Released for the holiday season in 1965, the deluxe Ramsgate combines excellent sound with a chic walnut-trimmed appearance.

The Ramsgate (RGC29W) has a seven-inch speaker, which provides for a surprisingly high-volume, high-fidelity sound–perfect for filling a room with any music, from classical to pop.  This all-transistor radio has no warm-up time, and tunes into both the AM and FM bands with Automatic Frequency Control to keep the station from drifting once you've got it.  And because it doesn't use tubes, the Ramsgate never gets too hot.

If I have any complaints, it's that the Ramsgate is awfully big (16" x 9" x 8").  Sure, my KLH is bigger, but it's not much bigger, and it plays records, too.

Also, I suspect the volume pots on the Ramsgate aren't robust, which could mean problems down the line.  Problems I won't be able to fix: it's crammed with components, which means if it ever has trouble, its best to leave this cover on and let a qualified TV/Radio repairman fix it.

Still, there's no denying it's a handsome unit, and at $79.95 ($1.76 per week on the layaway plan), it's also affordable!