Bose Wave Music System

This crap -quality is terrible – I now own two of these unit 1 does not longer play cd - only played 10 cds on it 2 crackles without being turned on -sound like a mouse is living inside it Bose manufacturing quality is terrible -Yamaha product is much better Show details

Service Deplorable. Highly suspicious practice – NO answers as to WHY BOSE have seemingly prohibited older devices [5 yrs] WIFI from working. I have Numerous Bose [4] devices in multiple locations and all stopped at the same time. I spent hours with Bose support without ANY solution nor acknowledgment of even an issue. Unable to EMail them, Write a Review to them or Contact. I have since found… Read more

more than 10 people with the SAME issue including a Bose Retailer. Highly Suspicious. Will be changing manufacturers.

Horrible piece of equipment, particular the software app which comes with it and the support which does not exist! – It suppose to work as internet radio, forget about it, no connection, not loading, looses all favorites, no support either, nerve braking piece of electronics, no support either, what a money waste! Show details

Something I should have had years ago – Thank you so much! I love listening to music all the time and with the quality of the Bose Wave System, I don't know how I ever lived without one. It's the best I've ever heard. Show details

Great sound, connectivity is a pita – Love the sound, it is exactly what we want & expect from Bose. Connectivity is poor, it keeps dropping the wifi connection to the point that we now just bluetooth spotify from our devices. Phones, Ipads & computers. The bluetooth drops frequently too but is much easier to setup than going thru the wifi setup. The Bose app needs serious attention which is a bit dissapointing.  Show details

A whole new audio experience. BRILLIANT – My first Bose purchase was the "TV Speaker" several weeks ago... I was so impressed by its performance that I decided to go for the Wave Soundtouch IV system.... ..... Quality packaging and contents. BASIC setup (CD, RADIO, AUX, BLUETOOTH) was fast and simple. DIGITAL setup, however, tested patience, with the app asking for my wifi network and… Read more

password but moving on and looping messages. Frustrating... Until I called the Bose 1800 number for help. I was answered by a very helpful, and professional, Australian woman who asked what I was experiencing and set about stepping me and the system through the digital setup... Within 2 minutes the system was connected to WiFi and searching for my streaming services, digital radio etc. Since the initial drama the experience has been magical. The sound is a perfect balance on every type of music tried so far, from classical to modern pop and rock. I hear nuances from familiar tubes that I've never heard before. The sound is clear and balanced regardless of volume level (which goes to 100 but haven't yet gone above 80 as the walls start to shake and the bass can be felt.) I now wake up to music and go to sleep to music from this brilliant little box of tricks.

Not as good as the original model – I have used this clock radio for over 20 years, until my radio died. The new version, purchased (IV) has no Battery Back Up! An alarm with no back up!! Not Acceptable. Show details

Bose, Incredibly poor customer experience - avoid Bose at all costs (x2) – Have been trying to use Bose’s WhatsApp to try sort out a warranty issue with my wave iv (< 1year old). I uploaded all the docs to to their WhatsApp number last Sunday (as I did tonight in this app), with s/n and proof of purchase from JBHiFi, WA. I waited 3 days and no reply. I then tracked down their Bose’s service phone number, and was told in… Read more

the call, ‘Bose doesn’t have a service agent in WA’, and at this stage they couldn’t assist me (are u for real Bose?)? The unit is under 1 year warranty!! The saga continues, and on Thursday (4-days later), I finally received a response to my WhatsApp message, posted correctly by myself, on the previous Sunday. On Friday, I was asked again, to supply my details once again. Frankly, it has to be a joke Bose? Bose has no after sales support. It does RE-enforces my concerns wrt Bose and their very poor customer service, having been through a similar experience in 2018, wrt E8’s, that was never resolved. Avoid Bose at all costs. The products may be okay, but their after sales support is the worst I have ever experienced. Thankfully my surround and other products are not Bose! Don’t purchase Bose, as their after sales, and warranty service in Aus, WA is a complete joke. Will stick to Yamaha, B&O, Focal in the future. Bose you are a complete embarrassment and a joke!!

