There is a newer version of this stereo available: the Philips AZ215S.

The Philips AZ105S/05 Portable Stereo, also known as the Philips Soundmachine, is a portable radio/CD player with a lightweight, compact design. Let’s see what it can do…

Features

Dimensions: 26.2 cm wide x 24.5 cm deep x 12.3 cm high
Weight: 1.1 kg

Performance and use

The Philips AZ105S/05 is very simple and easy to use, so you probably won’t need to look at the instructions manual.

The Philips AZ105S/05 sounds decent for a stereo of its size, and there’s a bass boost function that you can turn on to give the sound some extra bass.

The Philips AZ105S/05 has two 1W speakers giving a total power output of 2W. The speakers are close together so you won’t get much of a sense of stereo separation unless you’re sitting right next to the stereo.

The CD player can buy regular CDs as well as CD-Rs and CD-RWs. You can program the CD player to play up to 20 tracks in an order of your choice. The CD player also has shuffle and repeat functions, and you can fast-forward and rewind through long tracks.

The stereo doesn’t have Bluetooth, but you can connect MP3 players and other devices using the 3.5 mm audio-in port.

The stereo can be plugged into the mains or powered by 6 C-sized batteries. The batteries should last a long time—significantly longer than they would on a DAB radio CD player.

One disappointing thing about this stereo is that it doesn’t have a headphone jack, so you can’t connect earphones or headphones for private listening.

Verdict

The Philips AZ105S/05 is a good choice if you want an affordable, straightforward and simple FM radio/CD player. Most people, however, will want a few extra features such as a headphone jack, Bluetooth and DAB radio, which are offered by a large choice of other portable stereos on the market.

Similar portable stereos

Philips have released an updated version of this stereo, the Philips CD Soundmachine AZ215S Boombox, which has a 3W power output as opposed to the Philips AZ105S/05’s 2W power output. Like the Philips AZ105S/05, it doesn’t have a headphone jack.

If you don’t mind spending more money, a great option could be the Sony ZS-RS70BTB, which is a very versatile portable radio CD player with DAB radio, Bluetooth and the ability to record the radio onto a USB drive.

If you’d like a portable radio CD player with a cassette player, a good option would be the Sony CFD-S70, which has an AM/FM radio as well as a cassette deck and CD player that can play MP3 CDs.

For some more options see this article: Best Radio CD Players.

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The Philips AJ3115/05 is a small clock radio that features a dual alarm, a snooze function and FM radio. It’s attractively priced, and could be a good choice if you’re looking for a budget clock radio. Let’s find out more about it…

Features

Dimensions: 13 cm wide x 4.6 cm high x 13 cm deep
Weight: 249 g

Alarm clock

The Philips AJ3115/05’s alarm has some useful features. You can choose to wake up to either a radio station or a traditional alarm buzzer sound. The alarm gradually gets louder, which is nice as it doesn’t force you to wake up suddenly. You can also set two alarms if you and your partner want to be woken up at different times in the morning.

The clock uses the 24-hour format and uses red digits which are clear and easy-to-read without being too bright at night.

The alarm is easy to set on both buzzer and radio modes. Should you need it, the radio comes with an instructions manual which can also be found online here.

Radio

This alarm clock has FM radio, meaning you can listen to most of the UK’s most popular stations such as Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 4. It’s easy to tune in and has good reception, but the speakers are quite tinny and don’t go very loud.

The FM radio has a sleep timer, which is useful if you use the radio to get to sleep. You can set it to 15, 30, 60, 90 or 120 minutes.

Verdict

The Philips AJ3115/05 is a good little clock radio overall. One of the best things about it is that the volume of the alarm gradually increases so it won’t wake you up with a jolt. You can also set two alarms which is good if you need to wake up at a different time to your partner.

The Philips AJ3115/05 is a cheap clock radio, so unsurprisingly the sound quality isn’t great. It’s also too quiet for some people, who need something louder to wake them up in the morning. It’s a good choice if you want something cheap and don’t have hearing problems, but if you’re looking for something louder with better sound quality, you will probably need to invest more.

Similar clock radios

Another popular Philips clock radio is the AJ3400/05, which has very similar features to the AJ3115/05 but has a different design with a large clock display.

Philips’ rivals Sony produce several great clock radios including the five reviewed here. They include radios with AM and DAB radio as well as just FM.

For more suggestions, check out our roundup of the best alarm clock radios in the UK.

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The Philips AE5220 is an attractive portable FM/DAB/DAB+ radio that looks great on a kitchen counter. It has a wood-style finish which provides a nice contrast to the metallic carrying handle and silver-grey speaker. But does this radio it sound as good as it looks? Let’s find out.

Features

Dimensions: 28.6 cm wide x 15.5 cm high x 15.2 cm deep
Weight: 1.4 kg

Verdict

While it looks great from a distance, the Philips AE5220 looks and feels quite cheap when you get up close. The sound is rich and generally very good. However, you can’t adjust the bass or treble levels which can be frustrating, especially if you dislike its somewhat bassy default EQ setting.

To summarise, this radio is a good choice if you want a stylish and affordable DAB radio for your kitchen or conservatory. However, the faux-wooden finish and lack of EQ controls prevent us from recommending this radio to everyone.

Similar radios

If you’re not sure about the Philips AE5220, there are several similar radios out there you should consider. One similar radio with a wooden cabinet is the Bush DAB/FM Stereo Radio.  It’s a fair bit cheaper than the Philips radio (at the time of writing), and offers good value for money.

If you’re looking for something higher quality and don’t mind spending a bit more, you should consider the Roberts Expression. It has an attractive ash-effect wooden case and offers the quality sound Roberts are famous for. An extra bonus with the Expression is that it has a built-in battery charger.

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