satisfied. Very simple and easy to use out of the box. Just plug in it, turn it on and you’re ready to go!

[@marktubeie07]

Commenting to keep the algorithm happy for you - and I always watch anyway and this one was no exception. KZbin is behaving strangely of late...

[@5argetech56]

One thing I can say for sure, you are the cassette deck repair expert. I have learned much from your videos on these old machines. HiFi or LoFi, you have a way to fix them! Thank you. 😃

[@semectual]

I had a neighbor who lived 3 apartments from my parents back in 1991 and he had this same exact stereo system with all original parts, such as the record player and speakers! I grew up around these and wished my parents would have bought this for me and as a kid in the 80s, even if I didn't own one, would have been Thrilled to have one of these! Great Video!

[@piercelidseveraltime]

Great video I love the look of these things, and as an added bonus I no longer suffer from asphyxiation during exercise thanks to that handy tip on the cassette :)

[@nickvickers3486]

Let's face it, we'd all be pretty chuffed to have this now. And VWestlife is still the coolest kid on the block!

[@P3SS3SSOd]

Fantastic review. That volume indicator with the incandesent globes is an all-new one for me. That's something special in cost cutting right there. I do believe that's inspired by what we boombox collectors call the 'runway style' LED meters. usually with a mirror on top them to double the perceived amount. Ironically, Technics put such a thing on their SA-CA09 but Lasonic, Lloyds, Intersound, etc, etc followed suit on many other models.

[@Markimark151]

I had a similar stereo system with that color scheme from the 1980s, we were obsessed with technicolor shapes like triangles on electronics!

[@MrDuncl]

and diagonal lines. The equaliser and level display ticks that box. Away from stereos even the bedclothes had pastel colours and diagonal lines back then.

[@Markimark151]

@@MrDuncl it’s has something to do with MTV and the graphic designers! Even in video games like Nintendo was pushing for pastel colors and pixels in their marketing!

[@Erdie5]

Heck, you’d probably be the coolest kid in school now with something like this.

[@c.m.junior2686]

I would have been the happiest kid in the universe to have a system like this. Thank you so much for sharing.

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

I probably would've at a younger age.

[@weeraanmelden]

That device looks brand new. The design is indeed peak ‘80 😀

[@Thiesi]

Ugh, YT can be ... quite difficult to deal with occasionally. So let's make sure the algorithm recommends this great video about an interesting piece of retro tech to more people than just me.

[@harikrishnan680]

Amazing time is flying shall we all go back to 80s again 😢❤❤❤

[@imansfield]

This is the sort of stereo I would have aspired to as a kid. There were always loads of models like that in the catalogs of the day, usually made by Bush, Alba or Murphy in the UK. All fur coat and no knickers, as we say.

[@rupertthomson]

Don't forget Fidelity!

[@fartwell2000]

@@rupertthomson And Waltham

[@TheErador]

AMSTRAD...

[@fartwell2000]

@@TheErador And Matsui and Saisho too.

[@richarddavey9547]

Hinari

[@JEEPSTR78]

Great video! I had soundesign red boombox with a single cassette deck that I got for my 1st Holy Communion and it was one of the best gifts ever! Wish I could find another one NOS.

[@jacobsgarage1458]

Reminds me of my childhood friends Amstrad “stereo” tower. My first stereo was Onkyo and Nikko and I don’t remember the brand of my turntable . Great video as always

[@starsINSPACE]

I love how you got out a matching aesthetic cassette

[@maxaprettyboy6512]

I LOVE the aesthetic of this thing, I'd be proud to have. Those light-up elements are so groovy

[@ab1dq593]

So fabulously tripindicularly cool. When I was a teen in the 80s, indeed my first stereo was an all in one Soundesign. Mine had dual cassette deck AM-FM radio, an integrated fantastic plastic turntable and... brace yourself - 8 Track deck. The turntable had a nice holder for about a dozen cassettes too. Such fun, thanks!

[@bobblum5973]

Thank you for showcasing these types of systems. They filled a market niche of decent quality at an affordable price, and for their time were better quality than much of what we see today.

[@ceticobr]

I love all VWestlife's videos and I will usually leave a comment when I can. This time I'm leaving a comment to help up with the algorithm. Keep up the good work!

