| PRODUCT DETAILS | | Bose Wave Radio - Clock radio - graphite gray |  | |
Bose Wave Radio - Clock radio - graphite gray
Acoustic waveguide speaker technology (34"-long internal folded waveguide) * AM/FM stereo tuner with station seek and 6 AM/6 FM presets * auxiliary preamp input for alternate source (CD, tape deck, VCR, TV, etc.) * variable-level auxiliary preamp output for adding optional powered speakers * two 2-1/2" drivers * mute * dual ramp-up alarms with 10-minute snooze * battery backup * color-matched, credit card-sized remote control * digital display for volume (0-99) * automatic display dimmer (adjustable) * 14"W x 4-1/4"H x 8-5/16"D * warranty: 1 year
Manufacturer: Bose
Price: $350.00
 Bose Wave Radio - Clock radio - graphite gray
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| User Reviews |  | Sounds Fine, But Overall a Poor Buy
rating: 2
I inherited the Wave Radio from my dad after he no longer found a use for it. My opinion is based upon my experience with it in a bedroom setting. In other words, you'll be disappointed if you're seeking to replace a dedicated home stereo with a tabletop unit, no matter how good it may or may not sound in smaller environments.
The unit DOES provide much more sound than you would expect from a unit of it's size. The drawback is that the bass that it does provide is very 'boomy' (not tight, not equally applied to varying notes, all over the place,) and highs are very 'bright.' A lot of people look for exactly these traits, and if you're one of them, then by all means go for it. On the other hand, I prefer a more neutral (flat) response. This is how the music was recorded, and intended to sound. Your mileage will vary, and you may love the equivalent of having the bass and treble maxed right out of the box.
Placing the unit in a corner exacerbates this effect GREATLY. Ideally, you'll place this further from a wall for a more natural sound.
Along with the mentioned 'coloring' or 'signature Bose sound' of this product comes a phenomenon worth mentioning: listener fatigue. One thing that I have learned as I've grown a bit is that what used to sound great (loud bass, screeching treble) now fatigues me. That's to say, I'm more aware of the SPEAKER than the actual music, and I can't enjoy it. Again, your mileage may vary, but you will want to keep this in mind.
The imaging, however, is GREAT. For such crappy drivers, it surprisingly 'airy,' though certainly not on par for what you can get for this price. Which leads me to the following:
Bose bashing. Everyone does it. Many reviews are cluttered with submissions from people who either do not own the product, or just forgot to add any impressions of the actual unit other than to say that Bose sucks. That's why I actually discussed the sound above, before saying that, yeah, Bose sucks. The Wave Radio (and current models, all of them) are VASTLY overpriced for what they provide, which is an at best average experience. Audio is notoriously wrought with these companies. Monster Cable will charge hundreds for 'special' cable that alleges to improve your audio, when ANY decent gauge above the spools you buy at Wal-Mart will do. It is very easy to tell someone that they will hear a superior product, so easy that an average consumer will actually be convinced of this fact until he or she is exposed to a real speaker, often at a lower price point. But that person never is. They are under the impression that Bose is great, therefore, we're buying Bose on name recognition alone.
All that said, the Wave Radio (any of them) is a fine product provided that you aren't paying for it, or your getting a great deal on Craigslist, etc. They're still overpriced, on eBay, with this decade+ model going for upwards of $200. Anyway, I'm using it with an iPod (and high quality digital rips, not that iTunes 128k garbage) and it DOES provide a fantastic and portable solution for a bedroom, or even decent quality background music in a larger room. In this regard, it can replace a dedicated system as long as you don't expect to jam it loud and play air guitar. The Wave simply won't do that, and it can't be faulted for it, either, given its size.
Bottom line: It sounds okay but is horribly overpriced considering the competition's offerings (Cambridge, Tivoli et al). If I were actually purchasing a unit like this, I'd go with the Bose only if I saw one in a classified ad for $50.
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The best clock radio i've ever owned
rating: 5
Yeah it's expensive but I believe it's worth it. It's a very quality piece; you can tell just by touching it. Very hefty and it's made of a very high grade plastic it just feels very substantial.
I really enjoy the auto dim feature and its dual alarms. Although I enjoy its remote, I find myself hitting this snooze without ever getting up out of the bed!
The AM/FM tuner is one of Bose best and I have no problem tuning any of my favorite stations. Some people have a real problem with Bose products just because they're Bose. Although I'm not a big fan of their Home Entertainment systems, this is by far the best sounding clock radio I've heard. It does require being positioned correctly for the bass reflex per the instruction Manual.
I took this to work about two years ago and I know of at least four people that have bought the wave radio after listening to mine. If and when this unit fails I will be buying another wave radio.
