Description
Roberts Zoombox FM FM/MW CD Boombox - Black
An analogue FM and MW boombox with a top-loading CD player, tuned by hand on a rotary dial and run from the mains or six C cells.
The Zoombox FM keeps things deliberately simple. Two wavebands, FM and MW, a rotary dial to find stations on, a top-loading CD player and a pair of loudspeakers. There are no menus to learn and nothing to pair, which is exactly why some people choose it: switch it on, turn the dial, and it plays.
Tuning is done by ear against an LCD that shows the frequency you have landed on, so you can nudge the dial until the signal is clean. FM can be switched between stereo and mono, a useful option when a signal is marginal. The CD tray sits on top, and a 3.5 mm headphone socket takes over when the house has gone quiet.
Ideal For
For anyone who wants a radio that behaves like a radio. One dial finds the station, one knob sets the volume, and nothing on the front asks you to make a decision.
Discs load from the top and play through two loudspeakers, which makes the Zoombox FM a straightforward way to work through a collection that never made it onto a phone.
A spare room, a garage or a caravan. The mains lead covers a socket, six C cells cover everywhere else, and at 1.32 kg it is easy enough to carry between them.
Key Features
Two analogue wavebands: FM for music and speech stations, MW for the AM broadcasts that FM does not carry. Both are found on the same rotary dial.
Turn the dial and the station arrives. There is no scanning, no station list and no waiting for a digital tuner to catch up with you.
The disc sits under a lid on the top of the cabinet, so you can load and change CDs without moving the unit away from a wall or a shelf edge.
Two loudspeakers rather than one, so discs and FM stereo broadcasts keep some width instead of collapsing to a single point. FM can also be switched to mono.
A small LCD shows the frequency you are tuned to, so a station you like can be written down and found again quickly on the dial.
A mains lead is supplied for permanent positions, and six C cells free it from the socket. The telescopic rod aerial pulls up for FM.
Why analogue tuning still suits people
Digital radio brings station names and lists, but it also brings menus. The Zoombox FM does without them. The dial moves across the FM and MW bands as you turn it, the LCD tells you where you are, and the station either comes in or it does not. For a listener who has used radios this way for decades, or for anyone buying for someone who has, that directness matters more than a feature list.
The CD player, still earning space
Plenty of households have a shelf of discs and no obvious way to play them. The Zoombox FM answers that. The player is top-loading, so it opens upwards under a lid and does not need clearance in front of the cabinet, and it plays through the same two loudspeakers as the radio. Headphones plug into the 3.5 mm socket if the rest of the house has gone to bed.
Where the Zoombox FM belongs
Think of the rooms where a radio gets switched on and left alone: a kitchen, a workshop, a shed, a holiday home. The mains lead handles the first three, and six C cells handle anywhere without a socket. At 1.32 kg it is light enough to shift when the worktop is needed, and because there is nothing to configure, it works the same way for whoever picks it up next. If you want DAB or Bluetooth, the Zoombox 4 is the model to look at.
How It Compares
| Listening Need | Zoombox FM Technology | Practical Benefit |
|---|---|---|
| Straightforward tuning | Rotary dial | Move the dial and the station appears, with the frequency shown on the LCD to confirm it |
| AM broadcasts | MW waveband | Reaches medium wave stations that FM does not carry, using the same dial and display |
| A disc collection | Top-loading CD player | Plays CDs through the built-in stereo speakers, loading from the top so shelf space is not an issue |
| Weak signals | FM stereo and mono | Switching to mono gives you another option when a station is not coming in cleanly |
| Away from mains | 6 x C batteries | Six C cells run it anywhere, though you will need to buy them separately |
| Listening alone | 3.5 mm headphone socket | Plug in headphones and the music or the match stays with you rather than the whole house |
The Verdict
Strengths
- FM and MW analogue tuning on a rotary dial
- Top-loading CD player built in
- Two loudspeakers for stereo playback
- LCD shows the tuned frequency
- FM switchable between stereo and mono
- Mains lead supplied; runs on 6 x C cells
- Nothing to pair, set up or configure
Considerations
- This is the analogue model: FM and MW only, with no DAB or DAB+, so digital-only stations will not be received.
- There is no Bluetooth and no USB port, so music on a phone or a memory stick cannot be played through it.
- Analogue tuning means no station presets: each time you change bands you find stations again on the dial. The six C batteries are not included.
What's in the Box
- Zoombox FM boombox x1
- Mains lead x1
- Instruction manual x1