The top ten reasons why.....


Top Ten reasons way the Bose Wave Radio is Ultra-High End:

10. Top loading CD transport to resist vibration and provide better mechanical isolation than a conventional drawer design. This design is found in the likes of Krell, Goldmund, Bow Technologies, Forsell, CEC belt driven designs, and many other well-respected names.

9. Point-Source loudspeaker design. Bose avoids multi driver arrays so that all the sound is launched from a single source. This also makes the Bose system time and phase coherent, just like Theil and many other designs. It also helps eliminate nasty speaker/room interactions.

8. Crossover-less design, (which means phase problems never even had a chance). This gives the speaker a bit more efficiency (a db) and eliminates the inherent distortions associated with a crossover. The total design reminds me of the Lowther drivers.

7. Lack of internal standing waves. The contoured shape of the wave guide eliminates standing waves much like the B&W Nautilus speaker system's folded tube technology. Furthermore, it amplifies the low frequencies meaning the driver doesn't have to move as much to reproduce them at higher spl's essentially lowering distortions inherent when a driver has greater excursions. This keeps the midrange cleaner and the highs so much more pure and pristine.

6. Low cabinet coloration. The 34" folded waveguide system, as a by product, creates many walls strengthening the stucture making it very rigid and well braced, much like the cabinetry of the Matrix series by B&W. This way the frequency response of the driver is allowed to come through in all its glory.

5. Low diffraction design. 75% of the circumfrence of the driver has very little physical obstruction in the way of a baffle keeping diffraction to a minimum. This allows for that open, lifelike sound.

4. Simple and pure amplifier design. Bose has avoided expenses and added circuitry associated with higher powered designs and used a very low powered (most likely only a couple watts) amplifier of a minimalist circuit design for maximum signal purity, much like the 2A3 based amplifiers, except with the efficiency and reliability of a solid-state design. Bose has done it again.

3. Integrated design eliminating the need for interconnect cables. Like the Linn Classik and the NAD L40 Bose eliminated the expense and sonic degradations inherent in the interfacting between seperate components by putting the cd player, preamplifier, tuner, and power amplifier all in a single chassis. This also kept costs down, since it would have cost more to have each piece in its own chassis, giving you more sound for your dollar.

2. Very minimalist design. This ties in with #3, but Bose has also kept loudspeaker cable runs to a minimum. This no doubt increases the damping factor of the amplifier-speaker interface. Bose didn't budge an inch to market appeal and left out the uneccessary tone controls that so many wanted and kept the circuit path as a whole simpler, for better sound.

1. And the number one reason Bose is Ultra-High end: The amount of markup is exorbant and the price/performance ratio is right up there with some of high-end audio's "best." In your first months payment of $41.58 Bose has probably covered all the production costs on the unit. Next months $41.58 covers all there advertising costs. The other ten months are pure profit.

The real reason I put this here wasn't to slam Bose, although I did embelish a little so that hopefully someone enjoyed it. The other reason, I guess, is because this is the type of reasoning I suspect many of us employ when analyzing audio gear. "Class A is better the Class A/B." (My friend in belgium actually has a kenwood mini-system that runs 7.5 watts of class A power, but with 10% THD, solid-state!) The point is we really can't KNOW how good the gear is. (All you serious hobbyists w/ EE deg. have a better shot) Now, in the end we inevitably buy something for ourselves, but let's not be so vicious sometimes when dispensing advice based on inevitably incomplete reasoning because we don't/can't have all the facts (and the facts many of us have were often handed down from "biased" sources) Because, as you can see, I thought I did a pretty good job of manipulating the facts to make the unit sound quite impressive. Hopefully it was halfway amusing. I'm glad everyone here loves high-end audio. If anyone has any more reasons why the Bose wave radio is number one, feel free to add?
ezmeralda114405
Has anyone else seen or heard Bose's just released WaveII SACD player? Unlike their other components, this new player/upsampler actually sounds quite good.

