5 Brands Revitalizing The Boombox For Modern Listeners

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When you think of boomboxes, you probably aren't imagining exactly what you might call modern technology. Whether your main association is crowding around one with your arms full of CDs, sitting next to one while you fix your cassette tape with some clever pencil action, or standing out in the rain holding one over your head, the once-commonplace audio device doesn't really scream "modernity." But, despite its retro reputation, the humble boombox is actually joining the ranks of other retro gadgets making high-tech comebacks, along with flip phones, portable music players, and Game Boy-styled handheld game consoles.

The boombox resurgence isn't being driven purely by one or two brands or novelty gadget lines, either. There's actually a surprising number of modern boomboxes on the market now, produced by smaller boutique brands and bigger household names alike. Moreover, picking up a new boombox isn't quite the same as grabbing an old, pre-loved one from a thrift store, yard sale, or eBay. Instead, these boomboxes have been updated with new features that help keep the tech feeling fresh and useful.

Exactly how these companies have revitalized boomboxes varies a little both from brand to brand and from product to product, but there are a few common features shared across most modern boomboxes available on the market today. For example, for the most part, they tend to offer Bluetooth compatibility, alongside a couple of other input options like USB or microSD. But they still all hang onto that original boombox feel, based on how they look and what older features their manufacturers choose to include.

At first blush, Roxel's retro boombox is almost indistinguishable from those of the 1980s and 1990s. However, the Camden Retro Boombox isn't going to be among the old electronics you might find in your attic. It's a full, modern, all-in-one audio system with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity, DAB+/FM radio functionality, and an assortment of playback options including CD, USB, and microSD. 

Clearly, the Camden captures the retro look you might still want even from a nouveau boombox, alongside several features that were part and parcel with yesteryear's audio gear. Namely, it comes with both a CD player and a tape deck, plus all of the knobs, buttons, and sliders you could want to get your hands on. On either side of the player's crisp LCD display sit a 5.25-inch woofer and a 1.2-inch tweeter, with a total output of 20W RMS and 40W peak power. 

Alternatively, if you're less into turning it up to 11 and prefer to tuck yourself away with a set of headphones, you can do that instead. It comes with a 3.5mm headphone jack, making it easy to listen privately and quietly — assuming you're a part of the wired headphone renaissance, that is. Admittedly, that isn't all that useful if you're using the player's Bluetooth integration or its other more up-to-date connection options like USB or microSD. After all, those could be better accessed through your computer or phone. Still, the headphone jack is a fun way of privately plugging into your CD or cassette collection.

We Are Rewind is a French company that aims to reinvigorate older audio tech for modern sensibilities. Its offerings focus mostly on tangible, tactile physical media experiences, with the vast majority of the products revolving around tapes – a focus that's perhaps no surprise, considering the recent resurgence of cassette tapes. Notable examples include handheld players à la Panasonic's 1990s-era models, sleek acrylic tape racks, and of course, a revived boombox. 

Don't be deceived by the boombox's vintage stylings, though. Although We Are Rewind's Blaster GB-001 retains a classic tape deck, it also comes with Bluetooth 5.4 functionality, catapulting the gadget comfortably into the modern era. Needless to say, that's a solid option if you want to enjoy a little nostalgia by taking your boombox on the move, but don't want to go so far down the retro rabbit hole that you wind up clanking around with a big bag of tapes just to do so. In addition to the box's Bluetooth, it packs in four speakers, consisting of two tweeters for treble and two woofers to keep your basslines thick, alongside customizable sound controls.

Something fun about the GB-001 is that it doubles up as an amplifier and recording device, meaning you can run an instrument or mic through it. Admittedly, at 104 watts of power, you won't exactly be able to tear the house down with it, but it could prove to be a fun party trick for smaller spaces, or double up as a reasonable practice amp for use at home. Plus, you can still use it to record directly to any blank Type I or Type II tapes you still have lying around, if you're feeling a little lo-fi.

Bumpboxx has more than its fair share of modernized boomboxes and fun gadgets available, ranging from updated takes on pagers to stylized battery packs and themed Bluetooth speakers. The company is also behind several types of boomboxes, including the BB-777, Retroboom, and Freestyle Pro, alongside the Microboom: a tiny Bluetooth speaker cleverly disguised as a doll-sized boombox. Perhaps the most impressive of the company's boombox-related products is the BB-777, which, as you may have guessed from the name, is a reimagining of the classic Sharp GF-777.

