bose wave music systems

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Sometimes small is good.
I'm thinking of buying one of the Bose Wave-design music systems, either:
1) The Bose Wave Radio II for $499 US, or
2) Bose Acoustic Wave Music System for $1,079 US.
I have a small place, so the small size of either unit is a decided plus.
Some people say they are both uncannily good.
Some say they're good but way over-priced.
Some say competing products are cheaper and as good or better.

I have a rather ancient stereo that's not half bad ... Mission 770 speakers with Marantz Model 2230 Receiver, both older, I'd bet, than half the people on this board. (Also Sony CD player, and some other electronics.)

But sometimes I would just like something very simple that will do the trick adequately well. I might add that my high-frequency hearing is not stellar so sinking any vast sum into a music system is probably not all that necessary.

The Bose seem particularly cheap right now.

My question is: Are they good enough to satisfy a moderately good ear? In particular, are they good enough for orchestral music and (though this is a small part of my listening) rock bands.

I need at least the capacity to crank 'er up reasonably high at times, and adequate bass (and I don't expect the bass to equal a well-chosen component system).

Anyone own either one of the above?

(I figured guys who are expert at ringing chimes might be a good crew to poll [pun half intentional]).

 

[unabear09]

hey man. I've got the Bose Rave Radio II. It puts out great sound, especially orchestral and classical music. I have it set up in my living room and the music fills up the whole house. The sounds that this machine put out are absolutely amazing. The only drawback (if you would consider it a drawback) is that it doesn't really put out a lot of bass. Well that is to say you can't like shake the windows with it. Would I suggest someone buying one.....YES! The music is so crisp and clear, and it fills up the whole room. Also, the system is great for small places, and if you like your tv and movies with great sound....well hook it up to the tv.

 

[Dorian_Gray]

I have the Bose Tri-Ports and if the Wave music system is anything like them I would DEFINITELY recommend buying one.

 

[vince]

Rubi, I also have the Mission 770 speakers on my old system in Canada. They are wonderful speakers and old enough to have been re-coned last summer!

My neighbor has a Wave system and it sounds pretty good for such a small unit. Aren't they a tad pricey?

 

[DC_DEEP]

It sounds like you pretty much answered your own questions, mate.

I don't own a Bose system, but I've heard them. Yes, the sound quality weighed against the size of the system is nothing short of astounding.

I'm not sure how to fit the price into the equation, though.

If it's what you want, get it!

 

[JMeister]

No highs, no lows must be B*O*S*E

Overprice crap with a phenomenal marketing department. If you want something decent get an Onkyo CD Receiver shelf system which you can purchase for under $300.

Teac sells a great mini all in one unit in their reference series. The beauty of it is that you can combine with a pair of great Canadian speakers from your homeland (PSB, Paradigm, Mirage, etc.)

Your ears deserve better than B*O*S*E.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Thanks to unabear09, XGX, and DC for their (positive) comments on the Bose products.

Vince, I'm delighted to find someone else who has the Mission 770s. Aren't they just phenomenal, especially for their age? I used to run it with a 20-watt NAD amplifier and it sounded like a vastly more expensive system.

JMeister, I hear yuh ... I hear yuh. I have heard disappointing Bose products, but the Wave systems seem to have been considered something special by a lot of people in a lot of reviews. (Not everyone, however.)
But what I really appreciate is your mention of the Teac Reference Series unit.
I assume you mean the CR-H227i-B.
I'd never heard of it before and I assume it's very new, so you don't find any ratings on the Net yet.
But it's small, quite powerful, and cheaper than the Bose Wave Radio (I see one offered for $349.00 US on Amazon). Even has an iPod dock.
Best of all, it would let me keep my Mission speakers in operation.
This just might be it.
(Did you know it looks pretty much identical to the NAD C715 Component Music System? I wonder if they share the same manufacturer.)
Anyway, thanks for the mention.

 

[Ethyl]

I have a Bose stereo in my car. I don't know what voodoo they use but i've always been impressed with their products and the quality of the sound.

 

[inwait8]

I have the Bose wave radio and the iPod speaker and love them both. My uncle has the Acoustic Wave Music System and it is amazing for its size. He's had it for more than 10 years now. I can remember when the Bose rep came out for the demonstration... he put the system in the family room. We went into the kitchen and it sounded like there was someone playing an actual piano.

 

[Shelby]

I own the radio and and the system. If you're only going to use it in a small space the radio will do. If you want about triple the 'clean' power, to take outdoors or whatever, go with the system.

Hell, if you have the spare cash by 'em both. Bose offers an unconditional, no cost to you (not even shipping), right to return within 30 days if you are not completely satisfied. So pick the one you like and send the other one back. You have nothing to lose.

I love both of mine. As a bonus, their customer service is beyond awesome. A class company if you ask me.

