Lasonic TRC-931 - Gizmo
In the boombox hierarchy of the mid-1980s, the Lasonic TRC-931 occupied a peculiar throne. It wasn't the best-sounding - the Sharp GF-777 and JVC M90 could blow it away. It wasn't the most expensive - at around $100 in 1986, it was firmly affordable. But for sheer visual swagger, nothing came close. The chrome speaker grilles. The twin telescoping antennas. The rainbow of LED VU meters dancing with the beat. The TRC-931 looked like what a boombox was supposed to look like.
Produced in Taiwan by Yung Fu Electrical Appliances from 1985, this was the ghetto blaster as street theatre. Twin cassette decks for seamless mixtape playback. A five-band equaliser. A "beat switch" for that extra punch. Phono inputs so you could connect a turntable. Every surface packed with knobs, sliders, and buttons - form following function following attitude. When breakdancers set up their cardboard on the sidewalk, this was the machine providing the soundtrack.
The TRC-931 became the definitive boombox silhouette in popular culture. It appears in Clerks II, in Korn's "Got the Life" video, in The Lonely Island's "Boombox", in Cher Lloyd's "Swagger Jagger". Mint examples now sell for $400-800 to collectors. Fashion designer Paul Smith redesigned a modern version in 2011. Among boombox enthusiasts, it's simply known as "The King of Bling" - proof that sometimes the most iconic design isn't the most sophisticated, just the most unapologetically itself.
From the Gizmo collection - a series of prints adapted from Simon Tyler's forthcoming book Gizmo: Retro-Tech We Loved and Lost, published by Laurence King in May 2026.
Produced as an open-edition print on 250gsm archival matte paper, with crisp detail and rich colour faithful to the original illustration.
Gizmo Series
Gizmo gathers illustrations adapted from and inspired by founder Simon Tyler's book Gizmo: The retro-tech we loved and lost, which will be published by Laurence King in May 2026.
Printing & Materials
Our Gizmo series is produced in collaboration with specialist fine-art printing partners using museum-grade 250 gsm archival giclée paper.
Each print is made to order with exceptional precision and colour accuracy, using pigment-based inks for long-term stability and rich tonal depth.
Prints are carefully rolled in acid-free tissue and shipped in rigid cardboard tubes to ensure they arrive in perfect condition, ready for framing.
All materials and processes are chosen for their longevity, texture, and fidelity to the original artwork, reflecting our commitment to quality and craft.