The Panasonic SC-AK78 compact stereo is terrific for listening to music and making tapes--but that's by no means all it's good for. With a video-shielded speaker system and 400 watts of total amplification in the four-channel Dolby Pro Logic surround mode, the SC-AK78 is also a small home theater system.Both cassette decks have auto reverse and a nine-track tape program sensor. The programmable CD player handles five discs, each with separate open/play keys, and the CD Manager lets you program a single track or select favorite songs from any number of discs. The 3-D space equalizer offers six preset modes: disco, hall, live, heavy, clear, and soft.
Making this system more flexible than the average mini home theater, the 5.1-channel direct inputs let you hook this system up with up a DVD player that performs Dolby Digital or DTS decoding (and offers the corresponding 5.1-channel analog outputs). And for movies or music that are not encoded for surround sound, the SC-AK78 offers digital signal processing (DSP) to simulate surround effects. All four speakers feature domed tweeters for clear high-frequency response and 6.75-inch woofers for punchy bass.
The SC-AK78 has a programmable timer that can wake you with your favorite song or play music for a preset duration as you fall asleep. The graphic display provides system settings and playback information.
The Panasonic SC-AK78 features a remote control and is Energy Star compliant, operating at a mere 0.25 watts in power consumption in standby mode.
A one-year warranty covers parts and labor.
