Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 98
 The Best "Real" Clock Radio at Any Price Point March 1, 2008
M. JEFFREY MCMAHON (Torrance, CA USA)
112 out of 113 found this review helpful
I've had my Horizon Solo for a week now and can say that it's a huge leap better than its older brother the Recepter and the Tivoli Songbook and the Sangean WR-2, which I sold and replaced with my Horizon Solo.
Here is where the Horizon Solo shines:
1. Its AM/FM tuner is on steroids. Most of the time I don't even have to elevate the FM wire antenna to get hard-to-get Los Angeles stations such as 89.3, 88.9, and 103.1. The FM blows away the more expensive Tivoli Songbook and Sangean WR-2.
2. The AM tuner sounds like stereo with no background noise. This is truly amazing. The AM is far better than my very good Sangean WR-2.
3. The speakers are bigger and fuller than the already good-sounding Recepter and bear in mind the Horizon Solo is fifty dollars less.
4. The interface is easy to use. Like the Recepter, you use a rotary dial to tune up or down while scrolling through the 20 presets.
5. The radio is relatively small and leaves a small footprint on your bedside table.
6. Unlike the more expensive Recepter, the Horizon Solo has a headphone jack in the front.
7. The AC cord is two-prong and small in size, not one of those big fat wall-warts that take up half your available outlets.
8. Holding the bezel dial, you can't "twist" the radio into the horizontal or vertical position.
9. Marketed as a "custom" radio, the front grill can be removed and replaced with loud vibrant colors though truth be told I'm happy the with the dark "midnight" color.
Yes, I do notice a couple of bugs in my new model. Twice after turning off the radio, the radio was still on so I had to turn it off a second time. Also the time display is five minutes slow while listening to the radio and then when you turn the radio off the time is accurate again. I don't know if this is a bug particular to my radio or a general problem.
Bottom-line: As a radio enthusiast, I own over 50 radios and I will go out on a limb and say this is the best AM/FM clock radio I have ever purchased. In a market where clock radios usually have substandard reception or where the better radios cost $150-200, the Horizon Solo is the new champion on the block.
Update: Bought another Horizon Solo for my work office, an environment hampered by electronic interference and the Horizon Solo is doing very well, picking up Los Angeles stations 88.1, 103.1, 89.9 91.5 and other FM stations with outstanding clarity. My officemates are so impressed, they want to get one also.
Another Update: After 3 months, my second Solo got frozen on the 17 increment of volume control. After much experimentation, I discovered that the only way to "unfreeze" the volume is to unplug the unit for several minutes and then plug it in again. I hope I don't have to do this again or at least not often.
Nine months later it continues to be my favorite radio. The volume control can also be de-activitated by holding lowering volume to ZERO; then you hold the on button until the radio beeps; then you increase the volume to full blast or whatever limit you want. Then you turn off radio and turn on again. Boston Acoustics sent me these instructions after I contacted them. Since I've done this, the problem is gone.
My last clock radio... March 15, 2008
F. Mercer (Illinois, U.S.)
15 out of 16 found this review helpful
This clock radio rocks. It has an adjustable dimmer that is automatic, an alarm that slowly gets louder untill you wake up and a stereo headphone jack. The sound quality and the reception are better than the tivoli. Built solid.
Can I have two for stereo? February 24, 2009
John Robertson (Phoenix, AZ)
9 out of 9 found this review helpful
I've been using the Horizon Solo in a rather unremarkable hotel room for the last couple of months on an out-of-town assignment, so anything new and shiny might prompt me to leave a favorable review. But after buying and returning no less than 4 other clock radios, including a popular RCA model, an iHome, and two Sony's, this just wins it hands down. I would love to have bought the Boston Acoustics HDUOMIST Horizon Duo Speaker System (Mist) (white) or the Boston Acoustics HDUOIMDNT Horizon Duo-I System For Ipod(R) With Am/Fm Radio (Midnight) (black), but for portability the final choice really had to be smaller. Though not perfect as some reviews might have indicated, there's just too much to like, especially when compared to the alternatives:
Benefits:
* Terrific sound quality - even if mono, and perhaps a bit tubby, but you can adjust bass and treble settings.
* Beautiful display - very easy to read, even across a room. Auto-dimmer works very well.
* Build quality - rubber coated, nice weight to it.
* Audio input jack - great for iPod, computer or whatever device. 1/8" stereo jack (yes, the input jack retains left and right channels.
* Head phone jack on front - also stereo.
Demerits:
* No weekend alarm setting. You must go through a short menu with the left-hand knob to change alarm settings.
