It's not ugly.

Everything

I hope Scud's mentality is not typical of the people who like Bose. Yeah, maybe Bose does sound good, until you compare it to what else you can get for the same, or less money.

Before spending $500 dollars on audio equipment, look beyond Circuit City for at least one day. Most good HI-FI stores will also let you compare the good stuff to equally priced Bose crap. Once you compare Bose to anything else, you'll see that Anything Else is Better.

1 star for value (cause I can't give it anything less)
1 star overall because it's not ugly.

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Radio Shack Alarm Clock, Free Bank Alarm Clock, WalkMan

compact size, excellent display, excellent sound for its' size

pricey

It is a clock radio, so keep that in mind. It is capable of very good performance but like many Bose products, placement is critical to that end. Follow the instructions in the owners manual. You can't use it as an adjunct to your PC and just plop it on a desktop as it really needs to be corner loaded for the Wave technology to work best.
Whether or not you like Bose Products, they all perform as advertised if the proper operating parameters are applied. I can't stress that fact enough.

It is expensive. Your paying for the R&D, the advertising and the fact that it's considered a "hot" item in some circles. If you can afford it and want exceptional performance from a small package, buy it! Give it a shot,I don't think you'll be disappointed.

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This is my second review I think.

The best clock radio - beats the $50 units flat

The ridiculous price. The sound. The quality of the components.

I often do an evaluation of how much money people make in a piece of equipment.
e.g. LS3/5a - If I were to buy all the parts from parts shops and build it myself, I would pay about 60-70% of the retail price.
e.g Jamo Concert 8 - Price is about USD 1400 here. Drive units cost USD 400 from SEAS (OEM), crossover about USD 100, cabinet USD 300. Again about 60% of retail price.

Bose Wave Radio - Price USD 600. Parts USD 150. If I were to build it myself, it would cost me 25% of retail price. That indicates that profit margins are HUGE here.

OK, maybe it's good design and will sound better that other 500 dollar systems. WRONG. Bass is boomy and one-notely irritating. Treble is unclear. Just so flat and tinny. Thank goodness it was borrowed from somebody. voices and instruments lose their realism.

A budget CD player (USD 100), budget NAD amp (USD 150), and cheap pair of USD 150 speakers and tuner (USD 100) - total cost of about USD 500 blows the Bose away like the Hiroshima bomb.

I use a high-end system but am familiar with budget equipment because I help friends build their systems. I am not a Bose-basher. But the Acoustimass and the Wave Radio must rate as one of the greatest scams of all time that have worked and helped Bose make USD 200 million a year. Amazing how many people have been fooled by clever marketing.

Who should buy it? Those who do not believe in value for money or quality but want something trendy. Those who have noise-induced deafness who can't tell the difference in sound anyway.

ZERO stars. Sorry, Bose lovers, I have to be honest.

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Cheap USD 500 audio system

Complete Simplicity in a wonderfully compact package

Price? But I knew what I was paying for.

One common practice of forums such as this is for dealers and proponents of competing products to submit bogus reviews which cast a prejudiced and negative light on the competition's offerings. That is not to say that people don't genuinely have valid criticisms of items but be forewarned that all reviews need to be taken with a big grain of salt. Listen to the products with your own ears and make your decisions based upon what YOU like and not what everybody else says.

The Bose Wave Radio has obviously stirred up a lot of controversial emotions probably because of it's high price tag and perceived better values. Maybe it really is a status symbol as has been implied here but I would like to offer a non-biased personal heartfelt review here.

I am not an audiophile, per se, though I do own some high end gear. I am an audio lover and can get as much enjoyment out of listening to music as the next person. It's kind of like the fact that I can enjoy a good glass of wine as much as a connoisseur without the trouble of becoming so anally retentive about every little nuance.

That said, I have had a Wave Radio/CD model for about five months now and I have no regrets at all with my purchase. I spend my money carefully, and while you may be able to find some different systems of individual components that could do as well after doing research, etc.... I have found that this radio satisfies my needs in spades. I wanted a simple and good-looking package with great sound and good customer service. I also like the utter simplicity and functionality of this unit which makes it timeless to me. This radio does that for me and I am completely happy with its performance.

The radio has lots of clarity and warmth at all volumes and it is portable. It works well with all types of music that a buyer in this price range might look for (read NO heavy metal rap thumping crap).

Maybe it is a glorified clock radio, but so what? I thoroughly enjoy its total package and yeah I spent $500 for it. I haven't seen anything else that I like better. That is why this radio is for me and I highly recommend giving it a listen. I respect your right to disagree but understand that this unit can give a lot of satisfaction to other people.

I love it and would buy it again.

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I own audiophile gear but nothing else in this class range.

