Sound Advice: Two options to replace Wave radio

Q: Our beloved Bose Wave radio no longer is usable. The few places I’ve seen online that repair Bose radios charge an exorbitant price, so that’s not an option. Can you recommend a tabletop radio model that has good reception and sound quality comparable to the Bose? Bass and treble adjustments and a remote control would be nice to have.

A: As I am sure you have already discovered, you can no longer buy a new Bose Wave. Currently there is nothing directly comparable, which surprises me. I thought that by now someone would have come up with a premium table radio to offer to those replacing a Wave radio or who wanted one but never got a chance to buy one when they were available. What I can recommend is a budget option that might do the job, and a premium option that is worlds better than what you had, though it comes at a cost.

The Aiwa Exos Home Bedroom Speaker (aiwa.co) includes a CD player, Bluetooth and an AM/FM tuner with 20 presets. It also has a remote control, headphone output and optical and auxiliary inputs, making it quite versatile.

Aiwa has long been known for making some of the best-sounding products in the entry-level price ranges, and the Exos has received very good reviews. At $149.99, it represents a good value, though the sonic performance will not measure up to the more expensive products, and there are no tone controls.

If the Aiwa represents a step down from the Bose Wave, the Technics SC-C65 All-In-One Music System and Technics Ottava Premium SC-C70MK2 system (us.technics.com) represent giant steps above it. What makes it so special is that it is chock-full of some of the very best audio technology available. Though it is a single component somewhat bigger than a Bose Wave radio CD player, it sounds like a full-sized audio system with very good tower speakers. It includes a CD player, FM, network playback, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and a full suite of streaming services, and it tunes itself to match the acoustics of your room.

The first time I heard the SC-C70, I guessed it would sell for $3,000. When I learned that it was closer to $1,000, I knew Technics would have a mega hit on their hands. The SC-C70MK2 is currently $1,099.95.

Building on the success of the SC-C70 series, Technics now offers the slightly smaller SC-C65 for $999.99. I have not heard it, but it looks very similar, and I have been told it has much of the same qualities as the SC-C70MK2. It is available direct from the Technics website, and if you sign up for emails there, you can save 10% on your first order, bringing the price down to around $900. That is unheard of for audio products in the luxury class.

Send questions to Don Lindich at donlindich@gmail.com. Get recommendations and read past columns at soundadvicenews.com.