In a word: A fantastic system...

We bought a Lifestyle system a while ago while there was a promotion, where you got a free Wave Radio/CD.

I was impressed at the time with the Wave Radio/CD - but it did seem to be a bit expensive. Nevertheless it did provide a natural, powerful sound.

A year later they brought out the Wave Music System - which is this unit here that I'm about to discuss.

I was skeptical thinking: It can't be that much better!

I took the time when passing a Bose store to hear it playing. I was very impressed.

I ended up ordering one under the impression I could easily send it back after the 30-day trial.

Bose was helpful on the phone, answered all questions, etc. They shipped very, very quickly.

So there it was, arrived.

So set-up was a snatch, basically the unit just plugs in!

First of all I slot in the Demo CD which it says for Best performance to run at a volume of 70-85. I ran it at the higher 85.

I was in awe at the bass response for such a small unit. It was so much better!

Clarity was also very much improved, and it really did bring music to life with a rich powerful sound that even puts the companion 5s at the bottom. The companion 5s also have a bass module and the Wave music system performs on par. Wow.

The wave music system is loud enough to fill a fairly large room, and outdoor space even. It does this with little to no distortion.

Connectivity for IPOD is great, and there is a new docking station you can buy for this that also charges it.

The connectivity is a simple 3.5mm jack so you can connect anything, even a computer!

The CD player is solid, works great and accesses discs quickly.

The system has a sense of quality, it produces little or no hiss even at the highest volume.

I would say the system has been built to last years. It's expensive sure but.... all the Bose systems I own have never gone bust!

Now - lets get to the techie stuff...

Will this system work better than a larger speaker system?

I would say it would perform on par with some larger systems, though dont expect floor shaking bass. It's not what the system is about.

It accuratly produces a 'real' amount of bass. More than enough. Sometimes it supprises me with the depth.

Rock music does tend to loose clout at higher volumes, so I wouldnt say it would replace a £500 HiFi system for a real buff.

However at the end of the day there is no system of this size that can match it's performance. You get what you pay for.

The sound is clear, powerful, rich and spacious considering the proximity of the loudspeakers.

The system I hear has powerful amplification of around 15watts a speaker. The drivers are dual suspension to offer higher excursion while cleanly producing high notes. This has been used on older PA speakers before they got seperate bass / mid / high units. You'll notice this by the ripples around the speaker. The Bose has two, meaning they have employed this. I fealt over the old one this was a great touch as the older Wave tended to struggle with loud bass passages and would damage the clear treble response. Not so with this.. thanks to the new suspension.

The waveguide now operates on both speakers and both drivers are identially driven unlike the older unit which had to use bass redirection to a single bass speaker causing lack of stereo clarity. This new system has taken stereo a bit further and offered stunning clarity.

The alarm features are basic but really useful - and they work amazingly well!

The system is really easy-to-use and is all operated from the remote. Battery life is good but you might want to keep a spare remote handy incase you loose the one that is provided.

Other than that I don't know what else to say about the system other than I would cirtainly give it a listen, even if you didnt care for the older model.

Tuner reception is damn good. Best I've seen and there's no arial wires to bother with... it's built into the power cable.

Just a note, I would personally avoid the AWS Acoustic wave system, the one with the larger bass speaker. It's way more expensive and not that MUCH better!

This is a stunner at the price. Give it a go. I found the system great for Jazz / General / World / Classical / Blues and some POP. Less so for rap, dance etc.

I realise it's expensive but when you consider the amplification, speakers, CD player, high performance tuner and of course the compact size of this unit. It's very elegant and can be moved easily.