Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I've seen the Wave Radio compared to products from Kloss,
Cambridge Sound Works, Sony, etc. Typical reviews put
the Wave Radio ahead in styling and behind in sound quality
and price. That matches up with our experience.
However, in the bedroom, styling is important. I look at
our clock radio every morning and night, and if it looks like a
transformer robot or a leftover from a karaoke bar, it isn't
worth the "good deal". The Bose is one of only a few I've seen
that is understated, with elegant lines and no chrome. Is styling
worth $500? No. But I won't buy an ugly box, even for $20.
In terms of sound quality, this is a Bose: no highs, no lows.
Well, it does have lows, but is quite boomy. This is reduced
by the "aux" stand that Bose is giving away with the radio.
The highs are muted. There are no tone controls. You can turn
it up loud enough to hear clearly down the hall, and the sound
is still OK (in fact, pretty good). Not quite what Bose would
have you believe, but good. Worth $500? No, but better than most
$200+ "executive" clock radios, few of which are nice looking,
or have the true clock-radio features. Nowhere near as good
as a $500 bookshelf stereo, but of course the stereo simply isn't
a clock radio at all.
Features are well-done compared to a $40 GE or Sony
clock radio: two alarms, radio/cd/alarm wakeup, ramped alarm
volume, auto-dimmer, battery backup, readable (but not
obnoxious) display, remote control. No TV sound or weather
radio. Controls are intuituve. Worth $500? No, but the sound
is fantastic compared to most clock radios.
Overall, it is a darn expensive clock radio. It is hard to
justify the price, but there's nothing exactly like it in
the market (the clone CSW 740 comes close, but, in my opinion, is
significantly uglier, and the older CSW 88 has a lot of harsh
reviews concerning reliability and support). If you're looking
for the combination of a good clock radio with very good sound
and understated lines, this is about all there is so far.
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