* Gradual wake-up reaches full, pre-set volume in just a few seconds. Perhaps it's just me, but I just assumed it might take a few minutes (or better yet, would be a user-adjustable period) for the radio alarm to reach full volume...are you listening BA??
* Full volume might not be quite loud enough for some. Without the radio reset performed (see BA website or certain Amazon reviews if you are having problems), my radio reaches a volume number of 50. If the input on the AUX is at a high level, the volume is very good, but if the input level somewhat low, the output on the radio's speaker might be a little disappointing if you cannot increase the input level any further (in fairness though, the sound is not distorted at high volume levels, so at least you're getting some quality sound).
It would be easy to put too much into the 'negative' points above. As noted already, no other radio even came close with the sound quality/looks/durability combination, and certainly not for the $100 incl S/H I paid. I am seriously considering a Duo for home. At the current price of $80+shipping on Amazon, I am also wondering about wiring a Y-cable and getting a second Solo to use with my existing one as left and right stereo, but with the ability to provide a few feet of separation, which might sound better than a Duo (in effect, use two Solos as separate, amplified speakers). I will update the review should I tackle that project. I haven't customized the grill color as I had thought I might, but that's also an interesting option, esp if you were to give one as a gift.
It's also worth noting the AM/FM radio was an important feature to me, moreso than iPod docking as I like to listen to local stations wherever I am. The reception is very good, although believe it or not, some of the el-cheapo, bad-sound-quality clock radios I checked out had about the same sensitivity. The difference, of course, was in all the other points mentioned above. If you'd prefer a CD player ala a Bose Wave Radio alternative, you might also want to check the Boston Acoustics Horizon Trio Clock Radio w/ CD Player (Midnight), although for more than $300, that might cater to a little different market segment.
UPDATE: Aug 17, 2009 I noticed earlier reviews said the radio gets hot -- mine doesn't. You can just slightly notice some warmth, but it's very mild. I ordered mine through Amazon, fulfilled by Target, and had to wait for delivery, which tells me it was ordered from the factory recently. Perhaps newer ones were redesigned to not get as warm? I also later bought a Horizon Duo -- wow, wonderful sound. I use it in the bedroom, and the Solo in the kitchen when I'm home. As I walk from bedroom to kitchen, the mono-speaker Solo sounds noticeably flat in comparison! Naturally, it has one less speaker, but if you can spare the space, I actually think the Duo (or Duo-i which has an iPod dock -- check your generation of iPod to ensure it's supported if buying) are a better choice for sound quality, and worth the difference in price. I will write a review for the Duo separately under that radio's listing, but I found the backlit display too bright, even when the auto-brightness circuit reduces it to minimum. It may help someone to read here that there is a workaround for display brightness:
- unplug power cord
- while pressing the Alarm 2 button, plug the power cord back in
- use the smaller, right knob to adjust the minimum or maximum display brightness (00 thru 255).
- press the smaller, right knob to program the default brightness.
Note this is not the same thing as the normal, auto-brightness-circuit, but rather, this adjustment actually changes the minimum or maximum brightness level down to, and including, zero. My Solo default brightness was 200, while the Duo was 98. I reduced the Duo way down to 9. Not sure what BA didn't put this in the owner's manual. I don't really consider this any kind of special hack or secret procedure -- it's simple and easy to do and I noticed a few other people had problems with the brightness, and assumed they couldn't do anything about it. If you find your radio's display too bright or dim, try it out.
Although the BA adjustments are a bit inconvenient as other reviews say (such as the need to always rotate-through menu options just to make a quick alarm-time change), I still think the radio's solid quality and sound outweigh any such objections for me. Both my Solo and Duo do not suffer any of the strange quirks that others have unfortunately experienced -- odor, weak sensitivity, 'hospitality mode' volume level, etc. Knock on wood, but I have had no such problem with either radio, and I would have to say that anyone experiencing them should probably consider their radio faulty (although I would think that any reception issue should be verified first with another good radio, should you have one nearby). Still 5/5.
