If you are interested inphysical formats out of commercial circulation (I was going to give examples, but I just realized – in the first of the many psychological blows around my age that I am going to receive with this article – that any physical format is outdated by definition), you will often run into the same problem. The problem is not so much finding material to enjoy, but rather keeping the technology that allows us to enjoy it ready and in good condition. Said in terms we all know: the problem is both software and hardware.
The classic example is retro video games. Not only do you have to track down, obtain and keep the NES cartridges in good condition, but you also have to keep the NES ready. In the case of the consoles of the eighties, which we all know will survive in perfect working order the seemingly imminent collapse of civilization, there are no major problems, but try keeping an Xbox 360 or PS3 ready. Bigger words.
Well, so with everything. If you are interested in audiovisuals, the problem is not so much finding VHS tapes of that elusive Michael Dudikoff masterpiece that you need to complete the ‘American Ninja’ saga. The problem is rather to make sure that the VHS player and, above all, the very fragile tube TVs continue to allow you to watch those movies that are neither nor expected to be on Prime Video. The same with audio: finding tapes of Calatrava Brothers jokes is relatively easy, finding where to play them is another song (or scream).
And I confess it. I think I have bought more cassette players in general in recent years and boomboxes in particular (the name generally given to portable audio players that include AM/FM radio and cassettes, often with double decks, with CDs in the latest models, popularized in the 1970s and 1980s) than when tapes were the dominant format. The reason is logical: you are buying second-hand devices, which already have their corresponding trot and that they are on the verge of collapse, when they are not already collapsing directly.
An invention like Medion’s, therefore, is especially attractive to me: good sound quality, extras that could not be dreamed of in the eighties (miniSD and USB inputs, Dab+, now we will see everything), extremely affordable price for what it offers. Let’s quickly review what this interesting thing offers and then I’ll give you my impressions as target absolute of this type of inventions.
A good hulk
Let’s start with the obvious. He boombox Medion is voluminous: 670 mm wide by 271 mm high and 171 mm deepyou have it in the image above with a double deck from the time, which is not one of the largest, but not a dead fly either. The reason for the size of this monster is the speakers, with a larger diameter than usual, an upper area with a pair of small extra speakers, plus the bass and treble controls, the frequency tuner and the volume, crowned by a small LCD screen and the radio dial. They could be smaller, but they also serve an aesthetic function, because frankly, who wants a volume dial that you can’t grab with your full hands.
At the top, the device has a really useful folding handle, in addition to the irreplaceable folding antenna to receive the radio. With its 6.1 kilos of weight we are not facing a boombox especially portable or manageable, but frankly, although it has space for four Type D batteries (lucky to give them another type of use unless you are also a flashlight collector), it is not a device to take out for a walk.
Even so, without having to move it from your house, it is interesting that it is comfortable to move it from one room to another thanks to its handle. Our impression is that you will end up finding a dedicated space for it, due to its volume and its relatively poor handling. It is not a problem at all, but if you have a corner reserved for CDs and cassettes, clear out the micro TV with built-in DVD or the Trivial and Pictionary boxes.
What can you do
Basically, we are faced with a boombox which includes a radio and a cassette and CD player (single, but who wants a double deck today). In all cases the operation is impeccable, although we will see how having the CD vertically feels in the medium term. The best: the possibility of injecting good bass with the dedicated dial or with the extra boost of the X-bass, with a dedicated button, thus avoiding the dreaded “can sound”. The speakers have enough quality to be heard well (and loudly) even if we are not placed in front of the device, but we must be prepared to touch lows and highs with everything we play, especially if we alternate CDs and cassettes. If you ask me, that’s part of the fun.
We have forced the machine with recorded cassettes, many listenings (and loans) in tow and his good thirty years of ageand the result is as good as it can be in artifacts like this, to the point of surprising in many cases. I haven’t listened to some of these cassettes with this quality since the days when I used a huge music system, with some great stereo speakers of the time.
After all, listening to a CD with good sound quality is still within our reach; you can do it on a computer with a good set of speakers and a disk drive. A recorded cassette with decades of work behind it is more difficult to listen to with quality that does it justice. Once again, I would like to highlight the wonderful job that very powerful basses do in giving body and presence to music that, often, I have not kept on the best medium (cassettes recorded and re-recorded dozens of times of… erm… First Line -Pryca’s white label-).
As extras, we have DAB+ broadcasting, the advanced digital terrestrial radio standard that allows you to listen to stations (the same as traditional FM broadcasting) with CD-like quality sound and without interference. Scanning the DAB+ dial is extremely simple, as is moving through the channels, with the addition that we will see the name of the stations on the LCD screen. It is a standard of indisputable sound quality that, however, is not as widespread as would be desired: that this boombox incorporating it is an important incentivebecause it offers the traditional radio experience with more comfort and quality.
Leaving aside a nice microphone jack for those who have radio concerns, we have the possibility of inserting MicroSDs and USB drives and reading what they contain: perfect if you have mountains of audio files that you want to output more effectively than burning towers of CDs. Of course, you will only be able to listen to MP3, not FLAC, WAV, AAC or WMA. But thanks to the LCD screen you can move through menus and folders with relative ease. We have tested it with CDs recorded, again, more years ago than we would like to admit, and the sound is as impeccable as on an original CD. We remind you, however, that these types of recordings are fickle and capricious, so backup copies are always your friends.
Finally, the boombox has the ability to function as a Bluetooth speaker, so you can play audio from your cell phone or computer on it. There we do see a very relevant and current utility, if you want to have some good speakers at home that can be used to play Spotify lists or YouTube managed from a conventional and manageable touch screen.
A treat for the nostalgic
Medion already has other more affordable devices, the E65711 which is only radio and CD (the classic “fly eyes” style that became fashionable in the 2000s) or the E65711, somewhat larger and also with a cassette. But this P66538 has two extras of enormous interest. On the one hand, the purely aesthetic addition: the air boombox from the eighties is a visual candy if you love the physical format, and the finish of the materials is extraordinary, with the perfect mix of elegance and roughness.
On the other hand, the sound, more powerful and with a greater amount of nuances than its little brothers. The tests we have done in this regard have left us very satisfied: good bass and getting the best out of even somewhat filthy recordings, a point that those with a good archive of decades-old material will undoubtedly appreciate. If all you have to listen to is a couple of Billie Eilish cassettes recently purchased as souvenirs at a concert, perhaps an inferior model will suffice.
Finally, the drawbacks, which we have left for last because they are personal and nuanced: weight and size can be a problem in small houses, be prepared to reserve a considerable space for it in a privileged location. And the price… who is willing to pay two hundred euros to listen to outdated formats in good quality? Perhaps that is the definitive question that gives meaning to this artifact, one whose answer many of us prefer not to stop too much to meditate on. In case we change our mind.
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