[kenchi1983]

Im always curious as to how this thing sound everytime the already overrun infomercial comes up. So does it really sound like you are right in the middle of a live instrumental band play? ( i dont believe it)

How much does the thing cost anyway? how does it compare to using a good pair of headphones?

 

[NuclearFusi0n]

it costs more than my computer, and it's pretty kick ass for a CLOCK RADIO - hundreds of dollars for a clock radio? bleh


Wave® Radio/CD - $499
Acoustic Wave® music system
$1,079.00(US Dollars)

 

[dohminator]

I always see the commercial for the Acoustic wave stereo. Which is the one that costs a cool grand.

Yeah, i would like to know how they sound as well. I'm sure for a grand I can get a headphone system that will create something more realistic sounding.

It just seems like it is based on BS science. How is piping music though a seven foot curved tube going to created deep bass extension as well as good highs. I'm just not to sure about it.

 

[taoster]

i was walking by a bose store on xmas.. i didnt even gave it a glance but i heard kid-a playing so i was drawn in. behold, the clock radio was churning out kid-a, rather horribly i might add. I took one look at the price and burst out in fits of laughter.. a quick exit soon followed. it's comical how expensive **** can get with a bose plastic casing.

 

[mekanoplastik]

Friend of mine has one, she has it in the kitchen, to listen radio while cooking i guess

, and i have to say it sounds better than any boombox i have heard, but remember..that is exatcly what it is, a nice boombox type of thing. do not expect to use it for a living room or any serious music audiotining...

 

[taoster]

Quote:

Originally posted by mekanoplastik Friend of mine has one, she has it in the kitchen, to listen radio while coking i guess ,

but anything sounds good when youre coking!!

 

[mekanoplastik]

edited..hahah wops

 

[Basshead Jazz]

I heard both the Wave Radio and the Acoustic Wave System at a Bose stand in the mall the other day.

The Wave Radio wasn't that bad for a clock radio and kinda has a rich sound. Would be more suited in the bedroom or kitchen than the living room. But the Acoustic Wave was a let-down. Lacked punchy bass and midrange, and the unit itself looked a bit dated. Then for extra cash gets this standing "base" for your line-outs for TV, computer, aux, etc.

No thanks. For less the price of the Acoustic Wave System and a little more than the Wave Radio, you could buy a decent mini shelf system that sounds way better and has built-in line-outs to plug-in a subwoofer, MD player, and among other things.

BTW, I also tried out the TriPort and Noise-Cancelling headphones on their Panasonic PCDP. I am dissapointed that Bose thinks the TriPorts are worth the $150 when it sounded worse than my $20 Sony MDR-V150. The N-C phones reduces but hardly isolates outside noise while sound quality isn't all that worth mentioning about. Wouldn't imagine how it'll perform during air travelling.

 

[Mystic]

Quote:

Originally posted by dohminator How is piping music though a seven foot curved tube going to created deep bass extension as well as good highs.

The tube is specifically for the bass, the highs are in the regular speakers. One of the main things that bose does to get that "big sound from such a small radio" is to play around with the phase of the music. Stereo is able to provide spacial details of where the music is coming from, the imaging detail that audiophile rave about. You know, the violin soloist just just left of center and the oboe is just right of center. If you reverse polarity on your speakers (invert phase), all that detail goes away and you really can't tell where that sound is coming from, it sounds like it's coming from everywhere. That's is pretty much what Bose does for it's radio. Not real accurate but it does sound ok in places like the kitchen, where imaging isn't high on your list of importance. IMHO, it ain't worth the money thay charge.

 

[bangraman]

According to friends it doesn't sound THAT amazing. Save your money, buy a Linn Classik and a decent pair fo speakers... It won't be that much more than the Acoustic Wave system. If you really need an 'all-in-one' unit you can glue said speakers to the sides of the Classik

 

[I'mSparticus]

OK so I guess I could shed some light on this being my parents have both all three systems. Yah I know its stupid but they swear by them. Now in the opurtunities I have had to listen to each, I find that while they do have incredible sound that is crystal clear, there is no color or atmosphere to them. They can reperduce the sound but don't put any thing into it. Personally I would take my Ety ER-4P and super--mini over the accoustical system anyday, but thats just my opinion. Save your money go somewhere else.

 

[engk]

I've owned a bose wave cd/radio for 4 years now. I have to admit that when I first heard it, it was really good, but less than stellar for its price. You'll probably can get a better, more powerful system for the same price. The thing to remember though, is that you are paying for its small size too. You'll probably never find anything else so small and non hi-fi looking that sounds to good.

THe CD/radio doesn't handle all kinds of music equally well. But I can say that its handling of small jazz ensembles is excellent and very impressive. Trebles are clear and and the bass tight. It is no surprise that Herbie Hancock does their advertisements on TV. It slightly falters in the area of clarity when there are too many sounds playing, like in an large orchestra. This is probably because its sub-woofer and and tweeters feed the same reverbation chamber. Its does very impressive mid-bass, full of reverb and visceral punch. Sub-bass is lacking somewhat and stuff like techno does not do too well.

Amplification will be limited for those how like their music loud. Distortion sets in at around 75%. And positioning is also stricter since the left and right speakers are so close together. It has a line in and line out. I place it on the shelf above my laptop, slightly higher than my ears and about an arms length away. I have no amplification problems at that range. Its connected to my laptop so I can play mp3s from it too.

Fortunately, its is quite easy and rather cheap to circumvent the Bose CD/radio's weaknesses. My recommendation is to connect a amplified tweeter-subwoofer sound system to the cd/radio. The Altec Lansing ACS45W is a good choice because it looks similar and is not much more powerful than the cd/radio. It is a good mix, because the atmospheric, expansive sound of the cd/radio is balanced my the more precise tweeters of the acs45. And its weak sub-bass is nicely filled in by the sub-woofer. The wider placement of the tweeters of the acs45 will give you a much better soundstage (best when placed to bounce of the walls). The only inconveniece is that you now have two volumes to control and balance (the acs45 is louder than the bose). I checked online and the acs45w can be purchased for about US$50 at computerhq.com. Acs45 appears on ebay for about $25 to $40 used.

 

[engk]

I'mspacticus:
I have to respectfully disagree, completely. I also have the ER-4Ps, I would say its the the Etys that are colorless and do not add anything to the music (I think it actually takes away something from the music). The Bose cd/radio, while not as clear, has definitely a fuller, more colored sound. I think this coloring comes from its bass unit. I'll pick my cd/radio over my Etys, anytime, anywhere. It definitely churns out more enjoyable music, without sacrificing much clarity at all.

 

[zowie]

I've heard them. It's not that they sound bad -- they don't. They sound about as good as some of the executive-type minisystems. But they cost 2-3 times as much, with fewer features. THAT'S the problem. At 1/3 the price they'd be pretty recommendable.

 

[Sheff steel]

I have to agree with the last message.

I recently owned a Bose cd/radio for over a week.
The sound is OK and the aesthetics are good too, you even get a fancy credit card style remote control.

If you compare it with a clock radio, then its very good.

However it is marketed as a semi-serious piece of hi-fi.
I compared it directly with a cheap Aiwa midi system and i had to admit that the midi sytem sounded slightly but definately better.

If I was rich and needed a posh trendy clock/ radio then i'd recommend it. However if you want a bona fide quality music system then the sound quality will dissapoint.

Actually when I think how much they cost brand new then if you listen you feel like laughing as the sound very much under performs for the price.