As with most new products, initial supplies are limited as was seen with the initial inventory at Crutchfield right at Christmas. We should be able to get our hands on the next batch at about the same time.
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Introducing the Delphi CD Audio System SA10034-11B1

The box the unit comes in is a bit bigger than the original Skyfi Audio System or original "boombox". The graphics on the box are nice and the color scheme is midnight blue and white. Upon opening, on top are the instructions, a remote unique to this new CD Audio System or "Boombox 2", a power supply and an antenna. The power supply is larger than the one form the original boombox. The new one is not a "wall wart", its a separate box with a length of cable on either side of it. It is rated at 12 volts and 1.8Amps, or 34 Watts of power. If you want to use batteries, you can. The bottom rail that goes across the entire width of the boombox houses the 6 "D" size batteries that are inserted from one end after un-screwing the cap on the end. The manual contains the following note about the batteries:

Quote:
CAUTION: Some battery brands may not fit this electronic unit. Please use ONLY the following battery brands: Duracell Alkaline, Rayovac Maximum Plus, and Radio Shack Plus (black Label).


What does that means exactly? I am not sure. Take it for what its worth.

The antenna that the unit comes with is the same as the home/boombox/pcr antenna that is currently shipped with those units, but only has 10 (ten) feet of cable.

The unit itself is similar in construction and materials as the original boombox, except that the speaker grills on this new one are solid plastic and are not removable. The unit has a REAL HANDLE! The handle folds down when not in use. The center section spins around 180 degrees to allow the unit to either function in XM mode with a SA10000 Skyfi receiver (sold separately), or the other side which contains an AM/FM radio and CD player that plays CD, CD-R, CD-RW including MP3 format music files.

I will not go into too much detail on the XM operation since it is exactly the same as the original boombox. Nothing has changed with the exception of the volume control knob. Its larger and much more precise to control the XM volume - problem solved!

Now for the new AM/FM/CD/MP3 module:

Spin the center section to the AM/FM/CD/MP3 module side and the XM turns off automatically. Press the POWER button and you go through the functions one at a time; AM to FM to CD/MP3.

AM and FM operation are straight forward. There are 18 FM presets and 12 for AM. Tone can be controlled either through the preset EQ settings, or manually with the Bass and Treble controls. A "Bass Boost" feature can be turned on/off. The Clock can be set in this mode, as well as a "TIMER" or Alarm clock that can be set to any time of day. There is also a 7 minute "SNOOZE" feature, but only on the remote control.

Press the mode button and you get into CD mode. Playing regular audio CD's or CDR's is also simple and does not require any special know-how. Pop in the disc and it starts playing. You can program the unit to play the CD tracks in a specific order, it also has random and repeat settings.

When playing MP3 format music CD's, the unit can display up to 64 characters of ID3 tag information V1.1 (if included on your MP3 recordings). This can be set to scroll across the 8 character LCD readout of the AM/FM/CD module. You can also program the order that the tracks are played in and also choose repeat and random playback functions.

Sound Quality:

From the very beginning of my posts on these message boards I have touted that sound quality is very subjective, it is VERY obvious that this new Boombox 2 clearly has improved BASS response for both the XM and AM/FM/CD modules. Although the XM module does not allow for as precise control and "bass boost", it is noticably improved over the original boombox. There is also significantly less distortion at high volume levels. Is the sound perfect? No. But it is significantly better than the original.

Conclusion:

This new CD Audio System does take some getting used to! Out of the box, my first reaction was "what the hell is this thing?!?!", but after playing with it all day today, I have grown to like it. It does seem a bit quirky in that the center rotates, but quirky does not mean its a poor design. After all... the new handle is EXCELLENT!

The only problems that I have with it is the fact that the cool features of the clock and timer (alarm clock) only work with the NON-XM module. C'mon... do I really need to wake up to FM or a CD? Also, the lack of a "bass boost" on the XM module makes me think that the XM side should sound even better than it does on this unit. I do understand why this was not included on the XM side, and that is likely because these features cannot be incorporated into the Skyfi and separate circuitry would likely have been required.

Is it worth the $199 price tag? That's a choice you would have to make on your own. Sound is decent. General boombox features are pretty much all there (XM, AM, FM, CD, MP3, Clock). Its definately a "conversation starter" due to its unusual design, whether you think its good or bad. If you are going to use the AM/FM/CD/MP3 features of this unit frequently, I would take the plunge. Otherwise, if you just want the improved sound quality for the XM portion and do not plan on using the rest of the features, it may not be worth it for you.

Available now at MyRadioStore with FREE GROUND SHIPPING!

Key features:
dock for the Delphi SKYFi? XM receiver (receiver sold separately)
CD deck (CD, CD-R, CD-RW, MP3)
AM/FM tuner with telescoping antenna
durable ABS plastic body
high-gain XM antenna with 22.5-foot cable
stereo speakers
volume control
headphone minijack (also serves as line output)
30 FM/AM presets
4 EQ modes: "Flat," "Rock," "Pop," and "Classic"
integrated rubber grip carrying handle
AC adapter included
uses 6 "D" batteries (not included)
wireless remote (controls XM tuner, CD deck, and AM/FM tuner)
8 watts RMS x 2
dimensions: 20"W x 8-1/2"H x 6-1/2"D

   
   
   

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Last edited by Ziggy on Thu Apr 22, 2004 12:15 pm; edited 2 times in total

quote:

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Originally posted by Ziggy:

The manual contains the following note about the batteries:

Quote:
CAUTION: Some battery brands may not fit this electronic unit. Please use ONLY the following battery brands: Duracell Alkaline, Rayovac Maximum Plus, and Radio Shack Plus (black Label).


What does that means exactly? I am not sure. Take it for what its worth.

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I am going to hold off on this item. Although I love the concept of my first generation boom box, I feel there are a couple design flaws that were never addressed. The volume control for one, and the fact that I have a lot of trouble getting the antenna to stay on. The screens being made out of lint and dissolving after my first road trip.
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What, Me Worry?

Any idea on when the Boombox II will be available?

Did the boombox 2 ever come out?? All I can find is the orginal boombox and the one mentioned in this review

thanksa

jim