I really like this piece, despite some of the critical reviews it has gotten online. The main complaint is the body shape. The butt end of this seems fatter than what Trek enthusiasts are used to, and this is causing much pain and suffering.
From what I have read and been told, Master Replicas wanted to produce a communicator that would stand out as the "MR Version", and would not be easily confused with the other fine replicas that are out there right now. I was also told that while the shape is indeed accurate to ONE communicator used in the show, it's shape may not be representative of what we believe to be the "hero" communicator.
Fans often site the communicator featured in the episode "Catspaw" as the definiative communicator, and when compared to that piece, the differences are definitely obvious. Mainly in the body shape, the contours are slightly different.
Personally, I'm willing to live with the differences in body shape, mainly because of the stellar electronics that are packed into the MR piece.
When you flip open the lid, you get the classic "Chirp" noise that always accompanies the opening of communication frequencies. Great stuff. The spinning moire looks great, and I'm told spins at the proper speed. If you press and twist the right knob, you get a static sound indicating that you are "tuning in" a frequency. Though implemented a bit clunkily, it's a gas. it also makes the middle led flash white.
Speaking of knobs, they are dead ringers for the hubs used on the original, and so is the speaker grill.
The led's are also a cool touch. They look like rhinestones, but they light up. If you ask me, that's a great middle ground for "purists" and casual collectors.
There's also a button on the back that you can press to trigger a "hail" noise. I think this feature is unnecessary, as it not only distorts the back of the com to include a button, but makes it seem a bit closer to a toy. It's kind of one of those things that Hasbro puts into products to add "play value". Still, it's cool that they pretty much packed in every sound they could hope to find from the classic communicator.
I recently acquired another communicator kit whose body is made out of real Kydex. I have to say, it's impossible for me to tell the difference between the real deal and the stuff that Master Replicas used in the production of their communicator. I think they did a great job.
The thing I like most about it is the uniformness of it. It's not a hand made piece, and that's obvious. I like the balance, and the evenness of the contours. That's a big plus in my book. All the pieces fit together perfectly, and are machined to perfection.