Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black)
- Precision AM/FM tuner with 20 AM/FM station presets delivers noise-free reception
- High performance 3.5″ full-range speaker with BassTrac audio processing for rich, clean bass at all listening levels
- Auxiliary input for iPod and other portable media devices and Stereo headphone jack – on the front for your convenience
- High contrast LCD display automatically adjusts to ambient light
- Dual independent alarm clock with sleep timer
The Boston Solo II is an about-face in radio design: it’s the first compact AM/FM radio with a clock and control dial that turns, giving you placement flexibility no other radio offers. Place Solo II sideways on a shelf or desk. Stand it up on a kitchen counter or bedside table. Wherever and however you use it, the sound is pure Boston; smooth, detailed with bass response beyond expectation. Solo II has been designed to look great – and engineered to sound even better. A precision tuner locks in
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(out of 9 reviews)
List Price: $ 149.99
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Boston Acoustics HDUOMDNT Horizon Duo Speaker System (Midnight)
- Dual High-Performance 3.5-Inch Full-Range Speakers
- Requires Hrd-I Dock For Ipod(R) Compatibility
- Includes Remote, Fm Antenna & Detachable Ac Cord
- Midnight
- 2 auxiliary inputs for connecting additional media players
Horizon duo midnight speaker system with dual high-performance 3.5-Inch full-range speakers.
Rating: (out of 28 reviews)
List Price: $ 149.99
Price:
Review by OrlandoAlex for Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black)
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The sound quality is amazing for a 3.5 inch speaker, with very smooth bass that really fills a room. When the radio first comes on at your preset alarm time, it is whisper quiet, slowly building in volume level to whatever level it was when you last used it. It’s a very pleasant way to wake up.
The alarm-setting process is easy to control, and you can be awakened with the radio, an alarm sound, or it can try waking you with the radio at first and then use the standard alarm if you don’t wake within 5 minutes.
It has an automatic brightness control that dims the display when the room gets dark, with 20 levels of adjustment that you can control manually if you’re sensitive to light in your room.
The radio tuner is quite good — it digitally locks on to the signal, with very little if any static on weak signals. It’s the strongest radio receiver I own, including the one in my car. If the built-in antenna doesn’t suffice, you can even connect an external antenna to a port in the back.
The build quality of this radio is very high, giving a feeling that it’s truly a luxury product, something to be proud of owning.
One of the coolest features — and there are several — is that it can hold its own radio and clock settings if the power goes out, without need for a battery. It uses a capacitor to maintain a charge, which it says is good for one or two days without being plugged in. I’ve only tested this feature moving the radio from one room to another, but it held all settings.
Overall, this is a great clock radio. I’m so glad to have it instead of using my cell phone to wake me, a poor substitute in comparison to such a fine product.
Review by Randall P. Mcdonnell for Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black)
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This is my 3rd Boston Acoustics clock radio. I own a 1-speaker Receptor which I used for 5 years and was happy with, but I wanted a radio with an aux-in port, so I bought another model and then this Solo II
This unit sounds great. It has bass and treble controls for adjustments. But b and large I’m happy with the sound coming from the speaker. It’s at least as good as my 1-speaker Receptor.
The controls are annoying. There are two buttons to turn on the alarms. The large middle knob is the power and volume. The knob on the right is the tuner and cycles through the presets. And the knob on the left controls *everything* else, which makes things a little difficult in the dark. My biggest complaint is that the sleep timer is buried in the multitude of settings controlled by the left knob. If the sleep timer were controlled elsewhere, I’d be a lot happier.
The clock keeps terrible time. In about 3 weeks of ownership, it’s fallen off by about 5 minutes. But then every BA clock radio I’ve owned has been like that to varying extents. Who in the chip world is making such garbage timers that are finding their way into these radios?
The write-up boasts 20 different levels of display brightness control. But as others have written, if you’re senetive to such things, it’s going to be too bright even at the lowest setting. I fixed that by covering the with a piece of tinted plastic I made with a presentation slide and my printer. It darkens it just enough.
All in all, it’ll work for now. But I have a feeling I’m going to be searching for a replacement in a few months
Review by P. Taylor for Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black)
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I purchased this clock radio after returning a Cambridge Soundworks i525 (which suffered from inability to lower wake volume to normal level). Unfortunately this product to suffers from an excess itself. For me, the display even at its dimmest setting, was way too bright at night.
