Tivoli Audio Model One AM / FM Table Radio, Classic / Walnut

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Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8 x 7 inches ; 5 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B00006I5WK
• Item model number: M1CLA
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (122 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,628 in Electronics (See Bestsellers in Electronics)

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  Electronics > Portable Audio & Video > Radios

• Date first available at Amazon.com: February 16, 2006

Product Description

Amazon.com Review

The Tivoli Model One has been praised far and wide for its high-quality sound, small size, and cool, retro styling. We got our hands on a sample unit and came away impressed, just as many others have. Anyone who wants a compact, stylish radio with surprisingly good sound should give the Model One a look.

Design
In many ways, the Model One is the culminating achievement of famed audio engineer Henry Kloss's long career. Designed from the ground up by Kloss, who passed away in 2002, the radio exudes understated class and elegant simplicity. We received the Platinum Series Model One, which features a hand-lacquered, high gloss dark walnut cabinet that is simply gorgeous. According to Tivoli, the genuine wood casing isn't just for looks as it provides "an acoustically inert housing" that maximizes the speaker's sound quality. At just over 8 inches wide, 4.5 inches high, and 5.25 inches deep, the Model One is about the size of a toaster turned on its side-- plenty small to fit on a desk, dresser, or nightstand.

The Model One's single rotary dial handles tuning for both AM and FM stations. It feels sturdy and smooth in the hand. 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. Plus, 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 liked the light-colored face and dark lettering printed on the Platinum Series model we reviewed; it made for easy operation in dimly-lit rooms. The Model One's single, 3" driver is protected by a handsome metal speaker cover. Tivoli adds that the speaker is enhanced by a "multi-stage frequency contouring circuit that adjusts the speaker's output over half-octave increments." The result, Tivoli claims, is "musically accurate tonal balance and bass response."

The back of the unit features a coaxial antenna jack for the included FM antenna wire. While the Model One also has an internal FM antenna, Tivoli recommends using the supplied external one for tricky tuning in locales with a lot of stations crammed together. There's a handy switch for switching between the internal and external antennae. A standard 3.5mm headphone jack is also provided, as is a 3.5mm auxiliary line in port for plugging in your iPod or other music device. If you want to use the Model One 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. The back panel also sports separate ports for AC and DC power, making the unit a great choice for boating or RV use.

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 One's rich, resonant sound more than made up for its lack of true stereo separation. Plus, the Model One is a single, elegant box with no annoying speaker cords.

While the Model One isn't designed to provide earth-shattering sound at high volume, it produces surprising clarity and fullness at normal listening levels. When turned all the way up, the unit's rich sound persists and we suspect that Tivoli engineered the Model One's volume level to max out before any distortion arises. If you don't need a lot of volume, the Model One delivers. As with the iPal, we were left scratching our heads and wondering how such great sound could come from such a little box.

The Model One's tuning accuracy is also impressive; we were able to dial in stations we didn't even know existed. Tivoli says this is due to the unit's discrete-component FM tuner technology, which was originally developed for cellular telephones. Whatever Tivoli has done here, they did it right; closely-spaced stations are a breeze to tune.

Pros

• Compact form factor
• Excellent sound
• Supremely accurate tuning

Cons

• Not engineered to produce extremely high volume levels

Product Description

Where performance and simplicity are paramount but space is sparse, the Model One table radio fits the bill. With just three knobs, it is the antithesis of today's ever more complex electronic products. The Model One gets more stations than other radios because of its state of the art, Henry Kloss designed discrete-component FM tuner using technology originally developed for cellular telephones. This technology gives better FM reception and increased clarity on closely spaced stations. Features include a furniture-grade, handmade walnut wood cabinet that doubles as an acoustically inert housing and a heavy-magnet, long-throw 3-inch speaker which provides musically accurate tonal balance and bass response. Its large analog tuning knob with geared-down 5:1 tuning ratio permits easy and accurate tuning. The amber tuning indicator lets you know when you've achieved proper tuning. Built-in AM and FM antennas provide satisfying reception, while a rear 75-ohm jack allows connection of an external FM antenna in difficult reception areas. Also provided is a headphone jack, auxiliary input to connect an iPod, MP3 player or portable CD player, and a record output for recording, or to use the Model One as a high-quality outboard tuner.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 43 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simplicity + Great Sound = I Love It!, December 19, 2006

By	HippoRadio "TOO BIG--a 60s-70s fan" (Charleston, SC) - See all my reviews

Several years ago I inherited a KLH 21--the inspiration for Henry Kloss' current Tivoli Model One. It is among my most cherished possessions, but sentiment aside--this radio is an advancement of the KLH "original" in nearly every aspect.

Audio tonal quality is much like "beauty"--it's in the eye (or ear) of the beholder. Considering the price and genre of this radio--I consider its audio fidelity to be exceptional--powerful and very pleasing. I prefer its design objective that incorporates ONE superior amp and speaker--opposed to TWO lesser channels for stereo. I've never been able to rationalize a "stereo" design where the speakers are separated by only eight-inches of face-plate!

