A New Player in the Clock Radio Wars: The Boston Acoustics Horizon Solo

This afternoon my wife and I were doing our monthly visit to Target to buy cleaners and toiletries when I told her I wanted to visit the electronics section. I'm a lost soul, helplessly in search for a radio chimera, an AM/FM-grabbing Uber Alles. God knows every time I go there an outrageous sale is going on a Tivoli radio or some new gizmo I've never seen before is sitting on the shelf. Such was the case today as I espied a mysterious man in his sixties in a dark blue suit. With furrowed brow, he was fiddling with a strange looking radio. The man was absorbed in his tinkering; at the same time, he seemed to live in some serene, ethereal world far away from the throng of Target shoppers. He was twisting the digital tuner read-out dial/clock bezel so that the radio could be used in both a horizontal or vertical position. My curiosity piqued, I inched my way toward the gentleman and lo and behold I was in the presence of the $99 Boston Acoustics Horizon Solo.  The sound, produced from a 3.5-inch speaker, is great, like the Boston Acoustics Recepter we use in the kitchen, and the tuner grabbed 89.3 KPCC, a problematic FM station in Torrance. Mind you, this was in a high-interference store. I told the man the radio was amazing but that sadly I'd have to pass on it since I had so many radios at home. Calmly, he told me I had better get one. The man appeared to have supernatural powers, like the Mephistophelean tailor and coat peddler who persuades Akaky to save all his money to buy an overcoat from Gogol's masterpiece "The Overcoat." Like the lugubrious Akaky intoxicated by the prospect of a magical overcoat, I was tipsy at the thought of getting the Horizon Solo, so much to my wife's consternation I bought the radio and figured if it worked well at home, I'd sell my current clock radio, a very good albeit compromised FM-performing Sangean WR-2. I was eager to get the Horizon home and test its AM/FM. I was not disappointed: The AM is excellent. The FM, even with the 24-inch wire external antenna (not the telescopic that I prefer) receives all my favorite FM stations and more. Honestly, the FM tuner is on steroids: It's grabbing 103.1 and 89.3 better than my legendary Kaito 1103 and the Horizon Solo relies on a wire antenna. The sound is crystal clear. It has 20 presets. It has an easy-to-use interface for memories, bass, treble, clock, and alarm. You can position the radio vertically or horizontally. It doesn't leave a big footprint next to your bed. An improvement over the more expensive Boston Acoustics Recepter, the Horizon Solo, unlike the forlorn Recepter, has a stereo headphone jack. Honestly, I think the Horizon will eat away at Recepter sales and effectively replace it. Considering its amazing FM, I think we can crown the affordable $99 Horizon Solo the current king in the clock radio wars. As for my Sangean WR-2, I just put it up for sale. The tuner is so exceptional, grabbing all my AM and FM stations with such power and clarity, I'm tempted to sell several radios I use in my house and replace them with the Horizon Solo. This radio represents a huge leap in radio technology and innovation.  For those who want to fork out $50 more, Boston Acoustics has a stereo version, the  Horizon Duo.

Comments

[Ed S.]

Nice find , Jeff. What was the actual selling price, list of $99? But don't expect to see the Receptor dethroned any time soon...if anything, the Receptor's value on Amazon has been rising steadily...even used, they are selling for over $170 now!

[Jeff McMahon]

The Horizon Solo cost me the full $99. Believe me, with its 3.5-inch speaker, headphone jack and reasonable price point, it's better than the Recepter. It's just a matter of time before it pushes the Recepter off the cliff.

[Wals]

Stereo version with Re,but no RDS:http://www.4electronicwarehouse.com/products/boston-acoustics/horizon-duo-mdnt.html?id=16441&utm_source=GoogleBase&utm_term=DUOMDNT&utm_campaign=boston-acoustics&utm_medium=comparison
I hadn't heard but I guess the BAR is history (J&R no longer selling it). The iPod revolution is changing radios and record business.

[Jeff McMahon]

My hats off to Boston Acoustics for making the necessary changes in a fast-moving industry. Their Solo is a home run.

[Ed S]

FYI, You can change the color of the grill: Boston Acoustics’ new Personal Options Plan ((P.O.P.)design concept.P.O.P.lets users customize the look of their radio by offering optional metal grilles availablein a wide variety of colors,including Glacier, Rosebud, Onyx, Pearl Gray, Caramel, Chocolat, Silver,
Spanish Moss, Olive and Chili Pepper. To purchase a new grille, customers can simply visit the Boston
Acoustics website www.bostonacoustics.com/POP) and select the color of their choice or contact
those dealers that will be stocking the grille color options.

[Jeff McMahon]

I noticed that. Grill colors are a nice option, but I'm overwhelmed by the FM tuner. It's so good it's getting weak stations better than my Kaito 1103 and the Boston relies on a wire antenna. I'm tempted to sell a bunch of radios around the house and replace them with the Horizon Solo.

One curiosity: I turn the radio off and can hear the most recent station played at faint volume through my headphones. What?

[Ed S.]

What happened to the $40 Eton 100? It is back to 150 on Amazon today.

[Jeff McMahon]

I assumed they sold out. I even deleted the post. I'd say the radio is worth 90 dollars max. The speaker sound is only okay for me. The reception is not as good as the Horizon Solo though it is above average.

[Bob Herrin]

Early reports stated that the clock display lost 5 minutes when the radio was on, but reverted to correct time when the radio was off. Anyone experienced this? If it's true, has this been resolved?

Thanks!

[Jeff McMahon]

I experienced this and so did others. The radio seems to still be in the "bug" stage. Too bad. It's one of the best radios I've ever owned. I have two. Some readers have complained of really bad bugs, the worst being a buzz on AM. My 2 radios haven't been that bad. Until the bugs are worked out, you may want to get a Sangean WR-2 for a clock radio.

[Tom]

Today I went to Target to see the Solo and was very impressed with its sound quality. Prior to hearing the Solo, I was considering the Sangean PR-D5 and now I am interested in hearing from anyone who has both of these units. Is the D5 even close in sound quality or is it equal to or better than the Solo? I realize this is all subjective, but I have no way to preview the D5. The poorly designed sleep timer on the Solo has me bummed because it sounded so good. Thanks for any feedback.

[Paul]

You can buy the Eton E100 from
http://www.overstockdealz.com/products.asp?id=E100R

for $40 plus shipping.

Jeff - one note about your photos. Notice how much nicer are the radio photos you take without flash on your S45 (such as the Horizon Solo ones above). These point and shoot cameras have a harsh flash at close distance.

[Carrie]

Paul, thanks for that. I'll avoid the flash. I'm using my wife's Canon.

Jeff (on my wife's computer)