Bose Wave Music System review from a non-audiophile.

Also see.... http://www.stevehoffman.tv/forums/showthread.php?t=101118&highlight=bose

 

I have a Bose wave radio in my reading room, and I probably do most of my listening on it anymore.
It fits in the space I have for it, and it is perfect for listening while I read.

 

My onetime neighbor from over ten years ago once ordered the Wave Music System but returned it within a week. He then dragged me to the Wiz (a NYC area chain that is now out of business) and spent $600 for a brand new Denon receiver, to be followed by a Nakamichi DR10 cassette deck from a boutique audio store in Mt Kisco. He thought the Wave Music System was overhyped and was a piece of *** compared to the system he eventually had after he had made the changes ...

 

True, my wife once made a similar comment after first hearing the Bose. I think any audio fan must be prepared to argue the case for multiple pieces of gear. I mean, hasn't any of your spouses ever looked over at multiple sets of headphones and asked why you need more than one?
Heaven help you if they start nosing through your various CD masterings of Abbey Road.

The answer I gave her then is the one I am presenting here: The Bose is for portable listening, in a group (i-Pod/earbuds won't do) an offering a big sound. It's the equivalent of a laptop computer versus a desktop, and a similar price hike for the benefit.

And, it's not designed to replace the no-holds-barred permanent full-range sound system in an audiophile's listening room.

 

My dad bought me one and glad it wasn't my own money.

I use it as a bedside alarm clock. I bring it on vacation, but thats about all the use I have for it.

 

Well one of the beefs here is that Bose themselves present it as a literal replacement for big, full range sound systems.

 

C'mon, guys! Wouldn't you love to be a shareholder, though?

 

Putting my money to work undermining things I enjoy in life? No.

But then I'm pretty much broke so I sure won't fault folks for not agreeing...

 

Dr Amar Bose probably owns 90% of the company to be ranked among the 400 wealthiest men in the US. Sidney Harmon was trying to sell Harman International, the company he founded until the subprime/credit crisis hit in 08 ...

 

Well, truth in advertisements is not exactly enforcible, or is it? I suppose if the overworked and probably underpaid FTC staff can catch up with them and slap a major fine on them ...

 

I'll put a $199 pair of Audioengine powered speakers with dock up against one of those anyday.

 

And there you have it. The Bose wave radio is made for housewives, not audiophiles, and they are perfectly suited for their target market. My own wife commented, puzzling one day over the rack of stereo gear, "Look at this! I could launch the space shuttle with this thing! All I want to do is listen to the radio!" So I bought her a GE table radio and she was very happy. The average Bose buyer doesn't care if their stereo has a DC-to-light frequency response, they just want to sing along. Overpriced, yes. But it does what it was made to do, give the non-audiophile a semi-audiophile level of reproduction, and I don't see anything wrong with that.

 

From Bose.com...

"The Acoustic Wave® music system II delivers sound quality normally reserved for more elaborate sound systems—even in larger rooms and outdoor spaces. Now our premier one-piece bookshelf stereo system combines with an included custom 5-CD changer for hours of continuous listening."

"Proprietary waveguide speaker technology enables full-bodied sound, especially in lower registers, for more natural-sounding bass and percussion instruments."

"Easy portability with the optional travel case and power pack for enjoying Bose sound wherever you like."

Anything actionable? I bought mine open-eyed, and I haven't been disappointed.

There's a scene in Alfred Hitchcock's 1942 masterpiece, The Saboteur, where the hero visits a man at his ranch. There's a large radio playing classical music, poolside. That's the 1940s version of the Bose acoustic wave. It is a limited niche, but one vacated or under-served by other manufacturers. Bose stepped in.

Last summer, my wife and I were invited to stay at a friend's large lakeside retreat cottage (one as large as my home). We brought the Bose. It filled their large open-air space quite nicely. My friend, who has a planar-speaker'd audiophile rig of his own at his nearby main house, arrived, he heard the Acoustic Wave playing from an unlit corner of the room, and immediately asked if I'd brought a larger system. It does give that impression.

Again, I don't see it as a full-time replacement for any audiophile's main system. But, as a second player, it's worthy of consideration. As a portable, it is pretty unique.

 

Ive extensively heard one in a normal home environment and you guys frankly dont realize, they do sound pretty decent ....for its size and all.

There is no real direct competition to it, as far a a ONE piece unit with remote that you can just plug in and sounds pretty decent. Boomboxes are pretty much the closest thing, and none in recent years can better its sound AND the compact look and lack of flashy kiddy looks.

The reason they are so high priced (( lack of any real competiotion ))

If they had tons of units competing they WOULD be selling for $249.99 most likely

 

Well, some big, full range sound systems sound great, some sound like poo. My pal's Wave most certainly sounds better than the wooly-sounding old Realistic setup (CDP/receiver/speakers) it replaced. Else he wouldn't have bought it - he's a musician, with pretty good ears. I wouldn't replace my last system with one; but then again, my last system was $10k worth of Naim stuff.

What's more interesting about this thread is what it says about individual members' perception of what acceptable sound is (and for what price.) $300 acceptable; $500 not eh?

I'm interested in hearing that Cambridge Soundworks i765, for about half the Bose price.

 

I was told by a guy at one of the major electronic superstores in Japan that Bose insists that their products either have a separate area, or be placed on an "end cap", so that customers cannot compare the sound to other speakers/systems. He said that Bose refuses to sell to retailers who do not comply.

I was astounded at that.

 

I think in recent years, the Bose hype has been built more on the Comfort 2/Comfort 3 active noise cancellation headphones. I got my Audio-Technica ATH-ANC7 QuietPoint Noise-Canceling Headphones a little over a year ago and have been quite happy with them. I cannot bring myself to buy any way overpriced Bose products ...

 

And apparently quite good pre-installed car stereos as well. Like many ubiquitous corps they "do it all" or purport to, some of it sometimes well.

 

They actually made some good sounding GM auto systems in the 80's and 90's. The Bose factory system in my '02 Acura TL-S is not very impressive, however.

 

When I was shopping for a new car in 07, I checked out some Acura models but was really turned off by the Bose.

 

Besides the very high price - which for what it is, is high, not to mention the reliability isn't Panasonic or old Sony, is the slot loading CD player.

No CDs go through that that I own.

The sound is OK, but for the money, there are much better sounding devices like Onkyo or Denon mini systems or Cambridge's iPod player/radio.

 

The Polk i-Sonic looks cool (and is a recommended component in TAS), but am not sure it comes with CD playback anymore.

Edit: it doesn't. Too bad, because it would be serious competition to the Wave if it still did...

 

But aren't all multi-CD players installed in cars slot loading players? There is not enough space on the dashboard for a carousel player, which is always much more reliable ...

 

I have heard a Wave Radio and I would not pay $500 for one of these at all. I would pay $20-30 for them as they are only table radios.

 

Yep, but at home, I have a choice.