Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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78 of 79 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very high quality, June 8, 2004
Cambridge makes two comparable table radios, the 730 and the Model 88. (The 740 is a 730 with a CD, and the 88CD is an 88 with a CD). I basically purchased the 88CD because I was starting to feel unhappy with the Cambridge 730 that I had used for while (for which I also wrote a review). I felt that the deliberate distortions designed into the 730's sound were becoming very annoying for my listening, which is mainly classical music. The distortion, in selected frequency ranges, of the sound of natural instruments, had just become too distracting.Now I have used the Model 88 for a few weeks and can make a pretty firm conclusion that it was designed with total audio accuracy as its goal. There are definitely no deliberatr distortions anywhere in it's frequency range. It reproduces treble to higher frequencies than the 730, and bass to lower frequencies as well. The sound is more even and balanced throughout all frequency ranges. When comparing the two using a CD source (I had to use the 730's AUX input, unfortunately, which may have introduced artifacts of its own), the Model 88 shows how simply outstanding it is. The difference was akin to that between an audiophile system vs one for blasting out a movie soundtrack. The 88 was clean and precise and just delicious, and the 730 was really bloated in the lower ranges and muted in the very high ranges. At the end of Mahler's Resurrection Symphony, for instance, when all the horns and timpani and cymbals came in together with the rest of the orchestra, everything was beautifully distinct amidst all the power. On the 730, the sound became more muddied. There was more perceived power because of the artificial boost that the 730 gave to some of the mid-lower frequencies, but it was simply not clean. Having said all that, I must admit that the 730 sounds more "satisfying" when used for listening to FM. The 88 is simply too accurate and harshly exposes any flaws in the FM signal. (The tuner is fantastic, but you simply cannot expect the same sound as you would from the CD source). The 730 makes the whole sound "fuller" and more soothing somehow. Since the two models cost almost the same, the choice between the two comes down to whether you care for sonic accuracy (88), or just a generic "good sound" that can instantly impress, but does not stand up to scrutiny (730). Having spent all these words on the comparison between these two radios, I ought to say a word about their absolute qualities. Firstly, the listening public really does owe Henry Kloss, the legendary designer of the 88, a debt of gratitude for building such a fantastic piece of audio equipment. It truly is startling how much better the 88 sounds than competing brands or models (I shan't mention names; anyway, there aren't that many real competitors in this class). I can even see it being used as the main audio system in a small room in place of a mid- to hi-end component system, it is that good. IMHO, the 730 was an attempt by Cambridge to modify the sound of the 88 to be more satisfying to the pop and hip-hop crowd, plus add a little more pizazz to the dials and displays. That doesn't make the 730 a bad piece of equipment - it still easily outdoes the other brands.
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Love it so far - buying another today!, January 7, 2005
My daughter has a Bose Wave radio/cd unit (that her mother bought her as a present) that she usually keeps in her bedroom or bathroom. When I wanted to play some CDs and hook up my Ipod to listen to some music and audio books while she was off visiting her mom, I sort of borrowed it. The sound quality and features of that unit were pretty impressive.
Deciding to get one for myself (because I knew I would have to return hers) I came out to Amazon just before Christmas, only to discover that you could only buy a Bose Wave radio directly from Bose. Not only that but when I looked I noted that they had just released a new model costing $500, where the controls for the thing are only on a small remote control. A completely idiotic design/idea, if you ask me. If you lose the remote you are out of luck. Go figure. So, anyway, I turned my attentions back to Amazon and looked at the alternatives that came up from my search - this unit and the 730. This one was less expensive and, more importantly, was actually available. From all the reviews it seemed it would be about the same thing as the Bose, for significantly less. I ordered one the week of Christmas and got it the Monday after Christmas. I set it up in my bedroom with no difficulties.
