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Music Player in Your Shop?

9K views 51 replies 35 participants last post by  _Ogre 
#1 · (Edited)
Do you listen to music in your shop? If so, what do you use to play the music?

I enjoy listening to music CDs and sometimes the radio. About a year ago, I bought the cheapest boombox with a CD player that I could find at Walmart. A few months later, it failed, and Walmart would not do anything about it because I could not find the receipt to show its age. I bought another last December and put the receipt in the battery compartment.

That second CD player failed two days ago. Two of them have failed in less than a year.
Do NOT buy this: https://www.walmart.com/ip/Blackweb-Bluetooth-CD-Player-with-FM-Radio-Red-and-Black/520472937

Cordless would be extra nice. I have the old Craftsman 19.2 volt "C3" system for my cordless tools. Unfortunately, CD players that run on C3 batteries are not available, the radios with bluetooth are way overpriced when you find one, and none of them is being made any more.

I am looking for an inexpensive, but reliable CD player with AM/FM radio that I can use in the shop and outside in good weather. Bluetooth would be a nice add-on, but is not essential. Cordless would be extra nice, but I would probably have to choose my next cordless tool system. The dust environment is not excessive, a consumer device would be fine as long as it is reliable under normal conditions.

-> Can you recommend an inexpensive consumer boombox that will play CDs and last longer than a few months?

-> If you were buying one of those chunky-looking music players designed to run from power tool batteries, which one would you recommend? Yeah, those are not as inexpensive as the consumer products. I wonder whether they are actually more durable.
 
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#2 ·
I have the K-LOVE Christian radio app on an old iPhone 4S hooked to a subwoofer and pair of tweeters. It gets turned on about 5:45 every morning and stays on until about 9 each night. On Saturdays I use my Pandora channel to listen to Peter, Paul & Mary, John Denver, Simon & Garfunkel, Dan Fogelberg, Beach Boys, and more.

David
 
#5 · (Edited)
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#6 ·
Mainly Rock, I've got music ranging from the Sixties all the way to now, from classical to metal but most of it is just rock. Although I do have quite a few (a lot) anime soundtracks in the mix, the soundtrack for Cowboy Bebop is just filled with some great blues songs for example. I like to have a large variety of music, Keeps in interesting.



As far as music players go I've used Sansa mp-three players for years now, solid little devices. I've owned every generation of them and have thoroughly enjoyed each. They're only like thirty bucks for an eight gigabyte one. I did finally get into the modern age and bought cordless earbuds recently. Picked them up from a company called "Raycon", really like them so far. Long battery life, good sound and not crazy money either. Spent about sixty dollars on a pair and considering I go through the ten dollar cheap earbuds about every month or so it was worth it for me.They fit nicely under my earmuffs too


-T
 
#7 ·
I play YouTube on my iPhone, with Bluetooth to a Harman Kardon Onyx wireless/cordless rechargeable speaker. The sound is unbelievable, crystal clear and big. We have a Spotify family account but for some reason no one ever got around to giving me the password.
 
#11 ·
i consider music important to my mental well being, much to the chagrin of my wife
i have my old pre-hdmi avr receiver in my shop and 2 sets of craigslist old skool speakers in my shop
2 speakers on the wood shop side and 2 speakers on the automotive side, all have 10" woofers, mid range and tweeters
my receiver is in a cabinet complete with filtered air to cool and keep it dust free
with my aversion to commercials i stream commercial free music from a grace digital wifi tuner
i can also plug in my phone and stream music or play mp3 music from my collection

1st pic is the cabinet with one speaker on top
2nd pic is receiver, wifi tuner with the fan/filter on the right side
 

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#9 ·
Not sure how long any CD player would last in the dusty environment. You are better off switching to streaming music from your phone. I have a setup like that in my garage. An old Onkyo receiver, Google Chromecast Audio, old pair of speakers and my phone. The good part is that the second set of outputs from the receiver go to outdoor speakers on the deck.
 
