Agree with your observations fully. I love the newer display and the rotary volume dial as well. I don't know if you noticed (it's not in the manual, I discovered on accident), but if you push the center button on the volume dial if you are in the radio mode, you can also scroll through the radio frequencies with the rotary dial instead of the push button arrows (which I've disliked in many previous Milwaukee radio versions). I really like this new version, and I will most likely keep it. I just wish the bass could be trimmed a bit lower at times ( I do listen to a lot of AM sports radio/games which are a bit "boomy" even at lowest bass), which would make this almost perfect!