Hi I’m a Bose fan and repair them I been dealing with them for 14 years. The acoustic wave ii at higher volumes will have more clarity and more bass are per the smaller wave music system ii and iii will not be as clear at higher volumes I’m talking about 80 and up it still performs well though. I’d recommend the acoustic wave ii system or acoustic wave CD-3000. Both have same looks. Top is lightly different. Acoustic wave ii last year model has MP3 on CD platform and slightly better bass response. If you want smaller then the wave music system ii and iii smaller model will be good. I still love these units I don’t think Bose should have discounted them. But now I see it as I have a unique system not everyone will be able to have so it will be consider vintage and unique Answer from Bosewaverocks on reddit.com
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CNET
cnet.com › reviews › bose-wave-music-system-review
Bose Wave Music System review: Bose Wave Music System - CNET
Bose Wave Music System
Bose's Wave Music System improves upon the original in both design and performance. Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Bose Wave Music System Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more. In creating the follow-up to its original Wave radio/CD player, Bose was on a mission to keep the unit the same size while improving its sound quality, which can present a serious challenge when it comes to a compact piece of equipment that includes speak
Rating: 7.3/10 ​
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Reddit
reddit.com › r/bose › acoustic wave vs wave system?
r/bose on Reddit: Acoustic Wave vs Wave System?
October 23, 2023 -

Hello,

I am looking for a nice CD player for the kitchen, and I am nostalgia as hell for the Wave sets I always saw in catalogues and my parents never could afford.

Does anyone have an opinion on the tall Acoustic Waves II vs the regular Wave systems(I or II)? Does one sound better than the other, or have some killer feature I am missing out on? Is there a reason the acoustic is three times the size?

Thank you!

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Reddit
reddit.com › r/bose › what was the point of the bose wave music system?
r/bose on Reddit: What was the point of the Bose Wave Music System?
July 16, 2025 -

I recently finished fixing the CD drive and lid on a wave system I got off of the side of the road.

For free, I love this thing. It’s neat, it sounds plenty nice. I love the detachable base just because it has an air of opulence to it, like driving a car with a CD changer. It reads CDs a little slow but that’s mostly because WD-40 isn’t a great replacement for the original track grease.

But I’m curious about it from a 2006 perspective. Who was this product even made for?

As far as I can tell, given the detachable base with multiple audio inputs and a built in power strip, this was meant to be a speaker system, not just a really nice CD Player.

At its original $1,000 dollar price point, is it not demonstrably worse quality/$ than a more standard home audio system? Hell, even if you wanted to stick with Bose, I think it still would have been cheaper to get one of the smaller Waves and then wire that into a Bose speaker system.

The only real benefits I see to it is that it’s mildly more compact, and marginally less complicated than a bespoke stereo system (you don’t have to run any wires but the power cable, I suppose), but I just feel like that is not a large enough benefit to justify this product existing or purchasing it.

Does anyone else have some other perspective that I might be overlooking, or is this just a relic to the fact that people have been buying expensive things that have brand recognition for decades now?

