Home > Consumer Reviews > Aiwa CSD-A120 CD Radio Cassette Recorder/Tuner/Synchro Dubbing/Repeat Play

Although it looks sharp it has a very short life span. Mine lasted a year, and then it was KAPUT-- not functioning at all. Before it died, only the CD player worked adequately. The tape deck hungrily ate tapes, and the radio could pick up maybe five stations, AM and FM included. I treated it gently, but it was destined to die an early death. In my opinion, don't waste your money on it.

At first glance, this boombox looks very appealing. But a closer look reveals that this is not a decent choice. The small size doesn't compensate for lousy radio reception, mediocre sound quality, and poorly laid out controls. There is no way to adjust the sound (not even a bass boosting switch), plus the cassette deck is equivalent to what you'd find in a walkman, with a small motor and sluggish rewind and fast forward. It's not the greatest at playing tapes no less. What's more is that this product isn't even made by Aiwa- I saw the same thing at a major department store with a low quality brand name on it instead! The only major difference was that the cabinet was a different color (probably to distinguish it from the Aiwa). All the Aiwa products I've seen offer CDRW playback- this one does not, further proof that Aiwa doesn't manufacture this model. Overall, I would not recommend this boombox. There are much better values. The basic model from Philips offers the same options, plus a bass boost switch and excellent radio reception. If you're looking for a good basic boombox, go with the Philips- it's a much better product at almost the same price.

Please note this boom box requires 8 D batteries, not C as the description says. It also comes with an AC cord, so you really dont need the batteries at all. I really like that you can made cassettes from CDs.

Fantastic sound, fantastic price, fantastic radio!!! The instructions for repeat play on the CD could be a little bit more explicit, but the product itself is a wonderful value!!

I purchased this alleged "boombox" to use in my woodworking shop, so I could listen to my large CD collection while I worked. For the relatively low price, I didn't expect much in the way of "extras." However, not only doesn't this box have "extras," it doesn't even have a serious "essential," as far as I'm concerned. The sound is just pathetic. The speakers are tiny, tinny and not very pleasing at all. The volume control barely raises the level to what could be called "loud," and there is absolutely no tone control of any kind. No bass, no treble, not even a "bass boost" option. I listen to a lot of bagpipe band music, and the bass drums aren't even audible. My bluegrass is tinny, and my classic rock sounds like it's coming through a transistor radio. While the unit does *function,* calling it a "boombox" is being kind in the extreme. Do yourself a favor and check out the specials .... before you blow ... bucks on this squeaker-toy.