Still frame grabs from a camcorder, Cambridge SoundWorks Radio CD 740: sounds better than Bose Radio, less expensive too!
Q: I have a new digital camcorder that takes video on tape and still pictures on a memory card. The videos look great but the still pictures are very fuzzy. Am I doing anything wrong?
-George Malloy, Bloomfield, PA
A: Probably not. Digital camcorders make great videos, but the still pictures they create are not up to par with even a $150 digital camera. If you want great still pictures as well as great videos, get a digital camera to go with your digital camera.
Q: What are some good choices for an all-in-one CD/Radio stereo system such as Bose’s Wave? I read your previous column on tabletops, which was very helpful. I’m looking for a unit that I can put in a high-end rental townhome that sounds and looks nice and is basically dummy proof. Maybe you have some suggestions for less than $1,000 that don’t look too much like a boombox.
-John Ewoldt, Minneapolis, MN
A: In the column you refer to I indicated my preference for the $299 Cambridge Soundworks Radio CD 740. I find the CD740 superior to the Bose Wave and it is $200 less expensive to boot. Many readers purchased the CD740 after the column ran and wrote to me to expressing their great satisfaction with the recommendation.
The Bose Wave is a good product and owners seem to be happy with them, but I have always found the price to be way over the top at $499. After all, it’s just a clock radio with a CD player. These days you can get a 32-inch TV and a home theater in-a-box for that kind of money.
If you don’t mind spending $499, Polk Audio recently announced a new product, the I-Sonic, that looks to be a grand slam- a bottom of the ninth in the seventh game of the World Series, two outs, full count with your team behind 5-2 grand slam. I may be giving in to hyperbole here but the new I-Sonic looks to be that far beyond existing table radios.
Instead of a mere CD player, the I-Sonic has a DVD player that can play DVDs, CDs, Picture CDs, MP3 CDs, and Video CDs. Great sound should be a given as Polk has been getting raves from the picky audiophile press lately. The I-Sonic should have the best sound in its category and will order a review sample as soon as they are available in September to confirm it.
XM Satellite Radio is part of the I-Sonic- just add an antenna and a subscription. It does not end there as the I-Sonic features HD Radio, a new digital radio broadcast system that is available for free to anyone with equipment to receive it. Think of it as radio’s equivalent to HDTV, with rich, crystal clear sound and static-free reception with valuable information such as artist information, school closings, and weather advisories displayed as text on the display.
With XM and HD Radio, multi-format DVD player and the promise of class-leading sound, the I-Sonic adds up to a package that is much more than a clock radio- it’s a complete entertainment system showcasing the cutting edge of technology.
Polk Audio has not placed the I-Sonic on their website yet, but I posted the press release and several pictures of the I-Sonic at www.donlindich.com. I receive many emails about this product category and know public interest is likely to be extremely high, so I wanted everyone to be able to get a look at it right away.
My advice to anyone looking for a premium radio is if you simply want great sound, get the $299 Cambridge Soundworks Radio CD 740. If you budgeted $499 and can wait a few months for something special, save an extra $100 by September and check out the I-Sonic.
