9 out of 9 people found this review helpful.
Bose - The Godiva of Music
Date of Review: Feb 27, 2001
The Bottom Line: This is simply the best compact music solution on the market today.
Up until three weeks ago, I was the proud owner of a carefully pieced together component stereo system which cost me more than $3,000 in 1993. Nakamichi tape deck, Bose 901 speakers, the works. It was a beauty and it took up an entire stereo cabinet, while my CD collection overflowed the living room.
No longer. Three weeks ago my beloved Bose Acoustic Wave arrived, and life has never been grander. This little beauty is not only compact, but the sound quality packs an incredible punch. My component system has gone out the window (well, not really, I've sold it) and my Bose Acoustic Wave now occupies the top of the stereo cabinet while my CD collection occupies the shelves (I have to admit I still have an overflow problem, but nowhere near so bad as before).
One issue that I had was that I did not want to part with my beloved 901s. The 901 speakers have been my favorite all time toy with the only exception to this being my computer. The idea of no longer having that amazing 901 sound quality disturbed me. This was easily resolved by using the line out plug at the rear of the Bose Acoustic Wave player and plugging that into my 901 equalizer, then running a line from the equalizer to a power amplifier (cheap as dreck at Fry's Electronics or any similar electronics store) and from there to the 901s. Compared to my old component setup, this takes up next to no space whatsoever. Anybody who has ever had 901s would agree that this extra step is worth it, although the Acoustic Wave stands (and sounds) beautifully even without an extra set of speakers.
Even before I had hooked up my 901s, however, the sound from this thing blew me away. As soon as I got it home and out of the box I plugged it in, tossed U2's Achtung Baby CD in and cranked the volume to the top. No distortion, no fuzz, no hassles, and I had to work to hear myself think. Excellent!
The 5 AM and 5 FM presets make life a bit easier for tuning in your favorite radio stations, the CD player is 32 track programmable, but is NOT repeat is NOT a CD changer, single CD only here, folks, so if you want more than that, look at a different Bose product, such as the Lifestyle series 20 (on my shopping list for next year, at $2400 I'm not quite ready to go there yet, but when I do, that's the main stereo and the Wave will be my home office stereo).
One feature that I have been enjoying is the microphone input jacks. There are two of them, which makes this system a fantastic portable PA or home Karaoke setup. With a ten year old kid who is enamored of singing, plugging in a mic and popping in a Karaoke CD is a quick way to get some time to myself, something that is always at a premium. I will admit to using the mic to bellow that dinner is ready, also. Saves on the old vocal cords, don't you know?
Overall, I would have to say that this is a pretty incredible little system. If you haven't hooked it up to auxiliary speakers it is mighty easy to move around, so you can use it in the back yard during a barbecue or take it to the timeshare vacation condo (if you have one). Even using auxiliary speakers, it's a simple matter to unplug the jack and take it along.
Combined with its great sound and convenient size, the design and appearance of the Acoustic Wave are just the coating on a delicious Godiva chocolate truffle.
