Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I decided to weigh in on this topic to set the record straight (no pun intended). I'll begin with why I wanted this- First I love history, so anything that brings a look of 40's nostalgia to my home I'll probably want it. 1. Looks-- this thing will create conversation for whoever comes to visit. It truly stands out with it's unique look, and it really accents a home that has an older feel to it. The box is sturdy and doesn't feel cheap. It's made of real wood and looks to be a quality build. While the dials and front piece are all made of plastic, it looks and actually feels a bit like metal. The record player arm is made of metal, and the door lid arm is one you have to push in a bit before you close it. This is mentioned CLEARLY in the manual so people complaining about that is just nonsense. 2. The sound. Ok this thing ranges in price between $110-$140. I don't know what kind of sound people expect out of something cheap in price with no subwoofers or large speakers but to complain about the sound quality in that regard is just asinine. There are speaker vents on the front and side, but sound only comes out the front. The vents on the side are purely cosmetic. Yeah it could use a little more bass to it, and it'd be great if it had the ability to be hooked to something bigger, but I'll definitely sacrifice that for the classic look it brings to my home. Bottom line, the sound is fine. To give you the best idea of what it sounds like, imagine the amount of sound you can get from an iPad or Macbook and you have an idea. 3. The functions. It has an auxiliary port for various mp3 players. The switch to activate it is located in the back, along with the port. This unit also comes supplied with a cord for that very use. The tape player I won't comment on because I don't own any tapes, don't plan on getting any or ever using that thing. The cd player tray is located in front. The one thing I hate about this part is the large red track number display front and center when in CD mode. It takes away from the nostalgia and could definitely be a little more incognito. Same goes for the traditional "compact disc logo" on the cd tray. It looks out of place considering the classic look, and it's unnecessary. It's 2015. I think people know what that little slot is by now. The radio stays true to form of the old days by way of a manual tuner. It makes it a bit difficult to get precision tuning, but hey that was life back then. Either way, it doesn't really bother me because I listen to the radio basically never. Last but not least there's the meat and potatoes to this unit-- The record player. First and foremost READ. THE. MANUAL. If you've never used a record player before, don't write a nonsensical review about how crappy it is when you didn't take the time to learn how to use it properly. The record player works fine and sounds wonderful. I don't know if people younger than 30 know what records are all about and what they're supposed to sound like, but the lure bringing them back to the forefront of music, is precisely the "grainy" warm, imperfect sound. CDs and MP3s are too clean now days. Almost cold and clinical. This especially is annoying when listening to older jazz or WWII era music. That's where the record player shines. It truly transforms the sound space into something from another time. So all in all, this unit is incredible for it's price. It looks great, sounds wonderful and is a safe, safe buy IF you do your research. Yes there will be times when you order something and it broke in transit or was just a defective item. But people stop, stop, STOP blanketing the quality of the item over one isolated defected. These things happen. So my advice to anyone on the fence about this product. It's quality, and like I said, if you know what you're looking for, know what to expect and have patience to read the manual and troubleshoot, then I promise you won't be dissapointed.