Please recommend a good CD clock radio

pglbook
pglbook Posts: 2,163
My old CD/radio/alarm clock died and I am in the market for a new one. The one I had was a rather cheap unit and I am looking to upgrade to one that has excellent sound. I want mainly to play CDs at night. I don't need a radio but it's ok if it has one. Can someone recommend one with excellent sound? I know many here are not fans of Bose but the Bose Wave actually gets great reviews but it is very expensive. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thank you,
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Comments

  • lightman1
    lightman1 Posts: 10,776
    For what it does, the Bose Wave will be good enough for you.

    I own a few sets of Bose speakers. ;)
  • pglbook
    pglbook Posts: 2,163
    Thanks, lightman. The Bose Wave seems to be excellent but I do not think I want to pay $500 for it. That seems like a lot of money to pay for a CD/clock radio. Heck, I paid less money for my Polk SDA 2BTL speakers and also paid less for my Parasound amp (both bought used, and I know the Bose Wave is a new item, but $500 still seems like a lot of change for the Bose Wave). Any other suggestions, at a lower price point than the Bose Wave? Thanks.
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    Does it have to be a CD player? I mean you can get an older iPod or other MP3 player and a nice little pair of power monitors for a lot less.

    Another option is a squeezebox boom on eBay for about $150. Built in wireless and access to tons on internet radio stations. And if u have a computer with music downloaded, you can download the Logitech software and stream your library. Or pay $10 a month for Spotify and stream directly from mysqueezebox.com, no computer necessary. That's the route I would go personally.

    There just aren't really any quality cd alarm clock radios to compete with Bose, because, well no one wants one...
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • decal
    decal Posts: 3,205
    Check out Tivoli Audio, much better than Bose IMHO. https://www.tivoliaudio.com/shop
    If you can't hear a difference, don't waste your money.
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    decal wrote: »
    Check out Tivoli Audio, much better than Bose IMHO. https://www.tivoliaudio.com/shop

    Those look cool, but same basic problem as the CD player version is $600. Dump the CD player and the options really open up at a lower price.
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
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    B&k 1420
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  • pglbook
    pglbook Posts: 2,163
    Thanks for the feedback. A CD player is a must as I still have a ton of CDs. I know I can download the music to my computer, stream it, etc...and I do have a Polk Camden Bluetooth wireless speaker....but I am looking for a good sounding CD/clock radio at a price point of under $250.
  • pglbook
    pglbook Posts: 2,163
    Thanks, tonyb. I know I can get a used earlier Bose Wave model in my price range. They are up to the Bose Wave IV model so the first 2 Bose Wave models are relatively inexpensive on the used market (i.e., less than half of what the new Bose Wave IV costs). Does anyone know the difference between the different Bose Wave models (Bose Wave I-IV) and if either the Bose Wave I or II would be worth getting at around $150-$175, which seems to be the average going price for those 2 models used.
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Gonna be hard to get a good sounding unit for 250, new anyway. Cruise your local Craigslist, maybe something will pop.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    edited March 2017
    If Tivoli still makes one, that's the way to go, I'd opine.
    Next best would be Sangean; do they make one?
    I like the Sangean radios; we have one in our kitchen that sounds good (very good, actually) and is a very "hot" radio; It will pick up WBZ-AM in Boston (120 miles away) day or night -- as long as I turn the LED lights in the kitchen off :p

    Think of the Sangeans as "Tivoli Lite". The Tivoli products are a notch nicer overall -- but they're also significantly 'spensiver.

    All this being said:
    CD players are sort of -- Twentieth Century, though. :/

    Of course, the other option is a clock radio with an AUX input. Hook a "Discman" player to it (remember those?) and use the sleep timer on the radio if so equipped. The radio alarm will (should) still work in the morning -- although I guess the CD player would have to be set to repeat play(?).

