A $500 Clock Radio

Read the title of this review. $500 for a clock radio. $500!!! The first thought that runs through a rational person's head is that you can buy a clock radio in any drug store for $50 or less, and that this is insanity.

Bottom Line This is a very nice luxury product. It looks great, and the sound is excellent. You could buy this instead of one of the many small bookshelf stereos on the market, and you'd probably be happy. It will not replace a good stereo system with large speakers.

The decision on whether to buy this should come down to whether you're willing to pay this much money for an attractive "top-name" appliance that has better quality than most, if not all, comparable products on the market.

On to the features of the system. I'm saving "sound quality" for the end, though it may be the most important. So, you can scroll down, if you want to peak ahead.

Appearance This product looks GREAT. It's really a classy piece of equipment. Also, it's instantly recognizable, and screams BOSE to anyone who looks at it (If that's important to you). (It would look great, even if it were made by someone else.)

Clock Functions Well, it is a clock radio, so let's start here. The clock is a digital face, that works. The controls for setting are on the top, and easy to operate. There are two alarms, which can be set for the radio or for a buzzer. It has the usual standard features such as snooze.

Radio CD Features The radio is digitally tuned, with 6 AM Presets and 6 FM presets. It pulls in stations better than my main stereo unit, though this may be because it's on a higher floor of my house. The CD has the usual features and allows you to select which tracks to play, etc. Again the main controls are on the top of the unit, and are easy to operate. It also comes with a remote control unit which allows you to control these features from across the room.

Overall, the clock and radio features are well designed, and make sense. I'd say that the product is well above average (compared with the typical clock radio).

Sound The sound is really quite good for a unit of this size. However, if you've seen the Bose Ads( and who hasn't), you may think that this unit will replace thousands of dollars of stereo equipment. It won't. Although the sound is clear, it doesn't have the range of mid-priced to upper end sound system. (I'm comparing it to my system which uses A Pioneer Elite Tuner with Infinity Speakers). However, a full stereo system won't fit on your nightstand either. The upper ranges are crisp and clear. Bass is powerful, especially considering the size of the box (The Bose system for sending the bass through a winding chamber appears to work well). However, sometimes individual instruments aren't as distinct as you'd find with a better unit.

The unit comes with input jacks, but no equalizer to control the sound. Bose claims that the sound mix is controlled by the system based on the loudness you're playing music and their studies of how humans perceive sound. Overall, the mix is tweaked more for Rock, than classical, but is more than acceptable for either.

Comparable Products To my ear, this is better than the competing products with comparable price. I've listened to a similar Nakamichi product and maybe one or two others. Reputedly, the Cambridge Model 88 had better sound (though didn't look as nice) -- but the Cambridge has been discontinued.

Intangibles If you've read this far, and the price hasn't stopped you, the ultimate buying decision comes down to intangibles.

This is a luxury product. In general, the decision to pay through the nose for top end products comes down to how one feels as opposed to a numerical quantification. Is a dinner at a good restaurant worth $100 or more (when you can cook at home? Is First Class Air Fare worth several times the coach fare? Can a bottle of wine be worth Several Hundred dollars. It really comes down to whether you're willing to pay for luxury.

In considering the Bose: Do you want a product that looks great. Are you willing to pay for it? Do you want a product that has better sound than any other comparable product on the market. Are you willing to pay for it? Do you want the Bose name. Are you willing to pay for it?

If you're willing to pay the money, and you understand what this product is, and what it is not, you'll be happy with it, but it's not for everyone.