I'd have liked it even if I HAD paid full price!

I first was seduced by Teac's SL-D88 clock radio/CD player while browsing Restoration Hardware's site about a year ago -- this model is designed to first please the eye. At the time, RH was selling these at a low clearance price -- unfortunately, when I tried to order one I found that they'd quickly gone out of stock. No wonder.

Since then, I've run the occasional search on the SL-D88. For a long while I turned up nothing, and then Amazon started selling it through Target -- even in advance of stock coming in. The price on Amazon was almost double RH's erstwhile clearance price, and being the bargain hunter (some would say cheapskate!) that I am, I was determined to wait awhile until I could find one at a lower price. After all, the boom-box in my kitchen was still functioning, and though I wanted to replace it with something more stylish, there wasn't really any rush.

Finally one popped up on eBay, and I placed my bid and won it at a fraction of retail. It arrived in a couple of days, and the first thing that impressed me was the weight of the package. No cheaply-made lightweight, the thing weighs ten pounds, and that creates a first impression of quality. Now, the moment of truth...I plugged it in and...

Both the sound AND the style of this unit are exactly as I'd hoped they'd be. The bass is rich, but not boomy. And while there are no separate controls for either bass or tone, the preset levels do happen to match my preferences (caveat: your mileage MAY vary) when playing either the radio or CD's of several various kinds of music ranging from classical to rock. The system is capable of volumes completely adequate for the multi-family house I live in; I'll never need to drive it to maximum levels, so I'll refrain from commenting on its performance at max. It's an excellent replacement for the old boom-box, a definite step up.

Radio reception is fine (one minor irritation though, is that the long antenna wire, which I don't need to use, isn't detachable or hideable in a compartment in the cabinet. However, this is no big deal as it can easily be tucked under the unit.). The CD door is spring-loaded rather than automatic, and I consider this a plus, as no automatic CD door I've seen has lasted long before it's become manual by default. The CD spindle has the kind of small metal "clips" seen on many portable CD players; these seem unnecessary on a unit that isn't for mobile use, and might present the possibilty of an eventual malfunction, I'd think. But in fact I'd guess that's a long-shot and nothing to be much concerned about.

Control buttons are well-placed for ease of use, including the dual alarm controls, which are small but easily-accessible buttons on the left side of the case. And there's a "surprise" -- the illuminated ring around the radio dial can be set for a variety of colors, including a constantly-changing display of all of them -- a gimmick, but a nice one!

Overall, a great, stylish, fun unit that I'd have been happy with even if I'd paid full price!