Tivoli Radio Combo System Reviewed

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HTR Product Rating

Performance
3 Stars
Value
4 Stars
Overall
3.5 Stars

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Tivoli_Radio_Combo_system.gifYou gotta love it: despite the juggernaut behind digital radio, despite the desire in certain quarters that analogue would just go away, Tivoli is one of home entertainment's biggest success stories. And all because of a table-top radio reminiscent of the no-presets/big-dial classics of the 1950s and 1960s. Oh, and the fact that it was designed by/inspired by one of the industry's canniest geniuses: Henry Kloss. And there's choice of colours. And real wood trim. And because it sounds terrific. And it's about as close to 'cuddly' as home electronics gets.

With the original, mono AM/FM Tivoli Model One radio now a de riguer purchase for secondary sound - try finding someone in the audio industry who doesn't have a Tivoli in his or her kitchen or bedroom - the company laid the foundation for a family of equally-appealing siblings. The recipe is a three-fold masterplan: each Tivoli product has to look funky, work intuitively and sound great. No, make that four-fold: it also has to be a bargain. The mono Model One was joined by a stereo version, a clock-radio variant, an active subwoofer, a CD player and even a portable.

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But best of all, if you've been bitten by the bug that must be considered the 'Swatch of hi-fi' and you can't resist buying Tivolis in multiples, you can see from the above that the company can now offer what amounts to a 'system'. By that, I mean stereo AM/FM radio, CD, a subwoofer to add some mass to the sound and inputs for tape, a headphone socket and even 12V operation if you want to use it in a boat or caravan.

Collectively named the Radio Combo, it consists of the following (alas, only in the Metallic Taupe/Cherry colour scheme): Model Two Stereo Table Radio (£169.99), Model CD Player (£199.99) and Model Subwoofer (£79.99). If you buy it as a package instead of adding the CD and sub later, it will cost £439.99, saving you a tenner over the separates.

Its four enclosures are so compact that there can't be an Ikea- or Habitat-driven home - even a bijoux London rip-off of a flat - lacking the space to house them. The main unit and right channel speaker come in 8 3/8x 4 1/2x 5 ¼ in (HWD) chassis, and the CD player is only ¾ in deeper. The subwoofer? A teensy 6 ½ x 9 ½ x6 5/16 in (HWD).

By now, the look and operation of the primary component should be familiar because the Model One radio is so truly ubiquitous. It contains a full-range 3in driver, an AM/FM radio, volume control, source selector (on/off, AM, FM, Aux), power-on LED and tuning strength LED, plus that big rotary tuning control. At the back are options for the aerial (internal AM and FM aerials or external aerials selectable via a small switch), mains input or 12-16V input, and - through stereo mini-sockets - subwoofer output, headphone output, record out, aux input and an input for connecting a source that mixes with the radio or auxiliary. Also at the back are a balance control, a speaker port and the sockets for the right channel speaker. The latter is essentially a Model Two with everything removed bar the speaker itself.

[Brief note: Although this is a 'closed system' in that only the CD player could be used realistically with other components, there are tweaks available. I haven't tried them yet, but RATA's indefatigable Russ Andrews is offering a line of hot-rodded 12V mains adaptors to run Tivoli components off 12V DC instead of good ol' dirty AC, and there is an alleged improvement. Just thought you should know if you are (a) tempted by Tivoli but (b) hate the thought of using anything straight out of the box without a tweak.]

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