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The Bose Wave Radio: worth the money?

Paige Turner said:
Someone mentioned the latest generations of some brands not being as good as previous models. This is true... I've heard the GE Superadio III is not as good as the Superadio II. Makes you wonder sometimes... I've learned that "new and improved" usually means the manufacturer has found another way to cut corners.
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A friend of mine had worked for an audiophile store back in the 1980's whose owner was a past executive for the Columbia Record Club. He told me the story on how a manufacturer (it may have been Electrophonic) manufactured the combo record player / receivers made available to club members. The story went that once the "better" version was made, they would have techs start snipping out components while still being able to maintain a functional unit. It was this stripping down which became the unit that went on to mass manufacturing. Now, if that isn't "New and Improved" nothing is!
 
The Bose Radio/CD system is a strange animal. While the sound is great, the plug is very flimsy and will eventually fall out. And recently have seen instances where the CD doesnt get ejected and gets stuck in the unit. I have seen this happen on 3 different systems. So while the sound is excellent, there are some flaws to consider.
 
Worth the money? I bought a Bose w/o the CD player about 15 yrs ago and gave it to my mom for her birthday. It cost $349 if I recollect. She kept it 8-9 yrs then gave it back to me. In her location, all but the strongest FM stations locked in on stereo although one could get non stereo FM on a number of stations up to 90-100 mi. My sisters and I got sat. radio for her instead.
The AM tuner is OK. recently I received and ID'd KFI from over 2000 mi away. Stations 1000 mi away come in very well at night so it's a good radio to listen to a lot of different MLB games.
Price is only one of the 4 P's of the marketing mix. I don't think the radio was worth the price but it has sure been one durable little sucker with good-VG sound. Yeah, no thumping bass.
I imagine a number of the older models will be showing up in the thrifts before long. With mine one can connect a simple cassette or CD player. Yeah kinda lo tech..
 
vibe said:
In her location, all but the strongest FM stations locked in on stereo although one could get non stereo FM on a number of stations up to 90-100 mi.
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Didn't you mean to write "only" where you wrote "all but"? As I read and re-read the posting, it makes sense to me only if I change "all but" to "only."
 
OKCRadioGuy said:
I have a Boston Acoustics table radio. It does have really great bass and clean audio.
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I picked up one of these for $90 on eBay after hearing one at a station I contract for. The sensitivity is atrocious but the audio quality is superb. If you're not looking for a DX machine, this one sounds really nice for it's size.
 
The Tivoli's a great sounding radios, as well. But the manually tuned dial is a great reminder why digital tuning was such an improvement. My first gen Model One drifts like crazy....
 
... and nowhere can you find any specs on the radio. What's the power output? Frequency response?
 
Bose generally does not like to release specs. In the past, the had stated they did not do so because it does not take the Bose patented psychoacoustic effects into account and, therefore, inaccurately reflects the true performance of their products.

This is slightly off-topic: any recommendation for a digitally-tuned radio to haul to remotes. We always have AC, so battery power is not important. However, an external antenna and strong tuner performance is.
 
My guys like the little Rolls HR 78. They've got the presets for all our stations, making it a lot easier than finding them the hard way.
 
I owned a couple of the first-generation units and feel that the ergonomics for clock radio use were unbeatable. Also, battery backup ensures that the clock keeps time even during a fairly extended power outage and that a short power outage in the middle of the night will not result in the alarm's not going off the next morning -- amazingly, something that some of Bose's competitors (like Cambridge Soundworks) do not take into account.

As for the sound, it is what it is, which is a pleasant small radio sound with a bit of a smile curve. It's actually the exact opposite of the old "no highs no lows..." cannard.

I had no reliability problems with either unit.
 
I have never compared the wave radio, but I do have a pair of the 'Around The Ear' Headphones and they are INCREDIBLE. The manufacturing quality is a little on the cheap side, but the sound is the greatest thing I have ever heard! I wouldn't recommend them to a DJ who would quickly destroy them, but for an audiophile who will cherish them, great investment. Two thumbs up!

http://www.bose.com/controller?url=...io_headphones/around_ear_headphones/index.jsp

Any thoughts?
 
I'll second the Boston Acoustics table radio. Mine is the older generation, kind of a military dark green. Big beefy sound, super sensitive tuner, and INSTANT on... most radios today seem to take several seconds to power up. I've never been able to justify the prices Bose asks, and have never been a fan of the Bose bass boost trick using resonance that builds inside a folded tube.
 
Signpost said:
super sensitive tuner
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I don't think so. The Bose Wave Radio picks up Class B's at 70 miles better than the Boston Acoustics picks up Class A's at 10 miles. It's the least sensitive tuner I've seen in many a moon.
 
I have two Bose Wave Radios, one with built in CD and one without. They're expensive to be sure, but they are some of the best sounding clock radios one will find. As someone else pointed out, their FM tuner sensitivity is quite good. AM tuner isn't bad, but since spoken word voice programming has taken over AM, who really cares anyway?
 
A few years ago, I bought a refurbished first generation Bose Wave Radio for $199 at the bose outlet store in lancaster, pennsylvania. I was really happy with it -- slightly too hammock-shaped EQ curve, but nice, clean, and fills a room from an incredibly small package. Very reliable, straightforward user interface.. I definitely recommend it!

///Leif
 
There's none on eBay right now, but they make a 'deluxe' remote control for the Bose Wave Radio with lighted buttons & it doesn't have to be aimed at the radio to work. I got it for less than $10 including shipping...wish I had found about this one long ago.
 
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