Customer Reviews

Bose Wave Radio II - Graphite Gray

5 star:		(19)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The Bose Wave Radio II is easy to use, has top-of-the-line speakers and has a high-quality build. I use mine as a TV stereo speaker. The auxiliary input works for that function and what I like is that it doesn't take up a lot of space next to the TV. Indeed, incredible sound for the size of the speakers. So why only four stars, not five? Because the Bose, for all the money it costs, is not a top radio performer. It has only average AM reception with its internal ferrite antenna and worse its FM relies on the power cord for what is truly a lame "antenna." So as a speaker, the Bose is great but as a radio it is well below par. For hooking up to your TV, the Bose is outstanding. But as a bedside radio? No way. You would be better off buying a 159-dollar Sangean WR-2, a 259-dollar Sangean HDR-1, a 159-dollar Eton Sound 100 (my favorite for its retro look) or a 159-dollar Tivoli Songbook for your bedside. But if you're integrating the Bose into your TV home entertainment system and you don't mind spending the money and you're not fastidious about your FM reception, then you will enjoy the Bose.

This latest model has excellent sound and an elegant look. However, the controls are no longer on the unit itself but only on the remote. Aside from the problem of where to store the remote in a secure spot so that it doesn't fall behind the bedside table or on the floor, I use this radio as an alarm so this frequently creats problems when I am sleepily fumbling for the snooze button or the off button and I either can't find the remote or I brush it off the bedside table and under the bed. Of course, that means that I do get up but in a very irritable mood.

It wasn't worth the money that I payed for. It is a good radio if you have an external antenna. I would play it in the office and could never get a decent signal until I had to pay an extra $30 for an antenna. If you are going to pay $300 plus you should get something that works out of the box. I could have purchased a lesser know brand and recieved better reception then what I got. Overall if you want to end up purchasing more products to make your system work to perfection this is the product for you. There are plenty of products that don't cost as much and deliver everthing this did and more.

Many of these reviews are from either people that have no idea what they are saying, or in a couple of cases are from the "I Hate Bose" fanatics that for some odd reason just can not stand the way Bose sells their product and for top dollar. This comes from the "price protection" they force on resellers, which is why this Radio is going to cost you $350 period, no matter where you go. That is where most of the "I hate Bose" manure comes from, not from the actual sound or quality of the product.

I have the older model, I bought the original Bose Wave Radio about 12 years ago.
It has the controls on top and also the small remote. I have in 12 years never had a single problem with any part of this radio.
At least not a problem that wasn't easily solvable, such as these radios are extremely sensitive to power fluctuations, if your power pops for even a split second these radios start blinking and you have to reset which is not good if you use it as an alarm clock. This small problem was solved by hooking it up to our Battery Backup power supply for our PC, which BTW we have 2 of them and have everything in the room hooked to them, both PCs, TV, Bose Radio, everything in the room almost is hooked to them. Problem solved.

Several are complaining about "poor reception" yet none of them have their radios hooked up to a good External FM Antenna, WELL DUH!.
There is not a single radio or tuner on the market that gives really good radio reception without a very good External FM Antenna, none, nil, nada, ZIP.
Bose using the power cord as the antenna is about as good as it gets if used properly but is no where even close to as good as a nice FM antenna and is not supposed to be which is why they have a very good FM Antenna Connector on the back and why they tell you to connect a good FM antenna to it on page 13 of the manual. DOH! Problem solved.

The remote works great, I have the same remote I got with it 12 years ago even has the very same battery in it which is amazing although now since I said that Iam sure the battery is going to finally die after 12 years. I just tested it with the 12 year old battery and it works at a measured 16' away.

I have an old Discman CD player hooked to mine, occasionally hook my Iphone to it, have hooked to it our 24" Samsung HDTV we have downstairs in our dining room that we watch when eating dinner. The 24" Samsung has horrible sound from it, I mean you can set the sound to like 25% and then turn it up to 50% and there is hardly any difference. With the Bose Radio hooked up to it, it sounds fantastic and also gives us a nice radio and clock right there while we are eating dinner.

As for the sound itself, will this replace your 100+ Watts per channel 7.1 surround sound $3000 sound system? Ummm NO!
It isn't supposed to, it is a Radio Alarm Clock! but as Radio Alarm Clocks go it is a damn good one and I have never heard another one from any manufacturer that sounds better, or even as good especially for its size.

