As good as it gets
Written: Jul 01 '00
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Sounds as good as the best
Cons: Only six FM presets
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| Windowphobe's Full Review: Cambridge Soundworks Model 88 Mini System |
The designs of Henry Kloss have been part of my life for over a quarter-century. I'm still using KLH Model Thirty-Eight speakers, a slightly smaller version of Kloss' original two-way acoustic-suspension system, which I bought way back in 1974. The Thirty-Eights were, and are, the very definition of quiet competence - no frills, no exaggerated response characteristics. So when I had a chance to snap up the Model 88, the latest table-radio design by Kloss, I had no doubt that I'd like the way it sounded.
What I didn't expect, though, was the sheer excellence of the electronics. The FM tuner in the Model 88 will pick up stations that other receivers ignore; the AM section has enough bandwidth to reproduce what little music remains on the AM band with better-than-decent fidelity. We have one remaining AM/FM combo doing simulcasts; when I switched the FM to mono and then switched back and forth between the AM and FM signals, there were times when I'd have to look at the dial lights to be sure which band I was using. And there's more than enough clean power here to play really loud.
Two other radios compete in this league: Bose's Wave radio and JBL's Harmony. As it happens, I've had a chance to compare all three; the Boss of All Bosses, just up the hallway, has the Bose, and I have the JBL in my office. The 88 sounds at least as good as they do, and it has far better FM reception. Advantage: Kloss. I can't wait until he comes back out of retirement again.
Recommended:
Yes
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Epinions.com ID:
Windowphobe
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Member: Charles Hill
Location: Dustbury, Oklahoma
Reviews written: 21
Trusted by: 4 members
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