Tivoli Audio iSongBook Portable Music System for iPod (White/Silver)

by Tivoli

Product Details

Product Manual [1.30mb PDF]

• Product Dimensions: 11 x 2 x 6 inches ; 3 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B000BFGB6G
• Item model number: iSBWS
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

Building on the success of their micro radios and bookshelf systems, Tivoli Audio has broken new ground in a crowded field of iPod accessories with the iSongBook. At just 2.81 pounds, and with an included right channel speaker, the iSongbook packs a serious portable punch. If you have an iPod with a docking port connector, this little unit deserves a serious look.

The iSongBook's iPod dock swings down when you're ready to make the connection.

Design
The iSongBook's design takes many design queues from the Tivoli iPal, another iPod audio accessory from Tivoli Audio. That means that the iSongBook looks great alongside your iPod, which is exactly where the iPod is designed to go. A cradle cleverly swings down from the left side of the unit revealing a standard iPod docking port that also provides a charge for the iPod when the iSongBook is plugged into AC power. Tivoli also includes seven adapter "cups" that provide a snug fit for various iterations of the 3G, 4G, iPod Color, Video iPod, mini and even Nano. While the hideaway dock is a smart move, it can prove a bit kludgy when you have the iSongBook on an uneven surface, as the dock is only secured by a single hinge. It's a minor quibble, though.

The iSongBook's front panel is typical Tivoli fare-- a nice mix of retro style and Jetsons coolness. As with all Tivoli Audio products, controls are reassuringly simple and sturdy. Tivoli's philosophy seems to be that there should be a button devoted to each function of a given device. It's a refreshing choice in an age of ever-increasing complexity in electronics. Meanwhile, the unit's LCD display is large and bright, and there's a button for turning the backlight on and off for increased battery savings. Switching the function selector lets you choose from AM, FM, or iPod modes. iPod mode can double as an "Aux" mode, as there is a 3.5 mm auxiliary input on the back of the iSongBook. A straightforward alarm clock system is easy to set and control and allows the user to fall asleep and wake to their fave iPod tunes.

Bring your own iPod. Tivoli takes care of the rest.

Many would argue that offering two speakers in a small, portable audio device is futile exercise, as not enough stereo separation is possible. Indeed, Tivoli's Model One delivers some of the best "small" sound in the industry -- from a single speaker. To really experience stereo sound, some distance between the right and left channels is needed, and that's why the iSongBook sports a cleverly-implemented, detachable right speaker. The speaker is a breeze to connect and disconnect, and the cable is easily retractable via an internal coil that keeps the mess to a minimum. An added benefit of the detachable speaker is that it can be left behind when you want to keep the weight and bulk down.

Another hallmark of Tivoli's portable audio devices is that they offer flexible power options. The iSongBook is no exception. In addition to AC power, the unit can run on, and recharge, six rechargeable "AA"-size cells. Additionally, these batteries can be replaced with non-rechargeable "AA" alkaline cells when you're away from AC power for longer periods. When the unit is plugged in, the iSongBook provides a charge to both the rechargeable cells and your iPod. Pretty nifty.

Cord management is cleverly designed into the right channel speaker. The AC power and line-in ports are covered to keep out dust and moisture.

Listening Pleasure
The iSongBook's manual makes it clear that "Bass frequencies place a heavy strain on speakers and amplifiers. The iSongBook was engineered to produce the maximum amount of low frequencies for its size and power." Honesty is certainly the best policy and indeed, the iSongBook isn't cut out for delivering room-thumping bass. But it does deliver stunning crispness that will leave you wondering how Tivoli has managed to pack so much into such a small package. While lows are certainly not thundering, the crispness of notes across the full spectrum, high to low, is pretty hard to beat in a device this size. Tivoli's superior, audiophile-class electronics really do make a difference. Having an additional right channel that can be separated from the left is a big bonus. The monaural sound is good, but it lacks the fullness you'll hear with the right channel attached.

Integration with an iPod is painless, just pop it in the dock and the tunes begin. Meanwhile, AM/FM reception is good, and the digital tuner is surprisingly accurate and fast. The tuner's seek mode is as good as anything you'll find in a full-size component tuner. Tivoli never scrimps on anything, so there's also an included infrared remote. It's slim, easy-to-use, and highly functional, allowing you to control playlists and make album selections on your iPod. The iSongBook's headphone jack is a nice touch, too, even though it is redundant with the iPod's headphone jack-- unless you're listening to the iSongBook's radio.

What's in the Box
iSongBook unit with detachable right speaker, external power supply, remote control, 7 iPod adapter cups, and warranty registration card.

