HiFi Classics - Sony FH-7 MkII 

I love the old "It's a Sony" stickers. From a time when owning a Sony was something to be proud of because you knew you were getting a quality product that would last for years.

This approaches the military definition of portable: can be moved without a forklift.

One should never apologize for the 80s aesthetic! I was born right in 1990, and there was this incredible sense of phantom nostalgia of having having missed all the cool stuff as they happened! They really don't make them like they used to.

Back in the 80's I'm dreaming of owning some of these great hi-fis, now in the 21st century, I'm still dreaming of owning some of these great hi-fis!

What a magnificent beast, much more substantial than it appeared at first! Loved seeing it come together component by component. And wow, that red model is gorgeous, reminds me of certain Sharp and Sony Japanese market computers from the 80s.

I feel more normal knowing I wasn't the only one as a kid saving brochures of mini high fi system and looking at them daily. I'm also super happy for you in finding your child hood dream mini system !

I visited my grandparents one summer in Tokyo. They bought the MKI for me. I loved that system. Spent all my downtime listening some George Benson album over and over again. Thanks for posting this. Brought back some nice memories.

Once upon a time back in 1986 my friend bought one of those and I was crazy about it and it was my ultimate desire to own these very one with full logic control, but had no money so I use to go his house along with my normal, CrO2 and Metal hot favorite cassettes, almost 15 to 20 and try my best to play all of them, off course it was impossible to play all of them. now dude playing and displaying it after 34 years. Time flies, ain't it. BTW it is a true story. Thanks man for bringing old memories back.

UPDATES - Various links etc can be found in the video description text box. It has been suggested that the 'hairs' found in the cassette deck might be shredded tape - which would be preferable. FAQ) How can there be old comments under a new video A) Patrons get to see videos early.

Your love for golden age hip hop never fails to amuse me.

It brought to my mind lots of good old memories, thanks for sharing. In the 1980's we were selling in our shop a lot of Sony, JVC, Sanyo, Panasonic, AKAI, Philips and Pioneer audio and video products like walkmans, radio cassettes, Hi-Fi Stereos, Record players, VHS video recorders and Televisions

Guy, you are so nailing this. Broadcast quality productions, you could be making these for the BBC.

Things looked so freaking cool back then.

I'm glad that Matt is finally getting things he dreamed about as a kid thanks to this youtube channel

33 years? Pure commitment and sheer will

This brings back so many memories of my teenage years and the yearning for a stacking system! 😍 MP3 players just dont have the same gravitas 😀

Can also remember flicking through catalogues and hi-fi magazines back in the day and lusting after those REALLY expensive bits of kit. Thanks for the nostalgia ;-)

We own an FH-7 MKII. It was my wife's first Stereo back in the time as she was a teenager, ;) It still works fine after all theses years.

When I was little, I saw this Sony hi fi in a catalog that came with my father's purchase of a Sony Betamax video player. At that time I thought, how cool this electronic device is. I imagine having one of these. Even after I grow up until found this video, I still want to have it. This Sony hi fi never feels outdated even in 2024!

My dad has a 1977 Sony trinitron with the wood base and built in Betamax. It was in the attic for a couple of decades and he pulled it out and put it in his home office a few years ago. I watched the movie ‘Splash’ on it recently and it’s still mind blowing how good the product was. Sony went all out.

I was born in 1985 so I am also 33. I'm so glad I was born when I was. I'm old enough to remember recording song into cassette off of the radio. I remember huge component systems that cost as much as a decent used car... remember being the only one on the house who could program the VCR. But right as I was coming of age Napster and recordable CDs were coming out. I remember flipping thru electronic store catalogs just like you mentioned. I owned both multiple Walkmans and a Discmans. I used to fawn over minidisc and wanted one so bad when I was 13 or 14 but as you've mentioned they never really caught on in the u.s. and they were nigh unaffordable for me at that age... anyways. I could wax nostalgic all morning but I mostly wanted to say I really appreciate your channel sir. Please keep up the great work.

Absolutely awesome piece of kit, as an 80s kid I absolutely love these old midi systems and boom boxes, bluetooth speakers don't really have the same cache do they.