 

[VeeP]

I have a rather ancient stereo that's not half bad ... Mission 770 speakers with Marantz Model 2230 Receiver, both older, I'd bet, than half the people on this board. (Also Sony CD player, and some other electronics.)

Haha.. what a blast from the past, Rubi. There's a Marantz Model 2225 still floating around in my family as well. They were the shit in the 70's. The gyroscopic tuner is hours of fun by itself... I can remember as a kid trying to get it from one end of the dial to the other in a single 'spin'. Man, my dad would still be pissed if he knew I did that with his baby. lol. Vintage audio enthusiasts would probably buy it, so if nothing else put it on eBay in lieu of junking it if/when the time comes.

As for the Bose Wave System, there's one of those in the family as well and I must say they are truly astounding for the size/cost, and this is coming from a guy who has spent that kind of dough on speaker cables alone.

 

[tripod]

I have a rather ancient stereo that's not half bad ... Mission 770 speakers with Marantz Model 2230 Receiver, both older, I'd bet, than half the people on this board. (Also Sony CD player, and some other electronics.)

Your present system is absolutely ROCKIN'!!!!! Why don't you just buy a sub to round out what you already have... Marantz shit is REALLY expensive now and those speakers are CLASSICS!!!! Buy a decent sub and you will have an UNBELIEVABLY good sounding system... I am just puzzled how you think anything is gonna sound better than what you already have, 'cause your system is AWESOME!!!! :smile:

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Your present system is absolutely ROCKIN'!!!!! Why don't you just buy a sub to round out what you already have... Marantz shit is REALLY expensive now and those speakers are CLASSICS!!!! Buy a decent sub and you will have an UNBELIEVABLY good sounding system... I am just puzzled how you think anything is gonna sound better than what you already have, 'cause your system is AWESOME!!!! :smile:

The whole problem is space.
I have a stand that is sagging (literally ... it's obviously made from particle board) under the weight of a large CRT television, a VHS player, CD player, and the Marantz receiver.
My first thought was to replace the stand ... but I haven't found anything that quite accommodates everything.
Maybe I should look for someone who can make me an appropriate stand.

The other option is to keep the speakers and get a Teac Reference Series CR-H2271-B mini unit, like JMeister suggested, or one of the Bose units, to replace everything.

Now I'm thinking I should just move my saggin' ass off to Ikea and find one of their build-as-you-wish stands that reach almost to the ceiling, if you want, have a small 'footprint' on the floor, and can be topped off with plants that will give me a whole lot o' luvin'.

Sheesh.
So many choices ...
... so lil' tyme.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Haha.. what a blast from the past, Rubi. There's a Marantz Model 2225 still floating around in my family as well. They were the shit in the 70's. The gyroscopic tuner is hours of fun by itself... I can remember as a kid trying to get it from one end of the dial to the other in a single 'spin'. Man, my dad would still be pissed if he knew I did that with his baby. lol. Vintage audio enthusiasts would probably buy it, so if nothing else put it on eBay in lieu of junking it if/when the time comes.

Shite, yo' fuckin' wid duh Rubester, tellin' him wot hez got is plentee good.

As for the Bose Wave System, there's one of those in the family as well and I must say they are truly astounding for the size/cost, and this is coming from a guy who has spent that kind of dough on speaker cables alone.

'N now U say the udder choyce is good.
Duh Rubester's gonna spin fo' dayz.

To Bliss, Inwait8 and Shelby, tnx fo' yo' input.

 

[JMeister]

If I were you I get a new stand or dump the CRT. According to Wikipedia those speakers are classic. The Marantz is a classic as well.

Do you really think that that a Bose radio with a single 3" driver driven by a $.09 IC amplifier is going to be satisfying compared to a well designed highly regarded two way with what looks to be a 5" woofer driven by a serious amplifier?

Want a heavy duty stand? Look for a local wanting to get rid of their Salamander Synergy rack. You can fuck on them and they won't sag.

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

If I were you I get a new stand or dump the CRT. According to Wikipedia those speakers are classic. The Marantz is a classic as well.

Well, I can't easily dump the CRT.
Probably the best thing to do is to get a new stand.
The Marantz has a number of small problems which I haven't gone into.
I can work around them, but it requires a fair amount of plugging and unplugging stuff.
It sounds okay but it's a bit of a pain in the ass.
Maybe I need to have it worked on by a Marantz specialist.
An all-in-one piece unit with reasonable sound seemed like an easy solution ... but it's probably too easy, too much of a compromise from what I have now.

Do you really think that that a Bose radio with a single 3" driver driven by a $.09 IC amplifier is going to be satisfying compared to a well designed highly regarded two way with what looks to be a 5" woofer driven by a serious amplifier?