    The other option would involve a receiver, CD player and system timer. Achievable but a bit of overkill ;)

    EDIT: In total seriousness, if the OP decides to go the "AUX in" route, I'd be happy to chip in a "Discman" type player. I have -- a few -- "in stock" :|



  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    EDIT: In total seriousness, if the OP decides to go the "AUX in" route, I'd be happy to chip in a "Discman" type player. I have -- a few -- "in stock" :|

    I'd take him up on this kind offer and get a squeezebox boom I mentioned. It has an auxiliary input. Or there are many other similar options...
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    -- I assume the OP wants some kind of way to listen to a CD as he (or she) drifts off into the arms of Morpheus, but will still jangle him (or her) awake when needed in the morning :)

    If the 'boom' will do that, then -- yeah, that'll work.

    At any rate, there really are a handful of little portable CD thingies here, so I could easily chip one in. The only restriction is the OP's gotta be in the contiguous US (for shipping) :|
  • rooftop59
    rooftop59 Posts: 7,952
    Squeezebox boom has a alarm that can wake you up with music or with an alarm tone.
    Living Room 2.2: Usher BE-718 "tiny dancers"; Dual DIY Dayton audio RSS210HF-4 Subs with Dayton SPA-250 amps; Arcam SA30; Musical Fidelity A308; Sony UBP-x1000es; Squeezebox Touch with Bolder Power Supply
    Game Room 5.1.4:
    Denon AVR-X4200w; Sony UBP-x700; Definitive Technology Power Monitor 900 mains, CLR-3000 center, StudioMonitor 350 surrounds, ProMonitor 800 atmos x4; Sub - Monoprice Monolith 15in THX Ultra

    Bedroom 2.1
    Cambridge Azur 551r; Polk RT25i; ACI Titan Subwoofer
  • gudnoyez
    gudnoyez Posts: 8,056
    edited March 2017
    https://quadcities.craigslist.org/ele/5986177199.html

    Get you one of these instead $5 and wake yourself up to tunes from the bedroom rig everyone has a bedroom rig right?
    Home Theater
    Parasound Halo A 31 OnkyoTX-NR838 Sony XBR55X850B 55" 4K RtiA9 Fronts CsiA6 Center RtiA3 Rears FxiA6 Side Surrounds Dual Psw 111's Oppo 105D Signal Ultra Speaker Cables & IC's Signal Magic Power Cable Technics SL Q300 Panamax MR4300 Audioquest Chocolate HDMI Cables Audioquest Forest USB Cable

    2 Channel
    Adcom 555II Vincent SA-T1 Marantz SA 15S2 Denon DR-M11 Clearaudio Bluemotion SDA 2.3tl's (Z) edition MIT Terminator II Speaker Cables & IC's Adcom 545II Adcom Gtp-450 Marantz CD5004 Technics M245X SDA 2B's, SDA CRS+

    Stuff for the Head
    JD LABS C5 Headphone Amplifier, Sennheiser HD 598, Polk Audio Buckle, Polk Audio Hinge, Velodyne vPulse, Bose IE2, Sennheiser CX 200 Street II, Sennheiser MX 365

    Shower & Off the beaten path Rigs
    Polk Audio Boom Swimmer, Polk Audio Urchin B)
  • erniejade
    erniejade Posts: 6,288
    Get a pioneer timer dt 530 or 550 and skip's Ifi50
    Musical Fidelity Tri-Vista 300, Audioquest Thunderbird Zero Speaker Cable, Tyler Highland H2, Audioquest Thunderbird Interconnect, Innuos Zen MK3 W4S recovery, Revolution Audio Labs USB & Ethernet, Border Patrol SE-I, Audioquest Niagara 5000 & Thunder, Cullen Crossover II PC's.
  • voltz
    voltz Posts: 5,384
    Hey Pete, good to hear from ya B) don't have any advise for ya except I always wanted a Tivoli Model one! no CD though but they do have one.
    2 ch- Polk CRS+ * Vincent SA-31MK Preamp * Vincent Sp-331 Amp * Marantz SA8005 SACD * Project Xperience Classic TT * Sumiko Blue Point #2 MC cartridge

    HT - Polk 703's * NAD T-758 * Adcom 5503 * Oppo 103 * Samsung 60" series 8 LCD
  • txcoastal1
    txcoastal1 Posts: 13,124
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    All this being said:
    CD players are sort of -- Twentieth Century, though. :/

