Sony ZSH10CP Portable CD Radio Boombox Speaker System

TermsS2 = Sony ZS-XN30 Multi-Codec S2 Sports CD/Tuner Boombox (White)H10 = Sony ZS-H10CP Heavy Duty CD Radio BoomboxBackground: I bought the H10 to replace a defunct S2. I use three S2s and one H10 daily (and simultaneously) at a swimming pool, so I compare them daily.My biggest surprise is that, contrary to what the specs imply, the H10 sounds twice as loud as the S2. Perhaps this is due in large part to the H10's significantly better base: there is noticeably more of it, and it is very clean (has low distortion). I play the S2 with the Mega Bass button on, yet the H10 bass is so pronounced and clean that I leave the its Mega Bass off. "Specs imply" means that the specifications state that the H10 = 2.3 watts per speaker vs 2.0 watts for the S2.The H10 is significantly easier to use than the S2: The S2's up-down Volume buttons have been replaced with a large dial, the S2's jog control whose operation baffled water aerobic instructors has been replaced with clearly marked buttons, and that aggravating push-to-open CD cover has been replaced with a cover that has a hinge lock. And since the CD cover of two of my three S2's is nonfunctional, my guess is that this new hinge-lock cover will be more durable.On the H10 but not on the S2 are: Line-in (for tape players and ipods), and a storage compartment. The latter is large enough both for both the H10's wall plug and a line-in jack (not provided).The H10 is noticeably heavier than the S2, about the same width and depth, and twice the S2's heigth. Also, the black-red motif is much more in-your-face than the subtle white of the S2.8/17/06 Update: At least twice the controls have locked up; that is, the controls have acted as if a "Hold" switch was turned on, except the H2 has no such switch. Both times removing the batteries solved the problem. I deduce that this is caused by some combination of relatively uncommon button-pushing.7/27/09 Update: Absolutely no lockup since the Summer of '06.In summary, the H10 both sounds better and is significantly easier to operate than the S2.10/16/06 Update: I've started adapting to limited floorspace by playing the H10 on its side; note that it is designed to be able to do so.11/7/06 Update: The H10 sounds so much better than the S2 that I replaced all three S2s with H10s.7/27/09 Update:1. To get maximum performance at maximum volume, plug the H10 in, to either a wall socket or an external battery, like the Duracell Powersource Mobile 100.2. Lasts longer poolside than any other boombox I know of: Most boomboxes last about 6 months poolside; in contrast, the two H10's lasted for more than two years of daily (Monday through Friday) use; then their CD players stopped working at about the same time.

This boombox is such a disappointment. The 4 and 5 star reviews really boggle my mind.My husband plugged it in and stared playing music via cd. 3 songs into it, I finally asked, "Is there no bass and treble adjustments?" It sounded muffled and I couldn't take it anymore! It sounded like the treble needed set higher to clear up the sound, but alas, no bass or treble controls. Just a bass boost, which he had already turned on. "Well, that sounds like crap," I said.It sounded like there was something over the speakers, like say a blanket or something, and you are just sitting there waiting for it to clear up. Very annoying. The sound sounds blocked n some way. The bass isn't even good, even when you turn on the bass boost.You can turn the volume up loud, but nothing sounds right.The radio reception is poor. Even with the antenna fully extended, it had a hard time getting in any stations. We sat it next to another stereo just to compare the reception capabilities and make sure it was just this Sony, and yep it was. The other stereo pulled in the stations just fine.So, then we move on to trying out the mp3 function. Hooked up a Nokia Lumia to it. Sound is still terrible. If you put the phone too close, it will cause interference with the boombox and make all kinds of crackling and buzzing noises. This happens intermittently, so it may be ok for a few minutes and then all of the sudden just start up with the interference noise.The interference does not happen just because of an incoming call or text, it just seems to happen whenever Sony feels like it should happen. This is a problem because I would imagine that if you're going to plug your phone/iPod into it for music, you're going to want and need to lay the phone close to it and/or on top of it on that black center section ideally. My husband planned to use the Lumia at work hooked up to the Sony for music and place the Lumia on top of the Sony, but that can't be done because of the interference. Who wants to lay their phone or iPod 3 feet away from the boombox? He works in the construction field, so he can't just have his phone laid out on the floor 2-3 feet away from the radio. Also, there's no saying for sure that keeping it away totally eliminates the issue - last night we took the Sony out on the patio while sitting at the firepit and we had his Lumia hooked up to it for music, set the Lumia as far away as the cord would reach on top of a little table and we still had interference issues randomly.We didn't try it with an actual iPod or mp3 player, but we did also use it with my Samsung S3 and still had the interference issue.The antenna doesn't feel secure. It feels somewhat loose and like it will snap off at any moment.The unit itself is just a hard clunky plastic. I don't see how this is deemed a "work" radio. It seems like it would crack easily. Honestly, as far as the ruggedness, it seems no better than any other typical boombox.The final issue is the large powerblock on the cord. Sure, you could use batteries instead and avoid the huge powerblock, but who wants to spend money for D size batteries constantly?My husband had wanted this radio for so long and whined for so long to get it. It ended up being a huge disappointment. Definitely not worth the money at all. There is no feature that is efficient.We will be returning it and buying the Bosch PB360D 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Deluxe Power Box Jobsite Radio and Charger It is more money, but it has more features and my husband has seen it and heard it since many of the guys on different construction sites had it. It has great sound, great features and seems a lot more durable.