I've owned or help friends buy several variations on the table radio/alarm clock theme.
If he's considering something like the Bose Wave a much better, less expensive alternative is one of the table radios from Cambridge Soundworks, better tuner, iPod dock, better sound, less hype. There's a summer sale going on now and the i755 is $188, a good deal considering it's a nice piece at the regular price of $289.
I've used a Tivoli when staying regularly at a friend's house and agree with a previous post that while it's nice looking the sound isn't impressive.
My favorite is the Boston Acoustics Receptor. The original model is no longer made but worth tracking down if you can find one. It's mono, definitely not 'audiophile' quality but a great sounding radio that has the best alarm clock functionality I've ever found. There are newer models that do HD radio and have stereo capability but I don't have any experience with them.
