Tivoli Audio Model One Radio

Well sometimes we desire things because of looks or marketing! I bought a portable speaker for 125$ and a friend bought a another cheep brand! Yes marketing told me this is good! My friends 35$ portable speaker sounds better! While my speaker looks very nice it’s ok but optimum it’s not! Both were produced in China!

Have to say, as I've got older, I've been more surprised and impressed by exactly how much was, or could have been done in the past (talking technologically; with analogue signal processing, electro-mechanical devices etc). This radio is not the best example of what could be achieved with the technology of the day. (But on the plus side I do like it's clean lines and appearance! :) ).

MR on Patreon

I have a Grundig S350 that is similar to the S450DLX radio.

Richard H. Shores

A case of the price doesn't match the actual quality. Once the radio was opened, I just shook my head on the poor build quality of the radio. I agree with Dr. Hill about the poor decision to use a linear potentiometer for the volume control. Just a bad, bad radio. I bought a Grundig S350 AM/FM/SW World Receiver portable radio from my local Goodwill store for 20 bucks. It isn't the best radio in the world, but it is better than most as far as FM reception is concerned. Sad to say it is almost impossible to find a high quality broadcast radio receiver these days.

Richard H. Shores

Have a Grundig S450DLX myself. Love it.

-Jeff-

That's clearly a terrible radio, but I do wonder if the FM reception would have been better if you'd used something resembling an FM antenna rather than a loop made for AM reception. That doesn't help the garbage tuner suck any less, of course...

Circuitmike

Awful all around! I can't believe that a manufacturer would use a linear pot for volume! I was expecting it to have been retrofitted by a previous owner. But obviously not! As I've got older, the more I've realised, that the past is where it is for a reason.

Dr Andy Hill

Interesting - I was just researching a similar looking radio that I found - the Livio radio. It was an internet radio from about 15 years ago, They had deals with NPR and Pandora, but it relied on a server that shut down years ago. It still works as a powered speaker. and clock. Sounds wonderful. But one of these days I am going to start modifying it.

Kevin Peltola

Tivoli is definitely form over function. A lot of the time, I just use the aux in jack, but the tuning can get frustrating. Tivoli does have service centers that will give you a discount for a trade in though. Some people have to "exercise" the dial by turning the volume down and rotating it back and forth a lot.

Gideon Weinerth

My fav portable radio is the Grundig Satellite 700. That is one poor design. Most car radios with a dipole antenna would do better. Splice it into the pretty box for an improvement. Car radios designed better for selectivity anyway.

Don

The fact that just one IC does almost all of the work is interesting. Maybe the designers we stuck with the limitations of that chip? Nice big magnet on that speaker.

Matt Wietlispach

Seems like at poor design for the price.

William Alsing

I've got one of those, bought new in 2005. It was recommended, along with the GE Super Radio by the public radio network in North Dakota where I lived at the time as something that could tune in to the widely dispersed transmitters scattered throughout the state. I now live in a more populous place and have the same issues that you did with tuning. I think the audio quality is very good once it does lock on to a station and I leave it tuned to one particular station most of the time so I guess it serves my purposes okay, but it is definitely a hassle if you want to surf the dial.

Mark Hesse

Ebay has a model one real cheap.

thexfile