Bosch Power Box PB360S Review

You asked and we listened.  We have done a lot of different Job Site Radio reviews such as the Milwaukee, Metabo, Ridgid and a couple others.  We heard over and over how do these compare to the Bosch Power Box?  Well the only thing we can tell you is the Power Box doesn’t compare, it’s in a league of it’s own.

First,  I would like to say I don’t care if you are in the construction business or just hanging out in front of a camp fire, this is the radio to own.  If you are in the construction business then you will be pleased that Bosch not only built one hell of a radio, but they also took the time to design a cage system that protects this radio.  As you can see by the pictures, there is a cage or cube that protects the radio.  The cage is attached to the radio using a rubber material.  This design allows for flexibility which means the cage and rubber takes most of the shock and helps dissipate the impact by the time it reaches the radio.  One huge thing Bosch did when they designed this system is leave no dead space.  The unit is a cube, so it has 6 sides.  Every single side has something on it, nothing was left out.  So let’s take a look at each side of the cube.

Top

On the top of the unit, there is a handle to carry the unit from place to place.  You can also just use the roll cage as a handle.  The unit comes with a 6″ Aux cable to plug your phone or music device into.  I bought a longer one because I use my phone.  I can plug my phone into the Aux 1 and leave my phone on top of the Power Box.  This way then the phone rings, I can easily access it.

There are also 4 speakers on each four corners of the radio so you get 360 degrees of music experience.

Bottom

On the bottom of the unit is where Bosch put the sub woofer.  This works out nice because you get a nice deep sound when it’s on a hard surface.

Front

The layout of the front is awesome.  Towards the top is the display screen which is set up nice.  It has a nice angle on the screen so even if you are standing above it, you can read the screen.  The numbers are nice and big, plus the blue back light screen makes it even easier to read.  Right below the screen is the on/off switch.  On thing I am happy Bosch implemented was a dial for the volume and tuner.  I like the dials better as I can adjust the volume or station quicker.  I do wish when turning the tune button, it would scroll through the stations a little quicker.

The next set of buttons below are the equalizer, custom, memory and clock buttons.  There are 4 preset equalizer settings, Jazz, Rock, Pop and Classical.  If that doesn’t suit your needs, just use the custom setting and dial your treble and bass.  Push the memory button and then you can store or scroll through your presets.  Clock lets you display and set your time.

The last set of buttons lets you control other music from USB, Card, etc.  You can hit the play/pause button, repeat and seek buttons to access your music.  There is also a source button to select your mode of play such as Auxiliary, USB or card, also the FM/AM.

Back

On the back of the unit, you will see a door that snaps shut.  When you open the door, you will notice it has a nice rubber seal to help keep water and moisture out.  Inside the door is where you can insert your Bosch 14.4 or 18V battery (Slim or Fat Packs).  This does one of two things.  If the radio is plugged in using the AC power cord, then your battery will begin to charge.  If you are not close to a power supply source, you can use the battery to power the radio.  If you look closer, you will see a smaller door inside.  Here is where you place your 2 AA batteries so the unit can store your preset memory channels.  The soft antenna is also located on the back of the unit.

Right Side

On the right side of the unit is where the 6′ power cord is located.  When you’re not using the power cord, it wraps up nicely.  One thing I like is when the cord is wrapped up, it stays in place even when moving the box from place to place.  In the center there are 4 120V outlets.  They are protected with a cover to help keep out water and dust.  Now you can’t run a table saw off these as the max amps is 10, but they are very handy and I am extremely happy Bosch integrated these into the unit.

Left Side

This is your media side.  Towards the top you have an AUX 1, 12V and line out.  This is a great set up.  I like how there is an AUX on the outside because I can leave the media bay door shut to protect the bay, but still listen to my phone.  The 12V charger is great for charging my phone or camera.  I haven’t used the line out, but that would be nice in case I want to add a speaker or other outputs.

Below these items is the media bay door.  As with the back, this door shuts and locks.  It also has the weatherproof rubber seal.  On the back of the door you can Velcro your iPod in a padded area.  You can then directly plug the iPod into Aux 2 inside.  I have an iPhone 3gs in an Otter box and that is a little big, so it doesn’t fit.  Inside the media bay there is also a place to insert your SD/MMC card.  This is a great feature.  I don’t use these cards much, but I think I am going to get a couple to store some different types of music on them.  Bosch didn’t stop there, they also included a USB which can be used as a music inlet or charger for your phone.    The last item inside is the 250C 1 amp push button fuse for protection for your 12V.

One question we get asked over and over again is how does the Ridgid remote work compared to the Bosch in terms of ease of use and distance.  Unfortunately our Power Box doesn’t have a remote so we really can not comment about the remote.  We do know the Ridgid remote is great.  Very easy to use and has a storage place when not in use.  The remote feature is very nice to have and the Ridgid does work great.  If a remote is a big concern to you, we would suggest going to one of the big box stores and taking them for a test run to see which one works best.  Our batteries last a long time on the Ridgid remote and the unit picks up the signal great, plus you can control your phone music with the Ridgid.  If the remote is not a big concern, then we can definitely recommend the Power Box as the Job Site radio to own.

When Bosch designed the Power Box, they did it right.  It has everything a user could want.  The Design with the sub woofer below and 4 speakers above makes this the best sounding system we have heard.  With the unit enclosed in a case, it’s also one of the toughest units we have seen.  The unit has an easy to use interface and the option to charge your batteries is key, not to mention you can pretty much hook this up to anything (well not Blue Tooth) and jam out all day long.  I don’t care if you are in the construction business or just hanging out in front of a camp fire, this is the radio to own.

Bosch Power Box Specification

Includes

• 6″ Aux Cable
• (2) AA batteries

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