Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)[After using this machine for two months, I've got to express some displeasure with the 21 tiny buttons on the face. Unless the unit is in a lighted area and in front of your face, count on some intensive sessions devoted to nothing but memorizing the uses and locations of the buttons--and be sure to rehearse those assignments every week. Even punching the right ones when you first awaken is no more of a picnic. For a company that seduced the public with the elegant simplicity of its first radios (we have 2 of them in the house), Tivoli appears to have had a newly licensed airline pilot run amok with the design for this one. They've succeeded in creating a sleek face panel without telling you it's the consumer's job to solve each of the "pimples" on the instrument's visage to get it to play right! I'd gladly settle for 2-3 big knobs to cover the volume, tuning and time set, along with two conspicuous protruding buttons for eject and on/off. Better yet: knock off a few dollars and make it available without the clock radio.]
Call it the Bosendorfer of clock radios or the Volkswagen of compact, one-piece audio systems, it works either way. And when I see the current cost of a Tivoli iPod radio (good sound providing you keep the volume backed down), the price of this model seems less extravagant. Even though Tivoli keeps throwing in new "performance" gimmicks, the primary appeal is still the audio quality. It's not "miraculous," and it won't cause true audiophiles to forget the days of building a system from the ground up, beginning with a four hundred dollar cartridge, but the sound quality is nonetheless unlikely to leave you wanting. It replaces a Model One, which had a bit too much bass (why anyone would want to add Tivoli's "sub-woofer" eludes my understanding) and too little treble (a ride cymbal has got to sizzle). This machine addresses the problem, since it has a bottom-firing speaker and a tone control, permitting you to tease more treble out of the speakers. Moreover, it solves the problem of getting only a single channel from your input source. Finally, this machine smokes my Tivoli iPal. Fuller, better defined bass, sizzling ride cymbals (I cheated on the tone control a bit), "true" piano tones, some power to spare (thus eliminating distortion problems), and beautifully balanced sound. If you've got a well-recorded CD, you won't find a system of comparable size and weight capable of realizing its potential as fully as this Tivoli.
The clock radio takes some practice--for example, to get the sound source and volume set just right, especially if you choose to nod off with a different sound source or to plug a pillow speaker in the headphone jack. I love the CD player, but it too requires gentle handling. It seems to balk at the slightest bit of moisture, or even fingerprints, on a disc, and it takes its time responding to the listener's commands. At one point I nearly returned the machine when it appeared to eat my CD, refusing to give it back. Going over the instructions, I noticed a single sentence directing the owner to unplug the machine for 60 seconds when such an event occurs. Problem solved, though it will recur, especially if you become impatient. Treat this instrument like you would a Steinway, not a player piano, and it should respond in kind.
It's a quality little unit, but it doesn't butter your toast--or even toast it, for that matter. Or perhaps, like setting the alarms and operating the CD player more efficiently, that's simply a maneuver I haven't mastered yet. (later) I've moved this out of the bedroom, permitting me to crank it up a bit and listen from 12 feet away. The unit sounds sweeter than ever (even if I'm occasionally questioning the how much and why of the clock radio).
Click Here to see more reviews about:
Tivoli Audio MSYTPE Music System Digital AM/FM/CD Hi Fi System with Cherry/Metallic Taupe FinishThe Tivoli Audio Hi-Fi Music System is a full-featured tabletop system that gives you the ultimate in high-fidelity stereo sound.With its concert quality sound, the Hi-Fi Music System is designed to bring stunning audio to the ears of the most discerning audiophile and music lover.It includes a slot-loading CD player, digital AM/FM radio, and a built-in powered subwoofer with amplifier.The CD player has shuffle and repeat functions, and is compatible with CD, MP3, WMA, CD-R, CD-RW, and CD-Text formats.Both AM and FM antennas are included for optimum radio reception, and six presets are available for AM and FM radio stations.An easy-to-read LCD automatically adjusts to lighting conditions and shows CD/MP3 text or Radio Data System information (where available).The Hi-Fi Music System offers full and expansive high-fidelity stereo sound via its two 3" drivers with SpacePhase equalization.A built-in, down-firing 5" magnetically-shielded powered subwoofer adds rich musical bass and features a separate volume control.The unit also features a bass reflex design for extended bass response, and separate amps for maximum power efficiency.A front panel stereo headphone output, a stereo record output, and auxiliary and mixing inputs give you additional flexibility.The digital clock with battery backup has convenient dual alarms with snooze function.The Hi-Fi Music System also comes with a credit card-sized remote.It is all housed in an attractive furniture grade cherry cabinet.
Click here for more information about Tivoli Audio MSYTPE Music System Digital AM/FM/CD Hi Fi System with Cherry/Metallic Taupe Finish
