Customer Rating:  
Summary: fm static
Comment: 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.
Customer Rating:
Summary: HOME RUN! Exactly what I've wanted in bedside audio
Comment: 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!
Customer Rating:
Summary: great sounds--a little complcated
Comment: 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?
Customer Rating:
Summary: Boston Acoustics Horizon Duo, an excellent product.
Comment: 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!
Customer Rating:
Summary: I'm disappointed
Comment: Considering Boston Acoustics reputation I had high expectations, but this unit had a bad case of transformer hum. I sent it back for an exchange and the replacement hummed even louder that the original. Also, the reception was far from perfect. I finally sent it back for a refund but in the process incurred two shipping charges.
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