This entire line by Sony is my favourite design ever! It's probably the most futuristic, late 80s/early 90s aesthetic they've ever produced. Also, that David Bowie Labyrinth play is a sound for sore ears; one of my favourite soundtracks ever. As people have said, your channel is lethal for making me want to buy new retro tech. It's because of you now I own two HIFI systems, a Sanyo from 1990 and a Sony from 2001! It's becoming a problem. 😂

Being able to use this setup as a portable boombox is incredible! True hi-fi quality sound on the move, this is the kind of thing the rich-kid in the group would rock up to the house party with back in the day…

Those hairs look like the owner liked to sing along to the radio while trimming his 80s mustache.

God bless the 80s and Japan.

As a young U.S. Army Soldier stationed in Germany in 1984-85, I bought one of these along with the corresponding record player. I opted for the D-5 CD player that came with a regular wall wart power adapter. And back then my paycheck was around $1,100 a month so it was expensive as you mentioned. But, like a dummy, I sold it to a buddy real cheap and only recently did I finally replace everything.

I used to have a FH-7 MKIII (three ways speaker) and a FH-15R. I miss them a lot!! Nothing like it nowadays. Thanks for this amazing review!!!

I could walk around Dixons for hours seeing the speed of the eject buttons and how many lights and what the biggest displays were and new features. I loved that but my gf did not lol.

This week on "Things I didn't know I needed until Techmoan showed it to me" we have a Sony FH-7 Mk2!

My friend in like 83 had a Sony system like that in his room and thought it looked and sounded fantastic. He said it also recorded tapes and sounded greats. Back when so many cool Japanese electronics were coming out. I remember buying a tape deck that was auto reverse and had a real digital counter vs the old one that had a physical 3 number counter. I remember there was a small Sony store in this Japanese mall in San Francisco that had this tape deck. So I bought one when it was on sale like around 87 or 88. Or ember strapping it on the back of my scooter and praying it would fly off. Lol! I did the same when buying my first Hitachi vcr around 86-97. Yes when I was a kid, visiting a stereo store was like visiting a museum in the late 70’s. Each set up was so beautiful and showcased like they were jewelry. None I could afford at the age 13 in the 70’s. Lol! But in the 90’s I would visit the stereo store often and there was always something I wanted. Like the thin Sony Walkman or cd portable player, handy cam, and I even bought a Casio digital contact / phone rollerdex that was also a pager. I wish someone open a museum for ppl. to see what we had in the 70’s and 80’s. And I need to find a book on Japanese electronics bc I love looking at. In the early 80’s, my stereo unit was my top of the line Sanyo boombox with the 2 mics and a Sony turntable. It sounded great and how I taped my records on that setup. The boombox had world radio bands also and a light to see the radio dial at night . It suppose to one of the top 5 boomboxes from 80’s. I’m now looking to get a Sony Ps- Q7 compact turntable that I had rediscovered just today and now obsessed with now and have to get one. But they are now going for around $400. and most are Japanese sellers on eBay. I’m so nuts about getting that Sony PS- Q7, I even went ahead and bought this tone arm lock that only one US seller was selling for $11. Lol! Yup, I’m already buying parts for something I don’t own. Lol!

Sony had done a great job with their APM speakers in the 80s. Will always miss that hifi era. Tape, CD, Phono and Tuner were the inputs that we use to listen on almost everyday!!!

I love seeing this stuff from the golden age of what would later be called midi/mini systems. Back when the beauty of the designs stemmed from practicality and function, before the mid-90s fixation on geometric angles and excessive animated LED displays that made all mini HiFis look like a cross between Optimus Prime's head and a stealth fighter. The first compact component system I bought with my own earnings was a JVC MX-50 from about 1990 and it was lovely. Gorgeous industrial design, with understated dimmable orange displays and bass port speakers that weighed a ton and packed an incredible amount of oomph. But the most impressive feature was the auto CD-to-tape dubbing which would not only re-order tracks to fill the maximum space on the tape but, if the tape ran out before the last track was complete, would rewind the tape and re-record the last track with a slow fade out before the leader. An incredibly smart combination of hardware and logic for its day.

Aiwa was the king of the micro-component stereos of this era.

