Quite superb

Introduction

I recently heard one of these unassuming looking radios playing in someone's kitchen, and could hardly believe the sound was actually coming from the set it was so good. I had only read about this radio prior to this, and was aware how critically acclaimed it was. Well, I just had to buy one, even though I had been satisfied with my Sony radios, such as my ICF703L.

Overview

The radio is very solid and feels well made, with quality materials. The controls are weighty, with a nice feel, though the volume dial has less resistance to it than it might, but this isn't really a problem though. Operation is very simple. There are no controls other than volume, on/off/band, and the tuning dial. The radio can run off the mains or 12 volts. I have found that the transformer causes a slight hum; running from a 12V PSU can alleviate this if it annoys you sufficiently (only likely if you listen at very low volumes). Note however, you will need quite a hefty PSU to supply the Model One with enough power (800mA).

I have noticed that, when new, the radio's transformer sometimes produces a hum/buzzing sound (a bit like a fridge) when the radio is switched off. It is strange in that it seems to be related to the physical positioning of the unit: for some reason it can be alleviated by standing the unit on it's end. Maybe it only occurs on 240V European versions like mine? Fortunately it has disappeared after several hours of use, and not reappeared.

Another oddity (though of little importance) is that the radio can be heard at low volume through connected earphones when the unit is switched off.

The Model One emits a constant low-level hiss when switched on. It is not noticeable in normal use at normal volumes, but might well be of annoyance if you have the unit very close by and turned down low, such as at the side of your bed.

There is an F-type socket for connection of an external antenna. A simple piece of wire is supplied for FM, and the radio can also be switched to receive using its power cable, which may be all you need for local stations. This method works surprisingly well, though is understandably not as good as the wire aerial. An internal aerial is used for AM.


Audio quality

The radio has been described as the best sounding mono table radio ever, and I can certainly believe this. The sound quality is remarkable for such a small unit -- very rich, crystal clear and involving, and goes loud enough to fill the room with sound, yet there is no distortion at full volume. The bass port in the bottom of the case actually does work, providing the perfect tone in conjunction with the speaker. Just put your hand near the port and feel the amount of air being moved! The audio seems to have been tailored for speech, and is fatigue-free to listen to for hours on end. It's so much better than any audio source I hear during the day -- from my car stereo, my radio at work; or my CD hi-fi which sits alongside it for that matter.

A tone control would have been unnecessary as the sound is just right as it is. I've never wished I could adjust it. The Model One was clearly designed first and foremost to reproduce the best audio quality possible. No flashing lights, silly equalizers, etc -- and it is so much better for the lack of these gimmicks. This is by far the best radio I have ever heard. Of course, the audio quality of the material broadcast by some stations (certainly in the UK at least) isn't as good as it could be, and this radio shows up the quality of those broadcasts, which just demonstrates how good this radio is.

The Model One absolutely blows away DAB radios. (Digital Audio Broadcasting, used in the UK and some other backward countries). I should know, having owned several. I cannot listen to the over-compressed, low quality DAB stations for any length of time, much less so now after experiencing the quality available on FM with a well-engineered set like the Tivoli. The quality of DAB in the UK is just appalling in comparison. It seems to me many people assume 'digital is always better', perhaps believing the advertiser's spin. Well, all I'll say to these misguided folks is you must compare the Model One with any DAB radio yourself if you doubt me.

I feel foolish now for spending as much on one of these pathetic DAB radios as the clearly superior quality Model One. I've since got rid of all my DAB radios on eBay...

Considering the amount of time I spend listening to the radio, I believe the price I paid will work out great value for the thousands of hours of high-quality listening pleasure the Model One should provide.


Receiver performance

So, the audio performance on FM is exceptional. But what is the radio’s receiver performance like? Well, it’s very good. It is certainly a sensitive receiver, and pulls in some distant stations with very little background noise, when using just the supplied piece-of-wire antenna. All stations within range come in fine on this simple antenna after a bit of experimenting to get the best position.

I made a simple dipole antenna from wire and the connector block from an old antenna, and taped it vertically to the gable wall inside my loft. The improvement in reception is remarkable, and I hear stations I have never heard from my location before. Simple and cheap, and no need for an outdoor antenna.

I find that even just using the supplied piece-of-wire antenna, on a weak station there is less disturbance to the signal from reflections/blocking than on other FM radios when I walk around the room. And this is the only FM radio I have ever heard which can reproduce audio with no background hiss on the signal on just a piece of wire for an antenna.

I live in a ‘busy’ area for FM stations, and can receive many stations on just the wire antenna; so many in fact that there are hardly any empty parts of the band. I like to be able to receive out-of-area stations, but some are spaced very close to others, due to the potential 100kHz separation in use in the UK. As some signals are very strong, and other, more distant ones are weaker, this is a challenge for any receiver’s selectivity.

The Model One has good selectivity, but as the dial covers the entire 87.5 - 108 MHz band in about four inches, tuning can be a bit tight, even accounting for the ‘geared-down’ tuning knob. Ideally for 'DX' (distance) listening, the FM band would span the entire circumference of the tuning knob, enabling more space between tightly packed stations. This would provide less splatter on weak stations from adjacent strong stations. The downside to this of course would be that tuning across the band would take much longer.

Overall though, only a good car radio would provide better selectivity. (If absolute RF performance is vital to you then rigging one of those up for home use would be your only option).

The Model One's FM tuner would, I suspect, be absolutely ideal for people living in remote rural locations where only a handful of weak distant stations which are spaced reasonably well apart from each other can be received. Under those conditions I think this unit would be unbeatable.

Unfortunately, the great FM performance is not replicated on AM. The overall impression is that this radio isn't very sensitive on AM. You will at least be able to listen to your local stations, and the audio quality is good, but don't buy any Tivoli radio solely for pulling in AM stations as you are sure to be disappointed.


Connecting external devices

An external audio device such as a CD player can be connected via a 3.5mm connector. I have tried my Sony minidisc and my Sony personal CD and the sound is superb. Really, you do not miss stereo when mono sounds as good as this. It is much better to have one very good speaker than two or more poor ones.


Summary

This is one good radio, and I love it. I feel sure it will still be chugging along for many years to come.

In this age of nasty sounding digital consumer electronics sold on quantity of features and price alone, the Model One is a breath of fresh air. The designers concentrated on engineering the basic product properly, rather than adding toys to a poor basic radio. How often does that happen these days?

As a quality product, it was worth every penny even accounting for the exchange rate differences. In fact it would be no exaggeration to say it is the best electronic device I have ever purchased (and I’ve had many!).


EDIT

On the strength of the Model One, I've since purchased a Model Two (the stereo version of this radio), and a PAL. Have a look at my reviews if you are interested.

EDIT 2

I've since purchased two more Model Ones. Latest two have perfect dial calibration.

One set is maple, the other two are black. The volume dial and tuning knob on my maple version have a firmer action to them for some reason.

On the maple set, the tuning dial appears slightly imperfect in that the centre knob is closer to the outer ring at one point, and in use some resistance can be felt at certain points. Whilst it doesn't affect overall performance, it does reduce the smooth sensation common to both other sets. There seems no way to adjust it, so I will just live with it as it wasn't purchased new.

I now listen to all my CDs on my Model One using my Sony Discman. Whilst the sound obviously lacks the bass of the hi-fi (and stereo), the superior clarity of the mid-range and treble for me more than compensate for this.