FM RECEPTION: I own way more than my fair share of radios. Is this product on par with the classic $1500-dollar McIntosh MR-78? Not at all, but remember--Amazon is asking you for a mere $120 to own this radio. Within all reasonable considerations--FM performance is excellent. I suspect the criticism of FM reception you read here is due to a couple factors that are not the fault of this radio. First, NO GOOD FM TUNER can tell the difference between a weak distant station and all the "RF trash" generated within your environment by computers, "smart" appliances, and security systems. In fact, a superior tuner is MORE prone to such interference. Secondly, EVERY GOOD FM TUNER requires a good antenna--lose that included 12-inch "rat tail". I use a C Crane "FM Reflect" tuned wire dipole which terminates directly into the 75-ohm coaxial external antenna connector on this radio. FM sensitivity, selectivity, and capture ratio are very good. I routinely receive distant signals with good quality, and I have NEVER seen this radio overload from a strong local signal at a reasonable distance from its transmitter.

AM RECEPTION: My major criticism of this product is ironically my major accolade! Out of the box, this radio is unresponsive to all but the most powerful AM signals, and it IS NOT equally sensitive across the full 540-1700kHz band. This deficiency CAN be rectified with a $40 addition of the Terk "AM Advantage" inductively-coupled loop antenna. Set it atop or beside this radio, and the AM reception character changes dramatically. Maybe there is a "blessing" in this design--as there are NO "whistles", intermod, or overloading apparent on this radio's AM band reception! With the exception of a very few (and expensive) specialty receivers--the Model One provides the finest AM audio I have found in a mass-market radio. If your option for music lies on AM, you will be very pleased with this radio!

My favorite feature is the very smooth 5:1 geared ANALOG rotary tuning. It's generally accurate, and the wide bandspread and variable-intensity tuning light make it a joy to use. Analog tuning is technically superior in EVERY respect to today's commonplace "digital" tuning. Inconvenient? Maybe ever so slightly, but worth the minimal effort.

FINE PRODUCT... An easy FIVE-STAR recipient!

34 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simple design. Great sound. Quality construction., June 28, 2004

By	D. J. Stone (Ottsville, PA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I'm sure there's lot of people like me would love to have a good sounding radio right on their desk, where it's easy to adjust the volume (when a phone call comes in), and be able to easily tune it to different stations as your mood suits.

I don't have the space for a big boom box, nor do I care to blast the sound real loud in my home office. I also don't need flashing lights, a graphic equalizer, or the numerous other features you seem to find on most other radios these days.

The Tivoli Audio Henry Kloss Model One table radio was exactly what I was looking for. It's unobtrusive on even a crowded desk like mine, yet it puts out sound that belies the small size. I also really liked the simplicity of design -- just three knobs (power, volume, and tuning) and a couple of indicator lamps (power on and signal strength). It has a retro look that's simple and very clean.

The FM tuning knob with 5:1 gear ratio allows you to really "ease into" a station, and a corresponding LED glows brightest when the signal is strongest. I actually find it to be easier to use than a digital tuner, and much more precise. I found that I didn't even miss not having presets. I've been able to tune in stations clearly with this radio that I cannot get on any other radio I own.

The speaker is small (3"), but puts out very clean sound, with a nice bass boost from the port in the bottom of the case.

The real hardwood case is a nice departure from the particle board and plastic that most electronic products are made from today.

The unit weighs about 4 lbs., and feels substantial in your hands when you hold it.

Do I wish it had a tone control? I don't miss it at all. The sound is so nicely balanced without it, and adding another knob would take away from it's simplicity of design and operation.

At around a hundred bucks, you can certainly pay less for a radio, but I think you'd have a tough time finding a unit that is so compact, simple, and great-sounding at any price. I'm planning on having this around for a long time.

I think a lot of young people may feel that this radio doesn't have enough bells and whistles, but I'll bet there's a lot of middle-aged businessmen like me that would love to receive this radio as a gift. I think it's something that would be truly appreciated, and used daily for many years. What more could you ask for for a hundred bucks?

48 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Oh, go splurge on spareness., April 18, 2005

By	Samuel Chell (Kenosha,, WI United States) - See all my reviews (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

My wife tends to ride me a bit about my expensive tastes in relatively high-end audio equipment. She thought her $20 GE radio was plenty adequate, even for an NPR junkie like herself. Seeing that the Kloss Model One is the radio sold by NPR at its website store, I gave her one as a gift. Now she claims that the prospect of waking up to its warm, rich sound is enough to make her look forward to getting up in the morning. In fact, she's beginning to agitate for two more identical radios for additional rooms in the house.

My own feelings about the radio are a bit more toned down but positive. In most similar radios "stereo" is an exuse to use cheap speakers. This monaural unit, on the other hand, features one carefully tuned and balanced speaker (the weight of the magnet itself testifies to its superior quality), reminding some of us that the "improvement" of stereo over monaural "hi fi" can be illusory at best. The sound is full, rich, and complete over the entire sonic spectrum. Moreover, the absence of tone controls encourages the listener to trust the engineers' judgment rather than waste time on equalizer switches. (I'll confess that personally I miss the ability to increase the treble and roll back the bass, which is too strong even without the gratuitous add-on "subwoofer.") Finally, the tuning knob is the smoothest and most accurate, not to mention the most finger friendly, that I've used.

Pure functionality, elegant simplicity, and noticeable attention to quality (especially the wood cabinet) make this the one to own. Add a CD player, and you have a mini-component system built around a sensitive, responsive tuner and carefully tuned speaker. Add another speaker, and you've got a stereo system (a supplement that, according to Consumers' Reports, makes this a better-sounding radio than the Bose, Boston Acoustics, or Cambridge competitors)--but at the expense of some of the compactness and economy which is undeniably a big part of this item's understated appeal.