Very bad customer service and the product needs to get with the times – Bought a Bose wave 4 I expected it to be able to alternate with sources to play sound for my tv and also act as a speaker for my smart phone. That's not asking a lot this day and age. It's 2020. So... Reality check. The wave 4 doesn't offer HDMI connection at all.... Like at all. You have to buy one of those red white and yellow cables to connect… Read more

a tv. Or worse as I've found you have to plug a 3.5 mm into the headphone jack on the tv and then into the aud in connection on the wave 4. It gets worse. Doing this means you cannot then toggle between the aux and the Bluetooth. Ie I can't then connect my smartphone to play music in the morning unless I reach around the back and disconnect the 3.5 mm jack in the aud in. Called Bose to ask them about this and got some serious attitude from [name removed], thanks [name removed] saying that Bose make lots of different product for different circumstances. And a speaker system they have built in 2020 wasn't made to allow a user to stream music and then later in the day change to connect to a tv and stream sound of a movie. She said that's not needed for this system Well. News flash! I'm putting my Bose wave 4 I just bought on mktplace and getting rid of it today. And will not be buying another Bose product. Ever. You are way behind the times in terms of the functionality you provide. More than 90 percent of Australian households will now stream music AND stream movies. If you're not offering seamless connectivity for these two uses you are irrelevant Bose. You are now irrelevant in my life. Adios!

Reasonable sound, terrible software – This unit has to function as a music player and also as a bedroom clock radio. The audio quality is solid without being amazing for that kind of role. The user interface however is awful. I wouldn't have found it acceptable in 2010. The fact you can't set the alarm not to activate in weekends defies belief at this price point. As does the fact the clock doesn't automatically set DST and doesn't synchronize to a server. Show details

Bose used to be synonymous with quality audio – It really should've been a no brainer, it's Bose, it should have excellent audio quality. Not on this device though. I'm unsure whether the complete lineup is representative by this this, but I know this and the SoundTouch 10 are a complete let down. The audio levels between different media is atrocious, with some media having to double their… Read more

levels in order to to the same as others. The bass is awful, even with the bass wound right back, washed out and with little punch. Dynamic range is shocking, absolutely no midtones and the app that companions the device is flakey, constantly has to find the device and sits there searching for long periods of time. Connectivity to other Soundtouch devices is only available through the app... Can rarely find it and when it does, threre's a noticeable delay between the speakers that's like a bad echo.. Plus, it will only cast streamable media - no provision for CD, AUX or radio (I assume this is a analogue conversion issue). All in all, VERY disappointing for a Bose product, especially considering the price point of it, this is NOT a cheap product! If you're looking to fill your house with speakers to play the same music with quality sound, look eslewhere, let my expensive misfortune steer you well away from this new generation of Bose.

Do yourself a favour its not that good – The remote is garbage to operate is like pushing hard plastic bubble rap and the unit itself way to much base and this morning it has lost its clock and the functions are intermittent $900 going to the garbage which is a shame what happened to Bose quality do yourself buy something else check the reviews. Show details

Bose Wave – This was my first Bose product, and based on it's performance it won't be my last. The unit comes well packaged, and is very easy to set up, only taking a few minutes until you have music pumping out. The clarity and volume of the sound produced is outstanding, similar to what you'd expect from a much larger system. The versatility of the unit… Read more

enables you to play music from basically any source. The old saying, "you get what you pay for" is so true, quality comes at a price, and the Bose Wave makes every cent count.

Sound quality is good - mechanical issues let it down – I bought a system III about 3 years ago because of the Bose name. Even though I considered it expensive I thought it would be a good reliable unit. Well, It worked well for about 6 months or so and then the remote failed - wouldn't turn it on or allow you to change between radio, CD etc. So I ordered a second remote. That worked for about a year… Read more

or so and then it too failed in part. So we have 2 remotes which only partly work One is used to turn the unit on and switch between functions. The other is used to adjust the volume. I have not yet ordered a 3rd remote - what's the point?

A second issue is the CD player which failed about 6 months ago. It may be something simple but considering what I paid for this unit I am disappointed. I have other CD players which are much older and they still work.

The third issue is the radio reception. We live out of town so I never expected reception to be marvellous but AM and FM both suffer from poor quality. The receiver we were using prior to this gave better performance.

Bose Wave music system – The Bose wave music system is the best music system I have bought.The Bose has a CD player FM radio.Digital Radio.Bluetooth.and you can listen to music from Spotify.The Bose has a different speaker system giving better bass and treble.You have to listen to the sound to appreciate the quality. It is well worth the price.  Show details

Not Good – My first complaint is that many times when listening to a CD, the vocals are drowned out by the bass. Even with the bass lowered on the Wave IV, the vocals still get washed out. Secondly, my inexpensive AM/FM radio has no problem picking up a near by AM station. Unfortunately, the Wave IV has difficulty: the static is overwhelming which makes… Read more

listening to one particular AM station impossible.

Finally, my other 2 Bose Wave radios (non-CD) had buttons on top of the radio which made it easy to 'feel' in the dark when changing stations, lowering the volume or setting "Sleep" time. The remote buttons are tiny which means that I have to turn on the light and put on my glasses to make any adjustments...not good !

If you listen to classical music or hard rock, the sound of the Wave IV is sensational, however.