I just want to say thank you for putting on that jazz spastiks cassette for the demo, it slaps hard. That was an instant buy on Bandcamp for me.

Had one of these in my college dorm 1985. Did not disappoint.

You are absolutely right, they don't make stereo systems like they used to. And I do remember walking into the HiFi parts of a few places with the lights turned down so you could see all the GEQ lights dancing on the various units and whatnot. Never could afford anything back then, but used to love going there while on a search for a new CD or tape and drooling over some of the gigantic home setups.

I used to listen to Thomas Dolby's "She Blinded Me With Science" in this unit and it sounded fantastic, deep, powerful tight, bass and crystal clear treble. Funny you didn't mention the pistonic speaker system, it was the heart and highlight of the system and they worked very, very well. Cheers Techmoan!

The aesthetics still looks good decades later.

Yes. I actually typed in 80s HiFi system and here I am. Fascinated by 80s gadgets.

I have an FH-7 MKIII as a gift of my parents when I was 15. It was my first Mini Component. I still have it now since october 1985. Although the backlight of the radio is not working, the rest of the set work just great. Compliments for the review. excellent job !

This is one of my favorite episodes of yours and I´ve seen it a couple of times now... I want my own FH-7. Thanks for the work you put into your channel, I´m a big fan. Keep up the great work.

I grew up listening to the Sony FM 7 mk3 an still kept one of the speakers, the sound is awesome. Just seeing and listening to your demo brought back so many great memories which is why this channel is so amazing & entertaining. It bring back forgotten lives of so many people all over the world !!

I have a mk I fh-7 , bought new in1983 and still in daily use! I liked it new and still like it now. Thanks for your channel - much appreciated.

Amazing quality. You can just tell every piece was thought out all the way down to the lights! Design-wise it doesn't age. The red one looks very futuristic but the charcoal/grey colour looks very nice

That recorded player attachment is so freaking dope... I can't believe that was made in the 80s... So cool

What a memories! this one was the HiFi of my dad. I listened a lot of music back in late 80's and early 90's. Thanks for the video Techmoan!

I love how much I enjoyed watching you explain so much about a music system that I have no desire of ever owning. It must be your enthusiasm for the system.

Oh man this takes me back to the mid to late '80s when I was earning about £8k/year and got myself into about £7k of debt buying hi-fi, computers, games, vinyl, CDs and financing it over X months direct from the stores. I thought I'd never get out from under that debt until I went freelance and then wiped the debt off in 3 months :-)

Wonderful real Made in Japan Sony, oh the glory days of a stellar brand that is almost no more. 😎😎😎

Once upon a time there was the FH 515R in our home in 1989. It was then that the love for music began in me. Old days...

This channel only adds to my nostalgia. Who knew people would ditch these formidable, intricate, rich systems for such tiny, tinny, bluetooth speakers? Even standard car stereos are a toss-up depending on what make you buy.

"MADE IN JAPAN" in 80's: "will work forever"...

Now I want one. Thanks for all the great videos. I’m learning a lot. Jim from Georgia

85- 95 really are the best ten years that ever were. this thing is so good looking.

Remember being obsessed with graphic eq’s. Instant quality 😁

I'm sorry, but smart phones and ipods will NEVER replace these works of art lol!! Great piece.

I too have always been drawn to component systems. I remember begging my parents for one. They eventually did buy one for me, however it was merely a cheap knock off all-in-one system where the the "components" could not be separated. Basically a big hunk of plastic made to look like a component system. I still loved it though. I did recently manage to pick up a JVC Micro Component System at a local good will that I really love. The UX-A4 system.

Oh Biy, you just took me down my childhood days,my wife is commenting as she is listening in the background. I used to do the same, I'd geek out at all the hifi stores in Melbourne Australia. And i finally saved all my pocket money and got the beloved Aiwa CA100. And many years afterwards it was stolen when i was married. It was the best sounding portable stereo, such fond memories. God I love this channel. I just want to buy all the old stuff......

This really takes me back, it was using these sort of things from Aiwa and the likes that really started my appreciation of music. I had a great time of my life in this era, and it’s great to see this stuff again

I love these little component systems, and I have to agree that the old designs were nicer than what's available now. I used to fantasise about owning a Pioneer XC-L77 or one of its variants. I'm not sure if I should get one now, because I'm afraid reality won't live up to my youthful impressions...

