New Wave are well known for their mini arcade series, known as Replicades, but lately they have begun branching out and creating high-quality working miniature versions of other items. With their latest target, 80s boomboxes, they have created a visually stunning working replica available in two sizes, the M90 Mini and M90 Micro, both of which are capable of Bluetooth pairing, with the Mini sporting a slew of additional features, and both feature surprisingly great speakers, allowing you to take the party with you anywhere you go.
Since these are two separate products available for vastly different prices, each will receive its own review, although some info may be repeated due to product similarities. You can read my review of the M90 Mini here. This review will tackle the M90 Micro Blaster Artist Series BUA & Slick Rick Boombox:
The M90 Micro is a surprisingly great sounding boombox replica, one that can easily fit in a pocket or be worn around your neck thanks to the included 40” chain. The M90 Micro lacks many of the features of its big brother the M90 Mini but is capable of connecting to devices via Bluetooth and delivers surprisingly robust sound through its dual 6-watt speakers. When I say the M90 Micro is tiny, I mean it. The boombox stands at only 4.375” long, 1.25” wide, and 2.375” tall.
The sole purpose of the M90 micro is for Bluetooth use, and thankfully it handles connecting and playback extremely well. The whole connection process takes mere seconds and will have users rocking out to their favorite tunes within moments. Once paired, you can control the music via your device, unfortunately there are no controls on the micro itself, although that is understandable, given the size. Seeing how its only function is playback via Bluetooth, I’m happy to report that there was no input lag or delay between the M90 and any Bluetooth connected device. You can easily wear the M90 Micro around your neck and stream from a phone in your pocket without issue, with the bonus of looking pretty cool while doing it.
Like its big brother the M90 Mini, the M90 Micro features boombox and packaging design by BUA and audio prompts by Slick Rick. The packaging looks incredible, and I’ve no doubt that the detailed box will find a place on many peoples’ shelves. The boombox itself is incredibly detailed for such a small package, with bright colors and a design which immediately allows the boombox to stand out. The audio prompts are a nice touch, and I enjoy the fact that powering off the boombox has Slick Rick saying “peace” right before turning off. The entire thing is a welcome punch of nostalgia for those of us who are enthralled by the 80s.
The M90 Micro features a rechargeable 850 mAh battery which can provide nearly 20 hours of playtime per charge, a folding handle, and prop antennas. Rounding out the package is the inclusion of the 40” gold colored chain, which is surprisingly sturdy yet lightweight and can be clipped onto either side of the M90 Micro to allow the boombox to be carried around your neck, making it almost certain to become the focal point if worn to a party or on an outing.
While I do wish that the M90 micro had a few of the features its big brother has, most specifically an AM/FM radio tuner, I understand the size is almost certainly the culprit as to why a micro-SD slot and line-in features were excluded. Anything aside from Bluetooth would have bulked up the product due to needing additional controls built in or made the boombox unable to be easily worn around your neck. Still, it is a bit disappointing.
The intricate design, use of sturdy materials, and the sound quality make the M90 Micro Blaster Artist Series BUA & Slick Rick Boombox well worth the asking price, and is almost certain to become the focal point anytime it is used. Sure, it is essentially a novelty item, but that doesn’t negate the fact that the overall package is quite impressive.
Richard Allen is a freelance writer and contributing editor for various publications. While he enjoys modern gaming, he is a retro gamer at heart, having been raised on a steady diet of Contra, Mario, and Dragon's Lair. Chat with him via @thricetheartist on Twitter.
The ease of use, wonderful artistic design, and great sound quality makes the M90 Micro Blaster Artist Series BUA & Slick Rick boombox a reliable bet for those looking for a small but capable music player. While audio players are a dime-a-dozen and the M90 micro is essentially a novelty item, the unique design courtesy of BUA and Slick Rick and it's incredibly small size will almost certainly delight anybody who sees it, and the inclusion of a gold chain to wear the boombox around your neck will make it a surefire conversation starter.
PROS
- Easy to connect devices via bluetooth
- Incredible design and crafted out of sturdy components
- Great sound quality for such a small product
- The gold chain is a nice touch
CONS
- Lack of input options aside from bluetooth
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