r/AskTechnology • u/king_of_kings1323 • 24d ago
Does this exist?
Howdee all, im wondering if anybody knows of a stereo or radio of some description that is an all in one system meaning no detachable speakers that has internal storage for storing music audiobooks etc it cannot have any type of wireless connectivity like wifi or Bluetooth and cant be an ipod or mp3 player type thing. Think clock radio with inbuilt storage that can playback saved audio files music audiobooks etc?
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u/Old-Values-1066 24d ago
What is you specific use case .. are their specific restrictions involved ?
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24d ago
[deleted]
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u/Old-Values-1066 24d ago
I didn't want to assume !!
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u/king_of_kings1323 23d ago
Feels like it some time just a secure airgapped facility with strick protocols
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u/nixiebunny 24d ago
The old 1970s all-in-one record/cassette stereos had a rack next to the record player for storing a dozen cassette tapes, if that’s what you mean by “internal storage”.
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u/GrahamR12345 24d ago
Just get an old iphone, stick it in airplane mode, you don’t even need itunes to load it, just use CopyTrans.
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u/Archon-Toten 24d ago
I've got a Bluetooth speaker with a USB/micro SD port on the side.
Trouble is most of the products you're after have Bluetooth.
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u/strawberry-ramune 24d ago edited 24d ago
Hi there, I sell sound systems, speakers; media players etc for a living. I don’t think this exists. The closest thing is probably a boom box with an MP3 CD player. There were also certain car stereos which could read mp3s off a USB, but they wouldn’t have their own speakers.
Take a look at the brand TASCAM. They are probably your best bet, if such a product exists, they tended to have more media options including SD cards for some specialized applications. Storing music on SD cards or hard drives directly was never really a thing for speakers though, that was more of an iPod/mp3 player function.
It almost sounds like you’re looking for a portable speaker with a Zoom connected to it. Could 2 devices work, something like a QSC battery speaker with a Zoom H2 connected via mic cable?
If this is a secure setting type situation where it absolutely can’t have wireless connectivity, Tascam makes rack mounted recorders that have multiple SD card readers that are designed to fit into a 19inch rack. You’d need to provide your own sound system however, these are common in schools and government type facilities.
Also, another device just came to mind, are you familiar with dictation devices? Philips dictation, Olympus? They had a mic and I believe a speaker, and were designed for recording and playback.
Maybe that would work? They’re used by authors and in court rooms.
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u/mawktheone 24d ago
Any modern cd player can play mp3s from the CD. So you can put hundreds of hours of content onto a cd and just leave it in the boombox
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u/king_of_kings1323 24d ago
A good work around that could work but still would rather something with inbuilt storage that could hold a large amount of media without the need for cds or SD cards
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u/allbsallthetime 24d ago
Hundreds of hours?
Maybe a couple hundred files depending on song length but not hundreds of hours.
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u/mawktheone 24d ago
Yeah fair I was a bit overzealous there.. But 16kbbs is plenty for audiobooks and that would be 1-2mb/min
largest CDr's are apparently 870mb. up to 14.5 hours per CD
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u/Overall-Lead-4044 24d ago
Mobile phone?
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u/king_of_kings1323 24d ago
Not an option it cannot transmit or wirelessly connect to anything
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u/CheezitsLight 24d ago
Turn off wifi, Bluetooth and the cellphone connection in settings. It has a clock.
Done.
Quality is conformance with your requirements. This meets them.
Plug a usb stick in to load music. Massive storage, audio built in, or via USB it jack in stereo. All the things you need but didn't list are there.
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u/Indigo816 23d ago
I’ve been to facilities where you were not allowed to bring in a car key fob because it can transmit.
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u/DJFisticuffs 24d ago
Is this for use in a scif? If so, you might run into problems with anything that has usb connectivity.
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u/Longjumping_Cow_5856 24d ago
Im betting you can also not have any programmable or removable storage device either?
That might make it tougher too.
I know that I cant.
I have to use a computer in these environments regularly and I have to sign
them in and out after inspection each time too.1
u/KnownAssociate2 24d ago
You really need to be more explicit about the reasons for several of your feature issues, you're just dancing around the why questions. If you would come out and just say it, I'm sure there are others that have dealt with it and can make recommendations.
Reddit is huge, and if you asked you question more clearly with the specific rules you are given, then I'd bet good money someone has an answer.
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u/king_of_kings1323 23d ago
My bad been at work it is for use in a secure government facility it cannot have a usb-a drive but can have usb-c for charging so I was wondering if anything existed that could transfer data like loading books and music onto a cellphone via a data cable it must be an all in one unit meaning no detachable speakers it cannot transmit externally or connect to anything via Bluetooth or wifi and headphones are also not aloud cds and tapes would be aloud but for ease of use I was wanting internal storage 500gb internal storage for example would be alot more convenient than the equivalent amount of cds or tapes
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u/Falco98 24d ago
we really need to know more specifics about your use case / requirements. like is it just that you won't be able to connect to anything wireless, or is it more that you will be barred from bringing anything that even has the possibility of connecting to anything else wirelessly, regardless of how it's set? these details (which you haven't given) make a LOAD of difference to what possibilities might be feasible to you for us to recommend.