    So are alarm clocks :|

    2-channel: Modwright KWI-200 Integrated, Dynaudio C1-II Signatures
    Desktop rig: LSi7, Polk 110sub, Dayens Ampino amp, W4S DAC/pre, Sonos, JRiver
    Gear on standby: Melody 101 tube pre, Unison Research Simply Italy Integrated
    Gone to new homes: (Matt Polk's)Threshold Stasis SA12e monoblocks, Pass XA30.5 amp, Usher MD2 speakers, Dynaudio C4 platinum speakers, Modwright LS100 (voltz), Simaudio 780D DAC

    erat interfectorem cesar et **** dictatorem dicere a
  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
  • Emlyn
    Emlyn Posts: 4,346
    That could be modded with some black paint.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    txcoastal1 wrote: »
    mhardy6647 wrote: »
    All this being said:
    CD players are sort of -- Twentieth Century, though. :/

    So are alarm clocks :|

    There is that.
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    Emlyn wrote: »
    That could be modded with some black paint.

    Dang stuff's too hard to find.
  • Mikey081057
    Mikey081057 Posts: 7,127
    I found some along with some camouflage paint bought it and now can't find any of it.
    My New Year's resolution is 3840 × 2160

    Family Room| Marantz AV7704| Usher Dancer Mini - 2 DMD Mains |Usher Dancer Mini-x DMD's Surrounds | Usher BE-616 DMD Center | SVS Ultra Rear Surrounds | Parasound Halo A21 | Parsound Halo A52+ | MIT Shotgun S3's | Dual SVS SB 4000 Ultras | Oppo UDP 203 | Directv Genie HD DVR | Samsung 75" Q8 QLED | PSAudio Stellar GCD | Mytek Brooklyn DAC+ | Lumin U1 Mini | HP Elite Slice PC | ROON'd for life |

    ManCave: HT:Polk LSiM 706VR3 LSiM 703's LSiM 702's|| Marantz AV7002 AV PrePro Sunfire TGA-7401| Sony PS4 Pro| Sony PS4 Pro|SVS PB13 Ultra| Oppo UDP 203 | Music Hall MMF 5.3se TT w/ Soundsmith Carmen | Samsung 55" SUHD TV | Sony PS4

    Patio | Polk Atrium 8's | Yamaha R-N303BL |

    Office BlueSound Node| KEF LS50 | Peactree Nova 125SE |

    Bedroom | Focal 905's | Chromecast Audio |

    Garage | Polk Monitor 5B's

    Closet Yamaha M80 | 2 Polk MP3K subs| Yaqin MC100B with Shuguang Treasures KT 88's & CV181Z's | Tesla E83CC's | Marantz 2252B | Marantz 2385 |Polk SDA SRS 2.3 | LSiM 705's |
  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    What's a clock radio? Is that an app I can download for my phone?
  • mhardy6647
    mhardy6647 Posts: 32,922
    I found some along with some camouflage paint bought it and now can't find any of it.

    I put some spot remover on my dog. Now he's gone.

    Steven_Wright_1994.jpg
  • kharp1
    kharp1 Posts: 3,453
    I loved his stand up...back in the day.
  • Jimbo18
    Jimbo18 Posts: 2,309
    I love how these threads evolve. Or in some cases, devolve. You never know where they will end up, if commented on enough.

    What was the original question now? :)
  • tonyb
    tonyb Posts: 32,902
    Libertyc wrote: »

    Maybe a discontinued item, nobody has them in stock.

    His other cheap choice is a cd/boombox.....some have alarms build in and are smaller in form factor.
    HT SYSTEM-
    Sony 850c 4k
    Pioneer elite vhx 21
    Sony 4k BRP
    SVS SB-2000
    Polk Sig. 20's
    Polk FX500 surrounds

    Cables-
    Acoustic zen Satori speaker cables
    Acoustic zen Matrix 2 IC's
    Wireworld eclipse 7 ic's
    Audio metallurgy ga-o digital cable

    Kitchen

    Sonos zp90
    Grant Fidelity tube dac
    B&k 1420
    lsi 9's