Home > Consumer Reviews > Cambridge SoundWorks 730 Radio (Black)

Pro: good sound

Cons: one of the alarm indicator lights not working, remote only works within a range of about 2-3 feet directly in front of the unit, alarm presets don't work...the alarm turns on to the last station listened to at the last volume listened to, AM reception is horrible.

I'm sure they're not all this bad but others have had similar problems and it shows they have a long way to go to improve quality.

I bought a refurbished 730 from Cambridge on ebay for $140. At this price the thing is a real steal. Their shipping was prompt. I got several emails tracking their handling.

Pros:

The controls have been done beautifully and the range of functionality is immense ... it speaks 5 languages ... the remote is a tiny marvel ... the 730 is a real sound center, not just a radio. Remarkably hefty. I play my CD's through the rear aux input.

The sound is quite remarkable. In fact, it can be somewhat uncanny. The 730 replaced a long-used Proton radio whose tuner gave out but the 730 is "hifi" and -- in hindsight -- the Proton was just a very good table radio.

The FM tuner sensitivity is OK and I can do secure stereo on the station I most care about in a house where reception is usually somewhat problematic. Oddly, reception was worse with the Terk amplified antenna I use in my basement. I taped the 730's FM antenna wire along the length of the headboard.

Cons:

Yes, the bass response is hot and somewhat quirky ... some recordings just have too much bass for the 730. I keep the bass tone control flat and the treble slightly turned up.
The loudness contour must stay off.

The clock gained 3 minutes in its first 3 weeks, while I was away. But the cleaning lady says she might have touched it.
A mystery.

The display dims greatly when lights are out but still not enough that I can sleep just below it without covering the face. And the lights for the alarms make it even brighter.

The audio and FM input jacks in back were slightly flaky upon first use and required a bit of diddling to achieve secure connections; but they have been stable.

I purchased this radio online as a blind item. I had wanted to buy a table radio for a long time, but not willing to pay the $$ that Bose wants for theirs. I have purchased several cambridge products over the years and knew they were a good company with great products, so when they came out with their new radio I didn't hesitate. This is one of the best purchases I've ever made! Really, don't waste your time with any of the others. Cambridge soundworks is the best. Great sound, great value. I never expected anything less from Cambridge.

I have owned the Cambridge SoundWorks 730 for a few months now and I love it. The subwoofer delivers a nice deep bass; the overall sound quality is great for a box this small; the design is gorgeous; the buttons are laid out really well; every button turns on the system which is a nice convenient feature; the compact size fits perfectly in my kitchen; the credit card sized remote can perform every function on the box.

Very good sound and nice esthetics, but as a clock radio it is awkward. It is impossible to adjust the alarm without using a handheld remote and the settings are not easy to use.