Coby recalls boomboxes due to potential fire hazard, crappiness

Coby's quest to become more than the de facto house brand of street vendors and pharmacies worldwide by shipping semi-respectable PMPs and DAPs has always been held back by the company's insistence on making chinzty little boomboxes and CD players, and now it looks like it's paying the price: Coby is being forced to recall nearly 15,000 MP-CD475 boomboxes because they sound like tin cans pose a fire hazard. You may remember the MP-CD475 as the legendary unit that redefined the dual-voltage AM/FM/CD/MP3/USB boombox market with its iconic design featuring the word DIGITAL on the top in huge letters. If you were desperate in a Walgreen's, um, we mean lucky enough to buy one of these between August and December of 2006, Coby says you should unplug it immediately and call them to arrange a refund. Hit up the read link for contact info and a list of affected serial numbers.

[Arno @ Apr 25th 2007 1:35AM]

Coby is still around?

[Leonard Nimrod @ Apr 25th 2007 1:49AM]

Nilay is being a little harsh toward Coby. They fill a niche market of low cost electronics and at least they add things like Mp3 and USB connectiviity to their devices. Besides, we're only talking 15k units. Not exactly Sony battery recall numbers here.

[Ablation @ Apr 25th 2007 2:18AM]

Everybody knows the only quality products are Panaphonics, Sorny and Magnetbox. If you buy Coby, you get what you deserve.

[Kamokazi @ Apr 25th 2007 2:26AM]

I didn't realize there were any Engizmo readers left who still thought Sorny made quality products...

[myscrnnm @ Apr 25th 2007 3:11AM]

"Besides, we're only talking 15k units. Not exactly Sony battery recall numbers here."

That's bull. When you take into consideration how prevalent Sony batteries are (not just used in VAIO notebooks, but sold to other PC vendors as well), the number of batteries recalled by Sony was proportionally FAR smaller than this. Compare this to Coby. I have never actually seen a person using a Coby boombox in real life.

[Anonymous.Skull @ Apr 25th 2007 3:37AM]

I laugh whenever I see anyone with ANYTHING made by Coby. During my brief stint as an employee at a Strawberries CD store (and we sold Coby "products"), the most common complaint I ever heard was "My _________ broke" - insert "headphones," "CD player," "MP3 player," etc. All were made by Coby. First, they always wanted to complain to everyone within earshot about how poor the product was. Then, after I mentioned that if they wanted something that actually WORKED, they should purchase (the only other brand we carried) something made by Sony, because at least their headphones typically last longer than a few days (unlike Cobys).

I'd also hear "But they're not LOUD ENOUGH!," typically from that guy who blasts hip-hop through his headphones for the whole train/bus to hear.

Face it, regardless of whatever pretend "niche" Coby fills or attempts to fill - it's utter crap that isn't worth spending a penny slug on. I'd rather fight a crocodile than wear a Coby product on my body.

[3rdsun @ Apr 25th 2007 5:51AM]

Why all the Coby bashing. They are the Sony of cheap electronics

[strider_mt2k @ Apr 25th 2007 7:45AM]

The only "niche" that Coby products adequately fill is the one for recycled broken consumer electronics.

I'd be happier WITH the dollar.

[Seth @ Apr 25th 2007 10:12AM]

I didn't know anybody still used boomboxes.

R.I.P. radio rahim.

[Ryan @ Apr 25th 2007 11:36AM]

"crapiness". That's the funniest title I've read from you guys in a long time. LOLs! :)

[gillsans @ Apr 25th 2007 11:42AM]

I believe you forgot a key retail outlet for Coby: Truck Stops.

Panaphonics and Magnetbox are crap. If you really like to watch your Television and I mean really, you have to go with the Carnevalé.

[Rick Lyon @ Apr 25th 2007 12:09PM]

"...fire and crappiness" haha, thanks for the giggles :)

[jrin @ Apr 25th 2007 12:40PM]

I actually got this free from office depot w/a coupon and I was surprised at how well this sounded -- good enough to actually use in the bathroom. It's funny cause I always thought it felt a little warm when ever I went to turn it on even when it was off! looks like mine's one of the bad ones haha