Tivoli Audio Model Three AM/FM Clock Radio, Cherry/Metallic Taupe

by Tivoli

Product Details

Product Manual [172kb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 14 x 8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00009PLIM
• Item model number: M3TPE
• Average Customer Review: 3.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (60 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #14,290 in Electronics (See Top 100 in Electronics)
  • #67 in Electronics > Home Audio & Theater > Radios > Clock Radios
• Date first available at Amazon.com: January 11, 2005

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

For those who like to slumber in style, the Tivoli Model Three is the ultimate wake up call. With an understated cherry wood exterior, and large, easy-to-operate controls, the unit serves as a lesson in simplicity for other manufacturers who insist on making confusing, user-unfriendly clock radios. Although we had a few quibbles with some of the features, as well as the performance, of the Model Three, overall we recommend it is a wonderful bedside companion.

Design
The Model Three incorporates the audio and tuning technology of the Tivoli Model Two, while adding a quartz mechanical movement clock and alarm circuitry. Like other Tivoli radios, the Model Three is just over 8 inches wide, 4.5 inches high, and 5.25 inches deep-- about the size of a toaster turned on its side. It fits well on a desk, dresser, or nightstand.

The Model Three's single rotary dial handles tuning for both AM and FM stations. The dial is designed to move between stations at a speed that is a bit slower than the speed at which the user turns the knob-- a 5 to 1 ratio, to be exact. This "ratio" dialing technique makes it far easier to tune stations accurately and quickly. It's a nice touch that sets the unit apart from other desktop radios.

The tuner band selection and volume dials are easy to control and they're well designed for hands of all sizes. A small LED power indicator, as well as an LED that helps determine signal strength, are positioned between the dials. We did have one gripe about the Model Three's controls, though. Unlike the high-contrast labeling we found on the Platinum Series Model One radio, the Model Three's blue-grey lettering atop a taupe background is difficult to read, especially in low-light situations. We found ourselves struggling to see what station we were tuning and what functions we were selecting-- not something most desire on an alarm clock.

Fortunately, the Model Two's clock is easy to read and simple to set. A rotating bezel on the clock's face adjusts the wake time while a single button on the back rotates the clock forward. These methods allowed us to set the clock and wake times with good accuracy. There's also a sleep timer that shuts the radio off after 20 minutes, allowing you to fall asleep to tunes. We were a little puzzled by Tivoli's decision to power the clock by what we initially thought was simply a AA backup battery (the battery is housed in the rear of the unit). In fact, a battery must be used at all times to power the clock as it does not pull juice from the wall outlet. This means that the battery will need to be checked regularly to ensure accurate timekeeping. When the unit is powered by AC, users can wake to the radio. When the unit is unplugged, however, or if the power goes out, the Model Two will deliver a battery-powered beeping alarm.

A single, 3" driver is positioned on top of the unit and is protected by a handsome metal speaker cover. A five-minute snooze button resides next to the speaker for those times when you just can't roll out of bed right away.

The Model Three shares the same back panel ports as the Model Two's, meaning it can serve as the base unit for a more robust Tivoli stereo system. A coaxial antenna jack for the included FM antenna wire is provided, although the Model Three also has an internal FM antenna. Tivoli recommends using the supplied external one for tricky tuning in locales with a lot of closely-spaced stations. There's a handy switch for switching between the internal and external antennae, as well. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack is also provided, as is a 3.5mm auxiliary line in port for plugging in the Tivoli component CD player, the Model CD. For the really techno-savvy, there's also a 3.5mm mixing input that permits audio from your computer to be mixed in with the radio.

Like the Model Two, the Model Three supports the addition of the Tivoli Companion Speaker for full stereo separation, as well as the Model Subwoofer for extended bass range. There's a small balance dial on the rear of the unit if you choose to add the companion speaker, as well as a mono/stereo switch. If you want to use the Model Three as a component tuner-- not a bad idea given the overall quality and accuracy of the tuning circuitry-- Tivoli has provided a 3.5mm output port.

Listening Pleasure
As with the Tivoli iPal portable speaker system, we were initially skeptical about the performance of a small, one-speaker unit that only offers monaural sound. The reality is that most small two-speaker systems don't allow you to place the speakers very far apart anyway, and the Model Three's rich, resonant sound more than made up for its lack of true stereo separation. Plus, the Model Three is a single, elegant box with no annoying speaker cords. While the Model Three does sound better than the iPal, we did notice that the Model Three, quite mysteriously, does not sound quite as good as the venerable Model One. There is faint but noticeable hiss that is not present in the Model One, and we wondered if the Model One's designer, the late Henry Kloss, had less of a part to play in the Model Three's design.

Overall, though, we found the Model Three's sound impressive, especially coming from such a small unit. In most cases, it delivered rich, resonant sound. The Model Three's tuning felt less accurate than the Model One's but we were still able to dial in stations quickly and easily.

As for its function as an alarm clock, the Model Three was spot on. Not a single tester who relied on the unit was late to work!

