Boston Acoustics Microsystem AM FM CD Black

by Boston Acoustics

Product Details

• Item Weight: 11 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 12 pounds
• ASIN: B00078F226
• Item model number: Microsystem CD
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #92,734 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 26, 2006

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

From the Manufacturer The Boston Acoustics MicroSystem CD Player and Clock Radio is designed for people who take their music and their waking seriously. Offering full, rich sound that you never thought possible in a system this size, the MicroSystem is versatile enough to be your bedside companion of choice or your stereo system of choice.

The Boston Acoustics MicroSystem CD is a CD player and AM/FM tuner perfect for home or office use.

Boston Acoustic's stylish system is small in size, but big on sound.

The MicroSystem CD can be operated either by the small remote stored inside the unit or the simple controls on top.

The three auxiliary inputs are ideal for iPods or other MP3 players.

The Heart of the Receptor: BassTrac Technology
At the heart of the MicroSystem is Boston Acoustic's BassTrac technology, a proprietary Boston-designed circuit that tracks low frequencies and prevents audible amplifier distortion. Unlike conventional "limiters," BassTrac doesn't merely chop off the tops of the distortion-inducing signal peaks. Instead, it actually preserves the waveform's shape so the fidelity of the signal is maintained, while preventing distortion.

For those of us who can't explain the difference between AM and FM to a room full of first graders, this basically means that the MicroSystem is designed to give you all the bass without any of the distortion. The result is a full, pleasing broadcast at any volume for any type of music. When combined with the system's dual speakers, BassTrac circuitry provides such astonishing bass response that your friends will be convinced you have a subwoofer hidden in the room. In other words, the MicroSystem will give you a rich and smooth sound, whether you're cooking to fusion jazz or heavy metal, or waking up to the traffic report.

Elegance, Performance and Convenience
The MicroSystem CD is designed to take tabletop performance to the next level. Featuring a slot-loading CD player, AM/FM tuner, and remote control, the MicroSystem offers CD, MP3,WMA, and CD-R playback and includes three auxiliary inputs, including a front-panel jack ideal for your portable digital music player of choice. A stereo headphone jack is also included. The credit card-sized remote control conveniently stores inside unit, or sticks to most metal surfaces, meaning you'll never have a problem locating it, and the unit's easy-to-read display automatically dims in dark environments.

The MicroSystem weighs in at about nine pounds and measures 14 x 4.5 x 8.5 inches (WxHxD) -- making it ideal for a bedside or kitchen table. The radio includes 12 FM and 12 AM presets, and the dual independent alarm clocks can be set to music, buzzer or both. Like any good clock radio, it also includes a built-in snooze and sleep functions. And a battery back-up stores both the presets and the alarm settings during power outages, giving you the peace of mind that you'll never have to worry about getting to work on time.

Easy-to-use, intuitive buttons on the top control panel, and an illuminated on/off button, make operation during your dozing-off or waking moments as easy as it gets. Boston Acoustics has also given you the nice option of going to sleep with one station and waking up to another. You can also go to sleep or wake to your favorite CD.

What's most refreshing about the MicroSystem is that while it's small enough to fit anywhere in the house, it's still powerful enough to create an exceptional presence in any room. Much more than a clock radio, the MicroSystem is powerful enough to take on your living space by delivering the full, rich sounds you'd expect from a much larger -- and much more expensive -- component system.

Product Description

Imagine having a superb stereo system that fits on your nightstand, near your bed, so tiny it can fill a room with delicious sound and true-to-life performance. The MicroSystem CD takes tabletop performance to the next level, with big, rich sound you never thought possible in a system this size. It's an elegant, all-in-one package so versatile it's perfect as a bedside alarm clock, a room-filling stereo, or even stereo sound for your TV. It even has convenient front inputs for your iPod or other MP3 player. The MicroSystem CD features easy-to-use, intuitive buttons on the top control panel for your convenience. A magnetic, credit-size remote control enables you to operate the MicroSystem CD from anywhere in your room. Dual speakers with unique BassTrac circuitry provide such astonishing bass response your friends will be convinced you have a subwoofer hidden in the room. A powerful, state-of-the art tuner pulls in weak signals with unobstructed, next-door clarity. Yet, of the many remarkable features of the MicroSystem CD, it's the quality of the sound that's most stunning. Clear and uncolored. Pure and natural from one end of the spectrum to the other. That's the philosophy behind this unique special table radio that belies its form and takes you to a new dimension of sound appreciation. You won't believe your ears - but this radio is simply pure joy! Is it miraculous? Perhaps. A miracle sent through the ingenius audio engineers at Boston Acoustics! Stereo headphone jack Easy-to-read display automatically dims in dark environments Illuminated on/off button Battery backup saves presets and alarm settings Alarm operates even in a power failure, so you'll never miss the big meeting Go to sleep to one station and wake up to another / Wake to CD Intuitive, one-piece design Unit Dimensions - 4.5 x 14 x 8.5 (113.9 x 355 x 216.8mm) / Weight - 9 lbs (4 kg) 110-120V AC Powered