Great Product - Awesome Sound!!! – I had my eye on a Bose Wave Sound-touch for more than two years, doing research, checking out reviews etc. After two years I finally purchased my Wave Sound-touch and I am NOT disappointed. Great little unit that plays my CDs, has WiFi, Bluetooth and AM, FM and Digital radio stations. What a buy. I have several other Bose speaker units but this is… Read more

my first integrated system, and I am over the moon. Regarding some of the BAD reviews on this website I would suggest they read the manual and use the unit as it is supposed to. NO PROBLEMS, NO ISSUES, GREAT SYSTEM. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!

Great when it works – Bought Bose due to the name but have found the bluetooth to be incredibly touchy to connect. Great when it works but can take 10 minutes of connecting and reconnecting to get it to work. Very disappointed. I run Sonos through my work and this works much better via the wifi network. Sorry Bose this is an epic fail.  Show details

Nothing but bugs – I love BOSE. Have done for years. Combine BOSE with WIFI and the relationship ends. Poor slow grindingly slow updates, bad connectivity, only understood by the owner, not user friendly, 26 buttons on the remote! I want to play music! Made a mess out of it. Hopefully will improve. Sad to write this :-( Get a grip People  Show details

Can't replace the remote – The radio, Bose Wave Music System III, is a delight. I love it. But without a remote it is useless. When the remote failed in June 2018, following instructions in the manual, I range and ordered (and paid for) a new one. This was on the 20th June 2018. So far, nearly six weeks later, and after multiple phone calls and emails, they have sent me… Read more

two duds, which were for the wrong model.

It is often hard to get through on the phone and, while individual staff members do their best, after sales service is poor. You never speak to the same person twice and have to keep voluminous notes about order numbers, serial numbers, product numbers, names of staff, and reference numbers for calls.

This is stressful and unproductive and I still do not have a remote.

Great for my needs, (but I'm not an expert) – I bought this to replace my previous stereo (Tivoli Model 2). I was sold by the fact that it tunes to digital stations, has a CD player, and bluetooth. And I'd heard the sound was good quality. It does sound pretty good to me, the bass is great, but the treble seems a little sharp or tinny, and there's not a full enough sound in between. (But… Read more

then I'm used to the Model 2 sound which I think is very round and mellow compared to most other stereo's.) It does have plenty of volume for its size, ample for use in a medium sized unit or small house.

I find all digital controls annoying and this one is no exception. And I've realised it has too much programming functionality for me to ever bother with. Though I do bluetooth Spotify occasionally.

I chose the white model, which the shop people said people hardly ever wanted. I'm so glad I did, it looks great, especially sitting on top of white shelves, very 60's.

Overall I'm pretty happy with it. (But I wish my Model 2 still worked, I'll leave that for another review..)

Small and bassy – Bought a Bose Wave Music system in end October 2017 during Black Friday sale. At first I could not get used to the heavy bass sound. Hooked my TV to the Bose so the sound comes thru Bose. It sounded better than the TV speakers but it also took me a while to get used to the heavy bass sounds. If I had bought the product at full price, I would… Read more

probably be upset but at a discount, I suppose it was justified.

I use it every single day and have thus adjusted to the heavy bass sound.

You Gets What You Pays for! – I bought a Bose Wave Music System III in early 2014, and it has been in constant use (in my bedroom) since. I love it - it is easy to program AM, FM (and, I daresay, digital-I don't have digital reception where I live) radio stations, reception is excellent for FM and okay with AM (except when there is either human or naturally generated… Read more

electrical activity nearby). I don't use the CD player much, but it works just fine when I do. Sound quality is terrific for such little speakers (I'm not a hi fi purist though), alarm (buzzer or radio) is easy to set, and I find the unit user-friendly and attractively styled. I bought a black unit - although the white unit looks attractive, every white plastic appliance I've ever owned has yellowed after a while - very annoying when a koala has paid a premium price! I also like the good battery back up for settings, and the way the display automatically dims when lights are turned out. I'll likely upgrade to the latest SoundTouch IV system; I'd like to be able to connect via bluetooth to speakers in other rooms. Overall, Bose make great sound systems (my car is fitted standard with one, and it's excellent) - well worth the extra money.

Not what I expected – Saved up and bought the Bose Wave Music System IV and amso disappointed. In the Bose store it sounded fantastic but at home it is terrible.. not happy at all. Am returning it to store. My little Radio that I put through the TV sounds 100% better, what have I done?  Show details

Bose wave music excellence – I have owned my Bose Wave Music system for about a year now. I have wanted one for some years and finally treated myself. Love the sound either through the radio or through blue tooth. I don't tend to use the CD player however it is available if needed. I have also used it to connect my tv and enhance the sound while watching tv. Neat little… Read more

remote.