Considering the use we have gotten out of ours, Alarm Clock, CD player speakers, Great simi portable speakers for Iphone, excellent speakers for our small TV that we obviously are not going to hook up to a full sound system etc. Plus the fact that after 12 years of continuous use it is just as good today as it was 12 years ago, still looks brand new, sounds brand new and if we wanted could sell it on Ebay for damn near what I paid for it 12 years ago. I dare you name another Radio Alarm Clock that you could do that with.
To me was well worth the money I spent on it many years ago.

Also one thing to think about as far as Bose sound quality.
In high end cars like most Mercedes, Porsche's, Lamborghini, Bugatti's, Ferrari's etc all have Bose speakers in them.
They pick Bose for a reason, it is because they sound damn good and play at a specific frequency response that sounds the best to "Most People".

It is true that many so called "audiophiles" do not like Bose "Systems", this is because most of these types like to "fiddle" with various frequency responses, the ability to mix and match their equipment, to play with settings, etc. You cant do that with the lower end Bose equipment.
Classical and jazz music listeners probably prefer the Bose equalization more than most because it focuses on precision on the higher end of the listening spectrum.
They make outstanding High End speakers also, their 901's are great, even audiophiles that otherwise are riding the I Hate Bose bandwagon right off the cliff pretty much shut up when they listen to properly set up 901's.

All in all this is an excellent very well made, will last a lifetime if cared for, Radio Alarm Clock.

Can you get something that sounds "almost" as good for cheaper? Yes. I have read that Cambridge Soundworks i745 sounds "almost" as good to "most" people, some even think it sounds as good and you can get them for about $100 cheaper.
I have also read many complaints about those units screwing up rather often, I NEVER hear that about Bose, sure you hear ding a lings that don't know to hook up an antenna that it gets poor reception, you hear a complaint that the new one doesn't have controls on top, it cost too much etc. BUT you virtually never hear that the Bose Wave Radio just stopped working or that they have any real mechanical problems with the unit.

That BTW is why it sells for $350 and is why Bose sells it the way they do with price protection, it is made in the USA with high cost labor, using high cost parts.
Ones like the Cambridge are made in China and you get exactly what you pay for.

I highly recommend the Bose Wave Radio II after having one for a month, here are the pros and cons:

PROS:

* Excellent sound quality and volume. Plays the full sound spectrum well - from deep bass notes to high octave soprano. Can turn the volume up to "very loud" before sound distortion is audible, so it's easy to listen to the radio from one room while working in another or while cleaning the house.

* Small space requirements. Easily fits on top of a bedside cabinet along with the bedside lamp. Remote control is right-sized too, only slightly larger than a credit card.

* Good features. The alarm clock works well and the input jack comes in handy if you want to listen to a CD or XM satellite radio through a portable external player.

* Ease of use. Very intuitive and easy-to-use design on the remote control and the radio, was able to use everything without referencing the product manual.

* Esthetics and envy. This radio looks great, people ask about it when they see it.

* Resale value. You won't find a used Bose Wave radio for cheap on eBay or the Amazon marketplace, Bose radios tend to hold their resale value well over time.

* Made in America. You may feel more patriotic after buying it.


CONS:

* Cost. Definitely more expensive than other radios, but considering the quality and resale value, it's probably a good value overall. If you have a rewards credit card, the radio might be obtained (for "free") by using accumulated credit card points -- many credit card points catalogs (i.e., Diners Club Rewards catalog) have the Wave Radio.


Overall, an excellent product and highly recommended. Keep up the good work Bose!

Great styling, sound, and features really make this a standout product. The Bose Wave radio is a thing of beauty and will enhance any room decor, while the sound quality is outstanding. It has nice features, with the auto dimming LED display and the gradual volume increase on the alarm particulary well thought out.

I have one gripe - all the time setting features are set by remote control, which in theory is cool, but in practise is a pain in the neck. On most clock radios, to get the digits turning quickly when setting the clock / alarm time, you hold the button down - same with the Bose remote, except that the infrared link isnt perfect, so instead of being able to advance the time quickly, the time advances slowly (painfully so) because the button never stays 'held down' long enough. It took me about 20 mins to advance to the desired time - doesnt sound too inconvenient, but when you've just shelled out over $300 for a clock radio, it's a bit frustrating.

