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So what do you get in the 23x18x8cm unit. A CD Player, FM/AM radio, Clock with Alarms, external connections so an MP3 player can output through the external speakers and of course the all but obligatory remote control.

The speakers are 24x8.5x2cm and can either be wall mounted or sit on a fold out stand (deck chair like). Each speaker has a 3.5mm jack plug on the end of a 60cm lead. This to me is perhaps a little short especially if you wish to wall mount them.

The face of the unit is dominated by the black plastic lift up lid behind which you place the CD. This lifts forward from the bottom around 35degrees and therefore you probably need to duck down to insert/remove the CD. Maybe if it hinged from the bottom or side it would be easier to access.

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Below this are twelve silvered buttons in two groups of six (each arranged in two rows of three) with a circular alarm button in between. Below this is 7.5x2cm clock display that appears red. Finally for the face the manual tune FM/AM wave band with the manual bar to tune to a station.

Like the speakers the main unit can be wall mounted or have the same deck chair style prop. However should you wall mount you still need access to it as the left side of the unit has sliders for hi/low for the clock display brightness, radio/buzzer/CD for alarm and finally a slider to activate alarm1, alarm2 or both. The right side has the tuning control for the radio. Both sides have two 3.5 jack sockets. The left side has left speaker input and earbud sockets. While the right side has right speaker input and the 'aux' input for MP3 player etc.

From above the 1.3 metre power lead and 60cm wire aerial exit so again think about placement, it may be governed by where power sockets are located. The aerial can either be attached to something or to say a wall by a small piece of blu tac.

The remote is 8.5x4x.5 and has a total of five buttons, really it only increases/decreases the volume, stops the CD or switches the unit off. Surely a case of 'it must have a remote' but everything can be done from the main unit although only an addendum sheet makes it clear that increasing/decreasing the volume can be done from the alarm button.

There is a 24 page user guide that tells you how to repeat play and a few other items like that. This is a basic unit at a basic price and I am not sure where exactly the market for it is. Maybe instead of the young it should be aimed at the old as it is simple to operate. The buttons are large and less nimble fingers could find it easy to use. The insertion/removal of CD's is not that easy as the door does not open enough so maybe someone with only a few favourite CD's.

Sound quality was okay but certainly not the unit to fill a large room, a bedside table seems the likely place and the remote can then be placed in the box and forgotten.

This is certainly an entry level product stated to sell for £30. The first link below goes to Next who are selling it at that price.

http://www.next.co.uk/shot.asp?b=G43&p=1600

www.albaplc.com