My old Bose Wave Radio

[kojenku]

I got this Bose Wave Radio (with CD player) from my sister as a gift more than ten years ago. The radio works perfectly even today but I hooked it up to TV Aux output to enhance the TV audio (there are no TVs that can output premium audio without external assistance) . My Samsung HD TV has audio control only for HDMI and Digital, but not Aux, therefore I am able to turn on both TV audio and my Bose Wave Radio at the same time. In this setup, the Bose works as a subwoofer for TV audio and works marvelously good.

One thing I did is to turn the volume of Bose to no less than 65, even to 75 when I listen to classical music. Of course I watch lots of TV shows and movies too. There is no surround and I don't need it. The key is to make the Bose loud enough to appreciate the beauty of its audio output. Setting volume to anywhere less than 60 is meaningless and waste of time and money.

My experience tells me the Bose has lowest bass frequency at about 50Hz if set the volume to 60-65, might get to 45hz if the volume gets to 70 or higher. While this is no comparison with dedicated subwoofers, it is good enough for most of modern day's movies and certainly music sound tracks. The mid and high ranges are good for my ears. My FLAC and music CD are all beautiful on this old little device.

While the Bose Wave CD/Radio combo was expensive even long time ago, I think the sturdiness and the all-around, good quality of audio output of my Bose Wave Radio well worth the money, especially when compared it to other brands, cheaper or more expensive.

Buying audio equipments is a very subjective matter, so I respect everyone's purchase decision and urge them to appreciate the products. Trust your ears as I trust mine.

 

[j_garcia]

Honestly, my dad still has an old wave radio too and it does sound good for what it is and he has had it for many years as well. My issue would be the MSRP price at the time. The CD module stopped working, but we now have it connected to a small dock via analog so he can use an iPod with it.

We often have it on during gatherings at their house for background music and it does sound good. For the price though, not something I would recommend to people really because I could build a superior system for about 1/3 the price and take up about the same space, with the exception of a small sub needed to achieve similar bass since the wave radio does have a considerable amount of bass output.

 

[slipperybidness]

Honestly, my dad still has an old wave radio too and it does sound good for what it is and he has had it for many years as well. My issue would be the MSRP price at the time. The CD module stopped working, but we now have it connected to a small dock via analog so he can use an iPod with it.

We often have it on during gatherings at their house for background music and it does sound good. For the price though, not something I would recommend to people really because I could build a superior system for about 1/3 the price and take up about the same space (with the exception of a small sub needed to achieve similar bass).

Yup, I'm with you completely. For what it is, it actually sounds (or maybe "seems to sound") pretty good--just ignore the price point

 

[Bucknekked]

Yup, I'm with you completely. For what it is, it actually sounds (or maybe "seems to sound") pretty good--just ignore the price point

I have one from back in the day. It still runs and it still "sounds good" for what it is.
I too wouldn't recommend anyone buy a Bose product now that I've learned a whole lot more about audio than I thought it was possible to learn. I think of this as a sunk cost. I own it, so I might as was well use it where it fits.

You know where it gets used most? I built a pool last year and I sit this thing on a little glass table out on the deck and let the tunes fly. Outside, in the desert, I'm not investing in anything that costs a lot. The Bose is bulletproof from an environmental point of view. Its lasted more than a decade with a big part of that being outside next to a pool.

I agree with the OP, for what it is, the little Bose Wave Radio fills a niche with pretty good sound.
(This is not a recommendation to buy one for anyone just visiting the forum that searched on Bose).

 

[KenM10759]

I had a Bose salesman come by my home shortly after I'd bought my first stereo system. I think it was around 1989, and I'd owned the Harmon Kardon HK440vi, Hafler 200, Onkyo CD player and Dual CS530 turntable about a year.

The guy came in with a new Bose Wave and separate CD player. They didn't have the built=in CD player yet. He had me play a CD on my system then he put it on the Wave. My wife couldn't tell the difference but I sure did! He insisted his product sounds better and I should fork over $600 for one. It was a little troublesome getting him out of my house but I managed.

It was good, but couldn't hold a candle to my new system,

 

[Montucky]

You know where it gets used most? I built a pool last year and I sit this thing on a little glass table out on the deck and let the tunes fly. Outside, in the desert, I'm not investing in anything that costs a lot. The Bose is bulletproof from an environmental point of view. Its lasted more than a decade with a big part of that being outside next to a pool.

Yeah, as much as I rag on Bose normally, I gotta give the little Wave Radio credit for being a sturdy little thing. My wife has utterly ABUSED hers. Spent years on top of her bathroom cabinet where she'd steam herself out, sauna style, listening to her morning radio. Then I used it as a garage radio for years. Then it got demoted to the children's nursery where it was just used to play their lullaby CDs. I really didn't care if they broke it at this point, hence why the babies inherited it. They have plugged/unplugged it Lord knows how many times while it was in action, shoved the CDs in forcefully (and not always right side up), eject, repeat. This little thing has a flimsy, cheap feel to it, but by golly I am truly shocked at what it's put with. I have personally not been gentle with it either. Since it's Bose and I typically hate on it, I've always tossed it all over the place without a care in the world. Oh yeah, and I almost forgot to mention that there's a nice curved melted spot on the surface where my wife accidentally left a curling iron on it. Yeah, this thing really is a little tank.

