This tiny radio is an ‘80s dream and the perfect addition to my desk on a long work day

The Crosley Tribute Radio is not a speaker for audiophiles. It’s not one of the best Bluetooth speakers. Nobody who lives and dies by high fidelity sound is going to enjoy this speaker seriously — but I think the Crosley Tribute Radio is for much more than that.

The retro design and nostalgic sound took me right back to my childhood, when I’d listen to the clock radio in the morning. It's compact, so it fits perfectly on my desk, and I can listen while I’m working. In addition, the connectivity options are super convenient.

So even though it won’t impress sound quality purists, could it be the speaker for you? You can find out more about the speaker by reading this full Crosley Tribute Radio review.

Crosley Tribute Radio review: Specs

Crosley Tribute Radio review: Price & availability

The Crosley Tribute Radio is available for $39 at Amazon U.S. and for £54 at Amazon U.K., which is pretty reasonable for a good-quality portable radio with Bluetooth capabilities.

Crosley makes a range of speakers with AM/FM connectivity, including the CT102 Portable Cassette Player for £55 at Amazon U.K. or the CR1121A-PB Bluetooth radio for $45 at Amazon U.S. The CR1121A-PB has all of the same connectivity options as the Tribute Radio, but also has a digital clock, so this could be a better value option if you would prefer a clock radio.

The radio is available in three different colorways. I tested the charcoal color, which looks great as an addition to any setup, and I love the way it complements my desk. If charcoal isn’t up your street, it’s also available in white sand and navy.

While the Crosley is a radio, it also has Bluetooth compatibility. If that’s what you’ll be using more often, you may want to spring for an affordable Bluetooth speaker instead, like the Tozo PE1 ($39), which has great sound that can get super loud. Or the JBL Clip 5 ($79) for a bigger sound, longer battery life, and more portability. But if high-fidelity audio is what you need, the Sonos Roam 2 ($179) is an ideal option that has longer battery life than the Crosley, but is also a lot more expensive. The Sonos speaker also features Wi-Fi connectivity, so it can easily connect with other devices on your network, which is pretty rare in the world of portable speakers.

Crosley Tribute Radio review: Design & controls

• Retro look
• Dial controls feel entirely personal
• Compact size perfect to fit on a desk

Crosley is known for making audio gear that would look right at home in the 1980s, or even the ‘50s, and the Tribute Radio is no exception to this rule. It is the epitome of a retro comeback. The three colorways are all neutral enough to blend in with any setup, and the retro look is perfect for style-conscious audio enthusiasts.

I’m currently rewatching “Stranger Things” in preparation for the new season, and the Tribute Radio has upped the retro vibes in my house. I feel like I’m in Hawkins, actually fighting the Demogorgon. The radio has tuning dials on the right-hand side, and you can see the pin moving across the frequencies in a window at the top of the radio, adding to that retro experience.

The controls of the radio are very basic, making it super simple to use. There are two more dials below the window. The left dial controls connectivity type: Bluetooth, aux, AM, or FM, and the right dial powers the radio on and controls the volume. There is a light that changes color based on the connection type. to the side of these that lets you know what connection is being used. It flashes blue when connected to Bluetooth and green when the aux connection is being used.

There is a large dial for tuning that can be moved in tiny increments, making for a smooth tuning experience. I was able to get my FM tunings just right.

There are two smaller dials below this. The one on the right lets you choose your audio input, and the dial on the right turns on the radio and controls the volume. These tactile controls are easy to use and, again, feel super retro.

There are four buttons below the speaker. Three of them are for skipping through songs when connected to Bluetooth or AUX inputs, and the button with the M below it switches between the Bluetooth and AUX inputs.

The ease of the radio controls lends itself further to the retro style and feel of the speaker. Having minimal adjustments, such as EQ settings, further adds to the experience of using a basic radio.

Dial controls and a retro look are becoming common in new Bluetooth speaker releases, such as the Marshal Kilburn III, which has three dials on the top to control volume, bass, and treble, so it would be a much better option if you wanted a retro vibe with modern features. The Crosley is more basic than this — there’s no EQ control.

The woofers and tweeters sit at the top left and are covered in a mesh speaker cloth that makes the radio feel premium despite the plastic body. And the design is practical too. At the back of the radio, there is an antenna that extends out for the FM frequency connection, while the AM frequency uses an internal antenna. When AM, Bluetooth, or aux connectivity is being used, the external antenna can be folded away, making the speaker more compact.

The radio is a small box measuring 6.1 x 4.1 x 4 inches that fits perfectly on my desk, and it only weighs 8 ounces, so I can easily move it around without any need for heavy lifting.

Crosley Tribute Radio review: Connectivity & features

• AM/FM radio
• Bluetooth
• Aux input and output

The Crosley Tribute Radio has four connectivity options, making it a great option whether you want to listen to live radio or stream your own music. You can choose between AM, FM, Bluetooth, or aux inputs. There is no information on the Bluetooth version used by the Crosley radio, but I didn’t have any issues with the connection and could walk around the house with my phone and still hear my radio playing from my office.

There are no multipoint connection options, so if that’s important for your listening, I’d give this speaker a miss. But despite this, you have a lot more freedom with connectivity than a standard Bluetooth speaker, with the addition of AM/FM and the 3.5mm aux port.

However, you can get better quality audio with the connectivity from small portable Bluetooth speakers like the Tozo PE1. There’s also no scope for sound personalization with the Crosley, whereas other speakers have companion apps to get the most out of their sound capabilities, like the Tribit app that can be used with the Tribit Stormbox Lava.

That being said, I think the radio access is particularly great if, like me, you enjoy surfing the channels to find your favorite music.

