Blaupunkt Alaska RDM168 Car CD Player

(In order to avoid the rather protracted introduction of how I happened to purchase the Blaupunkt Canada, please scroll to the heading "WELCOME TO CANADA.")

I had accustomed myself to the best of everything till, a decade ago, business and health issues reversed my fortunes. No longer did I have a small stable of exotic autos. Rather, in 1989, I purchased a new Suzuki Sidekick which I still drive (now, with more than 150,000 miles logged on the odometer).

With my circumstances improving a bit, just over a year ago, I moved to a rental, loft apartment away from a gang infested, neighborhood.

Being a "city guy" I should have been smarter, but I felt "safer" in the new neighborhood so I no longer felt a need to remove the detachable faceplate of my SUV's radio.

Mistake!

About two weeks after moving to the new neighborhood, someone tried to steal my radio. For whatever reason, they were unable to get the radio, but they got the detachable faceplate. Now, I could no longer listen to my own radio.

Because, I was being careful with my limited funds, months went by without my getting a replacement. Then I was offered a one day photo job in Ames, Iowa. The client offered to fly me there from Chicago; I elected to drive as I wanted to bring my dog.

The job was to pay well, and the drive would take me about 7 hours (each way), so I decided to invest in a new radio for the trip. I was looking for a "good deal" and I went to Best Buy. There was a nice looking Sony on display (my original factory speakers sounded "blown," so I figured I ought to buy a "good looking" radio, and not worry about the quality of sound). But they didn't have the display model available for purchase, so I chose another. But, with each choice I made, some problem came up, culminating with the installer saying he had to take a lunch break and wouldn't be able to install my radio for several days.

I left and stopped at a mobile, electronics shop I had often passed. As soon as I saw the display (Alpine, et al), I said to the sales representative that I "couldn't afford" these. But, he pulled a box from the display revealing a Blaupunkt Canada and offering it to me at a price that I found irresistible; installation and taxes included (quite below list).

WELCOME TO CANADA
I bought the Blaupunkt Canada. Minutes later it was installed and I drove off in my old Suzuki Sidekick.

Those old factory speakers, which I was sure were "blown," suddenly came "alive" with a quality of sound that was totally alien to any I felt possible in my old SUV.

I bought the unit because the price was "right." Further, I equated the name Blaupunkt with excellence. But, I didn't expect sound of this quality; certainly not for less than five to six hundred dollars and not without the inclusion of all new speakers.

When I purchased the unit, I had no idea of the features it had; in fact I didn't even know that some of the features had been invented.

But, first: the face plate has an original, if not unique design: a design that ought not be confused with any other radio. I find it quite beautiful. I had no idea a CD player was built-in when I bought the unit. Incidentally, the CD has NEVER skipped and I drive a hard, bouncy vehicle on the ABSOLUTE WORST roads (that's being charitable) which Chicago has to offer (if you are at all familiar with the "roads" crossing the railroad tracks in Chicago's Fulton market district, you may understand).

At 40 watts per channel maximum (17 watts minimum), the unit delivers far more power than I need, even to be heard above the din of an old SUV with a soft top and not much sound insulation.

Beyond the excellent sound quality, there are so many features this unit has that I wouldn't even try to list them all. But, some of my favorites include: ? the time (clock) is set automatically using the signal from "RDS" stations; ? MUTE by depressing the on/off button; ? one can immediately select and store the 6 strongest (signal) FM and AM stations in the area through which one is traveling: ? one can automatically select stations by program type (rock, jazz, news, etc.); ? and the parametric equalizer allows one to adjust output in the 32Hz?500Hz and 630Hz?10,000Hz frequencies.

There remains a plethora of features, many which involve the programming of CDs.

The only two negatives I find with the unit are that the blue, neon-like display is rather difficult to see during bright daylight hours; this may be, in part, because I need reading glasses to clearly see anything within 4 or 5 feet; the other is learning ALL the controls; there are so many features available that I virtually need to keep the instruction booklet in-hand to operate beyond the basics of merely tuning-in stations.

I've had my Blaupunkt Canada since last June. It offers me one of the simple (but great) pleasures in my life?listening to music, presented cleanly, with crispness and a quality far exceeding what I may have expected. Too, the unit pulls in stations that a lesser unit might not reach (I live in the heart of Chicago but am able to pull in a weak jazz broadcast from a college in the far suburbs).

I've seen this unit offered on-line at a price ($270) which makes it a real value.

Now, I ALWAYS remove the detachable face from my unit?and hope the thief doesn't return to remove my Blaupunkt, thinking it's the old radio whose detachable face he had previously stolen.