Bose WAVE Music System

Well, well, well as I draw nearer to my fiftieth review, I have to say that Ciao is brilliant, I simply love it! And now is the turn for me to review the Bose™ Wave Radio/CD, as I have tried to before but Ciao have only just started to list it, so here we go! As a short introduction though before we start the full review, I’d like to say that this is the most fabulous portable CD/Radio I have ever, seen or heard!

Sound Quality
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Now, this is as a Bose, a rather expensive piece of kit, although you definitely get what you pay for, or in this case, so much more! It is so clear it is incredible, and when you combine it with an iPod, playing 320kbps it is simply implausible! I mean if you put it at say half volume, and play a vocal song, such as Norah Jones, Jamie Cullum etc, it will sound like they are actually there in your kitchen or wherever you decide to put this piece of wonder. If you play a CD through it, it is still incredibly clear, but unfortunately, as with all CD players, there will always be that annoying hiss in the background, although it doesn’t get to annoying! The radio quality is also outstanding, if you get a good reception where you live, it will sound like a DAB radio, (although it isn’t, which unfortunately is the only thing this lacks!), and it also has AM, for those of you who like Radio5LIVE! And random French stations! Overall, the sound quality is perfect, there are now faults over the, ‘minor minor’ rating which is great!

Screen Quality
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The screen, although this may seem a rather unimportant thing to mention, is exceptional, it is a green backlit LCD, and it is great, will for when your listening to the radio, display the preset station you are on, or the volume, and it will say the frequency for about a minute then change it to the time. It will also display FM or AM, and whether you are in Stereo or not. And for CD’s it will display the time through the song, track and again it will display CD, as well as the volume! And when you are on an AUX input, it will simply display the time volume and AUX! One absolutely amazing feature about this screen is how it, ‘behaves.’ Overnight, in case it is in your bedroom or something, it will dim the screen light down, (for when it is off, it displays the time, quite large-ly as well!), and though, if you walk up to it, it senses your movement, and will make the screen bright again! I love this feature even though it isn’t the most commonly used feature! I don’t think I need to say much more about the screen, only that, (again), it is brilliant!

Build Quality ====

This is one of the main features about this radio, and that is the way it is built. Inside the plush exterior, sits, (obviously microchips, and wires), but also a clever system of pipes, that run around the inside of it, now this is part of the system that makes it sound so good, It will make your room, or any room sound like a professional sound studio, because inside it moves the sound around to create a brilliant acoustic for everything!

The way the main chassis is built is also very good, it is very sturdy construction, and as you can see from the pictures, it is a shape that the acoustics are improved by. All the buttons on the top are sturdy, not tacky, and are very nicely made and placed, meaning that it is very easy to use! All the ports on the back are very strong quality, and are placed in an easy position, as well as this, the front of the system is a grille, with a smooth screen in the middle, meaning that is looks a treat from any angle! Overall I think that the build quality of the whole system is outstanding, and out performs any, ‘competition.’

Range of Features + Volume
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The range of features that this machine packs, is incredible, you’ll find: clock, dual alarms, CD, Fm and Am, Disco level volume, credit-card sized remote control, audio I/O, custom EQ and acoustics and the clarity of a real band sitting in the corner of your room! It has enough features crammed into its little body to please anyone, and in this case, they are easy to use, and also, they are useful! Unlike the Japanese, that put a programmable traffic update set to record onto a 2mb memory that is then accessible by entering in the precise code into its tacky keypad, NO! This is simple, brilliant and well thought out; it can make you KNOW that the designers put some effort into this! So overall you will always be happy with the range of features, oh yeah and the volume is amazing it can range from a lowly whisper to a HEART POUNDING 100db! And it is all on the scale from 1-100 for your convenience! Overall the range of features is great, and the volume is brilliantly mastered!

Remote Control
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The remote control is a mini little thing it is about the size of a credit card, and a bit thicker and heavier, it has all the controls you would need from a remote, such as, CD, play and stop, skip re wind, tune up and down for radio, volume, sleep control, on/off, FM, AM, and AUX, mute and then the numbers 1 – 6, fur the radio stations and the CD tracks! It is a great little thing and comes in very useful for when you need to change something, and can’t be bothered to walk that extra meter!
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I don’t think there is much else to say about this wonder machine, except that it is fabulous, and well worth every pound, definitely a sound investment, and well worth it! Oh yeah, and it is available in White or Black! I’d go for black, unless you want it to match your iPod!

Best Buy: Private/individual retailer, you can nag the price down!

Special Offers? Yes: When you buy a lifestyle home cinema system, (this is what we did), you get a free wave radio, although it will be £100 more for the CD version!

RRP: Around the £499 mark-ish though I am not sure but definitely around there!

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© Charlie Styr 2004