Pros

• Simple, stylish construction
• Good sound and tuning accuracy
• Nice expansion options

Cons

• Clock cannot be powered by AC (battery only)
• Slight hiss when compared side by side with the Model One
• Tuner is slightly less accurate than the Model One's

Product Description

You don't need a degree in rocket science to operate the Tivoli Audio Model Three Clock Radio. Like other Tivoli Audio products, the Model Three is simple to use, so you won't lose sleep wondering if you'll wake up. It includes a 20-minute sleep timer, a snooze button, and a sleek aluminum thumbwheel to set the alarm time, with the option to wake to a buzzer or its great sounding AM/FM radio. The analog clock's fine quartz mechanical movement provides accurate time keeping and compliments the analog tuning dial. The constant gentle illumination makes the clock face visible in low or no light without keeping you awake. Its handsome cherry wood exterior houses a rather high-tech interior. The Model Three uses a Henry Kloss designed tuner with cell phone technology for better FM reception and increased clarity on closely spaced stations, a 5:1 ratio analog tuning dial, and a plethora of inputs and outputs including Stereo Headphone and Record output, stereo auxiliary input, built in AM/FM antennas, a 75 ohm connection for an external FM antenna and a 12 V power input for use in areas without AC power. You can add the optional matching Tivoli Audio Stereo Speaker or Dual Alarm Speaker for stereo sound, or for a complete sound system, add the optional matching Model Subwoofer and Model CD.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

134 of 139 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Mixed emotions, January 14, 2004

By 

Michael Cooney (Wilmington, Delaware) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tivoli Audio Model Three AM/FM Clock Radio, Cherry/Metallic Taupe (Electronics)

I purchased the unit for it's renowned tuner but also for a replacement of my clock radio. The tuner is everything as claimed and nearly as good as a very high end tuner I currently own. The sound quality is also much better than expected. Where this unit falls apart is with the sleep functions. I could not get the snooze function to work as the radio would never come back on. An email to Tivoli revealed that the snooze must be activated within 120 seconds or it simply turns the radio off. This information was NOT in the manual! I know I'm not counting down from 120 seconds the moment the alarm awakes me from a soind sleep... Poor design. I've also discovered that the clock runs from the single AA battery at all times. It should run from the AC and only rely on the battery for back up. Another poorly thought out design. The two most important sleep functions are an afterthought and in my opinion not worth the cost or questionable functionality. If one were to add a second speaker the total would be $250 or $100 more than a model Two. That $100 only gets you a cheap battery operated clock and useless snooze function. Instead, spend your money on the model Two, the $80 sub and a wall timer. That's what I'm doing... You'll have a better system and save a few dollars as well!

46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful - But with good points and bad., December 27, 2004

By 

M. Prince "The CoffeeGeek" (Vancouver, BC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Tivoli Audio Model Three AM/FM Clock Radio, Cherry/Metallic Taupe (Electronics)

I heard a friend's Model One Tivoli, and was sold, so I decided to buy the Model Three and the Dual Alarm / Second Speaker unit for my bedroom, to replace a very cheap and unreliable alarm clock radio.

So for $200 what do you get? Well, you get a modified version of the Model One / Model Two Tivoli, and a clock radio with a sleep timer and wake to Aux / Radio / Alarm function. To be frank, I can't figure out how Tivoli justifies an extra $100 for a battery operated quartz clock insert that has barely advanced features (setting time is electronically controlled - that's about it). In retrospect, the sensible in me would probably not make the same purchase again - instead, I'd opt to get the Model Two unit, and a nice alarm clock (though the style wannabe in me probably would - getting an all in one unit). Tivoli simply doesn't have enough "omph" or value for the dollar tossed in with the addition of the clock functions for the extra hun.

But let's break down the positives and negatives.

Positives: Sound quality kicks big time with lots of base in the unit (single speaker, dual speakers, even without the sub). FM radio, when dialed in right, sounds like near CD quality to my ears (with a caveat - see below). "Action" on the tuning dial is sweet with the 4x stepped down gearing. Clock is fairly readable, though it is pretty recessed into the case, so from an angle, it's hard to see the hours well, esp. in the dark. Ability to plug in your iPod or other mp3 player to the Aux, hook up a sub, hook up a second speaker (or as I've done, the Model Three Dual Alarm second speaker) and other hookups - wowsa for a clock radio! Ability to record audio is good as well - I have an MP3 player / fm receiver thingie, and when I compare FM radio recordings made with the device on its own, and with the audio in ability, recording the Tivoli's FM radio, there is no comparison - the Tivoli's FM sound quality is stellar (with a caveat - again, see below)

Negatives: People proclaim the Tivoli's ability to pull in FM signals. I haven't experienced this as well as i expected - some local stations sound hissy and tinny on the Tivoli, but in my '04 Jetta (with a radio that's often panned), they sound better. Where's this legendary FM ability across the dial? That said, when a station is pulled in by the Tivoli, it sounds (to my untrained ear at least) like big base CD quality. Other negatives: The 120 second "bug" in the design for the snooze feature has caused me to sleep in a few times (see another review for more info). Yes Tivoli - that is a major design flaw. The decision on fonts and font colours makes the tuning dial and other labels on the front of the box almost unreadable in most bedroom light. And as mentioned above, the clock functionality is not worth the extra $100 in price - maybe $30, maybe $40.

