If you ever have the urge to recreate the opening scene to Kung Fury, you’ll need a boombox. An American company’s version, the BB-777, will let you concentrate on your cop-car skateboard flip since the major prop work is sorted out.
Bumpboxx, a Californian audio outfit, put its BB-777 boombox up on Kickstarter a little earlier this week. The modern take on a 1980s classic was looking for $50,000 in funding. It secured it almost immediately, garnering $2.6 million. It could be worth taking a closer look at.
Flight BB-777 takes off
Bumpboxx’s audio device combines serious retro functions with modern tech. On the older side, the BB-777 arrives with an aux input, a CD player, and dual cassette tape decks. The company’s successor to the Sharp GF-777 could have stopped there and been assured of sales. Thankfully, they haven’t.
Also part of the boombox is Bluetooth streaming, a 270W speaker setup (it’s called a ‘boombox’ for a reason), and a fifteen-hour 97.6 Wh lithium-ion battery. The battery is swappable, so even if you forget to charge it, it’ll just keep going. The cassette tape deck won’t just play your fragile retro tech, either. It’ll also let you record from tape to USB (as a WAV file), so you can keep that 40-plus-year-old relic safe in its vault.
The physical design isn’t just for show, either. Volume, bass, treble, and other functions are controlled via the knobs on the BB-777’s chassis. There is, as far as we can see, no digital equivalent method of control.
Bumpboxx also has a range of accessories launching with its updated 1980s classic. Batteries, a case (for the boombox, CDs, or cassette tapes), microphones, and others are also listed alongside the R17,700 ($1,050) speaker setup. Of course, if you opt to back the BB-777 via Kickstarter, it’ll be a little cheaper. There are just under 500 of the early-bird models left. Those will run retro fans R11,000 ($650). Best get moving.