So far I love the thing. The quality of the unit is as good or better than the Bose, though I have to agree that the Bose looks nicer. The thing is a little bulky. However, the sound quality is great for a unit this size (although I think the `wide' sound setting is a little over the top) and I enjoy the fact that I have in one unit a choice of AM, FM, CD or Aux (my Ipod as a source). The only thing that I like better on my daughter's Bose (older model) is that the controls are on top of that unit rather than most being on the front face, like the 88CD.
I have even started to use it as my alarm clock, although that was not part of my original consideration for making the purchase. It is so much nicer to wake up to clean, clear, full sound rather than my old cheap alarm, with its tinny, weak mono speaker. However, I have to be careful, since I now find myself laying there listening rather than getting up :)
In fact, I am enjoying this unit so much, I just ordered a second for my kitchen so that I can listen to the radio, CDs or my Ipod while I cook or eat meals. So, I will end up with two units for less than the price of one of the new Bose Wave radios.
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22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
really good, but I like the 740 better, November 22, 2004
I bought the 740, then later read Chuan N. Lee's review of the 88, and wondered whether I had made the right choice. I must thank Chuan N. Lee (CNL) for the thoughtful review, which was very helpful to me. Although I prefer the 740, I think CNL and I agree more than disagree.
When I got the 740 I really liked the sound but was a little unhappy with the bass-heaviness, and after reading CNL's review, decided to try the 88CD also. I listen to many kinds of music, but better than 50% of the time it's classical music. My classical tastes run more to the smaller scale than CNL's. While CNL was listening to Mahler symphonies, I made my comparison based on chamber music, particularly late Schubert string quartets. I also compared the sound with recordings of small jazz combos and solo acoustic music. I find that indeed, the bass "boominess" is less pronounced on the 88CD, but in my opinion the sound over the rest of the frequency range is (slightly) inferior to that of the 740. The 740 has a more expansive, effortless sound than the 88CD, which with certain passages sounds to me like it's struggling. Frankly, I'm surprised it handled Mahler cleanly. The 88CD sounds more like it's a small box, while the 740 sounds bigger than it is (and I don't mean just sheer volume).
Now, up to this point, CNL's review basically said the same thing that I have said: "more satisfying", "fuller", "generic good sound", and that's basically true, but it's more than that. CNL talks about "sonic accuracy", but I'm not sure how one measures that without laboratory equipment. I do it by comparing what I know about the sounds of live instruments (from hearing Schubert quartets, jazz combos, etc., live as I often have) to what I hear from the audio system. I find that the 740 more fully captures the warmth and presence of live acoustic instruments (especially in string quartets) than does the 88CD. If the 740 sounds more like the live instruments than the 88CD, does that mean it's more "accurate"? I say yes.
That said, CNL is right about distortion in the bass. I turn the bass adjustment on the 740 most of the way down, which makes it (barely) acceptable. While it was a little better on the 88CD, the overall difference in sound quality tipped the balance to the 740 for me.
It's really a matter of taste. If you want lots of thumping bass for electronic dance music or rock or pop or ... get the 740. I sometimes listen to EDM and love the booming bass of the 740. For music where you can really hear the individual instruments, get both and see which sound you like better. For me, the 740 produces sounds that are more like what I hear from the live instruments, and the 88CD sounds a little "flat" and artificial by comparison. However, both are really good. It's surprising what a good sound can come out of a package so small. But don't expect perfection; something this small can't be as good as a good component system, especially in the the low frequencies. The tricks used by Kloss and CSW to increase bass response do compromise fidelity. And no sound reproduction system can match a live sound (with acoustic instruments at least).
Again it's a matter of taste: let yours ears be the guide. You're the one that has to listen to the thing. Other considerations: the 740 has more convenience features (some of which are actually useful). The 740 can decode mp3 CDs (for which all of the above arguments on sound accuracy are less useful). It also looks a lot nicer, with a better display, but of course that's my opinion. At this writing, the 740 costs $100 more than the 88CD.
3 stars for the 88CD, 4 stars for the 740.
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