Philips AZ4000 CD Boombox with MP3 CD Playback

[Archived in $100 - $200, Boomboxes, Philips, Products]

Manufacturer: Philips
Price at amazon.com: $199.99
This item is not stocked or has been discontinued.

Product Features:

• Audio CD-R/CD-RW and MP3 CD compatibility, digital FM/AM tuner with 30 station presets and auto tuning
• 20-track CD programming, repeat and shuffle play; firmware upgradeable
• 3-band equalizer and Ultrabass 2 bass boost enhance and customize system sound quality
• 2-way speakers with 4-inch woofers, dome tweeters, and bass-reflex cabinets
• Runs on 6 D batteries (not included) or AC power (cord supplied)

Product Description:

Sleek in design and future-proof through its upgradeable firmware, Philips' sleek and stylish AZ4000 portable sound system offers radio, CD, and MP3 CD playback for the utmost in sonic flexibility. Play your commercial CDs, home-brewed music mixes with MP3 CDs (MP3 files encoded at anywhere from 32 to 320 kbps), or groove to FM or AM radio. MP3 discs display track file names (including artist and title information, depending on your formatting), but not ID3 tags at this time. At 7 watts per channel, this stereo won't be shaking any rafters, but its ported, 2-way speakers use their power well, delivering rich, full-bodied sound at modest levels. The CD player also offers audio CD-R/CD-RW compatibility, 20-track programming, random play, and repeat play. The system includes a digital AM/FM stereo tuner, too, boasting 30-station memory presets and auto station scanning. A 3-band equalizer (high, mid, bass) and Ultrabass 2 circuit let you tailor the sound for listening to various different types of music or in different environments. The AZ4000 sports a convenient handle so your tunes can go anywhere you do, whether you're playing music for friends or listening in private through optional stereo headphones. It comes with a remote control, too, so you'll be able to switch tracks or sources even after settling into your favorite listening position. The AZ4000 offers portable entertainment using six D batteries (not supplied). What's in the Box Boombox, remote control, AC power cord, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, warranty information.

Description from Manufacturer: Sleek in design and future-proof through its upgradeable firmware, Philips' sleek and stylish AZ4000 portable sound system offers radio, CD, and MP3 CD playback for the utmost in sonic flexibility. Play your commercial CDs, home-brewed music mixes with MP3 CDs (MP3 files encoded at anywhere from 32 to 320 kbps), or groove to FM or AM radio. MP3 discs display track file names (including artist and title information, depending on your formatting), but not ID3 tags at this time. At 7 watts per channel, this stereo won't be shaking any rafters, but its ported, 2-way speakers use their power well, delivering rich, full-bodied sound at modest levels.

The CD player also offers audio CD-R/CD-RW compatibility, 20-track programming, random play, and repeat play. The system includes a digital AM/FM stereo tuner, too, boasting 30-station memory presets and auto station scanning. A 3-band equalizer (high, mid, bass) and Ultrabass 2 circuit let you tailor the sound for listening to various different types of music or in different environments.

The AZ4000 sports a convenient handle so your tunes can go anywhere you do, whether you're playing music for friends or listening in private through optional stereo headphones. It comes with a remote control, too, so you'll be able to switch tracks or sources even after settling into your favorite listening position. The AZ4000 offers portable entertainment using six D batteries (not supplied).

What's in the Box
Boombox, remote control, AC power cord, remote control, remote batteries, user's manual, warranty information.Average Customer Rating:

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Comment: Very good machine with one important drawback Rating:
...Things I Like:
The build quality.
Fit and finish.
Good sound at reasonable levels.
Nice, small yet functional remote
Straight forward controls.
The ability to turn the unit off from the remote
The ability to store 30 radio presets regardless of AM or FM
Price ...

Things I Don't Like:
The AZ4000 does not remember where you left off on a track.
You can not turn the unit on from the remote.
The AZ4000 does not read ID3 tags.
Scrolling Text. I find it slow und annoying.
Song titles appear only after the track begins playing.
There are no tone presets.
There is no way to dim or turn off the display (except when using battery power)
There are no auxiliary inputs.