Upon opening the box and unwrapping the unit I knew it was solid and well made. Just had that feel. Setup was a breeze. The controls are simple to use (although not quite as intuitive as they could be). The unit picked up my fav. modern rock station with ease. The sound from the box was very good – although given my relatively low usage, I did NOT explore too much of this feature.
However I quickly became upset with my purchase. I researched the opinions expressed on amazon and other sites. I became wary of the brightness issue and emailed the manufacturer. They replied with a diagnostic re-calibration method for even more dim control. But I could only stand 2 nights of a glowing room. The problem is not with the brightness of the numerals, but with the blue backdrop they appear on. From what I can tell, the brightness control adjusts the numerals only – making them dimmer or brighter. But the blue glow remains. It kept me awake. In fact, as I lie in bed the 2nd night I could literally make shadow puppets on my ceiling from the glow emanating.
A couple of other issues make this unit lacking for my purposes. At this price I would expect to be able to select a source and volume setting per alarm. Rather you are limited to the station and volume that was set when the unit was last turned on. Also, while the snooze feature is cool – I don’t use it. Rather I prefer buttons on the top of the unit to silence the alarm. Searching the front panel isn’t as intuitive for me. But that is somethng I *could* have lived with if it weren’t for the brightness issue.
Great product for a small office, but not suitable for a bedside alarm clock.
Review by MT & MLT Teacher for Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black)
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Radio sound was impressive for a table top clock radio and a pleasure to wake up to. I was looking for s new gentle way to wake up in the morning so was very happy with the quality of the sound. Unfortunately the digital clock display was too bright even on the lowest setting; I wish we could have turned it off since it lit up the bedroom. Also I was dissappointed with alarm settings and function since it would not shut off even after tapping the rim as recommneded. I ended up unplugging it. Will be returning item for a refund.
Review by Way too much crapola for Boston Acoustics SOLO2B Solo II AM/FM Radio with Clock (Gloss Black)
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Once you have a really good radio it’s hard to listen to anything else. The sound is so full and balanced that other ‘lesser’ radios just don’t stack up. I’ve had this radio for a long time now and I would buy it again. BUT it’s not perfect.
The biggest gripe is that it comes with a FM radio antenna. I’m not sure if the AM is built in or if it doesn’t have one. My car can get more AM stations without static then this radio – and that’s not a good thing. The FM is crystal clear but this is not really a FM ‘music’ type radio. This is primarily a ‘listen to talk radio’ type radio. So it makes no sense that the antenna wouldn’t be geared towards AM. I can’t overstate this – the AM is not good. I’ve emailed BA to ask about this issue and if they have any suggestions – but so far no response.
There is another thing – I’ve never been able to figure out how the electronics work on this unit. It is not intuitive. Now – understand this – I’m the type of person who assembles his own computers, set up my home Ethernet (both wired and wireless), have a Windows 7 media center PC that I use as a DVR etc… (you get the idea) and I’m also a licensed builder (for what that’s worth) so I am mechanically inclined. I’ve read and re-read the instructions. I cannot figure out how this thing works. It seems to change screen too fast – so that it goes back to the ‘menu’ before you can implement the changes. This is difficult to explain but anyone who has used this radio knows EXACTLY what I’m talking about.
So why do I really like this radio? Because it sounds fantastic and the stations that are clear are awesome !! So even though it has issues I wouldn’t consider selling it.
Review by M. JEFFREY MCMAHON for Boston Acoustics HDUOMDNT Horizon Duo Speaker System (Midnight)
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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. My friend urged me to get the two-speaker Duo, so I finally capitulated and use it in the kitchen. My review will be based on my comparison between the $85 Solo and the $115 Duo.
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: I’d have to give a slight nod to the Duo. In the kitchen I had to rotate the Solo to fine-tune 570AM. I don’t have to touch the Duo. This is fortunate because the size and shape of it make it impractical for rotating the radio to maximize AM reception from its internal ferrite antenna.
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 for their price point. 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 $115 Duo gets an A minus because of occasional FM static on weak stations.
UPDATE: JULY 14, 2009:
I own two Duos, one bought in September of 2008 and one bought in March of 2009. Both had to be returned because the AM stopped working. This may be due to the intense heat generated by these radios even when the radios are turned off. The replacement radios (I had to pay $20 for shipping) generate the same heat and I fear their AM will fizzle out as well. This is a real shame. While this is the best sounding radio I’ve ever owned, its heat and AM problem compels me to tell consumers to stay away from the Duo.
