Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black)

by Boston Acoustics

Product Details

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• Product Dimensions: 6.2 x 8.2 x 5.2 inches ; 6.2 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B003ARSPFC
• Item model number: SOLO2B
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (41 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,723 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #26 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Radios > Clock Radios
  • #99 in Home & Garden > Home Décor > Clocks > Alarm Clocks > Electronic Alarm Clocks
• Date first available at Amazon.com: April 30, 2010

Product Description

Amazon.com Product Description

The Solo II is a stylish and compact AM/FM radio that features Boston's innovative 360-degree snooze bar, a touch-sensitive outer rim that you can't miss, even when you're half asleep. It also offers you plenty of placement flexibility thanks to its rotating clock face. Use it vertically on a desk or horizontally on a kitchen counter or bedside table. The choice is yours. Best of all, wherever and however you use it, the sound from this little radio is simply amazing. Room-filling Sound That Fits Anywhere Boston Acoustics' Solo II has been designed to look great -- and engineered to sound even better. It measures only 5¼" x 8¼" x 6¼" (134 x 210 x 159mm) and contains a precision AM/FM tuner capable of locking in even distant radio stations. In addition, its advanced full-range driver with Boston's patented BassTrac audio processing provides rich, clean bass at all listening levels. Your ears will hear all the bass and none of the distortion. A complete home theater system that maximizes your. View larger. Simplicity of setup and programming through the. View larger. Includes iPod/iPhone-compatible dock and built-in. View larger. Positioning Options and a Touch Sensitive Rim Your Solo II will sound great just about anywhere and in whatever position you decide on. Its special design allows for either a horizontal or vertical orientation. (If you put it near a wall or corner the bass response will be enhanced) These two equal options are allowed due to the fact that the Solo II's control panel can be rotated. If you want to change the orientation of the radio, simply grasp the ring around the control panel and turn it 90°. This means instant convenience, regardless of the space you are in. In addition, the Solo II's unique snooze bar allows for a temporary reprise from either of the two available independent alarms. Designed in a continuous metal band that stretches around the unit's body, when users need a little more sleep they simply reach out and touch the metal rim around the front of the Solo II. This is easily done no matter how sleepy you are, and regardless of the chosen horizontal or vertical orientation. This delays the alarm for ten minutes. Each additional touch of the rim increases the length of the snooze alarm delay by 5 minutes. The maximum delay is 60 minutes. The display shows the time and a flashing alarm icon. To see how much snooze time is left touch the metal rim once. If you touch the rim again another five minutes is added to the snooze time for each additional touch. To cancel the snooze function press the button for the active alarm. 20 Station Presets The Solo II has 20 station presets. The presets can be used to store either AM or FM stations. Because of the way the Solo II places stations in the presets you may want to plan how you store them. Here's how it works. The first station you store goes into Preset 1. The second station goes into Preset 2 and so on, up to 20 stations. If you remove a preset all the stations in presets above the one you removed, drop down a preset position. Connect Additional Devices The Solo II is not limited to AM/FM broadcast content. Other audio equipment, such as an iPod or a portable CD player, can be connected to the Solo II through the rear panel auxiliary input. You will need a cable with a stereo mini plug (sold separately) on both ends. Select the Aux input using the mode control. Key Features Rotating clock face means you can go vertical or horizontal, your choice Precision tuner for noise-free reception High performance 3½" full-range speaker BassTrac audio processing for rich, clean bass at all listening levels Auxiliary input for portable media devices Stereo headphone jack on the front for your convenience High contrast LCD display automatically adjusts to ambient light 20 AM/FM station presets Dual independent alarm clock with sleep timer 360° snooze bar (touch-sensitive outer trim) Time and settings are saved (no battery required) Available in high-gloss black or high-gloss white What's in the Box 1-Black Solo II AM/FM radio with clock 1-FM antenna 1-power cord One-Year Limited Warranty Boston Acoustics warrants to the original purchaser of the Solo II that it will be free of defects in materials and workmanship for a period of one (1) year from the date of purchase. About Boston Acoustics Founded in 1979, Boston Acoustics, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets high-performance audio systems for home audio/video systems, aftermarket and OEM automotive systems, and custom-installations. The company's ability to combine high performance with elegance has led to a wide range of innovative products that deliver clear, authentic sound from the bedroom to the backyard, and out into the car--letting people play smart wherever they are. Boston Acoustics continues to exceed customers' expectations--generation after generation--by using only the highest quality materials in every component. That commitment to quality is visible (and audible) wherever a Boston Acoustics system is found.

Product Description

The Boston Solo II is an about-face in radio design: it's the first compact AM/FM radio with a clock and control dial that turns, giving you placement flexibility no other radio offers. Place Solo II sideways on a shelf or desk. Stand it up on a kitchen counter or bedside table. Wherever and however you use it, the sound is pure Boston; smooth, detailed with bass response beyond expectation. Solo II has been designed to look great - and engineered to sound even better. A precision tuner locks in even distant radio stations. And an advanced full-range driver with Boston’s patented BassTrac audio processing for rich, clean bass at all listening levels. Your ears will hear all the bass and none of the distortion.Solo II also has a host of features yet is incredibly easy to use. Like Boston’s innovative Snooze bar, a touch-sensitive outer rim that you can’t miss, even when you’re half asleep!

