Insignia™ - AM/FM Radio Portable CD Boombox with Bluetooth - Silver/Black

Just when I thought I found a suitable replacement for my Sony CDF-S36 CD Radio Cassette-Corder, was I woefully disappointed. First of all, I was taken aback by the quality of the ‘push’ buttons on the control panel. Some buttons were uneven and others, cock-eyed. Nevertheless, they still seemed to work when I pressed them to startup the ‘Boom’ box. Then I observed an excessive rectangular cut-out for the optical reader, a less than optimal design solution which will probably shorten the life of the CD player as dust and other airborne particles begin to easily accumulate inside the unit. But the most glaring concern, hands down, is the quality of sound or lack thereof! When I turned on the unit for the first time, it seemed as though it was still packed inside the box. The ‘muffled’ resonance is awful. It’s neither crisp nor clear and it also fails to produce the nominal highs and lows that are essential for any music appreciation. My previous boom box had cost $70.00 (in 2001) and had a ‘mega’ bass and ‘mega’ expand sound setting but who would have thought there would have been much of a difference for a unit that is now $10.00 less after 20 years of improved technology? As a discerning audiophile, had I taken the time to listen to the ‘Boom’ box in the store instead of buying it online, it might have stayed there. But if you're still skeptical and find this review overly critical, then, by all means, buy it. However, do yourself a favor. Find a pair of decent computer speakers and plug them into the rear jack for the earphones. Fortunately, I had a pair of older Creative I-Trigue 2300, 18-watt 2.0 computer speakers (which cost me $40.00 in 2007) that I hooked up to the unit and now it sounds almost as good as my old Sony! So, for now, I’ll keep the ‘Boom’ box but if it craps out at any time during my Best Buy two-year protection plan, I’ll gladly return it for an upgrade . . .

It was open box but when I opened it there was no remote as shown on the picture. Also inside is strangely open. I think I need a different one.

Its very sleek and stylish, the sound quality is superb and lots of bass for those hip hop fans. Also the cd player plays perfectly and even loads semi scratched cds without a problem. The radio works excellent and its worth every penny. You won't be disappointed at all with purchasing this item. The price is unbeatable and it's very well made and sturdy. Perfect for any outdoor event or setting and the battery life is awesome and will last for days depending on your use of it.

Decent all around radio, though it needs antenna raised. Cassette plays flawlessly. The cd player sounds great!

I bought this to have as a backup CD player for my car. CD player, radio, cassette all works fine, but the bluetooth has yet to connect. I've had it now for several months, so I've given it ample time to connect to several devices. I didn't return it, because it works for what I need, but test the bluetooth on these and keep your receipt.

I'm out in my workshop a good part of the day and all I hear is the noise of my tools. Gotta have some music! Went to Best Buy and got a good deal on this Insignia Portable Radio and CD player. Now it's much more pleasant to have music playin in the background.

When I initially pulled this from the box, I noticed the buttons on the top were not even lined up straight on the unit (see picture). It appeared cheaply made. Upon playing a cassette tape, the player fed the tape too quickly through the unit, playing it too fast. The player did the same with another tape. Then, it played the same two tapes just fine. The sound on the unit was 'tinny' and simple. I am disappointed that Best Buy backs this brand.

This is a great portable radio. We love to take it on trips to the lake or beach. We also take along lits of music cds to play our favorite songs. Great product.