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I need your advice on system for a non-audiophile

While I am sure this type of thread may have been posted before, I'd really like your input on this. At the risk of sounding like an out of touch audiophile, I simply have been away from the lower end market (e.g., the Best Buy scene for audio) for so long that I really don't know if I can be of help to a work colleague who asked for my help in buying a new "stereo."

My colleague told me she has a "crappy Sony system" that really doesn't sound that good and would like my suggestion for buying something new. I suspect its an older cheap rack-type all Sony system. She tells me it has "5 tiny little speakers."

I asked her to tell what three things are most important to her in this new system and here is her reply:

1. Sound quality that is clear

2. Not small system, but not too large. My house is really small so I don't' want a system that takes up all of my free space (she has seen my 300 pound Rockports and triple wide loaded SRA rack so she may be thinking about that when she worries about a system taking up all of her "free space.")

3. Price, between $700 - $1,000 if possible.

Any suggestions? Thanks
fmpnd
maddoggy
77 posts
 
Is the wave unit even made for sound ?My Mom was given one free(wave unit) from a happy client.She wondered what she had done to piss him off.He did include the reciept,Back it went
sit
315 posts
 
Maddoggy, Not sure what you're mom had or what your asking or implying.

The Bose Wave Music System sells for around $450-$499 on the internet. I have 4 audio systems with one being the monster in my sound room.

I don't own the Bose Wave but friends do (mainly in their gormet kitchens). The musical reproduction from this little unit is rather amazing.

A long time ago as an entry-level marketing person in NYC I had a Bose (minus the CD since there were no CDs at that time except for something SONY was working with) in a small apt. in Chelsea. It fit the bill rather fine in that space; rich sound, very compact, very affordable.
jaybo
4,478 posts
 
agree with Sit.....my wife is in love with her wave, and that is a good thing....the 'allison' twins and i do our own thing without mrs jaybo.
maddoggy
77 posts
 
My Mom had a wave.Free.But I had put a cheap nad receiver.with paradigm atoms with a sub.Pretty nice sound.The sound coming from the wave was poor ,in comparison.Having nothing to compare the sound against it may sound pretty good. Coudnt fool mom.Yugo, the car.It had 4 wheels,engine,all the components that make a car were there.Yea the wave .I see and hear the ads and my question is, is this a product for the masses.In my question I may be implying that Bose only is gimmicking selling.If you like the sound ,great.Some will,many dont. this of coarse is IMHO Good luck
loomisjohnson
1,526 posts
 
no disrespect to any boseophiles out there, but $499 for that wave system doesn't strike me as good value, esp. when you can get a comparable product from, say, crosley or sharper image for a hundred bucks or so. now, i fully concur that, purely from a design perspective, the bose is very impressive, and i recognize that there's a whole class of affluent consumers who value portable, cool-looking designs. what you'll never convince me of is that the thing sounds good--i've actually a/b'd my doltish brother's wave system against my $79 philips-boombox-with-megabass-and-discolites and there was no real comparison--the boombox had scads more detail, presence and dynamic range. now, i genuinely admire bose's genuinely masterful marketing strategy--on a certain level they're deserving of their success. however, like most of us i feel this odd compulsion to keep the audiophile torch lit, and i would never personally steer someone i liked away form the path of good sound.
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