I already own two Boston Acoustic Horizon Solos, which I bought on Amazon for about $85. One is in the bedroom and the other is in the workout room. But how does the Solo stack up against the two-speaker Horizon Duo, (its price keeps soaring; from $105, to $120, and now $147)? I bought my Duo for $115 and use it in the kitchen. I have a Solo in the nearby workout room. Here's a comparison:
Speaker Sound: The Duo wins. While I love the Solo's full high-fidelity sound, the Duo speakers really fill the kitchen with ease.
AM Reception: Like any radio, both the Solo and the Duo have to be rotated. It's easier to turn the Solo. With the Duo, you might want to buy one of those C.Crane Lazy Susans. AM is equal on both radios, good, but not great. Their ferrite antennas aren't as big as the Sangean PR-D5's so weaker AM stations may give you some trouble.
FM Reception: The Solo wins. Probably they get equal FM, but the stereo speakers on the Duo highlight background static more easily. This is only a problem once in a while when I listen to 89.3 KPCC. I'd still give the Duo an A minus grade on FM.
Remote: The Duo has one and the Solo does not.
Ease of use: The remote on the Duo allows you to bypass the toggle mode switch on the radio. Some people don't like changing the mode by hand. But on the Solo you toggle your presets, whether they're AM or FM, in the same preset mode, so you don't really miss the remote.
Conclusion: These are both great radios but the Duo, once a good deal, is getting too pricey for its own good. For
a bedside radio, I'd go with the Solo because it takes up less space
and you can rotate it easier to optimize AM reception. The Solo is loud
enough for big rooms as well and its speaker isn't as prone to static
as much as the Duo's. So on balance I think most people will be better
served getting the $85 Solo, which I give an A grade. The Duo gets
an A minus because of occasional FM static on weak stations. A highly rated radio that I haven't tried and that may give the Duo some serious competition is the $130 Philips Executive. This is a 30 watt speaker clock radio with iPod cradle, CD player and digital presets. The equivalent additions in the Horizon line will cost you $282 or more in the Horizon Trio.
Comments