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The Roberts ZoomBox 2 is a portable DAB radio with a CD player. It looks a bit like a portable CD stereo from the 1990s, but it has several up-to-date features including digital radio and a USB port for playing MP3s.
Roberts released a newer version of this radio in 2016, the Zoombox 3. The two radios are available for roughly the same price (at the time of writing), so you might prefer to go for the newer Zoombox 3.
If you’re considering buying the Roberts Zoombox 2, find out what it can do and how it performs in this review…
Features
- FM RDS/DAB/DAB+ wavebands
- CD player that can play MP3 and WMA files
- Can play music from an SD card
- Stereo speakers
- Deep bass boost function
- Save up to 40 preset radio stations
- Takes 6 C-size batteries
- USB port for playing MP3s
- Store playlists on both CDs and SD cards
- Headphone jack
Dimensions: 24.5 cm wide x 24.5 cm deep x 13.9 cm high (curved design)
Weight: 1.8 kg
Performance and use
The Roberts Zoombox 2 is small and compact, but has good sound quality for a radio of its size. It sounds crisp and clear and has a nice tone that isn’t tinny like many other portable DAB radios. Having said that, the sound quality isn’t the best out there—you will need to invest more if sound is your main priority.
This radio is easy to use and would be a good choice for people who want a more old-fashioned style of radio. If you’ve used an FM radio CD player before, you should find the Zoombox 2 to be straightforward and simple to use.
Unlike some of the cheaper portable radio CD players on the market, the Zoombox 2 generally feels sturdy and well made. One exception to this is the buttons, which are small and feel a bit flimsy. The on/off button in particular is very small. However, the build quality is well above average overall, and the radio should last years of use, as you’d expect from a Roberts product.
The top-loading CD player is very versatile and lets you play regular CDs as well as CD-Rs and CD-RWs containing MP3 or WMA files. The CD player has repeat, shuffle and intro functions and you can also program a custom playlist. As well as the radio and a CD player, the Zoombox 2 also lets you play digital audio files (MP3 or WMA) from an SD card or USB stick.
Pros
- Small and compact
- Good sound quality, as you’d expect from Roberts
- Plays CDs, MP3s and DAB radio—quite a rare combination
- Tuning in the radio is quick and easy
- DAB reception is good
Cons
- Buttons are small and don’t feel very sturdy
Verdict
The Roberts Zoombox2
Similar radios
If you’re not sure about the Zoombox2, there are a few other portable DAB radios with a CD player available. The Sony ZS-RS70BTB Wireless DAB Boombox
If can do without DAB radio you should consider the Roberts CD9959 Swallow, which is an affordable yet high-quality portable LW/MW/FM radio CD player.
For some more radio CD players to consider, see this article: Best Radio CD Players.