[Jap]

[size=small]Has anyone who bought the Tivoli Audio PAL (by the late Henry Kloss) attempted to use it as a headphone amp? How does it compare with a true HP amp? [/size]

 

[SFbayArch]

I have the Tivoli Model 2 on my desk at work.
I'll have to follow this post to find out the same info.

I have used my portable flash player running thru the headphone out with the Tivoli and that has worked alright, tho it distorts when the flash player is set at anything over midway on the volume scale.

 

[Mike Walker]

The Tivoli PAL has a VERY clean, high quality headphone amp. As for the distortion the previous poster mentioned, he is overloading the input circuit on his Tivoli. Overload any input circuit, and there will be distortion. This says nothing about performance! Turn the output level down on the device you're using to feed your Tivoli until the distortion goes away, and enjoy!
It's possible to overload the input on ANY amplifier, although more difficult with some than others. THIS SAYS NOTHING ABOUT QUALITY!

Having said that, I don't find the PAL particularly sensitive to overload when driven by portable CD players, my RaveMP solid state mp3 player, my Archos Jukebox recorder, Delphi XM Satellite radio, Apex DVD player, or anything else I've driven it with! The PAL is a superb piece of gear! Wait till you hear how clean fm stereo sounds through the headphone jack! It is truly a "super-tuner" in a tiny, inexpensive, weather-resistant package. And yes, it has a great headphone amp! What's not to like?

 

[Jap]

[size=small]Thanks very much for your thoughts, Mike and SFbayArch. I am juggling a lot of things in my life right now, some of which are much more important than audio. Nevertheless, on the audio front, I am essentially seeking to rebuild my entire stash of gear from scratch, and I am trying to thoughtfully add audiophile grade components for both the home and portable environments.

I have already auditioned the PAL, twice in fact. It's already a given that it will be my portable FM tuner. The only holdup is my need to replace my open design Grado SR80's with isolating closed cans (not too isolating so the Etys are out) for usage in work/other social environments. The reason for this thread is because I just wanted to see how flexible this small instrument truly was. I will almost certainly add a dedicated portable headphone amp later on, but it will have to be clearly superior to the PAL's headphone amp.

For home usage, I already own a couple of Henry Kloss creations for home use, the Creative SoundWorks (CSW) Model FM/AM 88 table tuner and the CSW MusicWorks 300 package with the FM/AM center piece, shielded satellites and powered subwoofer. A couple of my non-audiophile friends have already called the MusicWorks 300 speakers the best speakers they have ever heard - this for a speaker set I bought to mate with my computer! I already have some strong ideas for my home-based headphone amp, and it's going to be the best I can reasonably obtain.

Joining this head-fi forum has certainly helped to re-stimulate my hi-fi interests. However, I prefer to research very carefully before I release the greenbacks.

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