Pros

• Now-legendary Tivoli design and electronics
• Simple operation
• Excellent sound (if you can do without thumping bass)

Cons

• Prepare to pay a premium price for quality this high

Product Description

For those who want great sounding music at home or wherever they go, Tivoli Audio introduces the iSongBook, its newest music system with universal flip-down dock specifically made for the Apple iPod. The universal flip-down dock will fit all iPod models including Nano, and recharges the iPod when docked. It comes with a detachable matching secondary speaker for true stereo sound and 6-foot audio cable for proper room positioning with rewind mechanism for cable management. The supplied remote control operates both the iPod with play list management, volume, illumination, mute and more and the iSongBook. It features a highly sensitive digital AM/FM tuner for North America and for use in Europe and a 9k/10k switch for AM reception outside North America. Includes manual tuning and 5 AM and 5 FM favorite station preset buttons with a "seek" function. It also features an "on-demand" blue backlit LCD display that shows the station tuning as well as the digital clock, whose functions include alarm and 20-minute sleep timer that can be set to wake or fall to sleep to an iPod as well as radio. Auxiliary input and stereo headphone output are positioned in the rear, complete with rubber covers to protect them from the elements, dust and dirt when not in use. The iSongBook operates on standard AA alkaline batteries or NiMH/NiCad rechargeable batteries with the unit’s built-in charger; or by a supplied AC adaptor or 12V power source. It measures just 6-3/16" H x 11-1/16" W x 2-3/16" D.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great companion for Ipod, not perfect, November 19, 2005

By 

Anonymous "None" (Columbia, SC) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tivoli Audio iSongBook Portable Music System for iPod (White/Silver) (Electronics)

Continues the superb Tivoli tradition for Ipod. Very ingenious design, wonderful audio, charges both Ipod and a set of NIMH batteries with wall wart, then you're untethered for hours of entertainment...Nice clock radio functions and superb AM FM radio as well as aux in for other devices. It is such a good match for Ipod, I have discovered sounds in my Ipod tunes I didn't know were there...

One BIG disadvantage...this doesn't have a kickstand or good support, so it is prone to tip over and spill out the Ipod from the dock. Make sure you have a safe surface to but this baby on...I am waiting for the iSoundbook case to come out for further protection...If it's like the case for the IPal it will be yet another bit of ingenious design...

This is also very expensive. Significant more than the other Tivoli Ipod products, but the stereo design and excellent charging options make it worth it...

It could be somewhat improved by offering a remote that could change between modes...as it is you have to turn the switch to AM, FM or Ipod/Auxillary before the remote will work. The remote has a nice feature (much better than Apple's IMHO) which allows you to move to the next playlist on your Ipod...

All in all, this is a great, innovative idea. To me it's much nicer than the Bose offering because it's portable with battery power, has a superb AM FM radio, and offers better stereo separation...And sound wise, I think it's a touch better in clarity...though the Bose seems to have a bit more bass...

25 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A near perfect sound, April 3, 2006

By 

Palm Docs User (Washington, D.C.) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Tivoli Audio iSongBook Portable Music System for iPod (White/Silver) (Electronics)