Using a 24/192 upsampler for Redbook licensed from dcs and Marantz's high end SACD transport, the new Bose Wave SACD is, believe it or not, true audiophile quality. When I heard the Wave SACD at the Bose factory on Friday, I have to shamefully admit it: I was impressed -- and this from a guy with a $40K rack! Although not as good as my SCD-1 on SACD, Redbook performance was actually better -- very close to the EMC-1.

I am surprised (shocked) at the new upmarket thrust Bose has made and when I spoke to a factory rep on Friday, she seemed quite firm in the company's new direction and desire to capture the high end market. (Like you, I found this unbelievable!)

According to Ekoj Dab of Bose, The Wave SACD is the first in a new line of true reference quality Bose components and speakers. Launching at the 2002 CES, Bose will preview an entire new line of high end speakers and digital amps, SACD, and DVD-A players designed to go head to head with B&W, Krell, ML, dcs, etc.

For more on the new Bose products go to the link http://bose/newproduct/ihopeudidnt/fall/4/this. Oh, and that Bose factory rep, Ekoj Dab .... well, spell it backwards and see what you get.

Have a good weekend -- Lorne
Why is that particular Bose product is referred to as Wave? It's the last thing you do as you make your hasty retreat.
Albertporter, it must be those exceptional sound-*waves* that continue to haunt you after your retreat...
(Haven't listened to the aforementioned system... think I'll take Lorne's word for that.)

Cheers!
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Viridian: Yes especially with digital products from my own experience. I have auditioned quite a few of these in the past year, many of them very pricey, that I would not even bother to plug in if they were given to me as a gift. These were supposed to be taking advantage of current technology, but where did the music go on many of them? It makes me wonder if the engineers and manufacturers even listen to music at all.
Excellent post. There doesn't seem to be much recognition of forum "trolling" here, but that would have been perfect if presented as such. The point is probably stronger the way you did it, though.
So yeah, trust your ears, just don't forget they are attached to your brain.
Oh, and I'd say at least two payments to cover the advertising.
I hope y'all aren't joking... my Sony SCD-1 through my Bose
"Special Edition" Wave (the ones with Paul Harvey's
signature) is all the system I need....and I was able to
pocket some money when I sold off the C.J./Magnepan stuff.
The other day I mentioned I was thinking of selling my tube amps and getting nicer looking speakers. Uh... the above isn't quite what I had in mind... Mavbe when I lose my mind I might try one.
Maybe they should re-name the Wave radio to the Snicker Radio. When you consider that people are paying over $400.00 for a table top radio, Bose is laughing all the way to the bank! What do suppose the actual hard cost of manufacture is?
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Wow, I hadn't even thought about the "quad" possibilities!
I have to admit, I added another "Harvey Signature Series"
Wave, for a "state-of-the-art" home theater system. The
fact that these two $400.00 bargins can fit in with a
$10,000.00 Sony state-of-the-art projection TV..kinda says
it all...! Truthfully, I must say that when I want a real
"audiophile experience" I go out to the "minivan" and
slide in an 8-track....now we're talk'in TAS!
I have determined the ultimate sound system using only the wave radio! Buy 8 pairs of the wave radio's and stack them 8 high, separated 10 feet apart. Unhook the right channel speakers on the left sides, and vis versa on the right. (This will allow the internal amplifier to act as a true "Monoblock" design).

This set up easily blows away my Krell/Pipedream system, looks way cooler, and is also much easier to move around the room.

I also suggest buying four more wave radios to put in the corners of your room (for ultimate bass reinforcement). This revelation allowed me to get rid of my expensive subwoofers.

Hurry, because Bose will give you a 10% discount if you buy all 20 of these wave radios at one time!
Don't laugh, if Bose wanted too they probably could come out with high-end sound. Just think of all the money the company has profited and how much money they could afford to spend on the best designers!! Geez all you guys and gals may force Bose into producing higher quality components. Wow who would have the last laugh. The mass market would play right into it. Curcuit City would offer better equipment than Sound by Singer in NYC.