In South Africa it’s called a Gumba Gumba, township lingo for the Boombox. The portable player with big sound has been around for a long time, starting with the cassette tape, and then including a CD player. Now Philips has reinvented the boom box for the digital age, with their AZ1330D.
A while ago my trusty and somewhat dated bedside clock radio went up in smoke. This started me searching for a more up to date replacement. When I went looking, I could find some really good but very expensive alternatives. Much to my amazement, there were no simple, well-priced units of reasonable quality out there. A Tivoli unit was considered as the sound was great, but no alarm and the high price decided me against it. And then, along came Philips with a new range of units, from sleek mini hi-fi to Boombox style units, all with alarm clocks, radios and, best of all, a dock for my iPod. The unit I favor is the AZ1330D. More and more most of us are storing their music on our computers and using some type of iPod or MP 3 player for when we are on the move. So, simply put, all my favorite music is on my iPod and, being able to dock the iPod and listen when I want, where I want, is really useful. The Philips unit has a built-in iPod dock, with adaptors for all iPods, both current and older, as well as a digital AM and FM radio, along with a CD player for those of us who still buy CDs. One useful feature: the CD player will play MP3s as well as Microsoft’s proprietary WMA format. So it’s a universal player if ever there was one. All of this is a sleek and fairly compact unit. How does it fare on the Gadget 5-question User Test? Let’s take it for a run:
Is it ready to use?
The unit is well packaged with simple instructions. Plug it into the wall, select radio and you are ready to go. To insert the iPod, you need to find the correct adaptor from among the box of adaptors supplied. The instructions are clear but, like most men, I fiddled with the gadgetry until I found one that fitted my iPod.
Is it easy to use?
Once plugged in, use is really simple, as all controls are large and well marked. Operation is intuitive and simple, and the supplied remote works well. The unit uses 6 D cells to keep it portable, and again these are easy to install. The manual is a little dense but well numbered and logical, for those who read those things.
Does it deliver on its promise?
Gumba Gumba oh yes. Loud and clear, the Philips sounds good. It’s not audiophile quality, but really decent. It has bass boost for those that want big bass, and a relatively clear and honest sound. It does not play extremely loud without distorting, but is more than good enough for most of us. The radio performs well on FM, with good discrimination between close stations. On AM, for those who want it, it’s fine with little interference. The CD player and iPod dock operate as expected and make the unit really versatile.
Is it innovative?
The world is full of multipurpose iPod docks with radios and other features. A portable radio, CD, and dock is nothing really new. However, Philips has put together a high quality, logically set up, and well-specced unit that I enjoyed using. In short, not innovative, but a good example of blending new digital technology with useful features.
Is it value for money?
The street price is in the region of R1000. At this price, taking into account the features and the options, as well as the decent build and sound quality, I would say that this Philips unit is very good value for money. It sounds nearly as good as the expensive iPod dock’s out there and has some useful features that most don’t offer, such as the built-in CD player.
My search for a replacement bedroom radio alarm and music player has just ended. The Philips will replace my old smoking radio alarm, which will now retire after 20 some years of good service, and yes it was also a Philips.
Steven Ambrose
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