Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

NOTE!!!! Tuner may be factory default to European 9 khz step, rather than the US standard of 10 khz step increments, which will keep the tuner off frequency, unless it's set to US step increments. This can be done by the user: For any purchasers who may have misplaced the manual: Page 6 AM allocation setting: This system can also receive AM broadcasts allocated in 10 kHz steps. To change the step from 9 kHz to 10 kHz 1 Press and hold [FM/AM]. After a few seconds the display changes to a flashing display of the current minimum frequency. 2 Continue to hold down [FM/AM]. * When the minimum frequency changes, release the button. To return to the original step, repeat the above steps. * After the setting is changed, any previously preset frequency will be cleared. Here is a link to the manual: (it is in English , Spanish, Polish and Slovak http://content.mixelectronics.pl/Produkty_Dokumenty/radiomagnetofon-z-cd-panasonic-rx-d50eg-s-2237-100002-11360.pdf Original review as follows: This is an overseas version, quality unit you might find domestically in Japan, etc. Having lived in Japan for 5 years, I can tell you that they have consumer electronics that they do not make for export to the U.S., or at least we'll say you won't find it in a Wal-Mart, or a Best Buy, or any big box joints. In the "old days" you had to go to an import store, or a military exchange to get it. This is one of those items. It comes with the outlet adapter from the round pins to the flat blades and has the overseas voltage choice as well. This is a very nice portable, and I've had more than my share of stereo equipment and portables over the decades. This is a no nonsense portable. I've bought several Sony air boxes in the past for friends and relatives. This is the older school, higher wattage, 2-way vintage. The manual shows 10W x 2 RMS max for this "55" model and the 4W max for a "50" model, a model lower. This is a fine portable for the money. The casette player even has a separate dampened, hideaway door (dust) cover that hides the buttons on the top so that you don't even see them. The plastic is thick and the buttons are larger and of a better grade and tactile feel than typical cheapos straight out of China. The CD drawer is on the bottom. Smooth as it is! The remote is full sized and high quality and includes everything you could ask. Even has an input level control on the remote for the line in jack! It has a variable OFF sleep timer, clock, and alarm. It has different modes of choice in how to display MP3 tags, info, etc. It has a place for four AA cells for memory backup underneath the main power 8xC cells. It will keep your settings, stations, time, etc. unplugged by using its four AAs! It's manufactured in Indonesia and if you know anything about electronics, especially radio equipment, Indonesia was always one of the better places such products were manufactured. It's not cosmetically embarrassing full of chrome, and multi-colored plastic junk, fake allen head screws, and flashing lights - it's all business. It has a clear, quality, FT backlit, orange display with solid segments not dot matrix. It seems to have an auto loudness feature that you can tell fades out as you get the volume up high. It goes from a very rich sound at moderate levels to more midrange as it nears the top which is how outdoor systems sound so loud. A narrower sound, but all the power is concentrated there. No distortion, just gets loud at the top and a little narrower for projection say outdoors, etc. At lower to moderate levels it is a full, but tight, Hi-Fi sound which a single, 1-way speaker, lower powered box just doesn't achieve. It's nothing like a radio sound. Very much the same as a dedicated, small, quality, shelf system with separate bass and treble, which by the way is also on the remote, plus 5 EQ settings. It's a compact, dense, low distortion, low noise, true Hi-Fi system that is not too big and bulky, and can be carried by its fold away handle. Don't let the 3.125" woofers scare you away. There are optimal size cones that can be efficiently driven at given power levels. A higher throw, edge rolled, 3.125" woofer running on a 10W amplifier with a separate ceramic tweeter is much superior compared to a Sony 4" full ranger running on 2-2.3W. Overall frequency response of the cassette player is given in the manual as 50-12KHz. Power consumption is given in the manual as 29 watts. Weight is 4.6 Kg with batteries (10.14 lbs.). This box is built rugged enough. It has the metal screens on both sides covering the speakers which are recessed as well. I was shooting for a quality older school box with MP3 capability. I got everything I was hoping for. Plays MP3s off my thumb drive perfectly. Have yet to try MP3s on CD, but I'm sure it will do great. Quite pleased with it! If you're in the market for something rarer and of better quality than run-of-the-mill, big box junkers, this is one to consider. Take it on your international travels as well, and it will fit in a suitcase with room to spare! May want to invest in 8 hi capacity C-cells, and a charger if planning on using it unplugged often. 29 watts consumption for that fat amplifier, and other requirements will drain the C-cells fairly quickly, especially if you like cranking it up!