TDK Sound Cube

I thought it was very cool that TDK was releasing modernized portable radios, built with a high level of quality that generally hasn't been seen in radios for a good 20-30 years.When I first plugged it in, I listened to FM (FM mind you, not a digital source), and after a short time said to myself... "this sounds as good as my Proton 300/301". For those of you who know about, or are lucky enough to own an old Proton, that's some fine company to keep. Is it as good? I don't have the equipment to test and prove so, but it's mighty close if it isn't.I wished that on occasion, when going camping, to a picnic, etc... that I could take the Proton (and it's fantastic sound quality) with me. Well, now with a 12-pack of D-Batteries and a Sound Cube, you can do just that. The battery door is on the bottom, and screws securely into brass sockets mounted in the radio (you can use a nickel as a screwdriver). It doesn't have those typical flimsy plastic door clips you find on most radios; so you can put away that roll of electrical tape you use to patch the battery doors on your old radios. You also won't need to paste any foam on the door to keep the batteries from rattling, as the Cube already has a piece of well secured good quality foam (that won't rot from age). Nice touch!How about features? The drivers are on the left/right sides of the Cube. The passive radiators are on the front/back. Granted, you lose some volume if you're in front of the control side (as the drivers fire sideways), but for stereo separation, that makes sense. Need more volume? Hey, it "goes to 11". Yes, it really does. There are two markings for the volume knob... "Off", and "11". Bonus point to the folks at TDK for having a sense of humor!I definitely like the touch-screen control panel. Source selections are: 1)FM; 2)USB for flash drives and such; 3)AUX-1 for either the 1/8" Mini-Stereo jack for portable CD/MP3 players or the 1/4" Instrument jack; 4)AUX-2 to use standard RCA L/R jacks; and 5)MIX INST will let you mix a guitar in with a piece of music you're playing.The EQ adjusts Bass/Treble. It would be nice if there were settings to tweak a wider range, but it does the job just fine; many modern radios don't have any tone controls, so I can't complain.There are 5 presets on the touch-screen panel to save favorite FM stations, and of course the controls for playing MP3s (back/forward/play/pause).The screen (OLED... nice!) shows what input you have selected, displays RDS info if the FM station you're listening too carries that (a nice touch, I didn't expect that to be a feature); and has a graphic equalizer that's thankfully subtle. Some equalizer displays are too bright/hyper; they're entertaining for a few minutes, but shortly become annoying. Someone at TDK had the sense to build in a graphic equalizer that won't become an irritation shortly after buying the radio (Thank You!).OK... how is navigating a bunch of MP3s on a USB stick? Smooth sailing. I sort my music by band/album/song. The display shows icons for folders and lists the name of the folder, and displays the song titles when it recognizes songs. If you're scrolling through the list of songs, it shows a speaker icon next to the one it's playing. So navigating USB sticks is fast, easy... and 320k MP3s/VBRs work just fine (but it won't decode FLAC directly off a USB stick).The top is rubberized, so your portable players won't get scratched up, and it helps keep them from sliding around. The FM antenna is easy to grab with your fingernails, and if you pull it out far enough, it will pivot. The carrying handle is sturdy, which is good as the Cube is a wee bit heavy when you fill it up with batteries.The majority of the case is a flat/textured black (Hooray!). I'm tired of the smooth/glossy/fingerprint magnet cases that are so popular with electronics makers (but don't seem to be so popular with their customers).The control knobs, speaker dust caps, and display are a subtle dark yellow/gold; the power-on light (on the volume knob) and currently active controls (such as play) are a "non-eye melting" white, which gives it a touch of class while still looking modern. I used to work in the art business so I couldn't help notice that the person who did the graphic design did a nice job. Usually products like this look "slapped together", so the effort put into its appearance is appreciated.I like it much more than I expected; TDK has a sleeper hit here. For those of you scouring the "Bay" in desperation to find an old Proton radio in decent condition (and for a reasonable price), you might be happier with the Cube, which is also more capable.Bonus: Looking for a carrying case to put it in to protect the drivers, and to keep it dry/clean when transporting it? Stop by your local "Mega-Mart", and look for thecube-shaped, soft-sided, 36-can soda cooler (with the removable/washable hard plastic liner). The Cube fits -perfectly- in it, and the price is right.