With the ability to play mp3-cd, usb flash drives, and SD cards, you can't expect to pay any less for this unit being at only about $40. Anything cheaper and your looking at tiny radios that can't put out any volume and have very limited features.
Pros:
-several inputs provide plenty of options
-radio reception is phenomenal, tons of stations and alot of them come in crystal clear
-button layout is simple and easy to use
-very portable, only about 14" long x 6" high x 8" deep and maybe 4-5 lbs without batteries
-lcd screen lights up with a nice blue display
-has an AUX-in for whatever that can be used for
Cons:
-battery compartment is a bit tight so its a bit of a pain in the butt getting batteries in and out if you do this frequently
-metal screen that covers speakers sticks out a bit to much and makes it too easy to dent the screen if the unit is hit
-the 2 slider buttons that switch the unit between cd/radio/usb etc and Am/FM/stereo are kinda cheap and its best to try and minimize the number of times you handle these buttons. The buttons work ok but they definately have a cheap feel to them.
-bass is a joke
-only moderately loud and only the "jazz" and maybe the "normal" presets provide decent sound and minimal distortion on maximum volume
-radio tuning is analog (which many people prefer digital)
-the +10
I wrote more more cons then pros but I think alot of the cons are just being picky and also alot of them are easy to live with. If less then maybe $60 and considering the features it has I would probably purchase this unit again. NAXA NX-250 Portable AM FM Radio USB Port MP3 CD Player Boombox Stereo
I was looking for a radio/cd player with a USB port for use in an office setting. I originally purchased a COBY MP-CD471, but had to return the unit due to a loud humming noise the unit makes when earphones are used. The NAXA unit was my second choice, and I really wish I had purchased it before the COBY item. Thus far, it has met my expectations in every way. It has USB capabilities, the radio unit works even in an office building where reception is normally poor, and the CD unit is adequate. The speakers are average, but for my purposes, they are acceptable as I am typically using earphones. If there were one improvement I would make, it would be a digital tuner for the radio rather than the old-fashioned `wheel.' Other than that, I am generally happy with the NAXA unit (for my limited purposes).
First Impressions:
What I like:
* Solid Feel
* Lots of features - Aux in, USB Memory Key/SD/MMC slots, CD - MP3 player, Headphone out Jack, can use battery power.
What I wish it had, could have etc:
* More than a 90 day warranty
* A remote would be super (but, let's be reasonable, it's a low cost box)
* Better controls to allow a bit more bass, the EQ doesn't really allow much of a change in sound.
* A better Manual (With descriptions on how it sorts/prioritizes MP3 Playlist).
* More power (they seem to have trimmed the Volume a bit, probably a good idea in order to not blow out the speakers)
What I don't like:
* Not enough BASS
* The $15+ shipping charge
I originally bought a low end Sony (CFD-S01CD), while it did have the cassette player and had better sound, it didn't have near the capabilities of the NAXA NX-250. Of course, the NAXA is a new name and therefore its quality (to me) is unknown as I have no personal experience with the brand. If it lasts and can hold up under the rigors of camping and light use at home, I'll be satisfied.
I compared this with 2 other boomboxes in my store. All are near the $50 (w/shipping) price range. Out of the Sony ZSE5 series (the white and colored boomboxes) The NAXA NX-250 (used to cost forty sixdollars after shipping) and the Cornet BH-426 I found the following.
The NAXA NX-250 sounds the best, somewhat decent bass, though don't expect great bass for less than a hundred bucks
Second in order of performance was the Cornet, with a tinnier sound and less bass than the NAXA. It does look the nicest by far out of the three.
The Sony had by FAR the worst sound. Way worse than the Cornet. No bass, just totally flat mid range.
The radio was hardest to pick up FM on the sony as well. If you can afford it, and Amazon drops the price back to ninety two dollars, the sony CFDG505 CFDG505BLACK DOES sound about 10 times better than even the NAXA NX-250, proving that if sony's low end boombox is j-u-n-k at lest their mid range box is spectacular.
addendum: this from an email I received from NAXA "...the NX-250 and the NPB-250 are the same unit. The NPB-250 is this year's model and the NX-250 is the facsimile predecessor."
I was doing an extensive search to find a resonably priced CD/MP3 player with a USB port and most importantly headphones. This one has them all, plus radio and memory card slot. I'm extremely happy with the purchase--it is very easy for my kids to handle the unit without any help. The unit offers enough volume to listen to book on CDs and decent effect for music(do not expect the effects of high-end boom box player). NAXA NX-250 packs more than enough goodies at this price-point for my purposes. Highly recommended.
Like other reviewers--I don't like the steep shipping and handling cost.
I bought this about a year and a half ago after almost 8hr daily use at work and it is still going strong. Works with 8GB USB flash drives and regular SD cards. I record my favorite radio shows at home using streamripper and play them back at work using the USB drive.
I bought it to listen to recorded books as mp3 files on a CD. Many books have 200 or more tracks/files. I learned that every power-off situation requires restart at the beginning, and that hold/pause is unusable for this purpose because (1) it often fails and does power-off, and if not (2) it rapidly depletes the batteries. There just is no track memory and reposition. I would select a track number to start at, but there's no such feature. The "skip 10" works but is clumsy for this. Maybe I should have anticipated this, but little technical info was provided before purchase, and my planned use is probably not common.
The extra high price of shipping and handling deters any return.
I've not used the radio feature. - Portable - Mp3 - Cd - Cd Player'
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