Table Radios

Time to throw out that old alarm clock radio!  There are some well designed table radios  with exceptional sound quality that will put your old alarm clock radio to shame. Not only is the reception clearer but the tones are sharper and they look much nicer. Whether you go for an old fashioned style radio with knobs and dials or one of the more high tech digital radios, both will look great in your home or office.

When it comes to buying a table radio, it's more than looks that count, even though the design plays a major part in which style radio to go with. Besides price, which is often a concern, sound quality is a major issue along with reception. This will go hand in hand with how powerful you want the radio to be; is it to be used in a small room or in a large space? The next most important decision will have to do with what extra capabilities you want your radio to have, such as the ability to play CDs and other audio files as well as satellite radio  compatibility. Keep in mind that adding these functions to a standard table radio (versus a minisystems) will add a lot to the price.

• Digital tunerscome standard on a majority of models. Digital tuners offer the ability to find a station quickly and locate its best reception frequency. With analogs, you are required to turn a knob until you hit exactly the right spot. Plus, digital tuners feature preset memory buttons for one touch access to your favorite stations.
• A remote control is a handy, but not always a necessary feature. If you think that you may need to operate the radio from across the room, then a remote is a must. But if you keep the radio bedside, you might not need one.
• Alarm clock features are a must-have if your are shopping for a replacement for your alarm clock radio. Some even have a fade-in (aka ramp-up) feature that will gradually increase the sound instead of delivering a jarring wake-up call at full volume.
• A headphone jacks can be especially useful for when you don't want to disturb others.

High Priced Radios: These radios are small and come as a single unit, which means no setup required. Top-end radios focus on delivering high quality radio waves with decent bass and sharp treble, although they haven't proven to outshine a high-end minisystems when it comes to sound quality. They don't offer the ability to play CDs or MP3 files, but while they lack the variety of features that come standard with a mini system, they are prized for their simplicity and compactness. They fit perfectly on a nightstand or on the kitchen countertop.

• Bose  is renowned for its high quality audio systems, but they are often costly.
• The Wave Radio II  is the most up to date tuner only model, which is the least expensive model available from Bose at around $350. However, for the Wave Music System  that includes a CD player add an extra $150. Or if you want a multi-disc changer,  tack on another $250 on top of that.
• Cambridge,  linked to Creative, offers inexpensive but full featured table radios.
• The Cambridge Soundworks radio 730  goes for about $200 and offers plenty of features. For playing CDs and MP3s as well, go for the $400 Soundworks Radio CD740.  Both offer one major standout quality, which is the built-in subwoofer.

• Boston Acoustics  is known for being slightly less expensive than its competitors.
• Receptor Radio HD  ($500) by Boston Acoustics, has a unique design with two speakers instead of one like on the original Receptor Radio  ($150) which is said to produce better stereo sound. What makes the HD model unique is its ability to capture HD radio signals that claim to produce better quality sound. On the practical side, it offers a credit card size remote (which Bose also offers), plenty of presets, and a jack for plugging in your iPod or MP3 player. Go to iBiquity for more information on HD broadcasting.  If you want the ability to play CDs, go for their MicroSystem CD  model.

• Tivoli Audio  is known for its radios.
• The Henry Kloss Model One  comes in standard and platinum  editions offering models in a variety of colors from $120-$160. Part of what makes Tivoli radios standout besides the hi-fi sound is GaAs MESFET mixers and the unique housing is that they are generally analog models. If you want a radio with stereo sound, check out the Henry Kloss Model Two  ($200) and the Model Three  for a radio clock edition.

• Polk Audio 
• Polk Audio I-Sonic  is a comprehensive table radio jam packed with convenience. For some, this $600 unit might seem overkill, but if you want a digital tuner, XM satellite radio, the ability to play CDs, MP3 discs, and DVDs then this model is for you. It also has HD radio technology. Unfortunately, it won't hit stores until spring 2006.

Compact-Style Mini Systems: Also known as microsystems.  These are streamlined systems that include a CD player, an AM/FM tuner, and many more features built in. Usually they are a three part system, which has a media player in the center and two detachable speakers that give a stereo effect and lots of power. Keep in mind that they take up more space than tuner radios. These systems have excellent sound and you can expect the tuners to be digital.

Satellite Radios: Satellite Radio is the next best thing to hit the radio waves. It allows you to listen to the radio -- lots of standard channels and programming as well as plenty of slightly more obscure, genre oriented channels too -- all commercial and advertisement free. The signal is clearer with less interference and features more non-mainstream music. Plus, there are many news and other programming channels including MSNBC, CNN, and BBC. The two major leaders in Satellite Radio subscriptions are XM Satellite  and Sirius,  and each have their pros and cons as far as what they offer. Plus, some of the smaller satellite radios are portable so that you can bring them with you.

• Tivoli Audio  makes old-fashioned looking, three-knob table radios,  funky colored portable radios,  an iPod Speaker systems  as well as a new Sirius Satellite Radio.  Unlike the majority of satellite radios on the market today, this model by Tivoli uses an analog tuner. It features a large, easy to read LCD screen, quick buttons for presets,  for $300. For a more advanced model that includes both a CD player and an extra speaker in a three piece set, try the Satellite Combo  for $550. As with all Tivoli products, both of these radios can be connected with other audio components.

• Polk Audio  has a sleek little $200 satellite receiver for XM radio, called the XRt12.  It is very minimalistic with a big LCD screen for viewing the scrolling video output (with the track and artist name, album, etc.) as well as a remote.

Other products of interest
Portable Satellite Radio	Receivers	AM/FM Antenna	Mini-System