[Jeffhs]

I had a Zenith 4-mode integrated stereo system in the 1980s, their model IS-4041. Five watts per channel, AM/FM/stereo FM radio, BSR record changer, cassette deck, and 8-track. It all worked very well for me (and sounded great, despite the low audio output power) the 17 years I owned it; typical Zenith.

I didn't replace it until I moved to an apartment in 1999 (long story and OT), the replacement being an Aiwa CX-NA888 AM/FM/stereo FM/cassette/CD bookshelf system. That is my current stereo system and, despite the cassette decks having failed for good a few years ago (after I had them repaired twice), is still working as well as when it was new. I actually like that system better than the Zenith because the Aiwa system has four amplifiers, 50 watts per channel, for a total of 200 watts; however, I do not use two of those amplifiers since they are meant to be used with two additional surround speakers, which I have no room for (my apartment is very small) and don't think I could find anymore, even if I had the room for them. The loss of the cassette decks doesn't bother me either, since I can find most of the music I had on cassette on CD (I have been replacing cassettes with CDs for years now) which sound better than cassettes ever did (IMHO) anyway. The Aiwa stereo system has an excellent CD changer which sounds incredibly good through the system's own amplifiers, in my opinion (I don't dare play it full-blast in an apartment, for obvious reasons; just as well, I guess, since at my age I don't care for very loud music anymore).