The Cue Radio Model r1

Most iPod dock sound systems focus on the fact that they're made for iOS devices. They emphasize the "dock" feature, and anything else it can do or support is secondary. Cue Acoustics goes in another direction: Instead of a speaker dock that happens to have features like AM/FM radio, the Cue Radio Model r1 ($399 direct) is a radio-equipped sound system that happens to have an iPod/iPhone dock. However you spin it, though, this one-piece bookshelf sound system sounds very good?just not quite good enough to justify its price.

Design
The Cue Radio's design is elegant and simple, with a rounded, smooth design available in white or black, and few controls. The front of the radio is separated into thirds: two thirds hold the radio's monochrome, backlit LCD display and three control knobs against the smooth shell of the device. The other third is a mesh grille covering the radio's Cue cs1 speaker, a single, stacked 50-watt bi-amplified woofer/tweeter assembly that pumps out the radio's sound. The back of the radio holds connections for the power cable, AM and FM antennae, auxiliary audio inputs, and the optional Cue Speaker Model s1 ($99.99, 3 stars), which can be connected to turn the Cue Radio r1 from a mono speaker into a true stereo sound system. There's also an Ethernet port, but that's only for servicing Internet radio.

The controls are simple, but an odd design choice makes using the Cue Radio r1 more awkward than it ought to be. The large knob controls radio tuning and menu navigation, while the smaller knobs control mode selection and volume levels. In iPod mode, the large button functions as a click wheel, with four touch-sensitive buttons lighting up around it. Each knob can be pressed in to act as a button, but it's not always obvious what that button will do. For instance, pressing the volume knob turns the radio on and off instead of simply muting the volume, forcing the user to wait a few seconds for the device to reboot before listening again.

Fortunately, an included, card-sized membrane remote offers remote control of any attached iOS devices, plus a dedicated mute button, on top of the standard radio controls. The remote is a slightly easier way to adjust settings on the Cue Radio, and to set its optional twin alarms.

Performance
Considering the device has essentially only a single speaker, the Cue Radio r1 sounds very good. It gets both remarkably loud and remarkably clear, especially in the midrange. Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown" sounded great for a single-speaker system, with both Plant's vocals and Page's guitar sounding crisp and clear without being overly bright.

The Cue Radio r1's one major sonic flaw is that its processing limits and tweaks the bass notes, so that low end lacks much punch or true clarity. Our heavy-bass test track, The Knife's "Silent Shout," didn't accurately reproduce deep bass through the Cue, and it also lacked the deep thump that a $400 system should produce. The Altec Lansing Octiv 650 ($199.95, 4 stars) features a built-in subwoofer that can put out stronger bass for half the price. On the even higher side of the price range, the Editors' Choice Beatbox by Dr. Dre from Monster ($449.95, 4 stars) and the Bowers & Wilikins Zeppelin Air ($599.95, 4 stars) offer true stereo sound, excellent bass, and Apple AirPlay support, for an admittedly steep premium. Sitting between the two, the Cue Radio's relatively weak bass is a disappointment.

While the Cue Radio includes an antenna with a 3.5mm connector for use with the AM radio, it doesn't come with an antenna for the FM radio's coaxial connector. Fortunately, it didn't need any external antenna to tune into a handful of radio stations in the New York area. (The power cable doubles as the antenna, making the coaxial connector seem unnecessary; an additional digital input would have been more useful.) Rock, jazz, and talk radio stations came through clearly, even in the Wi-Fi radio swamp of the PCMag Labs.

At heart, the Cue Radio is still just a one-speaker device. Because of this, it suffers in audio imaging. While it can fill a room with sound, it can't fill a room with a good sense of sound, lacking the presence a second speaker would offer. Fortunately, Cue Acoustics offers the Cue Speaker Model s1, a dedicated accessory that turns the Cue Radio into a true stereo bookshelf sound system. Check out our review for the full details, but basically it offers an identically-sized and identically-powered speaker that can be placed up to 10 feet away thanks to an included 8-pin cable. It adds depth to the Cue Radio's otherwise excellent sound, but also adds $100 to its price tag.

Considering it only has a single "speaker," the Cue Radio r1 puts out very nice sound. It doesn't get quite as loud or full as other, larger iPod docks, but considering its full feature set, it's a solid, albeit expensive choice for a bookshelf sound system. If you want to give it power and fullness, you need to grab the optional Cue Speaker s1 to really round out its sound. For far better audio, spend the extra $50 and pick up the Beatbox by Dr. Dre from Monster.

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Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/ziffdavis/pcmag/~3/Hcmkl4DgAaA/0,2817,2385840,00.asp

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