But it does look goooooood. :) And the sound is stellar - rivals my other sound systems in the house costing $100s more.

31 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing little unit, January 24, 2006

By 

P. Dickens "pdickens" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tivoli Audio Model Three AM/FM Clock Radio, Cherry/Metallic Taupe (Electronics)

I received the Tivoli Model Three from Amazon about three weeks ago, and think I've played with it enough to post a review. First, Amazon was dependable and delivered as I've always experienced.

Now to the clock radio.

I (almost) love it!

I'll compare the Tivoli Model Three to my eight-year-old JVC mid-priced boombox, which should sound better than a little clock radio.

Pros:

- The Tivoli Model Three's tuner is great, even though it's analog. It receives many more stations and with much more clarity than the boombox, which has digital tuning. So don't let the digital vs. analog tuning fool you. Analog can be good when well-engineered. Digital tuning for over-the-air reception is not automatically better.

The Tivoli has a sensitive subtuning knob and LED that shows optimal reception. I didn't need to connect anything extra, such as a rooftop antenna or even the included wimpy little indoor antenna for much-better-than-expected reception.

- Considering it's a little clock radio, the sound is great. As others have posted elsewhere, "warm" describes the sound. That's much better than "plastic," which is how I would describe my boombox after spending some recent time with both of them. I like the Tivoli's cherry wood cabinet for the sound and look. I also think a larger mono speaker is better than two inseparable 5/8" stereo speakers in a small device. That never make any sense to me.

- Input-output features:

The Tivoli has some great options. You can buy an extra matching speaker and make it true stereo. I like this clock radio so much that I just ordered the extra speaker. You can buy a matching subwoofer.

It accomodates antenna input from, for example, a rooftop antenna.

- Other no-nonsense features:

I thought the big hole toward the left back projected bass. I blocked the hole, and it turns out it provides more treble and midrange response.

Clock runs continuously on battery. If your power is interrupted, the battery will intercept and your alarm (but not your radio) will sound.

Cons:

There is no weak battery warning. I would have given it a 5-star out of five-star rating since there's not a 4-1/2 star option here, but it's only a 4-1/2 star out of five. In my opinion, no weak battery warning is a major issue. There is no LED for a weak battery, and the clock must run on battery at all times, not just as backup.

If you know what you're in for, this is a good-sounding, elegant-looking and functional clock radio.

It's retro in a few functions as well as looks. For example, you have to remember to turn it on when you go to sleep, since it's a 12-hour clock. That's actually a "plus," or at least not a problem for me, since I'm now using it as my main radio (due to the superiority of the sound and tuner) but might be a "con" for others.

If you change radio stations a lot, this might not be the clock radio for you. No digital tuning presets. Not a problem for me, since I usually keep it on the same few stations, and I can easily find and finely tune those stations with the easy big old-fashioned dial and sensitive subtuner. I prefer the simplicity and elegance to a whole bunch of little menus and buttons.

I looked and looked at all the popular clock radios for $200 or less on the market, reading manufacturer descriptions, user reviews, etc. They almost all are not great in one way or another. Sony offers one that seems pretty cool, with CD player and NOAA Weather Radio reception, but no backup battery! Get with it, Sony. Wouldn't the type of person who would want emergency information also want battery power? And also, as a bonus, wouldn't it be nice to have sound that's semi-tolerable? Panasonic offers one, again with a CD player, that supposedly has better sound than most. But of about 10 user reviews, at least half the people complained its backlight was too bright, even at the lowest setting. One guy said you could line a bunch of those up and light an airport runway with them. A user "solved" the problem by putting electrical tape over its backlit area, but then of course he couldn't see the time. But he was happier than before. <wince> These models were in the less than $100 range. Nearly all of them in this price range had little tiny buttons located in unintuitive places with difficult or impossible-to-read labels, especially in the dark, that did a bunch of stuff. A common complaint was that you had to read the manual to use it, and as one user said, "If you're good at memorizing ...."

After all this disgusting stuff, I almost opted for a $14.95 Sony. The sound is reportedly awful, but at least it has a backup battery, is cheap, and doesn't look hideous. It came down to this and the Tivoli.

I didn't really see anything between $100 and $200 worth a second look, except for the Tivoli Model Three. It was $200, since if you've read this far you probably already know or are curious about the price.

Here's what I decided from all this research that I need and don't need in a clock radio:

- Do I really need another audio CD player in the bedroom? No. I have a boombox plus the computer. And I can add a subwoofer and CD player to the Tivoli! Plus, if I get rid of the plastic boombox later, Tivoli makes a matching CD player. But that's another $200. I'm tempted.

- Do I want halfway-decent sound plus decent reception for the radio. Resounding yes!

- Needs to be small. The Tivoli might look like a big (what do you call them?) desk radio from olden days. It's only 8-1/2" wide x 4-1/2" high x 5-1/2" deep.

- Do I want it to look great? Definitely! And it does, in my opinion.

I almost love it.