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Best clock radio I've ever had, July 5, 2010

By 

OrlandoAlex - See all my reviews

This review is from: Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black) (Electronics)

The sound quality is amazing for a 3.5 inch speaker, with very smooth bass that really fills a room. When the radio first comes on at your preset alarm time, it is whisper quiet, slowly building in volume level to whatever level it was when you last used it. It's a very pleasant way to wake up.

The alarm-setting process is easy to control, and you can be awakened with the radio, an alarm sound, or it can try waking you with the radio at first and then use the standard alarm if you don't wake within 5 minutes.

It has an automatic brightness control that dims the display when the room gets dark, with 20 levels of adjustment that you can control manually if you're sensitive to light in your room.

The radio tuner is quite good -- it digitally locks on to the signal, with very little if any static on weak signals. It's the strongest radio receiver I own, including the one in my car. If the built-in antenna doesn't suffice, you can even connect an external antenna to a port in the back.

The build quality of this radio is very high, giving a feeling that it's truly a luxury product, something to be proud of owning.

One of the coolest features -- and there are several -- is that it can hold its own radio and clock settings if the power goes out, without need for a battery. It uses a capacitor to maintain a charge, which it says is good for one or two days without being plugged in. I've only tested this feature moving the radio from one room to another, but it held all settings.

Overall, this is a great clock radio. I'm so glad to have it instead of using my cell phone to wake me, a poor substitute in comparison to such a fine product.

27 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Sounds great, annoying controls, keeps bad time, August 7, 2010

By 

Randall P. Mcdonnell (Bryn Mawr, PA, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black) (Electronics)

This is my 3rd Boston Acoustics clock radio. I own a 1-speaker Receptor which I used for 5 years and was happy with, but I wanted a radio with an aux-in port, so I bought another model and then this Solo II

This unit sounds great. It has bass and treble controls for adjustments. But b and large I'm happy with the sound coming from the speaker. It's at least as good as my 1-speaker Receptor.

The controls are annoying. There are two buttons to turn on the alarms. The large middle knob is the power and volume. The knob on the right is the tuner and cycles through the presets. And the knob on the left controls *everything* else, which makes things a little difficult in the dark. My biggest complaint is that the sleep timer is buried in the multitude of settings controlled by the left knob. If the sleep timer were controlled elsewhere, I'd be a lot happier.

The clock keeps terrible time. In about 3 weeks of ownership, it's fallen off by about 5 minutes. But then every BA clock radio I've owned has been like that to varying extents. Who in the chip world is making such garbage timers that are finding their way into these radios?

The write-up boasts 20 different levels of display brightness control. But as others have written, if you're senetive to such things, it's going to be too bright even at the lowest setting. I fixed that by covering the with a piece of tinted plastic I made with a presentation slide and my printer. It darkens it just enough.


All in all, it'll work for now. But I have a feeling I'm going to be searching for a replacement in a few months

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it! What a GREAT clock radio!, November 10, 2010

By 

kalyson (Sacramento, CA USA) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black) (Electronics)

Wow -- what an incredible clock radio!

We had just purchased a Sangean RCR-22 AM/FM Atomic Clock Radio but had to send it back. That unit was defective, plus the sound quality was pretty miserable.

This Boston Acoustics Solo II, however, is an amazing clock radio. It is not very large but has a great sound. I'm a musician and am quite picky about sound quality. Of course this is not as good a sound as a full stereo system, but the sound is incredibly clear and warm and has a lot of depth for the small size of this device. It does not distort even when it is turned up quite a bit.

The user interface is simple, especially after you get the idea. The unit has 20 station presets and 2 alarms. You can snooze by just touching anywhere on the metal rim. The more you tap the rim the more time you get to snooze (up to 60 minutes max). I really like the fact that it has knobs to turn on the front. Large, easy to use knobs instead of little buttons to press to turn volume up or scan for stations.

It has an auxiliary input for mp3s and NO ipod dock (YAAAAAYH!!!!). It also has a capacitor to keep the clock going when unplugged or when the power goes out.

While the radio is on you can choose to display either the time or the radio station. You select the mode of 'Info' to set this. (We had to work with it a bit to get that setting to work right.)

Some people are complaining about the brightness and it is a bit brighter than some clocks. If you are very sensitive to light you might think it is bright, but it goes down pretty low, we thought. I love this clock radio so much I would just put some sort of tinted film/plastic over it to dim it if that were a problem for us, as some other reviewers have suggested.

We don't listen much to AM radio, so I can't comment on that, but the FM reception and sound is superb.

So glad to have sent the Sangean back because we really do care about nice sound and this unit is smaller but sounds significantly better. The Sangean does not even come close to this unit in terms of sound quality. Plus, the Boston Acoustics user interface is simpler to use and the build quality is better. The Sangean came defective but the Boston Acoustics Solo II is fine. This one just feels more solid.

We are very happy with this purchase.