Bloombox is A Panasonic RX 1460 boombox reimagined for modern use
Bloombox acts as a node in a wireless home audio mesh network, displaying the currently playing song’s cover art on its “tape.” The tape reels even spin when the song is playing:
This project embodies what I believe to be an inevitable aspect of the future of tech aesthetics — retrofitting and rethinking of previous-gen tech to fulfill its original purpose through the lens of modern technology.
A Panasonic RX 1460 isn’t particularly useful today unless you want to listen to the radio or have your entire music library on tape, but it looks gorgeous. A Sonos or a HomePod just can’t compare to a boombox’s retro-cool aesthetic power.
A tape deck boombox in 2022 should still work and look like a tape deck boombox. But it should sync with the music in the rest of your home. You should be able to change the volume from your phone. The interface should react and change if you’re playing something from your library vs Spotify vs a vinyl record.
In the spirit of cyberpunk salvage, I used recycled technologies and parts wherever possible. The speaker system has been preserved from the original assembly. The display was salvaged from a greeting card(!), and the computer system and DAC were salvaged from other projects in my workshop. The only parts obtained specifically for this project were the audio amplifier breakout and display driver boards