The BB-777 raised a whopping $7,133,869 during its Kickstarter campaign from keen and curious backers, and it isn't all that difficult to see why. Besides the fact that it provides a relatively cheaper alternative to an original GF-777, which can now sell for four figures, it essentially offers the best of both worlds when it comes to newer and older technology. The BB-777 is designed to balance modern features, like True Wireless Stereo (TWS), Bluetooth, and versatile playback options, inside of a charming 1980s-styled chassis. Plus, it still holds onto a handful of physical media-oriented playback options, like a suction-load CD deck and a dual cassette deck, so the past doesn't have to feel too far away.

Although these aren't necessarily futuristic additions that completely reinvent the boombox, the BB-777 has a few other interesting features. The box includes six speakers: two 6.25-inch coaxial loudspeakers, two horn tweeters, and a pair of 6.25-inch super woofers with independent channel gain controls for loud, clearly defined audio, in addition to a fan-cooled amplifier and a suite of controls for fine-tuning your master volume, treble, bass, and balance. 

On an aesthetic level, Aiwa's boomboxes definitely look just like the kind of retro tech you might expect to only be able to find on a particularly lucky day at a garage sale. Don't take how they look too much at face value, though; these portable stereos hide modern functionality underneath that nostalgic exterior. The Backtrack and Backtrack Junior models can both handle Bluetooth, AM and FM radio via analog tuning, and USB and SD card playback, while still including a classic cassette player and some direct recording options. You won't find any DAB options here, so they might not be the best option if you find yourself tuning into digital radio regularly, but both types of Backtrack still offer a refreshing take on boomboxes for the modern day.

The full-sized Aiwa Backtrack also comes with the addition of a clear CD player, next to the boombox's tape deck, allowing you to watch through the window as your selected album or single spins. You won't find that functionality in the smaller Backtrack Junior, which instead shifts the focus to cassette, radio, and Bluetooth streaming. Similarly, the smaller model has a lower output, at 30W compared to the full Backtrack's 40W. But that's a trade-off you might be willing to take if you're planning on taking your boombox out with you, since the Junior is also almost half the weight of its larger companion, with a weight of around 8.5 pounds.

Philips is no stranger to the boombox game; the company was responsible for all kinds of now-retro portable playback devices that you may or may not remember from the recent past. Not every one of Philips' boomboxes is like the bulky Super Tandems of the 1980s, though. Some of them offer newer features, like Bluetooth 6 streaming, DAB+ radio tuning, and even sleep timers.

The CD Soundmachine range is a nostalgic sight if your main association with boomboxes is portable but cumbersome CD players from Y2K. They don't look dissimilar at all — but thankfully, they do offer a few more options when it comes to deciding how to listen to your music than they did back in the day. That includes the previously mentioned Bluetooth and DAB support, as well as multi-source CD players, USB options, audio-in ports, and built-in cassette players. Besides the wide assortment of inputs, models like the AZB798T/12 come with built-in digital sound control presets, dynamic bass boost, and a bass reflex speaker system designed to harness low frequencies to minimize distortion while amplifying your music's bass.

Much like the AZB798T/12, other recent Philips boomboxes like the TAZ2500/10 also come with Bluetooth and a selection of playback options like a top-loading CD player, front-loading cassette player, radio, and Type-A USB inputs. In terms of its radio capabilities, it offers both FM and DAB, with a digital tuner, smart scan, and up to 40 programmable presets: 20 for FM, 20 for DAB. Admittedly, it's not the most powerful stereo you'll ever find — it runs on two 2.5-inch speakers with a maximum output of 6W of power — but it does walk the line between retro boomboxes and modern audio needs nicely.

We were careful not to just pick any old new boomboxes, so to speak. Instead, we made sure to look carefully for brands making boomboxes that integrated newer features and functionality in one way or another, rather than any companies that just appeared to continue manufacturing more old-school or simplistic boomboxes. To be more specific, that means we focused on devices that offered features like Bluetooth, USB connectivity, or other options along those lines. We didn't want to include any boomboxes that just rehashed older models and functions without putting a modern twist on them. 

Traditionally, boomboxes tended to be portable sound systems with at least two built-in speakers and an integrated cassette deck, CD player, radio, or some combination of the three. With that in mind, we wanted to make sure we highlighted devices that kept some of those features alongside any modern additions, so you could retain that retro feeling by enjoying your physical media collection through your device. That way, we could make sure we weren't just picking out Bluetooth speakers. That's why we didn't include JBL's Boombox line or Soundcore's Boom line, for instance, since both effectively work as portable Bluetooth speakers without other playback options.

While this is perhaps a given, we also made sure that any brands highlighted had boomboxes that were currently for sale, without having to turn to the secondhand market to buy them. If the product had been discontinued, we didn't include it. And we also made sure to look out for boomboxes with generally positive ratings either among users or in professional reviews.