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Incredible sound more than expected from a small table set!, January 18, 2007

By 

Musicman "Bob" (Stuart Fl) - See all my reviews

From opening the box to room filled with sound in minutes! The sound of the bass response was awesome! The FM radio pulled in stations with just the short wire antenna, my other panasonic unit missed. The remote control is stright forward and easy to use. The fit and finish of the unit matches the incredible sound. I believe the sound quality is superior to the bose units I have heard in two of my friends homes. Nice to buy something that exceeds your expectations.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Fine system when working properly..., December 4, 2006

By 

farmboy - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boston Acoustics Microsystem AM FM CD Black (Electronics)

I purchased the Boston Acoustics system in July 2005, and it worked fine until March 2006 when the display quit working. Fortunately, the warranty was still valid, so I returned it, receiving a new unit. Aside from minor problems with the display, this unit worked fine until November 2006, when I became familiar with the e-4 code. (I look e-4 up in the owner's manual hoping for helpful advice and find that I have a jammed CD. Well, I already had that figured out.) Sometimes the unit takes CDs, sometimes it doesn't. When it takes a CD, sometimes the unit ejects the CD, sometimes it doesn't. I've found tweezers to be quite helpful in these situations. The radio has consistently worked fine, however. My experience, then, is similar to that of other reviewers. When it is working properly, the Boston Acoustics system is a fine product. Unfortunately, it doesn't always work properly. Was this product rushed to market? I've owned Boston Acoustics speakers over the years, and they have always worked fine, but I'm going to be hesitant about purchasing additional Boston Acoustics products.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Solid choice by a proven company, December 4, 2007

By 

Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews
(TOP 100 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This Boston Acoustics system is to the Boston Acoustic Receptor radio what the similarly configured Tivoli Audio Hi-Fi is to the Tivoli Model Three or One, except without the wood finish and pricing at a hundred or more less. The features of both the BA and Tivoli "glorified" clock radios are practically identical, so if you decide one of these is for you, it comes down to style, sound, personal preferences. The Tivoli has a bare top (room for a telephone, iPod or magazines) with numerous buttons on the front face that require patient learning; the BA is much the same, with the controls on the top. (Either one comes with a remote control, which seems oxymoronic given its practical use as a bedside radio.)

The BA has sound resembling that of the Bose, more likely to impress the first-time listener; the Tivoli, while sporting an extra, down-firing woofer, initially seems less spacious, less bass-heavy. But it's a pleasing, balanced, "tighter" sound that may appeal to, say, a non-rock music listener over the long haul. The BA does have an extra input on the front, making for a handier iPod connection.

For my money, the BA Receptor is the outstanding value among similar radios made by Tivoli, Sangean, Eton and even BA itself. It's the most compact, the easiest to tune, the most versatile, and the 3-inch speaker is capable of putting an orchestra's entire double-bass section in your bedroom. As for the deluxe models--this one, the Tivoli, and the Bose--you're giving up flywheel tuning and adding more digital settings to fool with. If you think you can adapt to the 15 tiny, poorly labeled push buttons on the face of the Tivoli Audio Hi Fi, it's the machine of choice--style, dependability, and the "truest" sound, with very little "enhancement," a real monitor unit, or standard of reference.

I haven't heard the Cambridge units, but the company is responsible for the audio coming from the new iMacs--the best sound I have ever heard from a computer's internal speakers. So good, in fact, that I can disconnect my computer from my component stereo and feel not the least deprived. For that reason alone, I'd look into the Cambridge line as well.