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Bose Wave Radio
rating: 5
Bose Wave radio is such a great sounding radio. It is the best alarm clock too. I've had mine for over 10 years and bought this one for my Mom's birthday. She uses her radio more like a stereo system. She tells me all the time how much she loves her radio and how great the sound quality is.
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Excellent radio
rating: 5
We received this radio as a gift about four years ago and have enjoyed it considerably since. My only regret was that the unit did not include a cd player as well.
Having said that, the unit delivers everything one would expect from a Bose radio. The sound quality is excellent. There is no static, and one can work for hours with classical music in the background. Our radio is located atop a file cabinet behind our desks. It makes for great listening.
I would agree with another reviewer, the FM does indeed sound like a quality CD quality recording. And, as that writer noted, listeners can indeed add a dvd or cd player via the input jack provided. This is a slightly clumsy arrangement, but you can't beat the sound that results.
We have not compared this system to others on the market, but it's hard to imagine that any relatively small radio unit could ever sound better. To the extent that newer Bose models have been improved, I would recommend the product without hesitation.
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The best radio has to be the most Expensive
rating: 5
This is the original, the first of its kind. Then came the copies. This radio from Bose may look pricey to you but once you know all you can do with this it is very useful and you don't mind the price anymore and think your money was spent well. The sound of this radio is VERY clear, you get every little detail in music, and it is lifelike and spacious too. I have seen this rado used in big stores, they just put one radio on one corner and the other on the farther opposite one, and the sound is amazing. Deep bass, clear sound, just like if there were a lot of speakers placed around the store. The FM Antenna is integrated into the electric cord and it can pick a lot more stations than any other conventional system, as much stations as a car. It's very sad to see people criticize this system instead of appreciate it. It has enough bass and it is always deep, except in RARE cases of songs that have too much bass and it doesn't go down deep enough to hit those notes. Just make sure to place the radio close to a wall, especially right in a corner, to boost bass by a lot! This radio makes FM sound like CDs and CDs sound even better than they should. You even have one RCA Input to connect something like your computer or DVD Player and enjoy great crystal clear bassy sound for movies and MP3s in your computer or games too. For movies you don't feel the surround effects as if they were behind you but they sound very spacious and clear, away from you, getting the feeling of almost surround sound, as long as you are close to the radio. Also if the radio is right in front of you the bass is way deeper, so if you will use it in your computer there's no problem since you'll have it in your desk in front of you. It is built from quality, and the speakers dont distort even at loud volumes. The only thing is if you go over 95 in volume the bass isn't as strong, but you'll never have to go over 75 or 80 for sure. This system is great even outdoors or at parties too. It's great to wake up to GREAT sound and it's very nice how the alarm starts quietly and gets louder slowly and also how the display dims depending on how much light there's in your room. This is a product you have to place well and use well, and you will enjoy it for years. I suggest the Bose Wave Radio Series 1 over a Bose Companion 3 and Bose Mediamates for your computer, mainly for even better sound quality then them and more surround soundish effects. The Wave Radio/CD Series 2 or Bose Wave Music System (new name for Wave Radio/CD2) just came out, and it wasn't over 3 months since I bought my Wave Radio for $350, so I was able to exchange it for the latest one for $500 with CD, even deeper bass, even more clear sound, louder volumes, same shape and size but it looks A LOT more cooler! It kills the first series by a lot in bass(it feels like a big subwoofer and all songs get bass no matter what), adds extra volume, sound is even more lifelike and has better imaging, especially for movies. It's worth the extra $150! Bose is the best in sound. Those who don't like Bose either bash them for the sake of it, bash them because of not doing thorough testing with their products, bash them by believing what "audiophiles" say in reviews, bash them with opinions more than facts and probably haven't even heard the Bose Product they are bashing. Get the Wave radio or even better the New Wave Music System and you will be happy forever with your system! It will surely become the main system in your house.(I have on my computer Bose Mediamates with a Klipsch sub, for my movies a Bose Freestyle with an RCA 650 watt receiver, for portability Bose headphones and CD Player and since I bought the Wave radio and then the Wave Music System, I've been using it more than the others, by the way it is great to wake up to a CD, thats another feature you get with the new Radio!) Bose is about making lifelike sound. If youd rather have fake sound with way too much treble, or fake bass that goes way past the levels of real bass(I am talking about insane deafning bass) then dont call that kind of sound lifelike please! Many radios may get close to the original Bose Wave Radio and Wave Radio/CD but none beat the newest Bose Wave Music system.
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Bose Wave Radio - Clock radio - graphite gray
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