So is this really the most amazing radio ever, like they claim? Does it give “room filling stereo sound” from a little dinky radio?
>^,^<
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I work with an older gentleman (70) who owns one he got as a gift and he says it has the best sound he’s ever heard. He uses it to play jazz and big band CDs and claims that it practically pounds the walls, even at the lower volumes he plays it at. So, since he’s older, I don’t think he’s just making this up in a fit of audiophilia, although I guess it’s possible his last stereo system was a Victrola 
“I guess it is possible for one person to make a difference, although most of the time they probably shouldn’t.”
I service the Wave Radio, and was not all that impressed the first time I saw it. I think part of its appeal is that it looks something like an alarm/clock-raido. Looking at it from this perspective the sound is quite good, also the stereo separation is pretty significant. One of the problems with similar looking devices such as clock radios is their inability to provide adequate, if any, stereo separation and therefore the music comes out sounding a little stale.
Looking at the Wave Radio, you may think ick, another clock radio. But then when you hear it with your expectations already lowered, it actually sounds pretty good. I suppose that shock of disassociation makes us say Wow, that’s not to shabby for such a little radio.
However- considering what Bose is asking for it ($350, plus another $50 if you want an onboard cd player), I think you could do just as good or better (as far as sound quality goes), and come away with many more features if you put your money into a compact sound system. You’ll get tuner, cd, 2 tape decks, EQ effects, excelent stereo separation (because you can put the speakers anywhere you want), digital effects like echo & karaoke, and maybe more for about the same price.
The primary reason for deciding in favour of the Wave radio IMO is that you have a very small space available for your system (e.g., on your desk at work) but you want better than the horrible sound quality that you’d get from an ordinary clock radio.
To answer the original post- yes, the sound quality is fairly impressive for a system with such a small footprint. Not as good as similarily priced tuner+speaker packages but really good considering. I think the main reason people get them is a) lack of room and b) lack of complexity. Two of the three Bose Wave Radio owners I know are older and don’t want to mess with running speaker line or “complex” stereo setting. The third person just doesn’t have much room.
My boss came in my office shortly after he got a Boss Wave radio, and starting looking around saying “wow! what kind of radio do you have in here? It sounds great! Lots better then that Boss I have…” I was listening to my $7 clock radio. He hates his Wave, but I think it sounds OK…
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