In contrast, the smaller version, the BA Horizon Solo is great. I own two and in the last year and a half I’ve had no problems. Get the cheaper Solo. Great mono speaker sound and better reliability than the Duo.
Review by Vernal E. Richardson for Boston Acoustics HDUOMDNT Horizon Duo Speaker System (Midnight)
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I hesitated to order this radio because of the one negative rating available at the time. I received the radio today, and I am delighted with it. Since it is new, perhaps the other reviewer just happened to receive a “lemon”.
I am a professional musician, accustomed to very high quality sound equipment in recording studios where I have worked. I also have a sound system at home which cost thousands of dollars.
I expected a clock radio which would function in that capacity, and which my wife and I could hear for news and weather, etc. Instead, I received a very fine sounding radio which we will enjoy for hours when we can sleep in. It is not better than our sound system, but it is enjoyable to hear with the expensive system as a comparison.
It pulls in very distant FM stations very clearly with only the included antenna, it has just enough features to make operation convenient, it produces a balanced tone throughout the frequency range, the bass is really spectacular in such a small appliance, and the remote works perfectly. I would grade Boston Acoustics A+ for this effort!
Review by Bruce Donley for Boston Acoustics HDUOMDNT Horizon Duo Speaker System (Midnight)
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I’ve had this product for two days, and I’ve had a super out-of-box experience so far. Great build quality, and just the right amount of features, solidly presented. Knob control is great and menu is intuitive.
FM reception is excellent- 4-foot whip antenna is included (I’m on the second floor–BUT there’s a set of high-tension cables 100 feet away from the building, which often causes signal interference). Display dims or brightens automatically by default, but this is also controllable from the menu manually if you like.
And the SOUND is AMAZING for such a small unit! Bass is rich and assertive, and treble is detailed and crystalline (both can be adjusted +5 to -5 on the menu). Even the alarm does well- tone, radio, or both- and the gradual step-up in volume wakes one in a civilized manner. Snooze period is adjustable, and the ENTIRE FRONT GRILL EDGE is the snoozebar! Groggy can’t miss that– Unit will apparently hold presets in case of power outage for 24 hours or so without batteries- flash memory?
Get a good 1/8″ male/male audio patch cable (not included) to plug in your external tune source through AUX A jack, in bottom front of the unit next to the 1/8″ headphone out- the back also has an AUX B input with two RCA stereo female jacks as an alternative.
AND a REMOTE, that controls all from a distance- and even has a MAGNET on the back of it so you can securely store it on a metal surface. This runs on one CR2025 Li watch battery (included).
The iPod port integral version of the Duo runs about $50 more, but I’ve discovered that the iPod port is also available as an add-on for the basic Duo for around $40. So that’s upgradable too!
BA engineers really thought about the design here, about how people have struggled with crappy clock-radios every morning. It’s like sleeping on a terrible cheap mattress, really–why torture yourself?
A one-year warranty. Be sure you purchase from an Authorized Boston dealer though- I understand there may be warranty issues if you don’t.
In my opinion, for the relatively low cost and complete feature set, this product whips the behind of Bose, and even Cambridge/Tivoli. FINALLY I have found the bedside audio clock I’ve always wanted! GREAT product, Boston Acoustics!
Review by D. Sheill for Boston Acoustics HDUOMDNT Horizon Duo Speaker System (Midnight)
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Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo High Performance AM/FM Clock Radio (Midnight)
I like everything about this radio except the FM tuner , the heat it makes, and the odor. It pulls in distant stations well but with static. This is a common problem easily improved by changing from stereo to mono but this radio does not have that option! It makes a lot of heat when off, indicating it is not Energy Star compliant. Tech support says they cannot tell me how many watts it uses when off or on. And it has a strong chemical odor they say is excess adhesive.
Review by stevie.g for Boston Acoustics HDUOMDNT Horizon Duo Speaker System (Midnight)
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I had the older BA Receptor radio and just loved it. I bought this one for my mother as a Mom’s day gift, and the sound was superior, it also has a great capacity to pull in FM stations. However, i was saddened that it was a more complicated to use. With the old one, one button controlled volume, and one controlled tuning/presets. That’s it; easy as pie. The new one while offering more makes it more difficult to move between presets. I also do not like the sleep function on this one as well.
BUT, the sound and reception is great, especially for the price. I wonder why there is no CD version available for these?