Strong Recommendation for a Clock Radio from the Past--the Nakamichi TM-1

No stranger to radios, former Sony engineer Ed  recommends the Nakamichi TM-1 Clock Radio, which WAS bidding on eBay several months ago. 

Ed has been using his reliable Nakamichi for over 20 years and says that it eclipses today's lot of clock radio contenders. 

No stranger to radios, former Sony engineer Ed  recommends the Nakamichi TM-1 Clock Radio, which WAS bidding on eBay several months ago. 

Ed has been using his reliable Nakamichi for over 20 years and says that it eclipses today's lot of clock radio contenders. 

Comments

[chuck]

I concur with Ed----the Nakamichi product is supurb---years ago I owned a Lexus vehicle with a Nakamichi stereo---amazing, even stunning---I have owned too many obscenly priced cars (cars, radios, boats---mea culpa)of virtually all brands, yet none of the audio systems came close to the wonderful Nakamichi---from an engineering standpoint Ed, just wondering if you might opine as to what it is about their product that makes it so---as the years have piled on, and college expenses loom (in a nice way?...) for my daughter, ive gone the thorstein veblen route of trying like hell to avoid conspicuous consumption as i try in vain to avoid the junk and finally obtain satisfaction in the "perfect" (read: satisfactory in all ways)products----Nakamichi was one of those experiences where I just want to go 'backwards', at least as time goes......wait, whats that you say? sangean is updating the 909?? and a new recording radio too? in the end, like JG looking out at that damn green light across the water, the desire is unrelenting but the object/goal ever unobtainable. thanks for the memory of a fine product (and what seemed like simpler times.....)

[Paul]

What's a reasonable price for the Nakamichi TM-1 nowadays?

Is there a better clock radio (reception and sound) out there now? Is the BA Horizon Solo better in all regards?

(same questions about the Proton series too).

[Ed]

It's a matter of style versus function, Paul. The BA Solo is about as good as it gets regarding sound quality and reception, but I think it's a bit ugly. Maybe dressed up with a different color grill it would be more attractive. The BA Receptor (non-HD) is still a strong performer, available in different shades: silver, charcoal, white.
The Proton 320 and Nak go for about $50-$70 on ebay. I find them more aesthetically pleasing (the Nak is available in Black or White, but the white often yellows), but reliability may be an issue on these older models.

[Paul]

Tell us the Nakamichi story Ed (how you were involved).

Paul

[Ed]

The events are vague now but in the mid 80's I was friends with Richard Coleburn, Nakamichi's Director of Marketing. I told Richard my idea that Nakamichi could make an improvement to the Proton radio. I wanted a table/clock radio that would be something like a car radio, with tuning presets, not analog tuning. Very few (if any?) consumer clock radios had presets in 1985. Nak and Proton both made car stereo "head units" so it was only a matter of time before Richard got Nak's engineers to come up with a home radio design that tuned using preset buttons, like a car radio, the TM-1. It sold for $130. Both Proton and Nak (and NAD) products were manufactured by "Fulet" in Taiwan. I like to think the input we Americans had in the research & development of these products was partly responsible for their quality and performance.

[Corrina]

I just noticed that there is one listed on Ebay right now exactly like the one in the picture!

[Ciiff]

Our double unit just quit yesterday. It must be 29 - 30 years old. It was the best!