Pros and Cons from the Current Crop of High-End Clock Radios

Number One: The $85-99 Boston Acoustics Horizon Solo.
Pros: Outstanding sound and reception on AM and FM; easy-to-use interface; 20 presets, the wire FM antenna rarely needs to be raised because the FM tuner is so sensitive.
Cons: A lot of people are complaining about bugs on the sleeper timer, the alarm, many others. I've bought 3 with no major problems, but readers should be aware of the bugs that are turning up. Some don't like the way it looks. Some want preset toggle buttons instead of turning the interface knob up and down.
Bottom-line: If you can get one without bugs, you've got the best clock radio I've ever tested.

Number Two: The $125-150 Sangean WR-2.
Pros: Outstanding AM, good sound; in black it may be the most attractive clock radio I've seen; outstanding build quality, feels heavy and solid; preset buttons easy to reach and feel in the dark. It appears FM has improved since the first models came out in 2005. I've had both and my new one gets better FM. Monoaural speakers sounds warm and upscale.
Cons: The alarm controls are not anti-intuitive. Only 5 presets each for AM and FM. You have to crank up the volume to "30" before you get full sound.
Bottom-line: If you can get used to the alarm functions, you have a gorgeous clock radio.

Number Three: The $70-150 Eton Sound 100.
Pros: Telescopic FM antenna gets excellent reception. AM is above average. Has a remote. Has a high-fidelity speaker. Has a retro-modern look.
Cons: People complain about the plastic, which gives it a cheap feel and look. People complain about the bright display that results in insomnia. Only 5 presets for AM and FM. No one is praising the speaker sound. After hearing the lush, resplendent speaker of the Horizon Solo, the Eton Sound 100 sounds incurably mediocre.
Bottom-line: If you can get one for $50-70 and are not annoyed by the bright display at night, you're getting a lot of radio for the money.

Comments

[Cyril]

I finally bit the bullet and got a BA Solo to complement our white Tivoli Model 1 and RCA clock radio. So far very impressed by the sound and FM tuner (the AM does not manage to pick any of the stations in the area!). The only oddity I have noticed yet is a slight flicker of the screen at times.

Btw, visiting the Boston Acoustics website, I saw that the suggested US retail price for the Solo went up to 150$ and there are two Duos: the standard one is 200$ and the one with iPod dock is 250$. Although their webstore still sells them for 100/150/200$... Go figure!

[Jeff McMahon]

Cyril, that $150 price is way too high. Amazon sells it for 75-90 dollars.

I get the flicker also, but AM sounds defective unless you're in a high-interference area. One reader, Dave in Chicago, returned his because it didn't get AM either. My AM is fantastic.

[Ed S.]

I have come to think that the flicker or flash of the display is due to the action of the display's auto-brightness feature. Yes, there is a manual setting for the display, but ambient light also affects the brightness. (Wave your hand around the display to see it.) When it jumps a level or two by itself, the display shows a "flicker." My Duo-I does it too.

[Jeff McMahon]

Ed, I think you're right. I'll post your comment. Thanks. Jeff

[Cyril]

Yes, you must be right about the ambient light sensor. By the way, is that sensor the little round "hole" at the end of the volume indicator around the central button?

Bugs aside, I don't think a 150$ RRSP would be much too high for a good quality radio with a highly functional clock. That would make it sell for around 120$, similar to the Tivoli Model 1 (no clock), the WR-2 (much larger from what I can gather), or the discontinued Recepter.

So really, the current 70-90$ is a bit of a bargain for a bug-free BA Solo. Unless they get hit hard by the bugs, I wouldn't be surprised to see the price creep up a bit.

[Jeff McMahon]

I'm listening to my WR-2 in my office now. It's fantastic. The Solo is back by my bedside. And I have another Solo in the kitchen. I think the prices should stay around the same in this sluggish economy.

[Ed S.]

Yes Cyril, put your finger over that sensor and watch the display brighness ramp down...

[Jeff McMahon]

Cyril, sorry I forgot to answer your brightness display question in my response. Ed, thanks for answering Cyril's question for me.