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Maybe you want to listen to that mix CD your high school crush made you way back in 2004. Maybe you’re just a little old-fashioned and looking for a no-frills portable radio to play at the pool. In any case, we’re happy to note that the boombox is not obsolete just yet. What’s more, these days boomboxes with CD players and radios are souped up with this decade’s latest tech features.
What Are the Best New Boomboxes?
If you’re looking for the best boombox, you want something easy to use, portable, and with decent sound quality to blast your tunes whether from a compact disc or the radio. Here are some of the things we think are important to look for in this relatively retro piece of stereo equipment.
Size: Anyone who’s ever seen a movie knows that boomboxes are made to be carried around, like when you need to blast Peter Gabriel outside your ex-girlfriend’s window as a subtle reminder of that time you spent together. Smaller boomboxes are lighter and less cumbersome to travel with, but you sometimes sacrifice sound quality.
Sound Quality: Additional speakers and features that support bass tones can improve and optimize a boombox’s sound quality, preventing it from sounding tinny or thin.
Listening Options: Another benefit to boomboxes is the wide variety of music sources it supports. In addition to AM/FM radio and a CD Player, look for products that connect to your digital library as well, using Bluetooth, an auxiliary port, or USB port. And in case you were wondering, stereos including a cassette player as well do still exist.