Review: Tivoli Audio Model One Digital

every now and then an audio element punches up to now above its weight that even the snootiest critics must well known it. That happened again in 2000, when a small Boston startup known as Tivoli Audio launched the edition One. Stereophile voted it a runner-up in its sacred “Analog source” class. This monaural tabletop radio was shockingly good at locking in tightly spaced signals and pulling in low-power faculty stations—a cell phone chip supplied the ultra-delicate reception—that hello-fi geeks patched its stereo sign during the preamp of their pricy rack rigs, and used the thing as a discount-basement tuner.

most people, although, didn’t purchase this little gem to perform geeky parlor methods. The model One’s mass attraction was once hello-fi at a low value ($ ninety nine). It appeared cool, too. The sober retro design—Charles and Ray Eames studio, circa the Nineteen Fifties, springs to thoughts—resonated with tastemakers, and colourful faceplates had been an option. It turned into the default radio for NPR addicts and their faculty dorm children, who plugged of their iPods to listen to crappy MP3 information.

Seventeen years later, the successor to the version One has finally arrived. It’s a classic desk-prime radio, up to date with wi-fi know-how, loaded with streaming options, and priced at triple the cost of the unique.





O, Henry

Henry Kloss is the closest thing to a rock superstar the audio engineering occupation has ever considered. here’s all you wish to learn about Mr. Kloss: He began the home hi-fi phenomenon in 1952 by way of inventing the AR-1, the first business acoustic suspension speaker. Collectors covet these early Acoustic research speakers like sneakerheads covet the 1985 Air Jordan 1. This guy also designed one of the vital first audio devices to use transistors, and figured out learn how to drop Dolby B noise reduction right into a cassette deck. alongside the way, he discovered time to perfect the FM desk radio; his unique KLH version eight can command up to four-figures on the used market. Kloss’ swan tune, the adaptation One, was once launched just a yr earlier than his demise. This Tivoli reboot has a popularity to live up to.

good Genes

With handiest two controls up entrance (small perform/extent button; huge “Mod Bezel” for FM tuning and programming) and nothing however the Tivoli emblem silk-screened on the faceplate, the variation One Digital is even more stripped-down than its predecessor. This design will appeal to Zen practitioners, Donald Judd fanatics, and someone who collects antique Scandinavian furniture. White and black cupboards are available, but essentially the most appealing possibility is the versatile “walnut/grey.” It’s handiest a matter of time sooner than this tastefully stained cupboard, with contrasting nubby grill material, surfaces within the heritage of a DWR catalog. And why no longer? It’s hard to find fault with a gorgeous field product of furniture-grade timber, brushed aluminum, and cloth that appears like a gray flannel pulled from the swatch ebook of a bespoke tailor.

Tivoli Audio

Makers of high-shelf audio tools take pleasure in the actual engineering tolerances baked into their hardware. A heavy and deeply knurled knob planted on a high-finish tube amp isn’t there only for appears. When an audiophile rotates it and hears those resonant “clicks,” he’s transported to a rarefied state of cognizance that someone who buys their stereo gear at Costco will never recognize. You don’t expect to get that roughly A-plus haptic remarks from a $ 300 table radio. however, you don’t predict the on/off button to wiggle underneath your finger like a trapped water worm both. Engineers generally specify small silicone components (hid behind the faceplate) to control tolerances and transmit the best touch sensations that the fanatics of quality electronics demand. These artificial membranes or “boots” supply buttons and switches something that industrial designers call “change feel” and “snap power.” Did Tivoli disregard the boots, or is this a tooling SNAFU that no amount of silicone could restore? The build high quality of Tivoli’s latest venture comes up short, and the wrongdoer is that very flimsy button. On a scale of 1 to 10, 10 being “As Switchy and Snappy as it will get,” the on/off button scores an abysmal 2.

boom field

Button considerations apart, the big query remains: Does this new model One Digital sound as good because the Henry Kloss’ unique edition One? unless you’re parked right in front of the speaker grill, the digital refresh actually sounds higher. An intensive A/B listening session printed that at low volume the older version One projects a richer and extra beautiful tone. That roughly near-container listening expertise is okay for sampling an MLB broadcast or the most recent installment of This American life, but if you need a small wi-fi player to pump extra exciting sound levels into a spacious room with minimal distortion, the model One Digital runs sonic circles round its older sibling.

The decibels inform the story. The edition One moderate dB reading was 87.7, and maxed out at 102.5; the variation One Digital reasonable dB reading used to be 94.6, and maxed out at one hundred ten.7 (readings were recorded three inches from the speaker grills). just obtain the Tivoli Audio artwork app and sync up. This unit is Wi-Fi-enabled, Bluetooth-ready, and comes able to flow with Tune In, Spotify connect, Deezer, and Tidal.

The variation One Digital also unearths spectacular element. Even the bass response, nearly always anemic in a unit this dimension, offers a reputable thump, due to a three.5-inch rear-slotted port. whether Wi-Fi or BT, the signal is rock-solid and has the roughly dynamic range that belies the unit’s dimensions (it’s a coloration greater than the unique variation One).

Radio stations can be loved using both Tune In’s streaming service or excellent old terrestrial method. Frequency modulation fans be forewarned: the excessive tools ratio that’s built into the sort of large tuning dial, to not point out the shortage of a flywheel, makes browsing the FM band an arduous process (the gear ratio of the model One was a consumer-pleasant 5:1). depending to your vicinity and the energy of the sign, deploying the anachronistic and damage-susceptible telescoping antenna could also be necessary.

Audio choices

folks that crave even better sound replica can make a selection matching elements from the Tivoli Audio “artwork” assortment. For stereo, simply Wi-Fi-hook up with the cube, a accomplice speaker concerning the size of a espresso mug. There’s also a larger round speaker that’s moderately sexy referred to as the artwork. It seems like something Isamu Noguchi might have designed for the one-ended triode rig in his manhattan metropolis atelier. The anti-Sonos crowd will likely be happy to understand that a multi-room wi-fi residence community is possible, too. Any mixture of Cubes and arts—up to 24 in complete—may also be scattered all over your newly renovated ICBM missile silo in Wichita, Kansas. simply press “birthday celebration Mode” to immediately join the sonic-increase daisy chain.

Expandability, versatility, and sensible design make the variation One Digital a helpful upgrade. And if the $ 300 price ticket seems a little wealthy, believe hanging your unique version One up on eBay to earn yourself a loyalty discount.

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