Joseph Oberlander wrote:

Mine for years was...

A switching box. I found this neat electronic power strip/switchbox
with a timer and clock in it for about $100 15 years ago(died 5 years
later in an earthquake ). It would even turn on banks in series
a second apart so as to not blow the breaker. Set the time and presto -
stereo turned on at the same time every morning.

It was silver and about the size of a CD player/tape deck - fit in the
stereo rack. Not merely an outlet strip.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...tegory=14 978
Mine was silver, but simmilar. Neat toy.

http://djsoucek.webpark.cz/a_pioneer_dt_530.htm
http://djsoucek.webpark.cz/a_pioneer_dt_500.htm(nice picture)
IIRC, mine was something like this. I don't know if these type of devices
are still made, but they are far better an alternative than a clock radio.

I love the pictures. However, what I need is not to switch on my hi-fi
system that sits in the living room, but a small cd clock radio on the
space-challenged nightstand right in the bed-room!

So far the best deal appears to Sony 863 (can't rememebr the full model
number), $99.

There are better sounding clock radios from Tivoli radio and Boston but
neither company offers a decent "cd clock radio" solution.

There is something from Cambridge Soundworks, designed by Henry Kloss,
around $259, looks like Bose's $500 rip-off, but I haven't heard it.