seeking small boombox with CD player and great bass, even used
November 27, 2024 3:38 PM Subscribe
I'm looking for a boombox (portable stereo / speaker) that has a CD player, great bass sound, and is not huge. Do you have an old one? Tell me the model and I'll see if I can buy it used. New pointers appreciated too. More below the fold.
I had a decent one years ago (Insignia?) but it eventually died. Then a couple years ago I got a Sony ZS-RS60BT (with "Mega Bass") and it's the most pathetic sounding thing ever. Last week its battery-powered capability died (only runs when corded) so I'm throwing in the towel and going for a new one.
Except "new" ones don't seem to exist. Of course, CDs themselves are passe, and "new" boomboxes that have CD players are getting increasingly rare. It seems like the only models that have them are huge, but I need this to fit into a 9" x 14" spot on my desk. And yes, I really do need CD playing capability -- I've recently acquired an insanely awesome collection, and ha no I'm not going to stream it, even if it was available. I also don't want to f*** around with a second device (like portable player plus aux input). This gets carried out to the yard and stuff and handling one device is my limit here.
Must haves:
- CD player (regular audio CDs, don't care about mp3 files)
- strong bass
- portable, meaning it can run on batteries
Nice to have (but really don't care much):
- Bluetooth (just a backup for when my BT speaker isn't at hand)
- FM tuner with HD radio (LOL I know I'm dreaming)
- takes C batteries (already have a pile of rechargeables)
I have had a series of JBL portable Bluetooth speakers that are all much smaller than my current Sony boombox and they absolutely slay at bass. Sony should be ashamed :)
So, do you have an old boombox with the must-haves above? What's the model? Did JBL used to make a compact boombox with CD player? I'll then see if I can find one on eBay or wherever. Of course pointers to new models are appreciated too!
I had a decent one years ago (Insignia?) but it eventually died. Then a couple years ago I got a Sony ZS-RS60BT (with "Mega Bass") and it's the most pathetic sounding thing ever. Last week its battery-powered capability died (only runs when corded) so I'm throwing in the towel and going for a new one.
Except "new" ones don't seem to exist. Of course, CDs themselves are passe, and "new" boomboxes that have CD players are getting increasingly rare. It seems like the only models that have them are huge, but I need this to fit into a 9" x 14" spot on my desk. And yes, I really do need CD playing capability -- I've recently acquired an insanely awesome collection, and ha no I'm not going to stream it, even if it was available. I also don't want to f*** around with a second device (like portable player plus aux input). This gets carried out to the yard and stuff and handling one device is my limit here.
Must haves:
- CD player (regular audio CDs, don't care about mp3 files)
- strong bass
- portable, meaning it can run on batteries
Nice to have (but really don't care much):
- Bluetooth (just a backup for when my BT speaker isn't at hand)
- FM tuner with HD radio (LOL I know I'm dreaming)
- takes C batteries (already have a pile of rechargeables)
I have had a series of JBL portable Bluetooth speakers that are all much smaller than my current Sony boombox and they absolutely slay at bass. Sony should be ashamed :)
So, do you have an old boombox with the must-haves above? What's the model? Did JBL used to make a compact boombox with CD player? I'll then see if I can find one on eBay or wherever. Of course pointers to new models are appreciated too!
It doesn't seem like you're getting the specific make/model results you were hoping for, and I'm not sure that any vintage boomboxes sound as good as some of the new JBL portables. The JBLs use passive radiators and I'm fairly sure DSP (digital signal processing) to optimize bass response in a small cabinet. DSP technology didn't even exist back in the "golden era" of boomboxes. (Also, the best vintage boomboxes are cassette only era, huge, have become fairly collectable and therefore expensive)
I know you said that you didn't want to go for a two device + aux cable solution, but how about making a custom case? Take some velcro straps, secure both a JBL portable speaker and a Sony discman or similar portable CD player into a small flight case, carry it around like a boombox and open it up to play. (There's some chance that the vibrations from the speaker will induce skipping in the CD player, you might have to play around with how the two devices are mounted.)
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 4:27 AM on November 28
I know you said that you didn't want to go for a two device + aux cable solution, but how about making a custom case? Take some velcro straps, secure both a JBL portable speaker and a Sony discman or similar portable CD player into a small flight case, carry it around like a boombox and open it up to play. (There's some chance that the vibrations from the speaker will induce skipping in the CD player, you might have to play around with how the two devices are mounted.)
posted by Larry David Syndrome at 4:27 AM on November 28
Response by poster: Maybe this?
Thanks TimHare. Do you have any direct experience with this one? I did see that model available, and of course I do see the "bass boost" feature, but per my post I don't give that verbiage any value anymore.
LDS, yeah, a hack like that will be my fallback. Basically I will have to weigh "I want better bass" against "I have to assemble a new contraption that's going to look stupid and be a PITA". A variant on that is to use a portable CD player with Bluetooth output (transmitter), which would have the added benefit of working with my new-ish car. Such CD players were virtually non-existent 3-4 years ago when aux inputs started disappearing from new cars, but there's a lot of them now.
Thanks for the answers so far!
posted by intermod at 8:04 AM on November 28
Thanks TimHare. Do you have any direct experience with this one? I did see that model available, and of course I do see the "bass boost" feature, but per my post I don't give that verbiage any value anymore.
LDS, yeah, a hack like that will be my fallback. Basically I will have to weigh "I want better bass" against "I have to assemble a new contraption that's going to look stupid and be a PITA". A variant on that is to use a portable CD player with Bluetooth output (transmitter), which would have the added benefit of working with my new-ish car. Such CD players were virtually non-existent 3-4 years ago when aux inputs started disappearing from new cars, but there's a lot of them now.
Thanks for the answers so far!
posted by intermod at 8:04 AM on November 28
The GPO Brooklyn might be too large. If not, they can still be found on eBay.
posted by phil at 3:21 PM on November 28
posted by phil at 3:21 PM on November 28
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posted by theora55 at 6:24 PM on November 27