Man, I love 80s era Japanese styled electronics the most.

I remember my late father buying a MK2 in 1987.. I was blown away by it..❤

I want so badly to look through this catalogue as it contains a close system to the one that was bought for by my Dad as my first music system. In my wisdom I wanted a Schneider stack system that was absolute rubbish but I knew best. He was right of course and he swapped it out for an Akai separates / portable system with a turntable which weighed a ton but was quality! I dread to think how much it cost him at the time but we were both happy and I had it for years but still not really realising what I had until now !!! So thank you Sir Moan of Techshire for this lovely trip down that road to my youth with many , many hours of recording late night radio such as LWR , early Kiss (coldcut solid steel) and of course Peter Cook 's phone calls to LBC . A gem of a channel !

I was not expecting gangsta rap to come out of a Doraemon cassette tape

I remember looking trough certain 'catalogues' back in the day thinking "I will have her one day" And now they are all old grandmas. :/

Oh man... How I wanted one of these back in the day (this and a similar "stackable" JVC unit were among my all time faves)... I too used to have electronics store catalogs and I would just fawn at all the great new electronics featured there. This unit was one of the ones I always dreamt of having. Really nice to see you got one and showcased all it's features, so thank you for that. Great job tracking down the correct speakers. Hope you find the elusive CD player someday. What an absolutely *_GORGEOUS_* piece. Wish SONY and other well-known manufacturers would re-continue making units like this with upgraded, high quality components and modern features such as Bluetooth, multi dock and various format (MP3, MP4, WAV etc. etc..) playability... Can't get over how beautiful this stereo was and still is.... Awesome video upload here... Nod in your direction...

Ese minicomponente de Sony era hermoso,yo lo llegué aver y escuchar allá por 1984, en aquel tiempo era el aparato que más levantaba , y ninguna marca sonaba mejor que este mini componente de Sony, nostalgia pura

Man, Sony's industrial design was so great back then.

I love when I buy things that I wanted to buy as a kid electronic wise and couldn't afford it and now I bought it 20 years later over there many years it's been long time waiting

Ah, the 80's !!! ; ) remember it well ..................... I was a Hi-Fi salesman at the time, and I still remember selling most of the products you cover on your channel. That's why I love watching you so much, takes me back to better times. Even though those mini-stack Hi-Fi systems were very expensive at the time, they used to sell like hot cakes! I could sell at least half a dozen systems like that on a Saturday afternoon! As we were in Jersey ( the 'real' Jersey in the Channel Islands and not the US one! ), most of our customers buying Hi-Fi equipment were French. Tax free shopping for them when they sailed across from France for the day ; ) You also mentioned the Compact Disc ................. yeah, remember that day very well, we were all cob-smacked when the rep demonstrated it to us. He put a CD on the floor, put his foot on it and twisted his foot on it, thereby scratching it! Then put it back in the CD player, and it played flawlessly!!! Back in the day when we were used to vinyl, when the simplest of scratches would ruin a perfectly good record. That was 1984 when I first saw my very first Compact Disc : ) Prerecorded CD's were very difficult to get hold of at first, and you can forget about recordable CD, that didn't happen for a few years yet. I guess you must of been the sort of guy I used to chat to every Saturday, the enthusiast picking my brains, and never buying anything! ; ) I was lucky enough to have lived, and experienced all these new technologies as they came out, as I was one of the first to 'have a play', and demonstrate them to the consumer. I'd spend days reading the user manuals and comparing various models, Panasonic, Sony, Akai, Technics, Pioneer, Amstrad, Benitone, and countless others. One model of 'compact-mini-system' I've never been able to find to this day, as I can't remember who made it ( maybe Panasonic ), was a tiny system designed like the Sony FH-7. Each 'separate' were about the size of a walkman, in fact, the tape section of the system was a walkman! You could simply detach the tape section and use it as a walkman with the optional headhones. To this day I still love my Hi-Fi .................. I've still got my Marantz separates that I bought in the early 90's ; ) TURK