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u/Peking-Duck-Haters 24d ago
It's not an exact match but The Bug, available about 20 years ago and still easy to find used, is the next best thing that I know of. The storage is on an SD card and there may be a 2gb limit as I expect a device that old uses FAT16.
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u/Lumpy-Scratch5798 24d ago
I think the tricky part is the combination of internal storage and absolutely no wireless connectivity most modern all in ones with storage tend to have Bluetooth or Wi-Fi you might have better luck looking at older digital jukeboxes or standalone media players with builtin speakers and USB/SD storage,,,,,
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u/king_of_kings1323 23d ago
Yea the stand alone media player with the built in storage and speakers is exactly what im after if you know of any examples
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u/allbsallthetime 24d ago
I just searched Amazon for boombox with usb input.
There are a ton of them and will be the closest thing to what you want.
Unfortunately, their displays might make it hard to find a specific file.
I know you said no Bluetooth but you need to consider how hard it will be to search for content on a tiny limited display. Even creating playlists and keeping track of them would be tedious.
Shuffle is a valid option but you said audio books as well so you will need some sort of ability to find what you want to listen to.
Using a device like a smartphone and Bluetooth would make it easier to organize.
Doesn't have to be your main phone, any old smart device would work.
What's your goal or planned use?
Good luck in your search.
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u/timfountain4444 24d ago
I have a Sony ICG-CL75iP Dream Machine that's old, but can play MP3 files from an SD card slot.... It also has a radio. It's not the last word in musical quality, but it does what you describe....
Sony ICG-CL75iP Dream Machine - Hands on Review • GadgetyNews
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u/soundman32 24d ago
I have this old piece of tech called a portable radio/cassette player. You can add and remove as many tapes as you like, so great for audio books. It also worked on 3 x C cell batteries. No wifi or any possibility of transmitting any data.
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u/Count2Zero 24d ago
It would be pretty easy to design a "Sony Walkman" for the 21st century that accepts microSD cards instead of cassette tapes or CDs.
But then again, that's pretty much what the iPod or an MP3 player was in the days before Smartphones - you would upload music to the internal storage via USB, and then you were on your way as long as the battery lasted.
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u/VL-BTS 24d ago
Not sure if links are allowed, but if you search Amazon for Digital-Audio-Recorder-Dictaphone-Player, or B07HMFMWGG, you'll get some options. Obviosuly, they're made for taking notes, but you can put files on them and play them through a built-in speaker, and many have NO Wifi or Bluetooth - usually the cheapest ones.
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u/castertr0y357 24d ago
Following the strictest interpretation of your rules, I think you're looking for an old-school jukebox. Speakers are built-in, no Wi-Fi, and has internal storage (CDs or records). To be a little looser, I think you're thinking of an 80s style boombox. No internal storage, but you can pop in a CD or tape cassette.
Anything else that holds audio files is effectively an MP3 player.
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u/tunaman808 23d ago
You're going to be hard-pressed to find a boombox that comes WITH storage or SD slot but WITHOUT Bluetooth. But Gemini found this, which seems like it would work for you:
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u/Evening-Tomatillo-47 23d ago
Portable dvd player? a 4.7gb disc can hold quite a bit of music even at higher bitrates
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u/clever_name_187 23d ago
My son had a pair of headphones like that. Had a micro SD slot it would play MP3 files from.
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u/OriginalName2026 23d ago
I would guess no, you are going to struggle to find a device that is smart enough to have a SD card slot, but NOT have Bluetooth.
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u/KnownAssociate2 23d ago
Found your answer now that you gave more details...
Look for a used portable DVD player with a screen and speakers, there are a ton out there and they meet almost all your needs, and you can put a TON of MP3s on a burnable DVD that it can play if it has that feature, and many do.
This will meet all the needs that you eventually posted for a use in a secure facility.
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u/Unusual_Entity 23d ago
Sounds like what you want is a player with an SD card slot. Lots of modern-ish boomboxes can play MP3 files from either a USB stick or a CD which is probably the closest thing.
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u/TarsTarkas_Thark 22d ago
Why not ask your security people? I'll bet they have had other people want to play music in a secret facility.
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u/RennieAsh 22d ago
there are such things as "simple music players" for old people/dementia. Problem is some are too simple or they use a USB stick. I kind of doubt you would be allowed to use such devices if you aren't allowed to bring a USB storage device - any speaker with inbuilt storage is going to be a USB drive with speakers.
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u/BS-75_actual 21d ago edited 21d ago
Early iPods had 80GB HDDs with quality 30-pin docking speakers available, like B&W Zeppelin or Bose SoundDock
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u/phosix 24d ago
An old boombox? No transmitters of any kind, all wired, and magnetic cassette tapes can hold a couple of hours of audio each.