Sony CFD-E100 Radio/Cassette/CD Boombox

Pros: Small, easy to use. Good sound. Headphone jack, IR remote, cassette recorder and player.
Cons: Doesn't play MP3 CDs. Small speakers better for personal use, not entertaining entire neighborhood.

My wife was looking for a small but good boombox which would play both CDs and cassettes. She has no interest in reading manuals or learning about dozens of buttons, so ease of use was also very important. This boombox fits the bill perfectly, while still offering good features like random play, programmable presets, etc.

It runs on 6 C batteries or on AC power, and doesn't use a "wall wart"; the AC adapter is built-in, requiring just the AC cord. It includes a small, easy-to-use remote, plus the cassette is both player *and* recorder. The radio antenna extends when needed, or can be pushed down fully into the body (this wasn't obvious in the store since most display units will have the antenna extended).

Overall we're quite pleased with this purchase. It was in stock at our local Target for $69.99 (and no sales tax in Oregon :)