Koss PC 68 CD Boombox

If you favor a sleek look, modest sound, lots of features, and a bargain price in your music machine, the Koss PC 68 CD boombox is a good bet. Tastefully designed in silver and black, this boombox has curvaceous lines, a disappearing handle, and nice metal grille.

Rap lovers will probably find the box's bass inadequate, even with the 7-watt superwoofer cranked to the max. But for playing wide-open pop, jazz, country, and folk, the PC 68's sound is reasonably detailed and natural. The bass is decently articulated; guitars, pianos, cymbals, and steel drums sound reasonably accurate; and saxes show some sass. With a good set of headphones, music on the Koss PC 68 sounds even better.

Running the show is a low-key exercise. Thanks to the well-designed (and color-coordinated) infrared remote control, you can skip across the digitally tuned AM/FM radio bands. In fact, you can program up to 20 station presets and access them via the unified up/down/search/skip toggle button on the remote. Other controls on the remote manipulate volume, switch the radio band between FM and AM, and instantly mute the sound.

A multitude of rubbery controls on the remote--duplicated on the face of the box--are dedicated to operating the top-loading CD player. Tap the Intro button, and the player automatically delivers just the first 10 seconds of each track on a CD. This feature is useful when you're searching for a particular song or want to quickly audition an unfamiliar disc.

The built-in tape deck, also top loading, lets you make custom-mixed tapes from CD or radio. The tape deck is basic--there's no Dolby noise reduction, auto-reverse, or remote-controllable operations--but it gets the job done. For best recording results, use a name-brand, normal-grade ferrous-oxide tape. More expensive varieties will actually sound poorer because the tape deck is equalized for Normal/Type I cassettes.

With a fair amount of metal on board and solid construction throughout, this Koss has more heft to it than other boomboxes in the same size range. When loaded up with eight D-cell batteries, it can seem a little heavy when you're lugging it around by the handle.

Pros:

Attractive design
Easy operation
Versatile CD, radio, and tape functions

Cons:

Not a lot of boom
Minimalist tape deck
Rather heavy for its size

1 NOTHING BEATS A KOSS!
Love it, love it, love it. For your money, this CD boombox is at the top of the list. Over the years I have owned many Koss products, and several other brands that were a lot more expensive. Would I switch to another manufacturer - no way! Nothing beats a Koss for quality, sound and durability. No wonder it is difficult for retailers to keep this product in stock!

2 Koss CD Boombox
I bought two of these for my 12 and 17 year old daughters, and they love them. The digital tuner with 10 AM and 10 FM presets lets them program in their favorite stations, and the remote then lets them channel surf from station to station avoiding commercials and looking for their favorite songs without having to sit next to the box and push buttons on it. Same is true for flipping around tracks on a CD with the remote. Nice sound for a unit in this price range.

3 Koss=Quality
I own this player, Koss Headphones, and a set of Koss loudspeakers and love them all. Top quality and sound. The only gripe I have is one I have with ALL boomboxes. Loading doors on top. When are the designers going to figure out that the top, where they almost always place the loading doors, is where all the dust and dirt gather. Flat smooth top for cleaning and front load for keeping the inside clean. Please!!