Top answer
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This was the first Bose product I worked on (UI). I still had one of these until the CD mech stopped working.. This thing gets SUPER loud. Perfect for large rooms or small venues. Sounded incredible in addition to being loud. Internally it was called Frank (for Frankenstein). It's a majestic beast. There was even a nice carrying bag made available for it.
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I think it was for the customer who wanted the Bose Brand (and sound) and wanted an everything all in one audio system. My grandparents bought that model (the CD-3000) in 1996 and bought every single accessory, the pedestal as shown, the powered microphone, the carrying case, and the battery pack. They used this for everything. Of course 99% of the time it was used to listen to their CDs in their living room (and it definitely was loud enough to hear throughout the house) but for events such as the family Christmas party they'd put it in the case, load up the microphone and turn it into the PA system for the Christmas party. For the 4th of July they'd put it in the carrying case with the battery and take it to be the radio to listen to that were synchronized with the fireworks. It was a beast for sure. Theirs had to have the CD mechanism replaced once in the early 2000s by a service center and the CD mech died again in roughly 2010 so at that time we just got them a new AWMSII. Unfortunately that unit no longer supported the power mic, but it did support MP3 CD which was nice. My grandparents are sadly gone but I did keep their AWMSII and it still is in my game room to this day.
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Steve Hoffman Music Forums
forums.stevehoffman.tv › threads › bose-wave-music-system-review-from-a-non-audiophile.204042
Bose Wave Music System review from a non-audiophile. | Steve Hoffman Music Forums
I'm not really an audiophile in the sense that a lot of you are, but I always appreciate a wel-mastered album. I just bought a Bose Wave Music...
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Sound On Sound
soundonsound.com › forum
Bose Wave Music System - SOS FORUM
Sign Up TO SOS Newsletters · All contents copyright © SOS Publications Group and/or its licensors, 1985-2025. All rights reserved. The contents of this article are subject to worldwide copyright protection and reproduction in whole or part, whether mechanical or electronic, is expressly forbidden ...
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Tom's Tek Stop
tomstek.us › home › bose wave music system first generation review
Bose Wave Music System First Generation Review - Tom's Tek Stop
March 20, 2025 - Finally, the first generation of the Bose Wave Music System is a decent product. People know it for its great sound quality, and on the whole, we’d agree. Indeed we like its pushy bass, projecting midrange, and non harsh treble.
Find elsewhere
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Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › List_of_Bose_shelf_stereos
List of Bose shelf stereos - Wikipedia
July 21, 2025 - Reviewers praised the sound quality and build quality, but commented that competing systems may offer a better experience, and criticised the price of the optional battery and the bulkiness of the wall-plug adaptor. Sales of the SoundLink Air ended in 2014. In 2018, Bose introduced its Home ...
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Overclock.net
overclock.net › home › forums › consumer electronics › home audio
Bose Wave Music System -- Mini Rant/Review | Overclock.net
For the Bose brand - I would NEVER spend $2000 on a HTIB Bose surround sound system, most of what Bose sells is very overpriced but if you know what you're looking for and want to piece together a nice surround sound system, they do make good products. I know my uncle only bought all Bose speakers because he gets it all at a discounted price through his supplier. ... I've noticed there seems to be a lot of hate on the Bose Wave Music System.
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ProductReview.com.au
productreview.com.au › electronics › home audio products › best speakers
Bose Wave Music System reviews | ProductReview.com.au
January 16, 2024 - The unit comes well packaged, and is very easy to set up, only taking a few minutes until you have music pumping out. The clarity and volume of the sound produced is outstanding, similar to what you'd expect from a much larger system.
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Encyclopedia MDPI
encyclopedia.pub › entry › 30272
Bose Wave System | Encyclopedia MDPI
October 20, 2022 - The system was reviewed to have good sound quality, however it was difficult to transfer commonly used files such as WMA. Furthermore, its high purchase price was a contributing factor to its limited success.[11] On October 22, 2009, Bose released ...
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Audiogon
forum.audiogon.com › discussions › bose-wave-music-system
Bose Wave Music system
December 9, 2006 - I was wondering if anyone had or actually listened to the Bose Wave Music system. For a simple, all-in-one solution, it seems like it could be worthwhile. It has a cd player, radio, and speakers all in one box. Without the optional cd changer it costs $499. What do you think?
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REV Manuals
manuals.ca › home › hi-fi systems › bose › wave music system
Bose Wave Music System user manual (English - 33 pages)
The Bose Wave Music System may stutter and produce clicking noises when playing a CD. Here are possible causes and solutions: 1. Dirty or scratched CD: Clean the CD with a soft, lint-free cloth and try playing it again. If the CD is scratched, consider replacing it.
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Tapeheads.net
tapeheads.net › forums › general audio discussions › all-in-ones, midi-sized and console units
Bose Wave Audio Systems - any good? | Tapeheads.net
March 20, 2021 - I think the Bose Waves are great for what they are. They are intended for the crowd that wants to set it and forget it. They do have good bass when positioned properly, just put one in close proximity to a wall or even better a corner.
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Quora
quora.com › I-own-a-Bose-Wave-music-system-Although-the-internet-is-full-of-people-giving-bad-reviews-I-find-it-to-be-a-great-system-So-why-is-it-hated-then
I own a Bose Wave music system. Although the internet is full of people giving bad reviews, I find it to be a great system. So why is it hated then? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): See, the entire music equipment industry is divided in two major sectors, one is enthusiast community( pro grade products, but generally are less marketed), and second one is consumer focused which is more marketing oriented and you pay for the beautiful advertisements and beauti...
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Amazon
amazon.ca › Bose-Music-System-Multi-CD-Changer › dp › B07MXNTD3L
Bose Wave Music System with Multi-CD Changer - Graphite Grey (Black), Compatible with Alexa Amazon Echo : Amazon.ca: Electronics
Bose Wave Music System with Multi-CD Changer - Graphite Grey (Black), Compatible with Alexa Amazon Echo : Amazon.ca: Electronics
Bose Wave Music System with Multi-CD Changer - Graphite Grey (Black), Compatible with Alexa Amazon Echo : Amazon.ca: Electronics
Price   $2,898.99