The sophisticated stereo system Panasonic SG-J555L is essentially a compact concert hall in a plastic chassis. It combines three worlds: turntable, cassette tape deck, and radio tuner with built-in speakers. In addition to all its unique and advanced features, there is one singular addition: “Ambience,” which broadens the stereo effect and gives the sound depth. It may sound like a marketing gimmick, but it hides a clever solution. It’s not a classic equalizer, but a switch that emphasizes midrange frequencies and gives the music fullness. For some, it feels similar to a plain black-and-white photo suddenly getting a color filter – it now has depth and emotion.

Another rarity is the retractable manual turntable with belt drive. At a time when most boomboxes offered only radio and cassette, the SG-J555L allowed playback of vinyl records – from singles to LPs.

The device has an output power of 15 watts per channel, which at the time was more than decent for a portable system. Moreover, it was dual-powered – from the mains or from eight D-cell batteries, so you could play a record even out in a field under the open sky.