Introduction
Ever felt your Bluetooth speakers aren’t loud enough or the bass is so low that they aren’t quite impactful? By investing a little more you can probably consider buying yourself a great boombox that can fill up your whole house with reverberations. Boomboxes aren’t something new, they have been around since the 1980s with the youth flaunting them around the streets by carrying them on their shoulders and pumping up old school rock. However, they have been underutilized largely as compared to other devices. Coming up with more about the Best Boomboxes.
Today’s boomboxes come in different sizes and are capable of producing ear-splitting sound, far more than legacy speakers. Boomboxes can even make boring parties seem the ‘full-of-life’ kind by amplifying music to an extent that they create a lasting impression on the listeners. Most of these are equipped with woofers that help carry the sound far. Boomboxes also feature equalizer control which helps you customize your music and add some groove to those hip-hop tracks.
When it comes to selecting the best boombox, the important factors to check for are the sound performance, battery life, durability, and price. After in-depth research based on the above factors, we have compiled a list of top ten boomboxes that are available in the market that would be worth your money.
| Product | Bluetooth Connectivity | Battery life [hrs] | Waterproof rating | Price |
| JBL Boombox | Yes | 24 | IPX7 | |
| Yes | 5.5 | Not waterproof | ||
| Yes | 6 | Not waterproof | ||
| Yes | 20 | IPX2 | ||
| Yes | 8 | Not waterproof | ||
| Yes | 30 | IPX7 | No products found. | |
| no | 5 | Not waterproof | ||
| Yes | 12 | Not waterproof | ||
| Yes | 19 | Not waterproof | ||
| no | 19 | Not waterproof |
1. JBL Boombox
JBL is one of the favorite brands of most audiophiles around the world. All of the brand’s music devices are tailored for cranking the volume up and making your playlist sound more interesting. JBL’s boombox is no different in that regard. With a whopping 24 hours of battery life, the audio device manufacturer’s Boombox has captured the souls of music listeners with its high bass levels.
The sound quality is undoubtedly one of the topmost priorities for anyone looking to buy a boombox. JBL’s device doesn’t disappoint at all since the audio is crystal clear and doesn’t skip any beat due to any kind of lag. The bass goes very deep and doesn’t meddle with the midrange. Your songs will sound as if there is a subwoofer present which emits music with a high impact. Even if you increase the volume on the system, it can effortlessly handle the change without any distortion.
The Boombox sounds great with bass-heavy music genres like electronic dance music and hip hop. When used for gigs, the JBL boombox will make vocals sound pitch-perfect.
You might be wondering what the other features might be like if the sound quality is excellent. Well, the specs are also an equal match. It can deliver 40 watts of power performance and up to 60 watts when connected to a power source. The Boombox can play your music for long as the product boasts of a 20,000mAh battery which can last 24 hours, and an indicator placed on the rear end of the device to warn you if there’s very little charge remaining.
The JBL Boombox is recommended for all your pool parties and trips because it is waterproof and has Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity with an outreach of up to 90 ft. It is covered with a rugged fabric and is very sturdy which adds to its portability. The product is durable and can survive rough conditions.
Coming to the controls on the device, it has controls placed on top of its cylindrical body. There are two buttons to control the volume and a Bluetooth button. It also features a JBL connect plus button which allows you to connect to other JBL devices. Connect Plus feature allows the device to switch to stereo pairing mode letting you play your music simultaneously on multiple JBL speakers to get the party started.
The rear of the boombox includes a rubber flap, two USB Type-A charging ports, a 3.5mm auxiliary input, a micro-USB input, and a DC coaxial charging port, all hidden well under a rubber flap for protection from water. Placed next to these ports is an EQ switch, which is used for switching between the speaker’s indoor and outdoor modes. The outdoor mode can add more bass to your music.
The JBL Boombox is known for its excellent sound quality and battery life. It is also equipped with a rubber pad below to help you carry the device comfortably on your shoulders. The only disadvantage of the system is that it lacks 360-degree audio which gives you a more pronounced sound effect.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great sound performance. Bluetooth connectivity. 24-hr battery life. | Lacks 360-degree audio. Battery level indicator is hard to find. |
2. Pyle Street Blaster X
Pyle’s Street Blaster may seem like one of the parts of a Star Trek spaceship’s engine. With a cylinder-styled tube housing the hardware inside, this boombox edges out many other similar products with its performance. Weighing around 22 pounds, the boombox can be a little heavy for you to carry. However, the shoulder strap clipped to the device should make the task easier.