I've owned the iSongbook for two days and am thrilled with the sound. The FM radio comes in with perfect clarity for most stations (even with the antenna down and locked in place). The AM is also a big improvement. I bought the iSongbook for the combination of (1) Improved sound for a small bedroom stereo replacement; (2) a clock/radio need; (3) portability and convenience; and (4) iPod connectivity. The radio meets the test on all accounts. (1) Sound: For a table top unit, the speakers give a great balance with a very musical bass sound (better for jazz, classical and pop and not as much for the Who, etc.). For jazz recordings, the bass will walk and drums and cymbals fill the rhythm with very satisfying clarity. Try Sonny Rollins' Saxophone Collossus and you won't believe what you're hearing. Generally, a great recording will be captured by this unit regardless of the genre. Remember how much you loved clear sounding mono recordings? An old Dizzy Gillespie disc (Dizzy's Diamonds) sounded crisp but the big band crescendos could be a little shrill which may be a function of the particular remaster of these recordings generally. Voices come through beautifully!! Try anything from Paul McCartney on the original "Yesterday" "Fixing a Hole" or "She's Leaving Home" to any Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday or Louis Armstrong. Tony Bennett's more recent "The Art of Romance" played at a volume setting of 18 to 21 out of 30, sounds like an audiophile playback-no exaggeration. Piano music sounds very tonal and will deliver more resonance than you may be used to on many listening devices let alone a small portable. Put the speakers closer together and the bass tightens yet still produces a nice soundstage. (2) The clock radio is adequate. There is no snooze function when the alarm source goes off, but, if you wake to the alarm instead of radio or the iPod, it does go off and on for 60 second intervals repeating for one hour. Others have complained there is only a 20 minute sleep timer, instead of a choice of increments up to an hour or two, but you can workaround that, at least with the iPod sleeptimer up to the 2 hours Apple provides. However, if you use the longer sleep timer this way, you won't be able to wake to the radio and the unit will remain on all night without any sound. Without an audio source, the power consumption should be small. Some don't like the fact the clock can't be read without pressing the light button on the unit. This is a tradeoff for those who complain that most clock radios have strong lights that cannot be dimmed. I could keep the unit by the bedside and the light button would be fine, but I prefer to keep the unit across from the bed for a better room filling sound. The alarm function works with any of the selected AM, FM or iPod sources off the unit, or it can be activated off the iPod's alarm if the unit is left on overnight. The iPod alarm is especially useful if the iPod sleeptimer is used to obtain a longer than 20 minute cycle. You cannot use the sleeptimer with one function and wake to another source. These inconveniences are easy to look past because the unit still provides enough or more selectivity for sleep/wake functions compared to many simple clock/radio units; (3) For portability, this unit is the most gorgeous design I've seen yet. The main unit detaches from the extra speaker if desired and may be ported separately like Tivoli's Songbook radio (except it also has the iPod dock built in). It fits in almost any briefcase and is something I just may take back and forth to the office, particularly for those longer workdays. The built-in battery recharger is fantastic and allows using this unit on the go without a cord. You can only switch between audio sources by a knob on the unit. This isn't a problem if you keep the unit near your bedside or your desk, but an inconvenience if you want to rely more on the remote (which can change volume, songs, albums and playlists, but not the radio/iPod/Aux function). Tivoli also sells dedicated carry bags for the Songbook and iSongbook. Depending on how you want to port the unit (with or without the extra speaker) you can choose either carry bag; (4) iPod connectivity through a clever pull down dock on the side is a handsome minimalist design. A separate cable for 1/8" to 1/8" connectivity isn't needed as it is for the Songbook single speaker radio. Charging the iPod is very fast when the A/C adapter is plugged in. A 1/8 inch connectivity is also provided (without the cable) for an Aux device (CDs, etc.) and it can be used to connect to my iMac which I might do for those occasions when I stream a good out of town radio station (like WKCR 89.9 FM in NYC) through iTunes. The remote control is one of the better ones I've seen for a small unit. It allows scrolling of playlists and albums through separate Prev/Next buttons for each. However, my remote was only working to scroll through playlists. The "Albums" function may be defective. Otherwise, I say the unit is the best combination of sound, functionality, design and convenience I've seen yet. I HIGHLY recommend it. Buy the iSongbook instead of the Songbook if you can afford it. It gives you a Songbook with the iPod dock built in plus the extra speaker and remote. You will notice the difference and love all the flexibility and convenience. And that radio sound just can't (and won't) be beat. Five Stars!!!

29 of 31 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars iSongbook rocks well beyond its size, November 18, 2005

By 

Watch Guy (Phoenix, AZ) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tivoli Audio iSongBook Portable Music System for iPod (White/Silver) (Electronics)

Tivoli Audio has scored another major hit with the iSongbook. It is a Model Two with a fully-functional iPod dock and it's totally portable. The sound is amazing for its size or any size for that matter. It competes head-on with the Bose SoundDock, not quite as loud but it can be uncomfortably loud if that's what one wants. Stereo separation is enhanced by being able to move the right speaker six feet away and then reel up the cable to pull the system back together into one unit. Add in a terrific AM/FM-Stereo tuner and the ability to control an iPod via the wireless remote and it's quite a music system. Tivoli got it right.

The charging system recharges NiCd or NiMH batteries along with an iPod. When running off external power, the iPod shuts down immediately when switcing the unit off or to AM or FM but wakes and resumes what it was doing when one selects iPod as the source once again.

The sound is simply incredible across the audio range. It has good bass but makes no claim to thumo your house until plates creep off shelves. Like all other Tivoli Audio products it is equally at home with rock and roll or classical or voice. It reproduces it all very well.

Yes, it's on the spendy side but think about that 1980's boom box and what you paid for that. Then think about the lousy sound and the bulk. Now think about a portable "radio" which can slip into a carry-on bag which can charge and access an iPod and deliver sound which competes with products ten times the price. The iSongbook is a great value. It really delivers.

The countdown sleep timer and alarm functions are great. Wake to a song on your iPod or AM, FM or a tone. The blue light which can be activated from the front panel or from the remote makes the display very easy to read from all angles.

The iSongbook is the ultimate iPod accessory and a great stereo system to have in the kithcen, bedroom, office or RV...or all of the above. Just pick it up and take it with you.