2010 UPDATE: This BOSE Wave Radio isn't my primary listening device because I am somewhat of an audiophile and own a Harmon/Kardon AVR635 and a Yamaha AV receiver. So with some surprise after 6 years of ownership and very light-duty use in my kitchen, the below-reviewed BOSE Wave Radio completely died while listening to an FM station with no prior warning. Prior to this my only "trouble" subsequent to this review was that the unit did some freaky things like turning itself on and setting its own sleep timer. (Mind you, having no need for the sleep timer in a kitchen setup, and to the best of my knowledge I do not live in a haunted house!) On a more serious note, I know two other people who own these machines and theirs are still going strong under heavier (primary listening) usage — one identical to this model and the second being 15 years older. The good news is that BOSE will service an out-of-warranty unit at a cost of $110 including shipping and a turnaround time of ~30 days. The bad news is that I have had a lot of electronics in my time and it seems like the inexpensive stuff rarely fails whereas the premium-brand products I have owned are more prone to an early demise — to my great consternation and irony. Otherwise, my original review still stands:

Introduction

Since the BOSE Wave Radio first appeared in Popular Science, I've drooled over the prospect of someday owning one of my own. With an average price of $499—and given that I already own a Harman/Kardon home theater system—I just couldn't justify the expense. Thanks to a generous Santa, however, now I no longer have to justify anything: I received the brand-new, buttonless Wave Radio for Christmas.

THE DIFFERENCE

Disclaimer: Since I am a first-time owner, and my experience with the previous model consists only of what I've seen at the home of another owner; there may or may not be more changes or improvements than appear below. What follows is intended only as an overview.

The latest BOSE Wave Radio model, which this review covers, takes the top loading CD and replaces it with a slot-loading CD/CDRW player. It retains the previous model's clock radio features: alarm, snooze and sleep; however, BOSE apparently dropped the dual alarm feature. The new model continues to offer six FM presets and six AM presets, respectively. The brightness of the green LCD automatically adjusts to suit the level of available light in the room (growing dimmer as the room dims). The display permits 24-hour time or the more familiar 12-hour format, with 48-hour backup memory in case of a power outage. With the exception of track programming, it is possible to control all basic CD functions, including track repeat, random, shuffle and shuffle repeat. Users may wake to a favorite track or radio station, but there is no "alarm clock" sound per se. The back of the unit features two 3.5mm jacks: one headphone jack, an AUX in, and a BOSE Link connector for multi-room use in conjunction with compatible BOSE Lifestyle systems. Finally, there is a port for an external FM antenna.

The most significant and notable change is the elimination of ALL buttons, including an on/off switch, save those on the credit-card sized remote. Visually, the elimination of push-button controls results in cleaner lines and a sleeker appearance. Practically speaking, you'd better not lose that tiny remote—or you won't be able to use the unit. For those who either are adverse to remotes and/or who cannot see the bubble-shaped buttons on the credit-card sized remote, this model is a step backward—particularly given that the current remote has not yet been redesigned to include useful features such as backlighting or glow-in-the-dark keys.

Less significant changes include the elimination of the microphone jack (some previous models doubled as a portable mini PA system ). Additionally, at the time of this review, BOSE does not offer a corresponding multimedia pedestal by which to hook up more than one external A/V source.

SOUND

First impression: Big, bold, warm sound that defies the apparent laws of physics. BOSE, true to its reputation, provides outstanding bass, which is particularly notable given the incredibly small speakers and diminutive size of the radio. Listeners who prefer a brighter, treble-accentuated EQ may not be as impressed with BOSE's reproduction of tweeter-range frequencies, however.

Second impression: The Wave Radio, though Bose claims it may become your primary listening source, probably won't. But, of course, everything is relative.

First, what you hear depends on where you place it, how large the area/room is, and the room's unique acoustic properties. If you place the Wave Radio in an ideal environment, you probably won't feel the need to go out and replace it with something bigger and better. Likewise, if your current home entertainment system is low- or mid-range, the outstanding sound-quality of the Bose Wave Radio will not disappoint. BUT...

If you already have a component-based sound system and are accustomed to large floor-standing speakers, the Bose Wave Radio will not quite make the cut (unless, perhaps, you are running very poor speakers connected to a sub-par receiver). Although the Bose Wave Radio sound-stage dwarfs anything of its size, you really have to crank it up to hear it at its best; listening at low or moderate volumes is not nearly as impressive.

As for specs, the manufacturer doesn't provide many. Harmonic distortion (THD)? Zilch. Operating temperature/range? Nil. Full range speakers? For $499 one would hope—but that too goes unmentioned in the manual. Perhaps Bose is trying to protect their design secret, but it seems a waste to leave 70 percent of the "Specifications" page blank, aside from the electrical requirements (60 watts), dimensions and weight. What this model does boast is CDRW/MP3 compatibility; however, my experience at the home of a previous-model Bose Wave Radio owner is that the old unit (top-loading model) played CDRWs equally well. This model, however, is also capable of displaying the artist's name and song title when encoded onto music file CDs.

The power cord contains the FM antenna so you may or may not require an external antenna. Being in a metro area with good signal coverage in the AM/FM band, I was somewhat surprised to hear a whine that peppered normally crystal-clear talk-radio stations. The problem may be positional, electrical or atmospheric in nature; nevertheless, testing at multiple points over the course of several days did not eliminated the prevalence of AM whine. Officially, the manual instructs users to reorient the unit for better AM reception but this may or may not be possible depending on location. If you plan to listen mostly to talk radio, there are cheaper and more effective choices courtesy of the C. Crane Company and the like. FM reception performed better than AM in my area, but FM signal strength across the band still wasn't sufficient to eliminate the need for an external FM antenna.

DIMENSIONS

14.6" W x 8.6" D x 4.2" H

WEIGHT

8.7 lbs.

WARRANTY

One-year parts and labor.

WISH LIST

It seems a shame, for the price, that BOSE doesn't devote more attention to the quality of AM reception. In addition, it would be nice if they threw in weather band and/or an atomic clock to complement the clock radio features. An even more crucial improvement, in my opinion, would involve a glow-in-the-dark or backlit remote. Although the remote itself is simple and straightforward to use, design-wise it should also offer better contrast between the keys and the surface. Given that BOSE has decided to eliminate the on-unit buttons, the remote becomes even more important, particularly if you plan to use the Wave Radio for the alarm functions (Imagine trying to use the current remote in the dark!). All that aside, my biggest wish with respect to this new model concerns BOSE's decision to dump the on-unit control buttons. Sure, it LOOKS nicer, but what becomes of this unit if the IR receiver goes out? There is no other way to operate the Wave Radio if the remote is lost or the IR fails; besides, not everyone likes using a remote even if we assume that the remote and IR receiver remains functional for many years to come. Unfortunately, with respect to the latest Wave Radio, BOSE leaves the user with no choice. My advice? Order a second remote, $10 at www.bose.com, and stash the spare away for the inevitable day that the remote breaks, gets lost or the remote's internal watch battery runs out of juice. If that doesn't suit you, try your luck finding the former model (you can still play CDRWs).

Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 499.00

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