Great to see people giving some love to these hig fidelity compact high density sony system. My setup: I have a fh 10w with apm 108 speakers (4ohm speakers, yes the fh10 worked with 4ohm) and a fh11w (6 to 16ohm) with apm 115 speakers (6ohm). The Fh10w i have it since 1986 when dad bought it. i use the fh11w amp (st 118) and fh10w amp (st 108) as part of a true 7.1 system together with grundig super hi fi 1500 pro speakers as front (connected to a yamaha rx receiver and sansui equalizer), a pair of pioneer s x20, as lateral connected to another sony receiver, The apm 115 speaker connected to the fh11w as rear speakers and a center sanyo and sony subwoofer connected to the fh10w. Every amp connects independently to The Asus rog supreme fx that do the 7.1 channel upmix and I enjoy 3d sound on every spotify song at 320kbps.(you can switch from stereo to,quadraphonic to 5.1 and to 7.1). All vintage hi fi.

I used to go to Boots with Grandma back in the 80's, she would usually be open to buying me a budget (£1.99-£2.99) Spectrum game, good times.

I would not have even noticed the speakers were not the right ones, unless you pointed them out!...... they look great!

Really enjoyed that, took me back to the early 80’s pre CD players. Cheered me right up! Thanks mate. 😊

I love this channel!! Nostalgic, from the times when the quantity was paramount.. reminds me of my childhood. Keep up the good work

Sony design awesome all the time. Old electronic goods r greatly emotional

Seriously, I've learned so much from this channel, but I have to say it also really helps my anxiety. All of it, your voice, your cadence, the subject matter, the nostalgia- it's all so comforting to watch.

This reminds me of being a young child in the 80s and marveling at all the sleek, sterile looking technology. I would definitely jam to some California Raisins on full blast on this beast.

You brought me so much good memories since I owned one and really loved it. Thanks for the video!

Reminds me of the Aiwa that powered my dormrooms at university from 1983-87; complete with lighted graphic equalizer and wooden speaker boxes but minus the turntable. :-)

I used to have one of them (Mk 1) growing up, it lived on my desk and I heard all the music I loved growing up on it. Really good memories, thanks

Another amazing video, great to experience these high tech Japanese systems from the 80s!

These shelf systems were my favorite stereo format while growing up. I owned a fairly decent Aiwa system, but always drooled over the high end Sony models, such as the MHC-2200. I have since owned a few of those older Sony models. The cable ribbons are always a hassle, and I definitely now prefer the quality of separates over the "coolness" of these shelf systems, but I will always have a soft spot for these systems.

By the way the LCD has an amber back light on the black model. There is a tiny bulb you can replace behind the display. 👍

I love your videos. I really takes me back when I would drule over this stuff, but could never afford it. Thanks for this.

I miss my Sony FH7 MK II now... these were my bedside system (handed down from my Dad) where I grew to love music through the 80s. Wish I could find a gem like yours!

One of the unique features of the FH series were its APM speakers. APM stands for "Accurate Pistonic Motion”. In contrast to the concave/convex diaphragms of regular speakers, Sony engineers designed the APM speakers to have flat square rigid diaphragms to avoid split vibrations, have a much higher breakup frequency and much lower distortion levels across the whole frequency spectrum.