I will probably relocate the unit to my bedroom and use there when I install my surround sound system in my living area.

It is expensive however I'm expecting to get many many years from the unit.

Have no regrets with the unit.

Aged technical design – I like most BOSE products, but in my opinion this one is somewhat overrated. It seems to have good sound quality at first - by listening closer you find that the bass boost is extremely high and tends to cover the middle and higher tones. Inside the unit, the build quality is very good, but the used technology is aged - namely an old coil… Read more

transformer, very few settings or an energy eating green fluorescent display that is not very good readable because it has no dot matrix.

Call me funny but for the bass overhead I opened the unit and put a sock inside the bass reflex tube (to shorten its length and dampening it). Now it sounds much more balanced, especially on low volume (morning alarm clock).

The 2 included timers are simple, you cannot select weekdays. And the snooze goes up to 60 minutes, then it turns off, no matter what.

I guess BOSE should update this radio, as the more recent versions seem more or less identical.

Stupid little remote control – I have had the Bose Wave 1 as a bed-side clock radio for years, which has been great (but doesn't have a head phone jack), and so recently purchased the latest Wave 4 (which does have a head-phone jack) when my wife's clock radio stopped working (OK, she bought it so that she could have my Wave 1 to then give me the new Wave 4 so that I could… Read more

listen to the radio at night using headphones). The Wave 1 has good control buttons on top which makes easy use in the middle of the night, but this Wave 4 has a pathetic little remote where all of the buttons are exactly the same size. So, to adjust the volume, you have to grab the remote (usually by rummaging through other things you have beside your bed to find it) and feel the remote to make sure you have the top of the remote facing up to then be able to count three small buttons down on the left hand side to turn the volume up, or yo count four buttons down to turn the volume down. If you miss count, then you change the radio station. Good luck getting back to where you were without turning on the light and squinting at the tiny remote. This is backwards evolution! The Wave 1 had easy to locate buttons with a logical layout and different size buttons, with the most frequently used volume buttons offset so that they were readily relocatable. I would not have purchased this radio had I known that it no longer has buttons on top of the unit. Sounds great, but the pathetic remote would have been a deal beaker for me had I seen the product first.

Beyond Perfect – How do you replace 13 speakers and Dual Subwoofers,you buy Bose SoundTouch absolutely best $999.00 I have ever spent. The performance and quality of sound surpasses home system by miles. My Home System is all DENON so quality is there;but left unused due to Bose,can be heard crystal clear from Kitchen(where installed) to upstairs in front bedroom.… Read more

Home entertainment systems are great for when family gathered to watch movie,but my BOSE is on 24/7. The only thing to replace it will be next years Model .

Not impressed – No EQ, sounds terrible. Reduced the base, not happy at all. Don't waste your money on this system, if you are used to top class sound quality. Very disappointed indeed. When I purchased the system, I used it for a day. Packed it in the garage, where it stayed for a year. Tried it again, have decided to give it away.  Show details

Disappointed does't cover it – Just taken delivery of the Soundwave 4 and set it up to play a range of my music. Although the sound was clear that was about it. I expected to be immersed in the music given the price and hype of the unit. Whether is was heavy metal or classics, the sound just didn't cut the mustard and the volume was limited... I wanted to go louder but no. Bose… Read more

either need to tone down the hype but even more..lower their prices to match the performance....grossly over priced products. I already had a sound dock which did impress me but my latest expensive addition falls way off the pace.

Excellent quality for a non-professional home sound system – Bose say the system is calibrated to provide the most faithful reproduction of the source sounds and this is OK for all the media I am using including digital radio and TV. For deep bass or treble you should purchase systems designed for the purpose and steer clear of Bose.  Show details

thankyou Bose excellent – Thank you Bose, your after sale's service is excellent. I love my replacement product and how well you handled my inquiry .I guess your reputation speaks for itself. I will always be a fan. Well done Donald. You were understanding and handled every thing so professionally. Also a big thank you to Richard in WA. Thank you, Suzanne

Poor sound Quality – I have been a faithful user of Bose products, but am bitterly disappointed with this system. No adjustments for bass or treble, something that could easily have been added. A huge disappointment in the sound ( despite trying it in different locations. Bought it online direct from Bose, if it had been a store I would have taken it back. Avoid at all costs

Bitterly dissapointed – Excellent sound for such a small unit, however, there is no way to adjust for base or treble, accepts only 1 disk at a time, no way to select a specific track, i live in area where no digital stations exist just AM will work in digital area but i cant pick up the AM stations, totally controlled by remote, no spare remote is supplied

Over priced rubbish – Not worth the money! CD player only lasted about one year. Do yourself a favour and buy another brand. Show details