Still highly recommend product - only loses a star because of time setting shortcoming.

This radio, which stems from the original Bose Wave radio is an outsanding product. The quality of sound is incredible and stands in a category of its own. The reproduction of each frequency sounds superior to most anything I have heard in the past (and I have plenty of hi-fi stereo experience). The radio is incredibly small and if you had your eyes closed you would guess the item was much, much larger. Many people are complaining about poor FM reception, or problems because there are no more buttons on the radio, etc. What I will say is that a radio is and should be reviewed for the sound quality before ANYTHING else- because that is its main purpose. The alarm clock works well, and through Boses promotion program you can get a bigger remote that works in the dark. This product should receive 5 starts for the way it sounds and how small and convenient it is. Yes, it is a bit pricey but the difference in price and resale value sets this product in a category of its own. (Check out ebay if you don't believe me for resale value!) I will say the aux input (allows you to connect an outside CD player, or IPOD, mp3 player, etc) is a 3.5mm input this time instead of an RCA jack (but that problem is solved at radioshack or best buy easily) and the FM antenna input is now a 3.5mm also instead of a coaxial input (yet again, this can be solved at an electronics store). The display is large and it dims when it is dark in the room where it is placed. This system is well worth the pruchase and can save you money as you avoid spending hundreds more on several audio components (receiver, cd player, speakers, subwoofer). Bottom line is that this thing sounds great and will fill a room with incredible sound at any volume. I highly recommend this product or an older Bose Wave Radio if you are considering either.

While I have experienced some reception problems with the stock cord antenna, all I had to do is call Bose and I was connected with a customer service rep within seconds. He is sending me a FREE external antenna, so I really don't get all the hub-bub about having to pay $30 for it. I am extremely satisfied with the product and the great sound that comes from this small unit. I actually used it in a presentation at school (in a big room) and it was too loud. I love the easy set up and the intuitive controls on the remote. The only negative is the remote is the only way to control it, so if you lose it or the batteries run out you are out of luck. On the bright side you can get a remote for $10, so who that is not a big issue. Thanks Bose.

Bose has a great customer service department that wants to keep you a bose customer for life. So when my original Wave radio kicked the bucket after 9 years, I called them up and took the offer for the trade in upgrade with a minimal fee. The old unit had user friendly buttons while this requires the remote and nothing else which I can live with. This requires an antenna while the old unit did not. Now this kicker, they took away the second alarm time setting! What kind of upgrade is this? The original one came with 2 alarms and this one has only one that requires the remote to use as the snooze button. I am extremely curious about what these knuckle heads were thinking?

After much debate about whether to purchase the Wave system, I finally went on and did it. I have read, and re-read reviews. Both sides of the spectrum. I have gone into the local Bose store to listen to it. And after about a year, I dove in and did it. It arrived less than one week after I placed the order on Amazon.com. I purchased the iPod connect along with the radio, because primarily I listen to my iPod. I do not really listen to CD's anymore, so I figured this would be the best option for me.

Set up was a breeze. I added the extra step with the iPod connect, but you simply plug in the power, then plug the 3.5mm into the aux in port behind the radio, and boom, you're ready to listen to your iPod. I was very excited for this, because I am a huge fan of the Pandora App, so I let that stream through my radio, and I must say, it truly sounds amazing. I am a huge fan of Bose. For some reason, the topic of Bose is very black and white. Either people love it, or they have absolute disdain for the brand. I see it as being simple. I love the soft, realistic sound that Bose produces. I have multiple products that Bose offers. And that is my opinion on the sound. But I favor more relaxed, folk type music, and Bose reproduces a very accurate sound, which suits me just fine.

Last week I also received the on-ear headphones for my birthday, and I listen to those in my bed before I sleep, and every night I am lulled by the smooth sound that they produce.

To wrap everything up, I would strongly recommend this product to a serious music listener that enjoys the sound of music, and not necessary a catchy beat. To the listener that wants to turn on a simple device, and relax. It fits nicely on a shelf beneath my TV. What is also a nice feature is that you barely notice it visually, but when turned on, the entire room is filled with its amazing sound.