I have a "FH 215R" model I purchased new in 1988 or 1987 & it's still in mint condition!!! And better still - all components still work fine! It has a, virtually full function infra red remote ( won't work the PSQ 3 turntable ( phonograph!!! ) that I also bought at the same time as the deck. In 1988 it cost me $999.00 N.Z. just for the main unit, turntable was extra !!! Of which was quite a lot for such a component, in N.Z. at that time. It's a much more refined unit, than the FH-7's, being two years further on in development & has more features, mutiple digital tuner memories, A.M./F.M & S.W.!!! ( without the battery back up ), a seven band graphic equalizer electronically adjusted for each seperate frequency & the display for this is also a Spectrum Analyzer too! With three programmable memories & a "flat frequency" button too! I was 18 years old when I purchased this, but I was, too, already a consumer electronics enthusiast & what atracted me to this unit was it's array of features & it's amplifier, because, in 1988, - 45 R.M.S !!! YEA!!! For such a micro unit, that was PUMP'N!!! It had a sticker on the front of an out put rating of - something like 2300w P.M.P.O (of which, from memory, stood for: Peak Music Power Output!!??!! - & I seem to remember that you divided the P.M.P.O figure by 52 to get a rough R.M.S out put figure.... Can anybody confirm this or add knowledge here please? I still have all original pieces, the brackets & handle ( virtually the same as in the video), advertising stickers that were on the front, the manual, the box & packing & the absolutely MINT remote - I just remembered the the original Sony AA "Dry Cells", - as Sony named them, lasted 20 years, no kidding, but with obviously not much use.... & of course, the cells never leaked anything, what with being "Dry Cells" I guess...??? I still love it, "it's a Sony"!!! Did you notice the A.P.M badge on the "correct" set of speakers!!??? In the manual this stands for - "Accurate Pistonic Modulation", from memory... My FH-215R has this as well + they are 3 way, - flat honey comb woofers, tweeters & super tweaters. Also in the centre dust caps on woofers it has a badging of S.A.T of which stood for, no bull here, - "Super Acoustic Turbo"!!!! - straight up - the amp section has a button on it for engaging the S.A.T - just a Sony's fancy name for it's bass enhancement or loudness button/circuitry!!! It worked, O.K. ( especially for 1987/8 in a micro unit!) I remember my older brothers giving me stick about it saying " does it tell you what day of the week it is, - like Saturday? Ha ha you funny bastards, at least I still have it & it's probably worth something, to somebody.... I've moved on to "full HiFi" sized units, namely Japanese units of the eighties & early nineties, Yamaha, Onkyo, Technics, Sansui, Rotel, Nakamichi. Absolutely brilliantly build quality era with nice solid amps.... Bit of a ramble on here & reminiscing.... Sorry if I've just had a bout of "verbal/key pad diahrea....

@7:48 In case anyone was curious, it's also possible to use vinegar on leaky battery residue (distilled white vinegar best here). Batteries are basic, vinegar is acidic, use the hardware store vinegar so it doesn't leave residue (like apple cider might, for example).

Well produced video. Nice.music selection. Love your bboy reference and darkened hifi store memory. Pure 80s gold moments. Looking forward to seeing you delve into boom boxes, as I stare at my dusty jvc 'LL cool J' beast box.

Best advantage of patrons seeing the video early - no more annoying 'First' comments.

Great video. I have the Sony FH55W stored away in my loft. In excellent condition although the volume slider is erratic. Also, an ex-girlfriend threw away the handle because she found it in a drawer doing nothing and decided it was taking up space and just disposed of it. Needless to say I disposed of the girlfriend not long after. At some point I will get the volume slider sorted at a reputable hi-fi store and maybe put the unit back on display in my bedroom. In case you were wondering my lounge is powered by Technics separates including a pair of SL 1200s and a SL MC7 CD changer. My nephews and nieces think I'm old-fashioned, that is until I turn the volume up. Might is right.

Dude that setup at the end is absolutely magnificent. Visually the best looking HiFi stack I've ever seen and the record player is so cool absolutely stunning this kit and I wish so hard upon a star I could have this whole dealio for my sitting parlor

One of my dream purchases back in the day. I had to make do with a JVC R-E22L from a catalogue that took 2 years to pay off! It wasn't a separate system, but it did have a linear tracking turntable - I loved that! And guess what... I still listen to the local radio station on it every day now, the tapes and 'table still work too.

This is basically the big kids version of a Soundwave Transformer toy. Or Soundwave’s ultimate form. Also you should do an update on what you’ve done with all the items you’ve covered so far. A “Where are they now” of hifi components.

I just noticed this stereo in 1985 Fright Night, in Charlie’s room.

Watching the video really touched my heart. There was endless love for every product in Japan. 27.09.21, 9.30pm

I so understand you picking up the catalogues from those sorts of shops, I did too but sadly have lost all of them over the years through various moves... wish I had them now! Please keep up the great work with these brilliant in depth reviews of gadgets from a nicer age.

What a coincidence! There's actually a FH-7 MK III at my local thrift store for about $85 USD. I'm still trying to convince my fiancee to let me get it....