Looks Hi-Tek,space age,like so much Bose...(Fool's gold,though).

Sound quality,build quality.

Another big rip-off from the Bozo.Merchants don't mind selling them,either,because the profit-margin is bigger than if they sell the Cambridge-Soundworks piece,for instance,which probably is "the world's finest" tabletop radio/CD,for nearly half as much dough!(Sound+Vision magazine reviewed several of these product-types including the two above and said as much,also).But Bose has been careful to cultivate an "aura" around itself through careful hype.This really took off during the 80's,90's when Yuppies thought they were so superiorly Hi-Tek and oh-so sleek.The Bose look appealed to them and they fueled the takeoff.Now,like yesterday's cocaine jet-lag,these products are being scorned today.Bose is worse now that so much more,better,is widely available to compare with and at less money spent.I have auditioned this piece and the Cambridge at my local Audio-store.I think that unless size is a paramount concern,skip this genre altogether,spend a bit more and get an inexpensive receiver (like the Onkyo-8211) and a set of 150-buck speakers (like Acoustic-Research's,or something),plus a cheap CD-player.You won't have the "Jetson's" look, but you will have something real...

Similar Products Used:

Kloss/Cambridge soundworks tabletop radio/cd player.

Style

Sound, clock display

First let me say that Bose has an excellent no-hassle return policy. Also, I have the Acoustimass 5 for computer speakers and love them.

I used the Bose Wave CD for 1.5 days and determined it was junk for what I wanted to use it for…which was as an alarm clock that produced outstanding sound for those times that I am entertaining lady friends. As an alarm clock it was not very good because the display was small and hard to see at night, even from a close distance. As a radio it sucked – sorry but no better way to convey. It was like having a subwoofer on my nightstand next to my head…try to imagine that. Very muddy sound and extremely boomy. I know that supposedly placement is everything with the Bose products but in a bedroom there is only so much placement one can do. And with no treble or bass control on a $500!!! unit there was no way to compensate.

Similar Products Used:

None

decent sound, compact size

overpriced, not many features, no tone controls

Got this product from my mother, she was moving and didnt want it anymore. Well after 3 months of listening to this
thing, it does sound okay but for what my mom paid for it
its very expensive. But good for my mom because its easy to use (my mom cant figure the vcr out) so this must be easy to use. It does have that bose sound to it if your into the bose sound, I see alot of people are anti bose. Well I am not for or against bose, I like some of their products and i
dont like others. As for the sound quality, not bad considering the size but not good considering the price, well defined bass response but it doesnt go down past probably 100hz, nice midrange sound, highs could use a little boost, but most bose speakers are similar to these
as far as sound. If you are looking for boom and sizzle look elsewhere. But if you like the bose sound and can afford the price check it out.

One of the best alarm radios around

$100 boom box sound

I went to a local Bose dealer a few times. How sad, the store was full of people. All their products are low-fi. Better then $50 clock radios or TV speakers, but worse than most any mid-fi system at half the price. The theater systems are pathetic, though they sound better than TV's. Most any small home theater system at half the price blows them away. Don't argue with me, listen for yourself, I did. But I digress...

I like the Bose Wave radio's sound better than that of the AcousticWave. The Wave is boomy, the AcousticWave is extremely boomy. The Wave is perhaps the best sounding alarm radio there is, but it is about the worst boom box priced over $150 I've heard. Mini systems sound FAR better at a lower price. Do you want a good alarm clock with some snappy sound? By a nice $100 alarm radio and a $250-350 mini system. It will sound FAR better at a lower price.

Two stars for the good sound from the small box. It does sound good for an alarm, horrible for a $500 mini Stereo system. The big sound from the small box is probably why people buy this on the spot. Please listen to real mini stereo systems. Even at half the cost, they sound far better. Listen to a true multi-thousand hi-fi system too so you will know what real music sounds like.

