Intempo Retro Blaster review

Intempo Retro Blaster

£40

8.9

Build quality

8.5/10

Sound quality

8.5/10

Design

9.0/10

Ease of use

9.5/10

Value

9.0/10

Pros

Lightweight
Compact
Decent sound quality
Good volume
Nice chunky controls

Cons

Not sure how many knocks it can take

The Intempo Retro Blaster continues the company’s fascination with past decades. Not so long ago I reviewed their 50s-style jukebox and today I take a look at their modern take on a 70s/80s classic – the ghetto blaster.

For those of you too young to remember when portable audio meant a small, mono, transistor radio the arrival of the Walkman and the mighty ghetto blaster was the dawning of a new age. No longer were you at the mercy of radio DJs when you wanted music on the move. Now you could pack a few C90 cassettes (ask your parents) with your favourite tunes on and then annoy anyone within earshot in the park, on the bus, or on the train.

Ghetto blasters became synonymous with the Hip-hop movement and breakdancers. The Intempo Retro Blaster has a definite nod to the shape of those battery guzzling tape decks from back when tracksuits, leg warmers and big hair were de rigueur but with the advantages that modern technology brings to the table.

Intempo Retro Blaster design

I have been sent the Retro Blaster in a very 80s colourway of black and red and I reckon it certainly suits it.

The first thing I noticed, apart from its colour, was that it is a great deal smaller than the blasters of yesteryear at 34.5cm long x 9.7cm wide x 17 tall.

This is no doubt helped by the fact that cassette players are no longer a requirement thanks to Bluetooth connectivity. Instead of the front of the blaster being taken over by equalisers and tape decks, the front of the Intempo Retro Blaster is handed over to a pair of 10cm speakers dishing out 10watts.

Along the top is where you’ll find the controls with a big bass dial at one end of the panel and the volume dial at the other. In between these sits the play and mode buttons. Below those are the indicator lights showing Bluetooth status and whether you are using the line-in option.

At the rear of the panel are the on/off switch, auxiliary port and microUSB charging port. USB and aux cable are handily bundled in with the Retro Blaster.

Around the back of the Intempo Retro Blaster is a bass port.

The finish of the main box is a slightly gloss leather-look but it feels almost wooden. The red plastic parts of the handle, control panel and speaker surrounds are matte.

Intempo Retro Blaster performance

Syncing your smart device with the Retro Blaster is simplicity itself. Once that’s done then you are good to go.

I was expected a little hollowness to the sound from the Retro Blaster but dialling in a little more bass from the big red dial and the sound quality isn’t really that bad.

I have had it on the chair next to me in the office and have found it really listenable. I currently have Jack White’s Lazeretto blasting through the Blaster. The volume dial is at the 10 o’clock position and, at this distance, it is loud enough.

Cranked up to 12 o’clock it’s pumping. Wound up to 5 o’clock is its full range and whilst it is loud there isn’t any terrible distortion, the only thing I had to do is turn up the bass a bit more as the treble was getting a bit splashy and harsh for me.

If it was warmer out I would like to hear how it it handles the parks but I am sure that the Intempo Retro Blaster has the power and presence to accompany any picnic or festival environment.

The USB-rechargable battery lasts about 3 hours on a single charge so plenty to accompany your afternoon in the park.