As a CLOCK RADIO, this thing is really great for what it is. Is it a replacement for a legitimate stereo? HECK no. Doesn't play loud at all without sounding like poo, but we can only expect so much from a couple little 2" paper drivers. Also vastly overpriced in my opinion, but price aside, it's a great little machine...again for a fancy clock radio. Definitely worth picking up used from a garage sale, secondhand store, rubbish pile, etc.

EDIT: We also used it as our re-modeling/construction radio too. It's been subjected to a ton of sheetrock dust, tile wetsawing/sawdust, along with paint splatters here and there. Man, we've punished this poor little thing, but it keeps ticking like a Timex though. Probably time to put it out of its misery. We'll see if it boots up after my next move and if not, I'll dissect it for fun.

 

[lovinthehd]

I remember reading about a guy who accidentally (?) shot his Bose wave thingy and it still worked afterwards....

 

[William Lemmerhirt]

I remember reading about a guy who accidentally (?) shot his Bose wave thingy and it still worked afterwards....

My friend owns two car audio shops here, and we used to have gatherings and car shows at the store and one of my favorite events was the radio toss. Farthest toss wins. I couldn’t throw his damn wave radio far enough!!! Wouldn’t break either, but it did make a nice wheel chock. Waste of money...

 

[Bucknekked]

I remember reading about a guy who accidentally (?) shot his Bose wave thingy and it still worked afterwards....

who said it was an accident ?

 

[Montucky]

My friend owns two car audio shops here, and we used to have gatherings and car shows at the store and one of my favorite events was the radio toss. Farthest toss wins. I couldn’t throw his damn wave radio far enough!!! Wouldn’t break either, but it did make a nice wheel chock. Waste of money...

Haha. That's essentially what I did with my old Bose 301s. They worked fine, but recently I decided to take them to the dump just for the satisfaction of it. Hucked one as far as I could. Drop kicked the other (I had steel toe work boots). I had fun taking one apart before doing that and they were SSSSOOOOOOOOO cheaply made. You would not believe the internal construction of these things. I can't believe I ever bought into the Bose hype. This was back in the 90s when I was a kid and didn't know better so go easy on me. Thankfully I have since seen the light.

Back on topic though, the Wave Radio's still actually a decent little product, albeit way overpriced. I still like any opportunity to rip on Bose any chance I can get, though. Haha. Probably more than anything due to the fact that SO many people I've talked to have the wool pulled firmly over eyes (or rather ears). I can't tell you how many people would come into my store where I carried fine brands like RBH and SVS for a fraction the price of Bose and people would CONSTANTLY come in and ask if I carried Bose or how awesome their Lifestyles setup was? Marketing is a powerful, powerful thing evidently.

 

[BoredSysAdmin]

I think at some point I've read online (could be a hoax too) that one of original Bose engineers who designed the wave radio said something along the lines of - Wave Radio is the absolute best product he could've designed on $21 budget.

 

[Richard Berg]

I think at some point I've read online (could be a hoax too) that one of original Bose engineers who designed the wave radio said something along the lines of - Wave Radio is the absolute best product he could've designed on $21 budget.

Hah.

In many ways, nothing has changed. Just look at the market for $$$ Bluetooth speakers (Sonos, Bose, B&O, and now Apple). There are some clever design tricks in there -- I take my hat off to the guys trying to push the laws of physics in a tiny package -- but the profit margins have to be enormous given how little "stuff" is really inside.

 

[j_garcia]

It is the development and manufacturing to package those things so small and still get somewhat decent sound out of them that costs money. IMO, making something smaller is much more difficult, but more often than not the SQ is what suffers. I own a few tiny bluetooth speakers and they're fine for what they're meant for.

We have the Bose Revolve+ speaker and it also outputs a surprising amount of sound with decent bass for the size. No it isn't a critical listening device by any stretch of the imagination, but it is small and portable; great for the garage or kitchen.

 

[Kingnoob]

I remember reading about a guy who accidentally (?) shot his Bose wave thingy and it still worked afterwards....

That’s one tough radio ?!!! Woah

There are 3 ways to change the time on a bose wave radio. 1. Using the buttons on the radio. 2. Using the remote control. 3. Using the SoundTouch app

you brought the thread back for that information? lolz how do you enjoy the radio I head one once and wasn’t impressed…I think it was damaged though .
I’d have to hear new/quality one to judge it .

 

[Swerd]

I got this Bose Wave Radio (with CD player) from my sister as a gift more than ten years ago. The radio works perfectly even today but I hooked it up to TV Aux output to enhance the TV audio (there are no TVs that can output premium audio without external assistance).