Sound

Sound, Price

I let my wife talk me into buying the Bose Wave radio CD when it was first released. I wish I had waited for Henry Kloss to add a CD player to his radio - it sounds 10 times better. The Kloss produces crisp highs and superb bass. The Bose has weak highs and a monotone bass. But, notice I put sound as both a strength and a weakness. The Bose does sound better than almost every other clock radio CD player on the market. 10 times better as the price would have you believe? You be the judge. I am happy with the system but would buy the Kloss over the Bose any day of the week. I'm just glad the Bose Outlet store sold us the Wave radio CD for $50 less than the $499 list. Save a hundred more and buy the Kloss.

Similar Products Used:

Henry Kloss CD/Radio

I recently went to a Bose factory store in Osage Beach, MO. Upon entering, I noticed a small radio sitting on a table near a wall, so I took a closer look. To my surprise, it had a cd player cleverly hidden underneath the control panel - how convenient. I played the cd that was included and decided the sound quality was better than most table radios I have heard, so I asked an employee to fill me in on the details. He spent the next fifteen minutes telling me about its alarm features, radio tuner, and cd player, among other things. He then stated that its "superb" sound was the result of patented technology using what he called an "acoustic waveguide" inside the speaker. After seeing a diagram I stated that "acoustic waveguide" was another name for transmission line enclosure (a well-known method of increasing bass performance from a small speaker) - he insisted it was not. I looked at the diagram again and said "Yes it is." He again stated it was not, so I said that the diagram must be incorrect because it clearly shows a simple folded pathway designed to stretch a given wavelength to increase bass performance. He said he would not argue the point (probably because he could not back up his claim that it was a unique technology). I abandoned the subject and moved on to listening to some of my own cds. The first thing I noticed was a upper bass hump that gave the illusion of supposed deep bass. I stated this and he assured me it was truly deep bass (my respect for the guy's technical knowledge was slipping quickly). He told me that the clear, open sound of the system was due to neodymium magnets and high-quality amplifiers; I told him it was an obvious illusion created by exaggerated upper midrange frequencies. He became frustrated with me and asked me if I had any intentions of buying it. I agreed that despite its many sonic flaws, it did sound better than most table radios, and I couldn't expect perfect fidelity from a table radio. I asked the price... !!!!!$500!!!!! I was expecting $100, or maybe $150 since it had a cd player built in, but $500 was unacceptable. I laughed and got the attention of nearly everyone in the store. I shook my head walked out the door.
Here are some words of wisdom from someone who has had plenty of experience with sound systems AND dealers. Really listen to a system before purchasing, and bring your own cds, not what they provide. Ask yourself, "is it really THAT good? Did I notice how good it sounded BEFORE they convinced me it did. What are its major flaws? Am I letting them brainwash me into thinking I am spending my money wisely?" In any radio was is worth the $500. Even an awful AIWA shelf system for $250 sounds twice as good. Save your money; the Bose Wave Radio/CD is nothing more than a pretty paperweight.

Styling, Clock Functionality, Sound

Price, Lack of Alarm Controls on remote

To all you supposed audio enthusiasts out there that knock this product - sorry guys, but you have completely missed the point. Go buy your bulky, style-less, space-wasters and give Bose a break.

This is a clock radio with a CD player - NOT a high-end lounge room main stereo so please don't show your ignorance by comparing it to one.

What do you want from a clock radio?? Something small so it will fit on your bedside table (because WHY would you want an alarm clock in your lounge room), something with a very functional alarm clock and something that sounds good at low listening levels when you are trying to go to sleep. Bose has achieved this and beats every product I have seen on those points.

The sound quality at bedroom listening levels is nothing short of exceptional - except perhaps for a fairly high signal to noise ratio when the volume is low.

Yes, it is horrendously expensive but you get what you pay for and if you are willing to part with the money you will get what I consider to be the best clock radio on the market by miles.

Lack of bass controls.. who cares? The last thing I want to do when I drop the volume to 20% or so to go to sleep is to have to adjust the bass level. This is a feature - not a weakness.

My only complaints are that it does distort quite heavily at high volumes. With all the fancy signal processing Bose employ, I feel they could have done a little better there. The only other complaint is that I can't set the alarms from the remote (as it sits across the room from my bed). Other than that - I love it.

