For the jingles of course. :rolleyes: 
I had one, but as I got closer to 60, I found myself unable to lift it.
And carry it on your shoulder?
I bought this Sangean WR-3 a few years ago and like it.
If you have to have a small, one-piece system, it’s one of the better choices. There might be some better ones out there but I’m not sure and it would depend on exactly what you need (do you need a radio, a CD player, an Ipod dock etc).
If you can live with 3 small boxes instead of one, I would recommend that you get a micro or “executive” stereo system like one of these:
They have all of the electronics in one box, plus a pair of bookshelf speakers. You can get real stereo separation, deeper bass, and much better overall sound quality if you hook up a good pair of bookshelf speakers. I have a few systems like that, but they’re older ones I bought used so I’m not familiar with the current models. I’m not sure exactly how good the speakers are these. The Denons and Yamahas tend to have better speakers thank the Onkyos. Personally, I’d buy the Onkyo and then buy a good pair of speakers such as these: PSB Alpha B1 Bookshelf speakers at Crutchfield which would add up to not much more than the Bose Wave radio version that has a CD player.
(I buy used, so I’d spend less than that, but I don’t know if you want to spend the time watch for used stuff).
Bose gives OK music, but speech sounds like talking in a rain barrel - you want to adjust the treble/bass, but you can’t, since it doesn’t have it.
Onkyo looks nice and has both AM and FM - which is good since I like to listen to Bloomberg sometimes. Plus old people like AM. 
It wildly exaggerates the upper bass in order to compensate for the fact that it can’t produce deep bass. (Nothing that size can.) It can sound impressive with some music, but annoying sometimes, especially with male voices.
Bose does have some nice facilities and does a lot of research, I agree with you on that. I think in certain instances their products are good choices, although overpriced. Their noise cancelling headphones are still some of the best out there, and if you absolutely have to have tiny speakers, the sound from Bose is among the best you are going to get, although severely lacking compared to similarly priced (or cheaper in most cases) bookshelf sized speakers. They can also go surprisingly loud considering there size while keeping distortion at reasonable levels.
You are very wrong about simple acoustics being easy. Getting a near flat frequency response out of a speaker is extremely difficult challenge, even when in an ideal room. While frequency response may indeed not be the end all to a speaker, their is no pscho-acoustical trick that can be used to make up for the fact that most Bose speakers have a gaping hole of sound in the 100-400 Hz frequencies. This unfortunately is where both male and female voices show up in the spectrum and I think is Bose’s greatest failing. Various instruments can sound pretty nice on their speakers, but the human voice tends to be shortchanged. They also lack a true low end, but this is difficult to get without a decent sized sub, so I will cut them some slack here.
I will end by just saying that Bose speakers would be a lot cheaper if not for the massive amount spent on marketing. This is a large reason their costs are so much higher. Nothing wrong with that necessarily, but something to keep in mind when you are making a purchase.
It’s not like I can carry the 8 track player!
Serves you right for getting the model with quad.
Agree with those who said good but overpriced for most people’s likely application. Like thirdname said if the small footprint is a critical requirement it may be a better value.
Still, dammit, it’s something *Paul &^%$# Harvey used to advertise! No wonder everyone thinks its for oldsters!
Did I mention my job there was in the Direct Marketing Group? That is a strange company in that technology innovation is a #1 priority but they have to fund that some way and they do it through some of the most brilliant marketing strategies ever designed. Again, think Apple but Bose is older than Apple so I am not sure who copied who. It is the same basic plan though. I know quite well how they operate. It is an impressive business plan on several levels.
I have several Bose products but I have never bought one. They were all given to me by Bose itself or others and would not buy them myself because I am too cheap for that and know where the money goes.
The products are genuine however (probably overpriced though) and can be the best for individual goals plus they have a lot of designer appeal in some circles. My current company gave me a pair of Bose MP3 headphones that cost about $150 as en employee appreciation gift. I would never buy that for myself because they look like something you can get the equivalent of for $20 for another reputable brand. I have had those things for two years and they are one of my favorite possessions. They turn my smart-phone into a concert hall or a movie theater. I usually fall asleep with them on my every night and would not do without them. No other small, dumb headphones sound nearly as good because they process the input and translate almost anything into something that sounds great plus they are remarkably durable. That is what Bose products try to accomplish and they usually do it well.
This one looks good, but several Amazon reviewers had problem with cds not playing. Did you?
I’m on the hunt for a pair of Bose 901 speakers, not so much for the sound (I have some fantastic Aussie made speakers and mosfet amp in my study for that) but for their decent sound and 1960’s styling. I’m redoing my house in mid century modern and these fit right in.
Could I buy better sounding speakers for the money? Yep but that ain’t the point.
None of those points can be overstressed, especially the crazy part (see my anecdote). It took me decades to get to the, “Fuck it, that’s close enough,” stage, and then it was because I started to mostly use headphones.
Maybe, but don’t sell them short. But place them like they are supposed to be placed, not as pieces of furniture. I know you know that, especially since proper placement will enhance the Playboy bachelor pad look you are trying for, but lurkers might need to know.
Speaking of placement, had a friend who hung these cheap, $17 for the pair, Rat Shack cubes with single, 4" drivers from his ceiling in macrame hangers. He used his new-found engineering skills and a SR-52 with red LEDs to calculate where, exactly, in the corners he should hang them. Not a lot of bass and the highs could’ve been higher, I suppose, but marvelous sound for under $20, including string. Of course, the $395 (1974 dollars) calculator was not included.