To the Street Blaster X is capable of emitting an audio spectrum that includes clear and crisp highs, mid, and low frequencies. The bass is crystal clear with the music sounding just right in your ears. The ported enclosure amplifies the bass response. Although the music is not loud enough to make your walls tremble, it has a power of 1000 W which delivers a powerful music experience. Equipped with Bluetooth 2.0, Street Blaster’s range can extend up to 32 feet.
The Blaster X includes adjustable settings for bass, treble, echo, volume and mic which further helps in creating an immersive experience. This will allow you to customize your settings and take control of your music. The music will play on up to four hours with the help of a Lithium battery. The battery levels are indicated on the LED panel.
Next to the LED panel lies an aux input, two input jacks, a charging port, and USB slot. Above these are the buttons for volume adjustment, switching songs, and a knob for setting the music volume. Pylo also provides remote control to adjust the settings of the boombox.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Can adjust bass, treble, echo, volume, mic and guitar level. Remote control to adjust settings. | Not waterproof. It is a little heavy. |
3. G project G-Boom
Looking to buy a boombox that’s both portable and cheap? Have a look at G Project’s G boom. This one looks like a fancy briefcase with a rubber enclosure. Weighing about 5.7 pounds this boombox is one of the few products available under $100. Although the performance isn’t as good as its competitors, the product is worth the price.
You will love G-Boom if you like revving up songs of Def Leppard, AC/DC and other renowned bands since the boombox is more suited for the loud genres of music. However, if you choose to play songs of Led Zeppelin and Elton John G-Boom may end up disappointing you. It cannot match the impact a few more expensive devices could make while playing relatively lighter songs high on acoustic.
G Boom’s bass might not be as impressive as the JBL Boombox, but it can definitely enhance the deep grooves of your favorite hip hop tracks with the help of 3-inch drivers. The sound ports on the device help create heavy vibrations on the lower end when you play instrumentals, especially the kind of music composed by bands like Disturbed or Metallica. You might notice some distortion when the chords touch lower mid-range, however, this is an occasional incident.
The G Boom can play for 6 hours at a stretch but there is no battery life indicator to tell you when the device could shut down abruptly. Also, there is no auto shutoff so the battery can power down. The playback controls on the device are positioned on the top of the unit. Apart from the regular controls like volume and Bluetooth, the Boombox features an equalizer button that lets you choose the equalizer presets. The Bluetooth button helps the device to be connected to a Bluetooth device with a range extending up to 30 feet.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Compact. Bluetooth connectivity. Equalizer button to adjust equalizer presets. | Not waterproof. Occasional distortion at lower midrange. |
4. Marshall Kilburn 2
Marshall’s Kilburn II, an enhanced variant of the Kilburn I, packs a strong punch in terms of volume and bass. Kilburn II is specially made for cranking up the music loud to get your party a foot-tapping event. The device can produce sounds loud enough to be ear-splitting and is the best sounding boombox ever. It also performs extremely well when a song is played in the mid-level.
The Boombox is fitted with three knobs on the top to adjust the bass, treble, and volume. So even if the volume is at the peak, you can adjust the treble and the bass to make the music still sound good. The bass and treble controls help you customize your hip-hop and EDM tracks. It is also equipped with multi-directional sound, achieved by 20 Watt woofers, and backfiring tweeters which are capable to make of making those party tracks sound a lot better.
Adjacent to the controls on the top, the device has a battery level indicator and a Bluetooth button. The Bluetooth 5.0 capability gives the device a range of 30 feet and the Kilburn II can last for 20 hours depending on how loud you want the music to be played. The device can last a long party session, however, make sure you don’t carry this 5.5 pound- speaker to a pool party or a fishing trip. Kilburn II’s IPX2 water-resistance rating isn’t impressive and can only withstand very light sprinkle.
Another feature is the multi host functionality. If you and your friend want to take turns to listen to music, you can simultaneously connect your Bluetooth devices to the speaker and play from your own respective playlists.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 20-hour battery life. Bluetooth connectivity. Adjustable bass and treble. | Low water resistance. Expensive. |
5. Aiwa Exos 9
The Aiwa Exos 9 is an indoor/outdoor speaker powered by a 200-watt amplifier. Weighing 13 pounds, the boombox can get tremendously loud so you can carry it to crank the music up at a party or an outdoor BBQ evening during a weekend. The speaker will easily fill up the silence of a large room or your house.
Aiwa Exos 9 has a plastic encasing, so make sure you don’t accidentally drop it. The device comprises two tweeters, two mid-woofers, and a woofer embedded behind a black grille. The woofers are closely placed together which makes the soundstage quite narrow. However, the sound is incredibly loud and can travel far.