Similar Products Used:

Many clock radios and micro systems

Well, actually I don't have the product, and I don't have cnance to listent to it yet...
After I reading almost all the review, I really don't know what's the real value of this product, I believe Bose has the best product, but for a High School student, and most time listen to pop, classicial music, dose the Bose Wave worth to me? I don't know... becaue I really like the product that I saw online, but it's very expensive for a high school student, so somebody please tell me that is worth or not... Thank You Very Much =)

Size, Overall Sound

Price

If you read the ads for this product, you'd think that Bose had shrunk the New York Philharmonic and placed them into a box on your night table. Or at least, a $500 item that can compare with high priced component systems.

The Bose Wave Radio CD doesn't live up to either of those standards. How can it, the speakers are small, and they're close together. There are no audio controls. This leads to certain inescapable problems -- and Bose hasn't escaped them.

But let's be honest, at the end of the day, this isn't a stereo system, it's a clock radio. Compared to most of the alarm clock radios in use today, it's a marvel. If you like to listen to music in your bed room, or don't have a lot of space, the Bose provides crisp sound with surprisingly good bass for a small box.

The big question is whether it's worth paying $500 for a clock radio. Is any clock radio worth that much? Ummmmm, probably not -- but it depends on how one looks at things.

However, many people, myself included, will pay over $100 for a dinner at a fine restaurant. People will pay hundreds of dollars for a bottle of fine wine. A single ticket to the Superbowl can cost thousands of dollars (and it probably won't even be a good game). Are any of these worth that much. Again, probably not. Luxury items rarely are, and yet if one can afford it, the price paid for a luxury item, and the enjoyment it gives is worthwhile.


View the Bose Wave Radio as a luxury or a gift to yourself. The sound quality will be pleasing to you for years to come, and if it's something you can afford, there's nothing wrong with a splurge to pamper yourself.

The most apparant competition for this product is the Cambridge Audio Model 88, which provides comparable sound for less money. However, the Cambridge is much heavier, and based on reviews I have read (though not experienced) has spotty quality. Another issue, for those who care about such things is that the Bose looks much better.

Using the product is simplicity itself. You plug it in out of the box. I found the controls, on top of the unit to be self explanatory, and easy to use (even when groping around in the dark).

Surprisingly, given the size, my one initial complaint was that I found the balance to be a bit off initially (too much bass, if you can believe that). This was solved by slightly repositioning the unit.

Overall -- will this product replace an audiophile's stereo equipment? NO. Is this product over priced? PROBABLY. Did the sound meet my expectations? ABSOLUTELY.

Ramping alarm system, not-horrible sound from clock radio size, unique styling

build quality, customer "service"

One of the great features of this product is the "ramping volume". I hate waking up to a sudden cornicopia of sound/buzzing! Now if my radio only worked...

I had the unit for 11 1/2 months, and then it would just suddenly reset, as if the power in the house had been cycled, but no other appliances were affected. Eventually I could only play the radio for an hour and it would happen. Obviously a self-resetting clock is useless! I sent the radio for repair, and got it back in ~4 weeks, with a statement that they had replaced a bad transistor. Well the problem reoccured after another few months. Again, I returned the radio (they even paid for shipping). I called the repair center while it was there, and they told me they "could not reproduce the problem", that the radio was "perfect" and they were sending the unit back. I argued with them, explaining that I was not insane, and the unit was really defective, and to keep it there and on until it did reset. I had tried the radio in four different houses, in case it was some strange problem with the power in my house. Regardless, they sent it back to me, except this time it didn't work *at all*. I was very upset, and stuck the radio in a closet for a couple of years. Finally, today, I decided to take it apart and try to fix it. Now, I should tell you that I am an engineer, and I know a little about audio systems. This unit is very poorly constructed. The tuner is low-quality and cheap. The power amplifier is a single, very inexpensive integrated circuit (IC) that I can buy myself for less than $2 (Canadian :-) ). The PCB on mine looked like Bose had hacked some fixes, either in original manufacture, or during the first "repair". More and more I am beginning to realize that Bose productes are successful only because of brilliant marketing; you are *not* getting even close to what you pay for!

At any rate, I managed to get the radio to work again... it still seems to be self resetting, but I have an idea of what the problem is; it's amazing to me that the brilliant minds at Bose don't.

Similar Products Used:

none