INTRODUCTION

   Radio may have always been a way for people to enjoy listening to music and broadcasts in general without practically having to pay anything but I’ve never been a radio fan myself. I mean why should i be, on one hand i could always compile a CD (or a microSD card now) with my favourite music tracks instead of having to switch between stations all the time to find one while on the other i never did like radio hosts/producers cutting into songs or cutting songs short in order for them to say whatever it is that they want. At the same time however I’ve always found internet radio quite fascinating since it allowed me to listen to various types of broadcasts from all over the world thus giving me access to something entirely new. Majority has released some highly popular internet radio devices over the years and after the surprisingly good Quadriga model i decided to check the equally popular Humboldt model.

   Founded by two friends from Cambridge in 2012, Majority has gone on to become an Amazon best-selling brand with a device in over three million homes across the globe. From the very beginning, founders, Eddie Latham, and PJ Scott’s focus has been to use ground-breaking technology to deliver quality consumer electronics at an affordable price. “Our goal has always been inclusivity” Latham and Scott use their years of know-how to continue to build a brand that designs products for a variety of budgets.

   The Humboldt probably takes its name from Alexander von Humboldt, a German naturalist and explorer born in the mid-18th century so it does have very big shoes to fill. So just like the Quadriga the Humboldt is a complete stereo audio system that can be used not only to listen to DAB/DAB+ (174.9–239.2MHz) and FM radio with RDS (87.5–108MHz) but also Internet Radio (UNDOK remote app supported), Spotify Connect and Podcasts from all over the globe. It also features Bluetooth v4.2 and Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n connectivity for audio streaming, CD player (audio/MP3), USB port (MP3 playback/5V-1A charging for portable devices), audio in and headphones out ports and a color TFT display. Once again Majority covers the Humboldt Internet Radio Music System with a 3-year limited warranty and as with all their products they will plant a tree for every single one they sell.

SPECIFICATIONS AND FEATURES

PACKAGING AND CONTENTS

As with the Quadriga the box in which the Humboldt is packed has a large product picture at the front along with the company logo and the main product features.

The plant a tree initiative is printed on both sides of the box.

A second product picture is placed at the rear of the box right next to the 3 year limited warranty and over descriptions of the main features.

The Humboldt is placed between two thick pieces of cardboard (probably from recycled paper).

Along with the Humboldt inside the box you’ll also find a remote control, 2 AAA batteries, declaration of conformity paper and a paper pointing to where you can download the user manual (online only).

THE HUMBOLDT

The remote control which Majority packs with the Humboldt may not be fancy nor of high quality but it contains every single button I needed during my test period.

Measuring 350mm in length, 191mm in width/depth and 120mm in height the Humboldt is a medium-sized sound system (enclosure is made primarily out of plastic).

The gunmetal grey fascia with the 2.0 speakers looks very nice.

At the front we find the color TFT screen, CD player tray, volume and tuning knobs, USB port, audio in and headphones 3.5mm ports and the menu/media navigation buttons.

Moving at the rear we find the telescopic antenna and two speaker reflex ports.

LCD MENUS

Once you finish setting up the Humboldt you’ll end up on the main tab from where you can switch between all the main functions (internet radio, podcasts, Spotify, DAB, FM, CD, USB, Bluetooth, Aux in, sleep mode, alarm setup and settings menu).

Internet radio can be used either by searching for a specific station, location, popularity or discovery (more or less random ones).

Same thing more or less applies for podcasts.

FM (and DAB/DAB+) radio functionality is much more simplified (as expected really).

From the settings tab you can access the equalizer, streaming audio quality, network (connect/disconnect), time and date, inactive standby timeout, language, factory reset, software update, setup wizard and device info.

CONCLUSION

   When I received the Humboldt from Majority the very first thing, I did was compare it to the Quadriga and as expected the latter does come on top in some areas, most notably bass levels (perhaps build quality a bit too). The 2.0 stereo system of the Humboldt does a very good job with mids and even highs but it lacks the extra punch offered by Quadriga’s dedicated subwoofer (2.1). This of course also means that the Humboldt doesn’t deliver the same volume as the Quadriga so if you’d like to fill a large room without issue the Quadriga is the obvious choice (keep in mind however that the Quadriga is roughly 25% larger compared to the Humboldt). Aside the speaker system however everything else is pretty much the same between these two units, from the radio functionality to the CD player and the USB port. Color is of course something that potential buyers will either like or not and to be honest even though I do prefer the all-black of the Quadriga for my bedroom the gunmetal grey of the Humboldt would probably blend-in easier in other areas of the house (or even the office).

   With a current price tag set at 197.93Euros inside the EU (Amazon.de) the Majority Humboldt Internet Radio Music System is quite affordable, always for what it offers. At 30% higher of course someone can opt for the better Quadriga model but again if you don’t plan on filling a large room, you just don’t care much about bass levels or if black is not the only color you like then I really think the Humboldt will cover all your needs and then some and for that it clearly deserves the Golden Award.

PROS

- Audio Quality
- FM RDS Radio / Internet Radio / Podcasts / DAB / DAB+
- Spotify Connect / UnDOK App Audio Streaming
- CD Player & USB Media Player (MP3)
- Wired & Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity
- Color TFT Screen
- 3 Year Limited Warranty
- Tree Plated With Every Sale

CONS

- USB Audio Format Compatibility (MP3 Only)
- Limited Bass (For Some)