The front of the boombox includes an LCD panel that displays the EQ being used. It also indicates the battery life of the device. Aiwa Exos 9 claims that its battery lasts nine hours. However, in practice, it only survives roughly up to 8 hours, if you are listening at medium volume.
The expected Battery life according to the manufacturers is about 9 hours, but we noticed that the device discharges in 7 to 8 hours while listening at medium volume. If you want the boombox to last all day, you can purchase multiple batteries which could be swapped.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great sound experience . Great battery life. | Not waterproof. |
6. Aomais Go
No products found.
No products found.
Quite sporty in its design, the Aomais Go could be your perfect music companion. With roof shattering volumes the device’s booming bass and 30W stereo sound is an eye-catcher. The Aomais Go is well encapsulated with material that’s quite sturdy and includes an extended handlebar. The handlebar coupled with the compact design makes the device quite portable.
The boombox is quite durable and its waterproof rating of IPX7 testifies that this product can survive even when submerged in water. Aomais Go is the right kind of boombox you can carry to the beach or fishing.
This gadget has got controls right under the built-in handle, which are quite easy to identify and make managing the device a simple task. You can power on/off, control the volume, pause, playback, and answer a call. On the side, underneath a water-resistant panel, lies a micro-USB charging port, a USB-A output port to charge your device, and an AUX input port.
Aomais also gives an option to connect to other products of its brand by holding the ‘Vol +’ and ’Vol -‘ buttons together, so you can rev up music simultaneously on all the devices. this boombox has 30 Watt of power, so if you plan to connect another device to it you can expect the sound to fill up a huge room. Besides, the Aomais Go has a 7200mAh battery which lasts for 30 hours of playback time.
The boombox also features Bluetooth 4.2 connectivity and is compatible with other wireless-compliant devices like smartphones and PCs.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 30 hours of battery life. Bluetooth connectivity. | Slightly bulky. |
7. Jensen CD 490
This one is for the older generations who own CD collections of albums by various artists. The Jensen CD 490 is perfect to play all your CD music since it is equipped with a CD-R/RW drive. Although not Bluetooth-compliant this device is known to be the best CD boombox available in the market today for a reasonable price.
Jensen CD 490’s specialty lies in its ability to produces excellent quality sound without distorting the quality of the track being played. Millennials seem to be a lot into artificially boosted super bass known for making the music seem heart-pounding. However, the Jensen is a boombox that doesn’t add artificial amplification to the tracks, yet makes it soothing to the ear.
Therefore, the older generations that listen to a lot of retro tracks peppered with acoustic beats can probably for this one. By owning this be assured you can listen to jazz, blues, and classical music without vibrations coming off your speaker. This device is also suited for playing audiobooks and play mellow songs to put your kids to sleep.
The speaker is small and light which makes it portable. It also includes DC battery power and AC power features that help you listen to your favorite tracks even when the device is not plugged into an external energy source.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Lightweight. CD drive. | No bluetooth connectivity. Not waterproof. |
8. Sharp GX BT9x
Weighing 14.55 pounds, the Sharp GX BT9x is known for superior clarity and tremendous bass. One of the best loud boomboxes made ever, this cutting-edge product can handle range and bass of your heavy metal music without distortions even at maximum volumes. The boombox comes with a shoulder strap which makes it portable but the device is quite heavy and difficult to carry.
The superb sound clarity is contributed by two drivers and subwoofers attached at the end. The device can get is known for its boomy bass which makes the low midrange clear even at lower volumes. The product is also fitted with Xbass to increase the power of the bass. It also has a bass booster to rev up your hip hop playlist. The bass from the device will feel like someone is pounding on your walls. In terms of sound, the boombox does exceptionally well even beating its more pricy competitors.
You can sing along with the speaker by attaching a mic to the input and also connect your guitar. There is also an FM radio button that lets you connect to a broadcast channel of your choice. The device sports Bluetooth connectivity with an output of 100 watts.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Great volume output. Superior bass. | Not waterproof. Heavy. |
9. Victrola VBB 10 SLV
Victrola VBB 10 SLV is an 80’s Bluetooth boombox sporting speaker grills on either side. If you are an 80’s or a 90’s kid who used to listen to songs on a walkman and still have those vintage cassettes back at home, Victrola’s VBB will be of definite help. It has a cassette player which will let you play all the mixtapes you have in your collection.
