[panda]

anyone own one of these? i'd like to get one to use at work and to take outside during bbq's, trip to the beach, etc...

was wondering how its functionality was, how well the radio tracks, battery life and such.

 

[bjarnetv]

i won one three years ago, and its been my best freind ever since!
its unrealisticly solid, and can take endless amounts of abuse.
i have brought mine to rainy music festivals, hitchhiking thrugh turkey and japan; it has fallen down cliffs, stood outside in the rain for hours and it still works like a charm.

battery life is around 7 hours when playing music from an ipod, or atleast it was when it was completely new.

i would buy another in a heartbeat if it were to break some day.

 

[PhaedrusX]

i've had a Tivoli PAL for awhile now, and really enjoy the sound that comes out of it. i would describe it as warm and rich, with a mid-bass hump, and rolled off at the very top and bottom. very nice, full mids.

it works especially well in quiet environments, and can surprisingly fill a small room. outside, it won't overpower the din of a crowd, but i can't think of a better option for a patio or beach in such a small package. it won't fare well in windy settings, though.

battery life is good. i get around 8 hours on a charge, and replacement battery packs can be purchased, and easily installed.

as a radio, the tuner is one of its major strengths. it really locks onto signals, and allows for ultra-fine tuning. if you're going to use an ipod, i strongly suggest running a cable from the line-out rather than the headphone jack, as it sounds better and more effortless to my ears.

the designer, Henry Kloss, knew what he was doing. one high quality driver will always sound better than two crappy ones.

 

[lextek]

I've had one for a few years. Great.

 

[analogbox]

I use one in my office and constantly people are surprised by sheer sound quality it's cranking out. My co-workers always say that it sounds like I have a full sized stereo because of the fullness of the sound. At times it can get very bassy and distort very badly, so I useally set my ipod to less bass EQ and it works like a charm.

 

[PhaedrusX]

Quote:

Originally Posted by analogbox /img/forum/go_quote.gif ...At times it can get very bassy and distort very badly, so I useally set my ipod to less bass EQ and it works like a charm.

good tip.

i agree, when pushed it can warble, especially in the bottom end, but it wasn't really designed for this anyways. when the volume is set at a moderate level, the bass is one of the aspects that impresses me the most. warm, round and not without some impact.

 

[staid]

I have Tivoli PAL and SongBook too. I prefer SongBook for portable use, since it has removable batteries (6xAA). You actually need a screwdriver or leatherman to open the batterybox, but it probably opens with a coin too (haven't actually tried). There is no big difference with sound quality between these two, I think those both have the same speaker?

Radios are very good and sensitive at both models, but PAL could have some issues with AFC (Automatic Frequency Control) if used in boat or any other moving vehicle (if it moves, it can change channels automatically, if two channels are very close frequency). I actually can change PAL's channel in my house just for moving it to different location (about 1 meter dictance only), without using the tuning dial. Thats because AFC locks the station automatically for best reception, and if two channels are very close, it just can't decide.

Anyway, both radios are very good, and I would recommend them if You like good sound with reasonable size. And nice colors too.

 

[panda]

how far can it be pushed? i normally never eq but reducing the bass to prevent from distorting is acceptable... i would abuse the crap out of it, going with me everywhere either cranking it at work, out at the patio, poolside, park, basketball court, etc. have you guys ever tried laying it on its side to see if it would reduce the distortion from having a more stable base?

the only thing that's held me back so far is that it's priced at $219 right now which is a bit ridiculous.

i'm not a fan of the bassy compensated sound (prefer jbl's high energy sound for portables) but i need something that is rugged and still runs off a rechargeable battery so this is basically my only option.

 

[PhaedrusX]

durability won't be an issue. it's really a hefty, solid brick. mine is pretty beat up, and the rubber coating is peeling on the edges, but functionally it's fine. it can take some abuse.

as for "cranking" it, that's a different matter. as mentioned, it will fill a small room like an office or bedroom, but without walls to bounce the sound off of, it loses some authority. it's not going to flood a basketball court with sound, or overpower a pool full of noisy people. sound quality, rather than quantity, is its main purpose.

that's not to say it can't sound good outdoors. it just requires closer proximity or a quieter setting.

and fwiw, placing it on its side does nothing for the bass. it's not a poorly designed cabinet that causes the bass to warble at high volumes, it's just the limitations of a battery power supply and a single 2.5" full range driver.

 

[sahwnfras]

Ya there a great little radio. Where i work we sell quite a few of them I know one guy that has bought 11 of them, he just bought the 11th today actually and they all still work he just loves em

 

[panda]

i picked one up @ a store and i have to say the tracking is unbelievable. the sound is not as good as it's claimed to be but it's pretty decent. the size is perfect, way better than carrying around a big ass boombox wasting d batteries! anyone have the carrying bag for this?

i purchased the newer ipal version, unfortunately it doesn't have a rubber coating but hopefully it'll still withstand abuse.

y would that guy purchased more than 1 of these, let alone 11? as gifts?

 

[Zanth]

There certainly is quite a bit of hyperbole when it comes to the Tivoli line but having heard other radios in the same price range, no doubt the Tivoli is on the top podium or at least right beside it. The only small form-factor radio I've ever heard that bests the Model 1 for instance was a Teac system that was maybe $100 more but included a CD player. It had a built in woofer and honestly sounded better than quite a few mid-fi rigs I'd listened to costing at least 10x.

The Pal was an even better investment! I picked up the Model 1 for my father a few years ago and then the Pal for my wife for Christmas in 2006. She loves it and uses it every day for hours on end. She has her iPod ready and able with her doc and the line out, but she mostly prefers to listen to some of the excellent stations here in Ottawa. The tracking as has been said is incredible and no one will find something better for the money. The speaker is a tiny little thing so one can't expect the world, but for the patio or even indoors in the kitchen (where we have ours) it works so very well. As indicated, drop the bass a bit for those heavier tracks and one can avoid the boominess. The midrange is excellent and the highs aren't too bad either!

 

[PhaedrusX]

i got my PAL on sale, and used some of the savings to pick up the carrying case. if you plan on carrying it out and about, it's pretty handy. only the tuner/ source/ volume knobs, and speaker grill are exposed, and it's made of pretty heavy canvas. the shoulder strap is equally rugged, and the pockets are useful for iPods, cables, earphones.

if you're just going to use it in and around the house though, i wouldn't bother.

as for the hyperbole, i think as long as you keep in mind the limitations of a small, battery-powered, mono speaker, single driver design, it performs about as well as it can within those parameters.