#50 ·
cheap and waterproof would be a bluetooth speaker connected to your phone
i have this 7 inch, oontz angle bt speaker on my golf cart (mine was $17)

A couple years later I'm still using my old Oontz and I'm DEFINITELY a shop slob.. Nothing beats the Oontz I've seen other than maybe a C connector..
 
#12 ·
My garage/shop is dusty/damp, so I don't put any expensive electronic hardware out there. When I want to listen to something, it's generally MP3s or streamed from my phone. Since I concentrate on using hand tools for the most-part, there's minimal noise, so I don't worry about having loud music. If I want it loud, I'll bring a portable bluetooth speaker for the session.

As a side, as far as volume level, I find that "hearing" my tools is as important as feeling them. A chirp from my hand plane when I'm running over a board can be an indicator I need to sharpen, lubricate, adjust, before I feel physical resistence, and before I damage my work. So I tend to keep the ambient noise down.
 
#14 ·
I either listen to music, with my full concentration,,,,OR do wood work, wit h the same level of concentration.


One or the other.

Now that depends on whether it is just back round noise or something that gets really heady. There is something about Whiter Shade of Pale that makes me stop everything and lose all concentration. Same for nearly anything Beethoven or Bach. (Whiter Shade of Pale is classical music adapted from "Air on a G string" which can create all sorts of strange visuals for the gutter minded). My father who hated, what he called high brow music, would tune into opera when he was working in the shop. He hated all forms of classical music. Asked him once why he tunes to opera. He responded that it keeps his mind on his work. But every once in a while, with a baritone voice, he would belt out a few silly made up words to the opera. Usually goofy made up phrases in a really lame faked Italian accent. Then things would sink even further with us trying to come up with stupid rhymes the rest of the day.
 
#15 ·
Update:
I took my Blackweb Bluetooth CD Player with FM Radio, Red and Black with the original receipt to my local Walmart. Remember, this is the second one I have bought in the last year. The receipt showed that it had been purchased in late December, 2018. That's 8 months of use.

The return clerk told me that it was past Walmart's 90 day return period. I complained. I said that the Blackweb brand is owned by Walmart. The included paperwork does not have any manufacturer contact information whatsoever; there is no warranty information, just usage instructions. I said that I expected their boombox to last a decade or two under gentle use. I argued that consumers would not spend their hard-earned money on their boombox product if they expected to get only 8 months of use before it broke.

The "manager" walked over and told the clerk to give me the refund. That's when the manager looked more carefully at the receipt, and CHANGED HER MIND!, telling me that I had purchased it at a Walmart about 8 miles from here, and must return it to the other store!! Really? Really really??

-> I am still looking for a CD player solution, but considering the possibility that I may have to move to something else. Darn!

I want to say thank you to those who contributed to the thread. Please keep your suggestions coming, especially CD player suggestions!
 
#16 ·
my buddy uses an old car battery to power an (automobile) am/fm/cd he purchased form an auto recycler (CHEAP) and some car speakers setting on some shelves. he puts a trickle charge on the car battery to keep it charged...cool!

he maybe has $20 into it... for great sound

i use my kids old boom box...
 
#17 ·
If running equipment I don’t listen to anything. If I’m figuring stuff, sanding, finishing, etc. I will listen to music with my phone and ear buds. I think music can help with creative processes and usually listen during those times that I’m attempting to design a piece. I listen to music when out with the camera. The type of music could be anything from reggae to rock to classic. I like what is called new age piano solos when shooting the camera and reggae when I design wood pieces.
 
#19 ·
Walmart Update:
I drove to the other Walmart as dictated by the customer service manager at my local store. I didn't think it possible, but the people there were even more rude than the visit at my local store.

The customer service person was busy cutting up boxes when I walked up to the empty customer service counter. She looked at me, and then took about two minutes to complete the box cutting job before she deigned to come over and help me. I was surprised that she didn't set the box cutting job aside to help the customer.