Obviously not. The question is partly one of space, partly one of my unhappiness with the Marantz, and then of course the problem I mentioned with the stand.
I think I expressed a fair amount of satisfaction with the speakers above.
(The woofer is just a smidge under 8 inches, BTW.)

Want a heavy duty stand? Look for a local wanting to get rid of their Salamander Synergy rack. You can fuck on them and they won't sag.

Salamander Synergy? I may look into it.
But Ikea may be the solution, as I've mentioned above.

 

[2322]

I've got to agree with JMeister. Your current setup is better. Much better!

Go hang out at Home Theater Forum or AVS Forum or any other audiophile forum and they'll all tell you the same thing. So long as your speakers don't have foam rot, they're worth keeping and even then, as you saw, you can have them re-coned.

The Bose simply cannot hit the highs or the lows you expect from either rock or classical because it just cannot move the air necessary for the bass, and doesn't have a proper tweeter.

Even if your speakers have truly died, I'd suggest keeping the Marantz and getting any number of excellent bookshelf speakers and a sub. Bookshelf speakers are generally the most accurate speakers you can get and you don't have to spend a lot to find good ones. Some bookshelves even have sub-woofers built-in so you can get some proper bass that the 2.5" drivers of the Bose can't begin to match.

Quite frankly, the Bose is fine, if expensive, for casual listening and talk radio, but if you want to really be overwhelmed by your music, then it can't compete because it just can't move the volume of air. It's a matter of physics.

My ultimate suggestion is:

Put the money toward a proper stand. They're out there. Go to a high-end audio store and look at what they offer. Get a good stand and replace your TV with a flat panel. You'll need a stand with much less bulk, have excellent sound, and a TV that can do hi-def. Dump the VCR. Transfer your home videos to DVD and replace your commercial tapes with DVDs or Blu-Ray. Get a Tivo, an HD-DVR, or just plain NTSC (or ATSC if Canada's going hi-def) box from your cable/satellite provider if applicable (I have no idea what Canada is doing about HD) or just get Tivo.

Word of warning, Ikea uses particle board too. If you shop there, pay attention to the weight ratings and weigh your components before you go shopping.

 

[2322]

What's wrong with the Marantz?

Salamander makes great stuff. REALLY good.

IF you have any ideas about putting together a home theater of any sort, a good home theater receiver will solve your issues with the Marantz.

What is your goal with what you're doing here?

 

[uncut1234]

i have one of those wave radios, its amazing the sound that comes out of those little speakers...

 

[D_Gunther Snotpole]

Even if your speakers have truly died, I'd suggest keeping the Marantz and getting any number of excellent bookshelf speakers and a sub. Bookshelf speakers are generally the most accurate speakers you can get and you don't have to spend a lot to find good ones. Some bookshelves even have sub-woofers built-in so you can get some proper bass that the 2.5" drivers of the Bose can't begin to match.

The speakers are just fine. Have reasonably flat bass to 55 Hz, and I don't think they've been overused at all.

Quite frankly, the Bose is fine, if expensive, for casual listening and talk radio, but if you want to really be overwhelmed by your music, then it can't compete because it just can't move the volume of air. It's a matter of physics.

I live in an apartment that doesn't allow playing that loud.
I know a number of people who say they've been really surprised by the performance of the Bose models.
Still, physics, as you say, seems to impose an upper limit to what can be done with such small units.
But I wanted to collect some more opinions.

My ultimate suggestion is:
Put the money toward a proper stand. They're out there. Go to a high-end audio store and look at what they offer. Get a good stand and replace your TV with a flat panel. You'll need a stand with much less bulk, have excellent sound, and a TV that can do hi-def. Dump the VCR. Transfer your home videos to DVD and replace your commercial tapes with DVDs or Blu-Ray. Get a Tivo, an HD-DVR, or just plain NTSC (or ATSC if Canada's going hi-def) box from your cable/satellite provider if applicable (I have no idea what Canada is doing about HD) or just get Tivo.

I doubt I will have the money for a flat panel for a while, so the TV will have to stay.
I am thinking of getting an HD-DVR.
That of course will mean another component in the rack.

Word of warning, Ikea uses particle board too. If you shop there, pay attention to the weight ratings and weigh your components before you go shopping.

Sound advice.
The particular Ikea unit I'm thinking of has four braced legs, and you simply mount each shelf wherever you want. Since you can determine the height of the whole shebang, all the components I have can be accommodated.
Since each shelf will hold only one component, I don't think the particle board, in this case, will be a problem. (If I'm not mistaken, the shelves in this case are actually made of unlaminated wood, and I'll be able to do a little staining and so forth.)
I have a friend with such a setup and there is just no wobble at all.
(Trouble is, I haven't noticed these at Ikea for years and I wonder if they're still available.)

Good suggestions from many corners.
Thanks, all.:smile: