Cambridge SoundWorks 740 CD/Radio (Black)

Cambridge SoundWorks 740 CD/Radio (Black)
Manufacturer: Cambridge SoundWorks
Product Type: CE

Editorial Review:
Product Description
CAMBRIDGE SoundWorks Radio CD - This tabletop radio further refines the much praised Model 88 by Henry Kloss series. Scrolling or static readout of Artist & Title info from encoded discs Tuner supports display of RDS ( Radio Data Service ) from many FM stations 16 FM presets & 8 AM presets; programmable by included infrared remote control External AUX inputs on front & back panels Wide mode increases apparent width of soundstage Clock features built-in 10 year backup battery Sleep mode turns sound off after user-adjustable 5-120 minute interval Size - 4-15/16H x 14W x 9-7/8W; weighs 12 pounds Color - Black
Amazon.com Review
At a suggested retail price $150 less than its nearest competitor, the Cambridge SoundWorks 740 CD/Radio is the hands-down choice to make if you're in the market for a full-sounding table-top compact CD/radio system. If you're looking for a top-of-the-line alarm clock to go along with the sound performance that the Cambridge 740 offers -- well, that's a different story. But let's start with the good news, because it's very, very good news.

Sound
At the heart of the Cambridge 740 is a pair of high-accuracy speakers and a large subwoofer that somehow fits inside the unit's compact case. As we tested the FM reception on a classical radio station, a passerby turned her head and remarked that she'd never actually "felt" the bass from such a small radio before. And it's true; pop in any CD that's heavy on the bass, and you will definitely feel it. Whether you're listening to classical, jazz or rock, this baby will fill your small space with large sound. (We even placed the unit on an outside balcony at medium volume, and a full block away Mile Davis came through nice and clear. It was truly impressive.) It's hard to imagine finding a compact component system that's anywhere near the Cambridge 740 in quality at anywhere near this price.

Design
At about five inches high, fourteen inches wide, and eleven inches deep -- smaller than a breadbox! -- there's no question that the 740 is compact. It's a perfect size for a table top. But is it a perfect size for a night stand? For our taste it's too bulky to place beside the bed. On a related note, the very small buttons -- of which there are twenty-one on the face -- are very small and it's not exactly a cake walk to set the functions, especially as you're waking up or getting ready for sleep. Thankfully, though, the included remote simplifies these tasks enormously. And aesthetically -- again, it's all a matter of taste, and we'll leave it at that. Nevertheless, in this case the sound quality more than makes up for any shortcomings of design.

Features
There's no denying that this baby is loaded with features, most of which seem to work flawlessly. We played factory CDs as well as home-burned CDs with MP3 files without a glitch. The 32-character display, which offers title/track information, was invaluable, especially when playing MP3 files of songs we'd never heard before. And while scanning the FM waves (superb radio reception, by the way!), we were excited to see the radio station information scrolling across the screen. Separate bass and treble controls, a conveniently placed headphone jack, a credit-card sized remote, and 16 station presets all conspire to bring a smile to any user's face. In another nice touch, front and rear auxiliary inputs are provided for external audio sources such as a portable MP3 player.

Alarm Clock
Our only bone of contention with the 740 centered on the alarm clock. After nearly two hours of following the otherwise quite helpful user's guide, we gave up trying to get the alarm clock to do what we wanted with any kind of consistency. We were able to get every feature to work at least once -- we figured out the way to wake up to the alarm tone, to the radio, and to a specific CD track -- but try as we might, it was frustratingly difficult to repeat our efforts successfully. A related grumble is that the display's automatic dimmer function does not dim enough for anything resembling a sleeping level. And finally, in two separate, three-day tests, we synchronized the time display to our cell phone's time, and in each test the 740 had lost one to two minutes by the end of the third day. This was not a scientific test to be sure, but it convinced us that the money dropped on the Cambridge 740 -- which we would gladly drop -- would be spent on its incredible sound technology, not on its alarm clock functionality.

Pros