The customer service person could not do anything to help me, and called over the customer service manager. The customer service manager told me that the 90 day return period had passed, and that's the policy. That's the only "warranty" that Walmart provides. If it breaks on day 91, buy another. Final answer.

I escalated to the store's assistant manager, who said no, too. After some additional discussion in which I made my frustration clear about Walmart wasting my time to send me to his store, he relented and agreed to open a new box and swap the player with a new one.

I just got home, and have not tested it yet. If it fails, I doubt that Walmart will do anything more. I have pushed them as far as they will go, which is not satisfactory, but that's life.

Lessons Learned about Walmart-branded Electronics:
Based on my experiences with their Blackweb CD Player/Radio ...

* Walmart has their own "house" brands for electronics.
* The Walmart house brands do not include contact information to get help from the manufacturer or Walmart.
* Walmart house brand products have no warranty. The only "warranty" is the Walmart's 90 day return policy, nothing else. That fact is never stated anywhere on the outer packaging or the instruction sheet.
* If your Walmart-branded device fails after 90 days, you are screwed. They don't care, and there is nobody to contact. Walmart shields the manufacturer from customer contact.
* Walmart does not stand behind its own products. In fact, they go to extra trouble to abrogate any responsibility for the quality of the products they sell.

* I will never buy another electronic product from Walmart unless it is a known, national brand, supported by the manufacturer.

SUMMARY:
When I buy a hard good like Walmart's Blackweb CD player/radio, I expect it to last at least a few years. I expect that the company that owns and sells the brand would care about the customer experience. Obviously it is profitable to sell shoddy goods and then hide from the customers. That is short sighted, in my opinion. They just lost another customer for their Walmart-branded products.


Well, I have a replacement @#$@!! Blackweb CD player for another few months, assuming it works when I try it out tomorrow, which is not a given. At least I have a little more time to think about the next solution.
 
#21 ·
The customer service manager told me that the 90 day return period had passed, and that's the policy. That's the only "warranty" that Walmart provides. If it breaks on day 91, buy another. Final answer.

A long, long time ago I was a customer service rep for Kaufmann's Dept. Store in downtown Pittsburgh. Right around 1990. The Electronics Buyer was adamant: no returns on electronics after the warranty date. He reasoned that electronics manufacturing was so precise and defects so statistically improbable that any problem after 90 days was a result of customer abuse. :huh: Period.



[99.9% of the customers I handled were furniture customers, which spurred my interest in furniture making and woodworking.]
 
#20 ·
What walmart doesn't tell you, is that there are warranties under you state law that most likely extend the time period. There are two warranties in the uniform commercial code, a warranty of merchantibility and a warranty of fitness for a purpose. That is a fancy name for a concept that an item is fit for the intended purpose and is of fair and average quality. Sort of a nebulous concept that the product will last as long and perform as well as the average other comparable item on the market. Stores hate this and when a corporate buyer purchases a ship load of substandard junk, they often pay dearly in some industries. They actually have figured out the likelihood that a customer will return a $10 toaster or just say it isn't worth the hassle. Part of that discouragement to return, is the normally unnecessarily long waits in lines at customer service. The marketing execs at Walmart can tell you the amount of sales and profits per square inch of shelf space for every product they carry in every department. I have never sued Walmart over a product. I did sue Montgomery wards over an item 20 years ago. TV purchased brand new for my daughter's birthday pooped out about 7 months later. Small claims judge agreed that a TV should last more than a year to be of fair and average quality. I got cost and tax of purchase, filing fees, attorney fees and an extra $100 for violation of the state's consumer protection law.
 