Crosley Tribute Radio review: Sound quality

• Nostalgic sound perfect for guitar-heavy tracks
• Adds ambience to the sound
• Struggles with strong bass

The Crosley Tribute Radio may not be a high-fidelity dream, but honestly, I love it anyway. I found it ideal for the day I’m looking for a hit of nostalgia over hi-res perfection. It has some slight static in all audio modes that further enhances the retro vibe with the sound of an old radio, where it feels like you can hear the airwaves. Other users might not appreciate the static, and that’s fine — it’s just my preference. If you want a hi-fi speaker, I’d recommend the Sonos Roam 2.

You could stream these radio stations from your phone or computer, but there is something so nostalgic about listening on a small radio. Especially when I’m working or getting ready in the morning, as it adds to the ambiance of the day.

I first spent some time listening to FM radio stations. I had to adjust the antenna repeatedly to get a good signal, but this need for adjustment is the same story for any FM radio. There was some static coming across now and again, but the presenters’ voices were clear, and all of the songs sounded clean with just a little retro static, and none of the vocals were lost behind the track. I even listened to a live on-air recording from Lewis Capaldi in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge, and this sounded great. However, I noticed the radio struggled when Guess by Charli XCX featuring Billie Eilish was playing —but this song is super heavy and bassy.

When I was testing out the AM frequency, I struggled to get a strong signal. I tried it out in a few different places, but unfortunately, I couldn’t get a decent connection. It was always patchy, with static drowning out the DJs. This would likely be stronger in an area that uses AM frequencies more, but where I live, they are pretty much obsolete. Take this as a word of warning if you live in an area without decent AM coverage.

Although the Crosley Tribute Radio’s primary function is that — a radio — I loved the option to stream my own music via Bluetooth. This sounded decent, but still had that crackle of a radio. This is a cool effect and certainly felt pretty retro while I was listening, so, again, this isn’t the stereo for you if you want pristine sound.

Sure, I love finding the best ways to get Hi-Fi sound, and most of the time, Hi-Fi is exactly what I want, but this speaker is a quirky change from the norm. Moreover, I actually preferred listening to music like this while I was working, as it feels more ambient than intently listening with hi-res gear.

I listened on Qobuz, our best music streaming service for audiophiles. I listened to Sam Fender’s album People Watching, and the song Rein Me In sounded just like it was coming out of a megaphone. Since the album is heavily reliant on electric guitar riffs, I think this effect is well-suited to the album.

I also like that even though the Crosley Tribute Radio has a muffled, retro sound, the vocals come to the forefront. This is most prevalent when listening to Arm’s Length on the album, which relies on a more ambient recording style that suits the radio perfectly.

The sound quality wasn’t as good as with the Tozo PE1, which is a small Bluetooth speaker that is available for $39, or the JBL Clip 5, but like I said, the retro sound is what makes the Crosley so unique.

I also listened using the aux input, and while you still get that same static radio effect, this sounded better than Bluetooth playback. This is because there is less compression of the audio track over a wired connection. I listened to Love Lost by Mac Miller, and hearing the song this way gave more of a retro feel to the bassy beats.

Throughout testing, I listened to my usual audio testing playlist. Tracks that stood out with this option were Favourite by Fontaines D.C., which relies heavily on familiar electric guitar riffs; and Pushing It Down and Praying by Lizzie McAlpine, an acoustic track that sounds well-rounded and replicates the sound of a live studio recording. I also listened to My Favourite Game by The Cardigans, which has more of an upbeat funk that the radio coped with well. These tracks lend themselves brilliantly to the retro sound that the radio offers.

I also listened with the aux out option with the Gadhouse Wesley wired headphones. Again, it was evident here that retro sound is what Crosley does best, and using wired headphones further improved the sound quality but left some of the retro static. I again listened to the Sam Fender album as well as FM radio and was overall impressed with how they replicated the sound of crisp guitar riffs and vocal frays.

This radio isn’t for audiophiles who only care about having the highest quality streaming and sound. It’s for people who love to reminisce about the days we used to roll out of bed to the sounds of the clock radio. I personally love it, and it gives me the perfect sound I’m looking for when I’m working and don’t want to feel completely isolated from the world with my sound.

Crosley Tribute Radio review: Battery life

• Rechargeable
• Sounds better when plugged in
• 8 hours of listening, but takes 4 hours to fully charge

The Crosley Tribute Radio is powered by a rechargeable lithium-ion battery that is charged with a micro-USB, which is less efficient than a USB-C, which most other audio devices use. The radio can also be used while plugged in, and I found that the connection was stronger when plugged in, but it can be used wirelessly. This isn’t something I’ve noticed with any other speakers, so it may just be a one-off from Crosley.

The battery on the Crosley lasts for around eight hours at a moderate listening volume, but takes four hours to charge, so I preferred to listen while it was plugged in for a consistent performance.

Crosley Tribute Radio review: Verdict

The Crosley Tribute Radio has been a quirky addition to my audio collection that I absolutely love. While it’s not for audiophiles, it has been a brilliant way for me to add some nostalgia to my everyday listening.

The retro design looks great, and the affordable price tag makes it a great choice for a cute and compact desk radio. The connectivity options also make it a super convenient way to listen to music. The option of Bluetooth, aux, and AM/FM connectivity makes it totally versatile. I also appreciate the nostalgic sound, and I love listening to it while I get my work done.

But like I said, there is no Hi-Fi sound, so audiophiles may want to pass on this and try the Sonos Roam 2 instead. The AM frequency is also unreliable, as I couldn’t get a solid connection, so check your local coverage. But for someone who loves a retro look and sound, this radio is a winner.