Tivoli Audio Model Two AM / FM Radio, Black/Silver Finish
See it at Amazon.com for $199.99Average Customer Rating
(5.0 out of 5)
Amazon Customer Reviews
Most Helpful First | Newest First (5 out of 5)These units are great
I just recently purchased this Model Two, but it is my second one. I've had the other one since 2002 and I love it. I really like these for certain uses: I bought my new one to use in my office at home for use with my computer/television. I have a small LCD display, and the sound out of it is inadequate. These speakers are perfect and provide a great sound.
I was happily surprised that these little made in china mass procuced items have actually gotten nicer: the connections are more secure and turning the units off don't produce the sudden aural thump that the older ones do. I have a friend who returned his several years back simply because he didn't like the loose connections, which caused the right speaker on his to go out on it's own and had to be jiggled to regain connectivity.
The bottom line is that these are on par or better in fidelity to other more expensive table type radios, but with the real plus of speaker separation.
I recommend them.
(5 out of 5)It's as good as they say
I bought this stereo to listen at work. The sound is clear, mixes come through clean, and the features are perfect. Favorite feature is the "mixing" input, which lets you have your computer sound come out through the stereo along with any selected source. The FM Tuner is fantastic, AM reception is alright. Having a built-in AM antenna is nice (most micro-stereos don't have one) so I can listen to AM, but I can't get the stations I want. FM reception is clear, and the sound reproduction from the FM Tuner is very good, as good as FM gets. FM reception is much better on this stereo than anything else I own, including Yamaha home stereos, Panasonic and Sony mini systems. The Model Two is very well built, and performs as expected.
The speakers don't blow you away, but rather sound very "nice". There are no obvious dips and peaks in the frequency response, like so many other small systems. Listening for hours on end to many different types of music is not fatiguing. The stereo separation is amazing, especially if you spread the speakers out.
This stereo works great with my iPod. I use the dock, and an 1/8" to 1/8" connecting cable. You can use the headphone jack, but the dock's line out sounds much better to discerning ears.
There is a subwoofer output, very handy. The subwoofer output is really a "pre-amp" output, controlled by the volume control and both the left and right channels appear discreetly. This raises a couple of issues, the sub-output is not filtered, meaning it contains all the audio frequencies, secondly, it is not buffered, which means if you plug in a mono cable, or combine the outputs using a Y cable, the sound from the main speakers will be adversely affected. Just make sure your subwoofer has separate left and right line-level inputs, and preferably a cross-over adjustment. Note: Avoid the Tivoli Model Subwoofer, it is underwhelming, sounds sloppy and makes very little bass. I use a KLH subwoofer that I purchased for the same price and that works much better.
It is also interesting to note that this stereo can be powered by 12 volts DC, making it an idea candidate for an area where you may need to use alternate power, such as solar, rv, or an AC adapter for Europe.
In summary, there are a variety of inputs and outputs to interface with all of your stuff. The mixing input for computer sound is really cool, and FM tuning is fantastic.
(5 out of 5)definitely the best in its class
Lets be frank, the BOSE system is definitely an overpriced product. It is OK product that performs so so... it is also $500. If you really would like a system that sounds 100 times better and costs slightly less, I would look into the Tivoli Model 2 with the Tivoli subwoofer addition. I have tried both, and was only satisfied when I got my Tivoli Model Two. The Tivoli Model Two is definitely going to be classic and a system people talk about for years... mark my words. It was designed by Henry Kloss, one of the most important sound engineers of our time. I have the newest ipod dock with remote hooked up to it and it sounds amazing! Keep in mind that this is a system for people who like to LISTEN to music. True Hi-Fi... not another boomy window shaker system. The Tivoli system has incredible sound separation a really impressive sound stage. Oh and did I mention that it is really cool looking? It has real wood cabinets, minimal solid design+ it does not have the look of a bedside alarm clock!
Hopefully I have just saved some of you true music connoisseurs the headache of having to return their BOSE products... or not. Yours faithfully, Sonic Boom.
(5 out of 5)Warm vacume tube radio sound without the vacume tubes
I've owned the Model Two radio with the Sub-woofer accessory for five years now. Initially, I wasn't happy with the cost until I listened to it the first time & then the cost didn't matter. Sounds better than my Harmon-Kardon AVR with Bose surround-sound speaker system.
Pro's: Simple to use; Nice warm "vacuum-tube radio" sound like I remember hearing from my Grandfathers radios as a small child (I half expect to see the soft orange glow of the vacuum tubes peaking from behind the grill); Compact, sturdy & solid design; Very, very high quality components made of steel, wood and aluminum rather than plastic, plastic and more plastic; Does only a few things, but does them extremely well.
Con's: Limited cabinet and face-plate finishes and color choices; No surround sound option (two speakers sound so good,four would be amazing); Sub-woofer adds some to the sound, but should do more for the cost; No remote control (ipod dock with remote plugged into the auxiliary input is something of a substitute).
If only it had (in order of importance): Network connectivity to computer music files & related online and satellite radio subscriptions; Small usable remote control; Surround-sound capability.