[@CommodoreFan64]

Awesome find, and as an 80's Kid I would have loved this in my room back in the day, as I was lucky to have an AM/FM Panasonic boombox with dual cassette decks, and ported speakers that detached from the main unit, and among my friends that was gold, as most them either had a cheap portable tape deck, basic mono AM/FM radio cassette player, or not much of anything.

[@rehabdrive5469]

We had a few Soundesign products during the 80s, never had any problems. They actually all did a good job at what they were made to do. 🤘

[@limabravo0001]

Hey there my hero! 🌈🤟 You knocked this one out of the park yet again. AMAZING REVIEW...and love your voice!

[@S7EVE_P]

It has that cool 1980s Memphis Design vibe. That turquoise and the styling, very nice.

[@DominatorHDX]

LOL I had that exact experience 😅 I got a stereo system (a Sanyo) when I was 10 or 12 I think for my birthday back in the 80's and indeed I was the cool kid in the street 😎 I still have the picture that was taken the exact moment I saw my new stereo for the first time standing on the kitchen table. I was so happy! Ah the good old days... 😄❤ EDIT: I googled it and I think it was a Sanyo GXT 848U.

[@rizzlerazzleuno4733]

Sanyo made some great compact stereo systems, often with Dolby and a decent Garrard record changer. They show up on auction sites quite often, but almost never with their original speakers. Where do those those speakers go? You can probably find a GXT 848U, but it will probably need some work. Some part of the good old days may not be gone. 😊

[@rwj777]

I would love to have this 80's vintage system in my man cave, because everything about this system screams 1980's. It would definitely be a conversation piece for sure. lol Myself being an 80's kid, I had the pleasure of owning many boom boxes and bookshelf stereo system of this era, but none of them had as much personality as this one does. I love your videos bro, please keep cranking out that great content. 👍

[@regal_type]

I think devices that are of somewhat mediocre quality but have a ton of personality and fun are an underrated category of old electronics.

[@CARLiCON]

fantastic plastic! nice work MacGuyver! the fact that it's 36 years old & it all still works speaks volumes...also it's so clean it is tells me it was not used much, but like I said before, some Soundesign was actually not bad. I really like the individual volume controls for the amp. I had a 70s vintage Soundesign AM/FM with built in: turntable & 8 track...it was mostly metal & built like a tank.

[@duprie37]

I got something like this as my very first hi-fi system when I was 16 in 1988. It took me 4 months to save up for it working at the local supermarket Thursday evenings & Saturdays for $5.75 an hour! But, crap as it was, it was so nice having my own system & not having to transfer my new records to blank tapes on my parents hi-fi system to play on my crappy boombox.

[@jeffbillings]

Bro has the best sample tracks of all retro YT

[@Eliotime3000]

The performance of that cheap sound system reminds me to my first early 2000's bookshelf sound system manufactured by Memorex, and I remember clearly how well plays pre-recorded cassettes in THAT High fidelity.

[@tellittojoe]

I always see a ton of soundesign electronics in the thrift stores here on Long Island. That equalizer.😊 That first song you played, " In heaven there is no beer" was one of my dad's favorite , Frankie Yankovic version.

[@madmax2069]

Ahh Soundesign, hearing that name takes me back, My first one was a 5834BLK. I did have a few others afterwards. My last one was one that was a TV stand with fold out speakers.

[@prk55]

I really enjoyed this. Reminded me of the Saisho hi-fi systems sold in the UK

[@nowhereman4217]

Great video. Just seen that KZbin made it look like no one watched for the first few hours or something. I usually watch within minutes of a new vid because I have notifications turned on. Love your channel and keep it up brother.

[@seacampal1425]

This channel is always good entertainment, you always make me smile and laugh. Your dedication to making these systems work perfectly for show and demonstration of their sonic quality is biblical. As a child, I would have been disappointed not to have the Dolby function. I had discovered the principle of operation and had demonstrated it to my father who was stunned by my discovery: "Well! You made a great discovery there!" He didn't know the Dolby system at all. .

[@BretAHart]

This was a dream system for me back in the day. Love seeing it in action!

[@demogaming8895]

13:55 the fact that they weren't even sure where it was made, or just used the same sticker for both Mexico and Taiwan made models really emphasises the "quality" of this turntable

[@ChristopherSobieniak]

Says much of the business behind making these cheaply as they did.

