Makita XRM09B Job Site Radio Knows its Limits and Rain Isn’t One of Them
The Makita XRM09B is the latest radio from our friends in teal, boasting rich, full stereo sound and an impressive feature set. With the recent improvements in sound quality coming from several brands, I want to know if Makita belongs in the top-tier and what kind of space you should expect to cover with it.
Pros
- No distortion at top volume
- Improved sound quality
- Easy-to-read LCD screen
- IP65—dust-proof and water-resistant
- Uses 12V, 14.4V, 18V, or AC power
Cons
- Sound could be crisper
Recommendation
The Makita XRM09B Cordless Bluetooth Job Site Radio is a solid step forward in sound quality and doesn’t lack any features we expect to find on a job site radio. There’s still a little room for improvement in sound quality and Makita might consider a charger as part of the package in the next generation, but it’s nothing that should hold you back from pulling the trigger.
For its size and top-end volume level, this is a good fit for large rooms, garages, and shops. Covering an entire residential home construction would be a challenge, though.
Key Features
IP65 Rating
With an IP65 rating, the Makita XRM09B is a job site radio that’s not afraid of the rain. The 6 on that rating means no dust makes it through in an 8-hour test. The 5 tells us it can handle water jet spray from any direction for 3 minutes.
In other words, if you’re out working in it, this radio can work with you.
All Your Major Connections
This Makita job site radio covers the 4 main connection types we look for: AM, FM, Bluetooth, and 3.5mm auxiliary. There’s also a USB charging port to keep your phone or tablet up and running.
Power Surge
Makita did more than make this radio hybrid. It comes with an AC power cord and runs on 12V CXT, 14.4V, or 18V LXT batteries. If you’re on either of Makita’s main cordless platforms, your batteries work.
There’s no charger built-in, though. We’ll see if it shows up on the next generation.
Control Freak
I could write a small book on the controls, but there’s already one out there—Makita includes a manual. There are some major highlights worth talking about, though.
- Alarm and Snooze: An alarm isn’t something everyone provides and some folks are sure to appreciate it.
- EQ Presets with LED Color Coding: There are 7 EQ settings, including one that lets you set the lows, mids, and highs where you like them. Each one has a unique LED color on the dial so it’s easy to see what mode you’re in.
- 5 Radio Presets: Both AM and FM have 5 presets you can program. Like most radios, just get to the station you want and hold down the preset you want to assign it to.
Reverse Contrast LCD Screen
The Makita XRM09B radio has a reverse contrast LCD screen with a black background and light blueish letters and numbers. It’s crystal-clear inside and still visible in bright sunlight. I lose a little bit of the smaller letters looking at it from an angle in the sunlight, but that’s pretty nit-picky.
Sound
The rubber meets the road when you stream your favorite high-fidelity music. As usual, I ran through a plethora of songs from my “Best of the Best Randomness” playlist to get an idea of the quality across many genres. There’s country, pop, jazz, a capella, hard rock, classical, and more.
Volume
The Makita XRM09B job site radio isn’t the loudest we’ve heard—and that’s actually a good thing. The product team really seems to know the limits of the speakers they chose and at top volume, it’s still not distorting.
High volume doesn’t mean much if it’s garbage and Makita gets kudos for knowing when to say when.
Sound Quality
Makita’s combination of two 3.5″ speakers and a 4″ subwoofer provides a full sound curve, letting us hear the lows, mids, and highs well.
The configuration is interesting since the two speakers fire out the side and the sub comes down through the bottom. It creates a slightly different listening experience between the dead center front and sides.
The sound is lacking some crispness to it. Sounds like the pop of a snare drum or really tight verbal enunciation get just a little muddy. It’s far from being a deal-breaker, especially if that’s the trade-off I have to make to get a dust-proof, rain-resistant job site radio.
Overall, the sound quality is a step above the last generation of job site radios. It’s clear that with the current focus on higher quality sound, Makita is making stepping up their game.
Price
The Makita XRM09B Bluetooth radio comes with an AC cord for $179. That’s about $50 less than DeWalt’s best-sounding options and $120 less than Milwaukee’s new one. Both of those are charging radios and quite a bit larger, though.
If you’re looking for excellent sound with a smaller footprint, Makita’s a great option.
The Bottom Line
The Makita XRM09B Cordless Bluetooth Job Site Radio is a solid step forward in sound quality and doesn’t lack any features we expect to find on a job site radio. There’s still a little room for improvement in sound quality and Makita might consider a charger as part of the package in the next generation, but it’s nothing that should hold you back from pulling the trigger.
For its size and top-end volume level, this is a good fit for large rooms, garages, and shops. Covering an entire residential home construction would be a challenge, though.
Makita XRM09B Job Site Radio Specifications
- Model: Makita XRM09B
- Power Source: Makita 18V LXT, 12V CXT (slide style), 14.4V, or AC power (AC adapter included)
- Audio Sources: AM, FM, Bluetooth, 3.5mm auxiliary
- Dimensions: 10-1/2″ x 6-1/2″ x 11-5/8″
- Weight: 12.18 lbs with battery
- Warranty: 3 years
- Price: $179