What a good idea! I'll have to remember that.

I think at some point I've read online (could be a hoax too) that one of original Bose engineers who designed the wave radio said something along the lines of - Wave Radio is the absolute best product he could've designed on $21 budget.

If Bose had a $21 budget for the Wave Radio, why can't TV makers spend half that on better sounding speakers for TV sets?

Cambridge SoundWorks used to sell a competing radio, called a Model 88 – by Henry Kloss. I've had one in the kitchen for years. For FM radio, it works great. I don't remember the price, but it was much less than the Wave Radio. It has a volume knob on the back for a "sub-woofer", as well as RCA jacks for a CD player. The rectangular slot on the lower right is the opening for what maybe a separate bass driver. I've never opened it to look inside.

 

[Kingnoob]

What a good idea! I'll have to remember that.
If Bose had a $21 budget for the Wave Radio, why can't TV makers spend half that on better sounding speakers for TV sets?

Cambridge SoundWorks used to sell a competing radio, called a Model 88 – by Henry Kloss. I've had one in the kitchen for years. For FM radio, it works great. I don't remember the price, but it was much less than the Wave Radio. It has a volume knob on the back for a "sub-woofer", as well as RCA jacks for a CD player. The rectangular slot on the lower right is the opening for what maybe a separate bass driver. I've never opened it to look inside.
View attachment 60000

Yeah it seems like tv speakers aren’t even $10 worth of drivers but half of $21 isn’t enough for good sound anyways . $21 tv speakers would still suck.
What’s Bose radio today $600+

 

[Bucknekked]

I think at some point I've read online (could be a hoax too) that one of original Bose engineers who designed the wave radio said something along the lines of - Wave Radio is the absolute best product he could've designed on $21 budget.

I owned a Bose Wave Radio for a lot of years. A lot. I still have it outside somewhere. I ended up using it as a patio radio because nothing could seem to kill it or affect it. Now that I have a taste of good audio and recognize Bose for what it is, I still look back fondly at that thing. Regardless of many of its attributes, the sucker lasted and lasted and lasted. It still works today. Its covered in layers of grit from the patio but I don't know that I care.

 

[Kingnoob]

I owned a Bose Wave Radio for a lot of years. A lot. I still have it outside somewhere. I ended up using it as a patio radio because nothing could seem to kill it or affect it. Now that I have a taste of good audio and recognize Bose for what it is, I still look back fondly at that thing. Regardless of many of its attributes, the sucker lasted and lasted and lasted. It still works today. Its covered in layers of grit from the patio but I don't know that I care.

You’re saying it sat outside in the freezing cold and summers years round and still works? and rain & storms ?
That’s a tough radio !!!

 

[Bucknekked]

You’re saying it sat outside in the freezing cold and summers years round and still works? and rain & storms ?
That’s a tough radio !!!

I live in the Arizona desert in the Phoenix area. No freezing cold winters here. But we have summer heat that will cook the paint right off your car and discourage you from sitting down on anything left in the sunshine. I also have a covered patio. Our dust storms and such don't care about your covered patio one bit. My Bose sat out on the patio through it all. Blazing and blowing it didn't seem to care. That's $21 engineering at its finest.

 

[Fomoco69]

I got this Bose Wave Radio (with CD player) from my sister as a gift more than ten years ago. The radio works perfectly even today but I hooked it up to TV Aux output to enhance the TV audio (there are no TVs that can output premium audio without external assistance) . My Samsung HD TV has audio control only for HDMI and Digital, but not Aux, therefore I am able to turn on both TV audio and my Bose Wave Radio at the same time. In this setup, the Bose works as a subwoofer for TV audio and works marvelously good.

One thing I did is to turn the volume of Bose to no less than 65, even to 75 when I listen to classical music. Of course I watch lots of TV shows and movies too. There is no surround and I don't need it. The key is to make the Bose loud enough to appreciate the beauty of its audio output. Setting volume to anywhere less than 60 is meaningless and waste of time and money.

My experience tells me the Bose has lowest bass frequency at about 50Hz if set the volume to 60-65, might get to 45hz if the volume gets to 70 or higher. While this is no comparison with dedicated subwoofers, it is good enough for most of modern day's movies and certainly music sound tracks. The mid and high ranges are good for my ears. My FLAC and music CD are all beautiful on this old little device.

While the Bose Wave CD/Radio combo was expensive even long time ago, I think the sturdiness and the all-around, good quality of audio output of my Bose Wave Radio well worth the money, especially when compared it to other brands, cheaper or more expensive.

Buying audio equipments is a very subjective matter, so I respect everyone's purchase decision and urge them to appreciate the products. Trust your ears as I trust mine.

Agreed....I bought a super clean 1998 model , as a back up....cant beat it's quality space saving design & sound....but keeping my Sansui & JBL set up too....