UPDATE: SEPT 10, 2009
In another review, someone mentioned that it's too bad when the alarm goes off in radio mode, you do not see the time...only the radio station...once you've adjusted the volume or put the radio into sleep-mode. I thought the same thing, until I read the manual a bit more. If, after making whatever other alarm or radio settings you want, then go to the INFO setting and change it to TIME. Now, when the alarm goes off, you will always see the time, even after changing the volume. It's confusing...I can see why someone would be ticked off with this and not think there's anything more to it. But again, now that I've made this adjustment, the radio just gets better.
excellent May 17, 2008
jimjones
9 out of 10 found this review helpful
I am not a radio expert, as I bought this to replace a standard, cheap, clock radio. However, this seems to be a very nice product that is very well designed. The first thing I noticed is that the radio is fairly heavy for its size - you aren't buying a lot of 'air' as on so many other products. The exterior of this isn't a typical hard plastic either, it seems to have a soft rubber material over a harder plastic (I assume this is for improved acoustics). There is a silver band around the perimeter which is touch sensitive and activates the snooze function. I also like that the controls are fairly simple and easy to use. You can adjust everything that you want to, without unnecessary complications.
For me, it is well worth the money. The sound is very good, even the AM sounds nice on this radio (none of the buzzy background noise frequently heard on AM).
If you'd like a little more information, there is a short youtube sales video on this, which I think was made by Boston Acoustics.
Great reception, and almost perfect functionality March 29, 2009
Rick Hershberger (Pittsburgh PA USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
I am entirely pleased with this radio. It's performance has eclipsed any other radio I have owned.
Reliably strong FM reception: I live in the far outskirts of the Pittsburgh area (near the airport) where reception of my favorite FM station, WYEP 91.3 in the city, is not always good. All of my radios, at some time of day or another, start to lose 91.3, giving mildly staticky reception. The Horizon Solo picks up WYEP clear and strong 24/7 with the included FM wire antenna dangling to the floor behind the unit. I can also reliably get WRCT (a weak college station in Pittsburgh) and NPR stations in Wheeling WV, Youngstown OH, and Morgantown WV. The FM reception is always clean and crisp, with no drift. I really like having a jack in the back of the unit to plug in an external FM antenna (a wire "pig-tail" style wire antenna is included).
Astounding AM reception. I attached a simple wire loop AM antenna to the two terminals provided on the back of the radio. My AM antenna is one that came with a Sony stereo receiver I bought years ago, but you can get a cheap one at Radio Shack. I can receive a good number of distant clear channel stations in the evening. WSM's Grand Ole' Opry from Nashville comes in loud and clear. Among my pre-sets for nightime bedside listening are:
WSCR 670 CHICAGO
WOR 710 NEW YORK
WGN 720 CHICAGO
WCBS 880 NEW YORK
WBZ 1030 BOSTON
KYW 1060 PHILADELPHIA
WTAM 1100 CLEVELAND
KMOX 1120 ST. LOUIS
Can you tell that I try to ignore the ubiquitous noise that is conservative "talk" radio? If the radio has a problem, it is that its nighttime AM reception is SO good that I pick up too many such stations.
Other nighttime clear channel AM stations that come in reliably are Charlotte, Schenectady, Richmond, Rochester, Louisville, and Cincinnati, with weak reception of Atlanta and Minneapolis. The most distant stations I've heard on occasion are New Orleans, Waterloo IA, Huntsville AL, and Des Moines IA. I hope you now see that this is no ordinary AM radio. The tuning is very precise and accurate, with no bleed-over from neighboring channels. I should reinforce that the reception of ANY radio is dependent on what antenna it is using. The built-in antenna worked well for local and some distant AM stations, but attaching even a basic external AM antenna, as well as facing the wire loop antenna in the right direction, can really enhance reception on AM.
Solid design: The unit is heavy. It's built strong. The knobs have a solid feel. It's compact, and its rotating face lets it fit just right wherever you wish to place it. The simple 2-prong AC plug is nice - no brick covering up outlets or three-prong plug needing an adapter at most outlets. Some reviewers groused over the steps needed to set the sleep duration, but I don't find it a problem. Twist the left dial to the Sleep menu, push the knob, dial the time, push the knob again. Really, you get used to it very quickly. I LOVE that the headphone jack is in front, so it's easy to attach earphones if I want to listen without keeping my wife awake. It would be nice if the AUX jack were in front too, instead of in back, to simplify attaching an iPod, but that is perhaps the only thing I can fault this radio for, which isn't much at all.
Great sound: The speaker sounds amazing, with a very bright and full sound. Boston ACOUSTICS is no hyperbole - they know how to build a speaker.
Summary: If you need to pull in one or more stations that are a challenge for your other radios, then BUY THIS RADIO for its incredible tuning circuitry. If you want clear, bright, full sound, BUY THIS RADIO for its wonderful sounding speaker.
I don't typically write reviews, but this product definitely impressed me enough to take the time to share my thoughts. Enjoy!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 98
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