[@josephrbates]

Nostalgia overload this morning…thanks for the great demo!

[@EricAdamsYT]

Man, this one was a walk down memory lane. I didn't have that exact system but I had a similar one that also has included the high speed dubbing feature which made me very popular for a few years. I also had those blank cassettes and you are right, it couldn't be any more 80s. BTW, using polka to test the tape deck made me burst out in laughter. Well done!

[@brianreynolds6303]

I had a stereo just like this one. I loved the high speed doubling.

[@slt7139]

That was awesome a great trip down memory lane

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

Just in time for my breakfast a new VWestlife video from the best KZbinr Kevin! Really a cool looking audio system

[@JmieYoutube]

Love how you appreciate the under appreciated, I just picked up the 6821 audio core at my thrift store, can’t wait to plug it in

[@justamannn8674]

I was so embarrassed when my parents got me a soundesign stereo. But honestly I had that thing for over 5 years. It was an all in one unit, but it has a great analog tuner that felt like silk dialing in my favorite FM stations. Over all it was perfect for a kid who just loved music. Great post ty!

[@RPKGameVids]

It looks cheap yet very cool at the same time. I'd love to have one.

[@davidberndt6275]

feeding the algorithm and liking your videos

[@Daniel-79]

I remember when my sister and I were young adolescents, our parents took us to Best where we each picked out a stereo for our rooms. My sister picked out a Sony boombox which cost about 70 dollars and I picked out a much larger Soundesign stereo that looked like a mini tower system for about 80 dollars. I remember after a few days of owning it I was jealous of my sister’s higher quality Sony boombox, it pretty much did everything better than the Soundesign. I wasn’t the fastest learner either. A few years later I bought a GE tower system, it was one of the systems that had 4’ tall speakers with only one 4” driver inside the cabinet. Eventually I started getting into vintage stereo equipment through yard sales and thrift stores in the late 90s. Back then the 70s receivers were of almost no value and you would find for just a few dollars. How times have changed.

[@geraldmartin7703]

Thank you. Someone else who remembers Best-- and doesn't confuse it with Best Buy.

[@professorpenne9962]

having this and a sega genesis as a kid back in the day would be peak cool

[@trelard]

I kinda miss those 80's stylings on the front. I remember, as a kid, we had one that looked similar to this. It was a great tape to tape recorder, and could fast record Commodore 64 tapes successfully.

[@kirillivanov9638]

The front panel looks exactly like a DAW plugin UI. So in a way it is far ahead of its time.

[@ShadowRune]

Really cool system thank you for showing it to us

[@rhwinner]

My first stereo was a Sounddesign all in one, with tuner, turntable and speakers. Paid about $79 in coins saved in my piggy bank when I was 13 (1973). Even though the sound was as you might expect, I loved the look of the blue and red lighted dial, and the tinted dustcover that went over the turntable.

[@SCPackerfan]

I had this stereo. I bought it at Montgomery Ward in Ithaca, New York in 1987 for my dorm room. I added an exterior CD player the following year. I continued to use the system until 1995, when I replaced it with a Sony compact stereo.

[@rarbiart]

the color scheme is priceless!

[@techbaffle]

I love this era of audio - it's a lot of fun!

[@JimGrey]

There were a bunch of brands like this affixed to lower-end equipment like this. I also remember Lloyd's and Yorx.

[@haweater1555]

I was just about to mention those brands. Sold by hardware stores or discount dept stores of the lower level.

[@johnbailey1085]

I inherited this model from my grandmother. It was like new. I threw it out when the cassettes stopped working, this was before I knew anything about replacing belts. I’ve kicked myself in the butt for years over that.

[@andregadellaa]

If I was the designer I would have asked if there was space for a Turbo button. Because, that’s why.

[@victorjohnson7512]

I had a soundesign 8-track stereo back in the 1970's.

[@jeffreyhickman3871]

That’s about as “Back To The Future” as it gets!! I remember being the coolest kid 👧 on the block with a Lloyd’s stereo, back in 1984. It was black plastic, with dual cassette decks, an AM/FM radio 📻, and a record player. It was so great 😄, that I couldn’t ask for more. Soundesign was a great 😊 brand, then, too. It probably even out rated Dad’s 👨 stereo system. This is one ☝️ GREAT 😊 video. Your friend, Jeff!!