The Basic Package:
For starters, I need to say that I am happy with my purchase of the Philips AZ4000/17 as it meets my basic needs for which I bought it for.
I have yet to find the perfect portable MP3 audio device and the AZ4000 is not perfect by any means, but it is a solidly built machine that does many things quite well.
Most of my gripes have to do with the lack of functions that I think a MP3 machine should have.
The AZ4000 is a solidly built machine whose fit and finish are exemplary for a portable boom-box.
The styling is quite unique and does not look very much like anything else out there.
The controls are straight forward, easy to understand and are tight fitting.
The AZ4000 has a manual volume knob, which I prefer to the up und down arrow buttons frequently found on portables.
It runs on 8 D cell alkaline batteries and it also uses a detachable power cord instead of a wall-wart type power supply which is a good thing.
The remote is small and controls Volume, Source Selection, CD Transport Functions, Tuner Scan and Presets.

...The Sound:
The sound is very good for a boom-box in it's size and price range. I compared it to about 7 other MP3 capable boom-boxes at a local retailer and it sounded better than all that were there, including the Sony Sports ZS-X3CP.
In a small room at moderate levels the AZ4000 does an admirable job of reproducing audio from all 3 sources, CD, MP3 und Tuner.
The sound does fall short of a good mini shelf system with detachable speakers or the Bose Wave CD-3000, but the Bose does not play MP3's and costs considerably more.

Functionality:
The controls on the AZ4000 worked well, as expected. The AZ4000 plays MP3's and CD's quite well, but what surprised me was that it played badly encoded MP3's better than any other MP3 portable I have tried.
When I first began shopping for an MP3 machine, I brought a few CDs with MP3's burned at different bitrates, both constant and variable.
The AZ4000 played all of the MP3 files, and it played a few that none of the other units were able to play, including the Sony ZS-X3CP.

Utility:
Although the AZ4000 is well built and quite sturdy, it's cloth exterior and finer finish makes this machine more of a home machine that can be moved from room to room or used in the garage and patio.
It really isn't an on-the-go beater to toss in and out of the car on a regular basis. For those who need more of an outdoor, weather resistant machine that can take daily abuse, the Sony ZS-X3CP would be a better choice.

Dislikes:
My biggest complaint about the AZ4000 is it's MP3 feature set and considering this is a MP3 music machine, Philips really missed the boat on this one. Unlike many portable MP3 players, the AZ4000 does not remember where you left off on a track. To make matters worse, there is no direct numerical entry or even a times ten (X10) track advance. So if you are 3 minutes into track 145 and have to stop for some reason, you lose your place and to get back is a pain. There are a few other things that are on my dislike list but this one impacts me the most...

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Comment: Awesome portable(?) boombox Rating:
I've had this boombox for about 5 months now. After a month or so, it stopped recognizing CD's, both CD-Rs and regular audio CD's. I returned it (just past the 30 day warranty, but a nice rep from pcconnection.com still exchanged it) and my 2nd one has not had any problems whatsoever. The sound is awesome. I usually turn the UltraBass off to conserve battery power, however. This is a hefty boombox (especially with 8 D cells) so I wouldn't want to walk up and down the beach with it all day, but it's nice to have at a picnic. Technical specs say there is a 3 band equalizer (Treble, Bass can be set from -5 to +5) and then there is the UltraBass button (which overrides the regular Bass setting). I don't know if I'd call that a 3-band EQ, but I'm not into marketing... The remote offers every function except setting the sleep timer and turning the unit on. I imagine that you can't turn the unit on with the remote because that would require the boombox to use up some kind of 'standby' power - draining batteries. I paid [$$$]for the unit and compared it to the Sony MP3 boombox at the same price. I like the looks of the Sony more, but I knew that I'd get better bass from a bigger boombox. I also haven't had much luck with Sony portables and FM reception. I really enjoy the AZ4000's radio reception (und 30 presets).

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Comment: Incredible Sound! Rating:
This is the best sounding boom box I have heard in years! Compares only to the Bose Acoustic Wave Music System that cost me ($$$) and does not play MP3.

The MP3 playback can only display the song after it is playing so it can be difficult to search for a song if you do not know the album number and song number. A minor drawback is that it is bigger than your average boom box but the sound more than makes up for that. For me it is all about the sound so for me this is the best MP3 boom box in the market.

Posted at November 11, 2003 07:57 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)