The sound quality is not that great and the bass doesn’t turn heads, but the sound quality is quite great for the price. This boombox, which sports a ghetto look, is an old school device that does not exactly deliver your stereo quality sound. The speaker is not made for loud music because distortion is present even if the volume knob is turned only halfway up.
Along with a cassette player, the device also offers Bluetooth connectivity with a range which can extend up to 33 feet, which T makes it ideal for outdoor parties. However, we would suggest going for a G Project G Boom instead of Victrola VBB 10 SLV, since the former has good Bluetooth range, sound performance and is also cheap.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Cassette player. Bluetooth connectivity. | Not waterproof. |
10. Sony CDFS70-BLK Cassette Boombox
The Sony CDFS70-BLK Cassette Boombox would be loved by both lovers of retro hits that spark nostalgia as well as those who love raving to the latest chartbusters. The unique selling point of this device is its ability to record on audio cassette and the recording quality is excellent as compared to other boomboxes. It has a cassette tape deck that lets you play all those cassettes stacked at home that include your favorite tracks from high school.
The sound performance of Sony CDFS70-BLK Cassette Boombox resembles that of a boombox from the 80s. Twin speakers help improve the sound. The bass is disappointing so it is advisable not to use it for parties. However, the boombox can accommodate CDs, cassettes, as well as play your favorite AM/FM radio channels and MP3 tracks as well, which makes it highly desirable.
There is a mass bass feature which helps make the lower midrange sound better. There is also a mega bass control on the player. However, all the bass features fail to render the desired bass for your playlist.
Apart from the mega bass control, there are controls for sleep, audio recording, AM/FM tuner, CD and volume. You can also set your favorite station presets on the boombox.
The boombox is powered by 6C batteries, giving you 19 hours of endless music. You can carry your music around with you as the device is compact and is fitted with a portable handle. This product doesn’t possess Bluetooth connectivity and can only play tracks from CDs and cassettes.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Long battery life. Cassette and CD player. | No bluetooth connectivity. |
FAQs
1.When was the boombox most popular?
Boombox was invented in the Netherlands in 1969. Later, the invention spread to Japan in 1977 and by 1980 it began gaining popularity in the U.S. By 1983, boomboxes were mainstream and by 1986, most of the teenagers and the youth had one on their shoulders to rev up music at their parties. Back then, it was the only way to portable share music among your friends.
2.What boombox is the most popular?
JBL’s Boombox is our pick, since the brand is one of the leading audio device manufacturers globally, and most of its products have garnered highly positive reviews. Not just their boomboxes, JBL’s soundbars, headphones, and earphones have a lot of takers in the market, which speaks a lot about the quality one gets.
3.What is the best boombox to buy?
Marshall’s Kilburn II should be the best boombox to buy. Kilburn II has exceptional sound and battery life. It is also portable and waterproof which makes it the most desirable product available in the market. However, this device is on the expensive side.
JBL Boombox, on the other hand, is affordable and is the most popular product in the market. It is waterproof and is capable of making the walls vibrate with its music playing skills. Therefore, JBL’s boombox can also be considered as the best boombox to buy if you have budget restraints.
Boombox vs Speaker
Boombox is usually larger than speakers. Looking at the history, they were radio-like objects that were lugged around on shoulders with the music bounding along the way. The 80s kids used to play their cassettes and CDs filled with tracks and mixtapes on their boomboxes.
Today there are smaller sized speakers to suit every occasion and not just parties. A Bluetooth speaker is easily portable considering its size. On the other hand, boomboxes are made to crank the volume up of your music and are supposed to be used for house parties.
Boomboxes are larger and louder than speakers. The former has incredible treble and bass and some even have EQ presets, however, you cannot tweak the bass on a speaker.
JBL Boombox vs JBL Xtreme
JBL Boombox
| Dimensions | 10 x 19.5 x 7.7 inches |
|---|---|
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JBL Xtreme
| Dimensions | 5 x 11 x 4.83 inches |
|---|---|
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Conclusion
There are several boomboxes that might seem appealing. However, it is important to selecting a product closely tailored to your requirements. Two vital factors that should determine your choice of a boombox should be sound quality and battery life. Today, there are speakers that look attractive and connect using Google Assistant and Bluetooth. The manufacturers are bringing out attractive designs as well.
In our opinion, JBL’s latest invention is easily the best boombox available today, considering its performance and price. JBL delivers as promised and is a sound investment for an audiophile. It is water resistant and quite portable. If budget constraints are imposing restrictions in your buying behavior, JBL Boombox would be the best buy.
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Last update on 2023-03-27 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
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