[@coolbluelights]

The great thing about 80s electronics is even the cheapest discount crap products were decent. I had a couple Soundesign 4617BUR stereo tape recorders in 1987. unfortunately they were not kid proof and didn't last long with me but I got one on ebay and the sound quality from that is better than anything out today.

[@christopherchadwick480]

Great video thanks! The look of Audio Core © is a great statement of 80s design vision and values! Or a hideous clash of buttons, dials and lights. I can't decide.

[@versedbridge4007]

The perfect system for your synthwave cassette collection!

[@shadowslayer0420]

My mother bought this new when I was a little kid. She had an additional cd player hooked up to it too. I can't remember what brand though. The setup with speakers was pretty big. When I was a teenager she gave it to me, and I still have it to this day with the stand, speakers and turntable

[@maxmustardman298]

For me the most 80s looking, and to this day, coolest looking tape deck / tuner combo is the Onkyo Integra series TA 2090 / 9900 models. Just all lights and buttons. Crazy. And top shelf pricing of course.

[@joshuaw711]

It looks so 1980s I love it.

[@behradofia1975]

I've watched most of your content I have to say I'm a big fan of your work really enjoy it 👍

[@fhwolthuis]

Nice trip down memory lane ☺️👌🏼

[@LarryLeeMoniz]

Gorgeous!

[@AdamLussier]

Love it so 80s

[@PhillyFixed]

Here for the algorithm... As well as the vintage electronics fix, of course!

[@LarryBlowers]

Great video! I don't remember this unit but with so many buttons it has to be good.

[@McRocket]

I had no idea a vinyl soundtrack was available for Planet X3. I bet the 8 Bit Guy will appreciate the free advertisement. BTW - I love the way you end the video. ☮

[@laranaarana]

I was in turned 18 in 1980 and I remember the catalogs from Consumer Distributors showcasing the Sound Design brands and others that I would not even touch with a ten foot pole (jajaja). It brings back memories from my 80s youth. Thanks!

[@RaysGamingChannel2003]

It looks pretty cool

[@OzRetrocomp]

That reminds me of my first stereo. It was a Samsung rebadged by Commodore (yes that Commodore) and was exclusive to the Australian market, originally in a bundle with the Amiga 500 but sold separately later on. Sound quality was on par with this Soundesign. I have a proper hi-fi these days, but I kinda miss that Commodore.

[@steviebboy69]

I never remember seeing the Commodore badged stereo. So I do remember that Commodore and I still have some C64's and I remember the other Commodore that is no longer around either.

[@MrDuncl]

The same Samsung that made the best keyboard for Sinclair to fit in their Spectrums. The funny thing is Sounddesign, Commodore, and Sinclair probably had a stronger brand back then than Samsung.

[@JohnAudioTech]

My brother has one of these in his garage in its rack with tower speakers.

[@MistaMaddog247]

That was the type of stereo setup I've had as a teen. I used either a used hi-fi, mini stereo, or a boombox not only for playing tapes & radio stations but also hooked up my Atari XE computer (as shown in the video) along with the NES so my games sounded much better than on a small TV. I even hooked it up to a VCR to record songs from a videotaped show off MTV to make my own mixtapes...

[@sf-dn8rh]

I have a similar system from GPX, made in 88, great sound even on the built in turntable. It has the famous needle as this one has but its properly set for the needle. I am going to be replacing the factory needle soon with a diamond needle, as its still a good working system for a home office, and it was a gift from a close family member whos passed on.

[@sf-dn8rh]

What is the best way to add a CD or mp3 style player to these 80s systems if no aux is available

[@alliejr]

I was more of an Aiwa guy back in the day. But compared to modern offerings, this is great!

[@christophermarshall5765]

From the time this was released, to early 2000's sound systems like this were the rage. Lots of people bought them, because they wanted a compact unit to play music with. Some of these units survive today, though the Akai unit my brother had, does not. Soundesign made some reasonable equipment for the budget conscious.

[@Asgaurd64]

It Looks awesome, And with 80.s Music playing how can it go wrong. Everything was bigger and better back in the 80's

[@RayGates-r9x]

Had a soundesign stereo in the house growing up and it was actually pretty decent. I never understood why people hated on Soundesign so much. For it's price range and the quality you got from it you really couldn't beat it