#23 ·
There was a contractor near here who would make up reasons not to pay suppliers. The studs were too short, the paint blistered, all manner of excuses. Suppliers who made the mistake of giving him credit often let him off rather than filing a suit. Once heard the story of how he had a 12 thousand dollar paving job done, went over the the corner of the parking area and poured gasoline on the freshly packed asphalt. He then called the paving company and warned them , that the mix was crap the gravel in the pavement was loose and he would not pay a dime toward such shoddy work. They sent a person out to inspect the corner and of course the inspector found the problem. The company was going to write off the entire bill. One of the employees said, I will give you $500 for the contract. He brought it to me and we sued and won. The employee lived in the neighborhood and got a piece of surveillance footage from a home, and very far off in the distance, we could see the contractor pouring a red can slowly onto the pavement. The contractor eventually screwed too many folks and received a visit from some "collection agents" Suddenly the contractor needed new tires and a window on his truck and started paying his bills. He did go to jail eventually for some of his past activities.

Anyway, the fact that litigation has become too frequent, is undeniable. However, so are the people who absolutely refuse to pay a just debt until forced to.
 
#24 ·
I have a small I guess they call them personal stereos, it is an RCA with separate speakers, the main stereo is about 18x18x24, ha cassette CD and am/fm radio in it, bought it for about $80 in 2001, and it still works. It was in the machine shop when a small tornado took the roof off, during the following month before I could get the roof on it rained 19 inches, when it took the roof off it got knocked off it's shelf and fell about 6 feet, but it still works fine, and the sound is good, and you will be able to hear it outside because it really belts out the tunes


It is now in my wood shop, the remote for theJVC I had in there crapped out so I stole it from the machine shop
 
#27 ·
Best shop sound ever
I took a KENWOOD deck out of a trooper of my wifes when we sold it. 1000 w amp , front / rear spkrs, 15" subs..Amd fitted into an old fosgate box...anyway i had a friend who designs power supplies for medical lab equipment make me an 83 amp power supply, wired it up to plug into my 110ac outlet, obviously converted to dc output. Put spkrs in all four corners of my wood shop, 16x 35 ft area. Pit subs under work bench on one end, also where i hid amp and installed deck under a work bench counter. This stereo can either provide music for working anywhere on my 3½ acres or rock my shop..cd/ aux/ bluetooth...what i like most is the crystal clear sound and clean, clear power at any level, nice bass low or higher volumes...just really great way to put sound in bigger area and i just cant say enough about how well this works for me. The power supply is main key..if you dont have the steady amps to push subs , you will lose quality, i have seen people stack power supplies from used pc's and thats just not the way to go for nice , clean, repeatable , ( 4 yrs now) still no issue. A little off thread i understand, just love to share this idea because for me, a rockin shop...is a happy shop!
 
#28 ·
I've got a Google Mini linked to my spotify and a bluetooth speaker. I love it. When my hands are covered in glue, epoxy, engine grease, I can make adjustments to the music (pause, play, volume, skip) all hands free. A side benefit is I can tell it to remind me to do something, or set an alarm/timer. ooh and I almost forgot you can have it do some math for you as well.
 
#29 ·
I bought an old boom box at a yard sale for $5 but the only thing that worked is the AM and FM radio. That is all I wanted and needed. I brought it home and put it on 650 AM which is Nashville's Grand-Ol-Opry station. I enjoy the old country and bluegrass music.
 
#30 ·
I have a cd changer and tuner in a separate room with with the speaker wire run through the ceiling.
The cd changer stopped working quite some time ago (maybe one day I'll get it fixed) so I dug a small stereo out of the closet that my I-pod mounts on and downloaded all my cd's onto my I-pod.
I can also plug my phone into it and listen to Pandora, I heart radio. I find that I listen to these more than my cd's, unless I'm in the mood for a particular album.
I don't play it so loud that I can hear it over any of the power tools so that's not a distraction.
I think better with my music playing. It help's drown out the voices.
 
#31 ·
Hard to beat a Sony Boombox for reliability, there was one at the last place I worked that was on from 6:00 PM to 6:00 AM five days a week at full volume, it was there when I started and still there 12 years later when I retired.
I have an ancient Panasonic hand me down I use in the shop but reception and sound doesn't compare to the Sony.
 
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