Sounds great, you're lying if you think that the $10 dollar clock/radio sounds the same...

none

This product is meant to be used in the bedroom...period (it is an alarm clock). Its sound is superior for such a small machine. It captures all sound frequencies at optimal levels. If your can fit a high end stereo system where you go to sleep and have that thing wake you up in the morning, hands down to you. And for the Bose bashers out there, remember it's a Bose, it's supposed to be expensive. I'm sure the people who complain about price are the same people who criticize others for wearing clothes made by Versace. If you can't afford it don't buy it!

sound

price

The first thing people must realize is this is a radio for people whom love MUSIC. Notice I did not say distorted heavy metal or hip hop. This is for people whom love clean crisp sounding music. Everything sounds amazing with the exception of heavy metal and hip hop. If you want to truly hear each instrument and a singers voice(not scream)then this is for you. If you want just a loud sound that shakes the house this may not be for you. I am not ripping on he3avy metal or hip hop, its just this is not the radio for that.

sound, simplicity, size

doesnt run off battery only

After reading some of the reviews I knew I had to put my 2 cents in. This is the most excellent system of this size and price range on the market. Crystal clear sound, excellent features, a gem to use. What on earth do people expect from a system this size - what are you comparing it to? I know enough about sound systems to know there is nothing similar that even compares to my Bose. It impresses the heck out of my friends who keep looking around my room to see where i've "hidden" my speakers. Listen to it at night with your eyes closed on about 60-70% volume and its divine - I can hear sounds from CDs I've owned for years that I never knew were even on the tracks - each note sounds exactly like the producers intended it to. I know I havent had it long but every time I turn it on I'm still taken aback. I listen mainly to dance and vocals but even when I put on Beethovens Moonlight Sonata, I feel like there is someone in my room playing it on a piano live! Cannot recommend it enough. I think some of the people on here are trying to rubbish it just to make themselves feel superior - learn to accept the system for what it is, an excellent compact audio system and stop expecting it to sound like a home theatre system, its never been marketed as such. It's the first product I've ever bought that lives exactly up to the promises in the advertising, nothing more and nothing less.

Small Size Big Sound

Having to change cds constantly

Well I got my Bose from my uncle who won it at work and had no use for it so he sold it to me for a 100 bucks. I couldnt go wrong for a 100 bucks. I listned to bulky shelf systems that cost the same amount of money and sound the same as the bose but the bose is a 1/4 of their size and the bose doesnt lose any sound quality by being so small. You cant complain about the bose not having any bass because their are no real bookshelf systems with bass. The clarity of the music is good but not outstanding. I go to college and live in a dorm and this little baby is perfect. So if I was going to buy a music system for college and I was going to lie in a dorm this would be the buy. So if you are a parent buy this puppy for your kid and they will be listening all the time when they do their home work. Also it has an alarm clock built into the system so they will wake up in time for class. This is pretty damn good glorified cd alarm clock. The down side to the system is the one cd player, this does have an upside of kepping the product damn small. You can also hook it up to your dvd player or vcr for better sound then you can get from your tv. THe final word would be buy this if you are going to college and are going to be living in a small room such as a dorm room. But when I go home this baby is going to be stored away and im going to break out the thx ultra system.

Similar Products Used:

Sony Bookshelf Systems, Aiwa Bookshelf Systems

Outstanding sound for size. I love the alarm feature that gradually brings volume up.

Can't adjust tone controls. Some metal and hip hop can sound not so good when driven hard, but it wasn't designed for this. Price.

I received my first Bose wave radio as a gift when I moved into my new apartment upon graduation from college. I wish I had had it in the dorm to be perfectly honest. My dorm was nothing but speakers and I never had room for anything. The sound from the Bose is incredible and works beautifully in smaller areas.

Well, now i'm married and live in a house and i've even bought another Wave for our bathroom. All styles of music sound really good and I love it. I'm very picky with my stuff. I want my purchases to be worth the money and I feel I get that with my Bose.

The first Wave I got doesn't have the CD player with it. Instead I bought a Kenwood changer and run it through the auxillary port and it still sounds incredible. A big advantage to this is that I can play my MP3 and CDR CD's which the other Bose cannot do. The newer Bose with the CD is fine, but I hate having to change CD's. I'd much rather have a changer. I'd recommend doing that to anybody who listens to alot of CD's.

My wife listens to alot of hip-hop and country and I listen to alot of Metal, Rock, and Classical (yep, very relaxing...especially with a new baby!). Basically every system we have in our cars or our home gets a major workout. She "bumps" and I "screech". Torture on a speaker system! It is important to remember that there is no one specific system that is perfect for all styles of music. Instead, one must compromise.

We've got a $3,000 dollar A/V system in the den that is the workhorse system. (Onkyo components, Boston Acoustic Speakers, Infinity sub). Obviously comparing the Bose to this is a stupid thing to do, and i've got a good hunch that some worse reviews on here are people comparing the Bose to their big systems. You can't do that.

The Bose is a perfect radio for someone who wants big sound in a small package. This works great in bedrooms, kitchens, and bathrooms. FM reception is good, but AM is sometimes lacking. There is always a radio on in the house and the majority of the time a Bose is always on and we've never had any reliability problems.

I don't want to be the type of guy who isn't open minded enough to say that there isn't anything better in the market other than Bose. Honestly, for the money (which is steep) the Bose is the best I've found on the market. My wife and I are contemplating getting a new smaller surround system for our bedroom, and it's causing stress in our relationship...lol. I want the Bose to take to work. She wants it for the Kitchen.

I am very happy with the purchase I've made and recommend highly to anyone who listens to music to at least give it a try. To buy a smaller system that sounds this good, you are looking into spending 800-1000 dollars and you're going to take up so much more space. Its not the loudest thing in the world, but it is one of the most clean sounding. Its a good buy for people who love music and if you are on here looking for peoples opinions, you must be serious.

Value rating- 4 stars because it is expensive...$100 dollars cheaper and this thing is a steal.
Overall rating- 5 stars because of performance

Joe