Tivoli Model Satellite Table Radio (Sirius Satellite Radio / AM / FM ) by Tivoli Audio
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Digital camera reviews of Tivoli Model Satellite Table Radio (Sirius Satellite Radio / AM / FM )
Digital camera Review: A great Sirius satellite radio
Summary: 5 Stars
I was initially quite skeptical about satellite radio. Then, I saw the Tivoli in an advertisement and decided to take a chance. I was very pleasantly surprised with the radio and the Sirius satellite service. I've brought the radio to my office and can enjoy commercial free music throughout the work day. The sound from this small, mono radio is remarkably clear and powerful. This includes both high and low range sounds. The remote control is compact and easy to use; actually, I prefer the remote, since the buttons on the radio are small. You can store 20 of your favorite satellite stations for easy access. Even FM stations sound great, but I rarely listen since the satellite stations are much better. The Sirius lineup is excellent, and it truly is commercial free music. (News and Talk stations have brief commercial breaks.) Overall, I definitely recommend the Tivoli satellite radio (and Sirius satellite radio).
Digital camera Review: Amazing!
Summary: 5 Stars
My Nightstand was a mess!Until I bought this! I originally had a sirius reciever, a huge radio from cambridge soundworks all on one tiny nightstand. It was so cluttered. That I knew it was time to get some kind of an "All in One" device.
I laid eyes on this Tivoli, and I was hooked. I just got it Today, and It sounds incredible. I know there is an extra speaker/subwoofer available for this unit, but the built in speaker is enough to fill my entire bedroom w/ great sound.
The built in FM Tuner has INCREDIBLE reception, haven't tested the AM yet, but I'm sure that it'll will be just as good. I also have my iPod hooked up through the Auxillary input on the back.
And It takes up Hardly any space on my nightstand!
Overall, I'd highly recommend this system for anyone that want's all of there music sources in one compact device, that produces incredible sound.
Only gripe I have w/ the Radio is that the Remote doesn't have a volume control on it (but it does have a mute button).
Go with this Radio, and you won't be disappointed! Now we just need Sirius to come out w/ a fully portable walkman type unit and we'll be all set!
Digital camera Review: Beautiful cherry veneer exterior !!
Summary: 5 Stars
At $299 I thought this radio was overpriced. But after listening to it and just seeing how well it's made I'm convinced I got my money's worth. The cherry veneer exterior is flawless. All the antenna wires and power cord does create a jumble of wires coming from the back. The small remote just controls most of the satellite functions. AM/FM reception is outstanding. Sound is superb for a mono radio. The optional speaker is going to add to the wire count. The four "legs" on the radio are just self-stick rubber buttons. Satellite reception in my little town is excellent. Terk does make an outdoor antenna if reception is spotty in your area. The beauty of this radio is what sold me on Sirius. There isn't a decent home radio for XM yet.Digital camera Review: Best of the Satellite-Compatible Radios
Summary: 4 Stars
I have no doubt that one reason for the slow adoption of Satellite Radio by consumers is the lousy hardware. I mean, what are they thinking? The collection of products for both Sirius and XM looks like the over-designed, comic book props in Star Wars movies. They're totally dysfunctional. Nothing as elegant as an iPod, with the possible exception of Pioneer's portable radios for XM. Even the car radio's are clunky.
The Tivoli Model Satellite is the one exception to the ugly, under-performing Satellite Radio rule. The sound is about as good as it gets. Indeed, almost too good since it really points up the excessive compression used by both satellite and commercial FM broadcasters. You won't notice this difference until you play an uncompressed CD or MP3 file from your iPod through the AUX port on the Tivoli. Wow! What an amazing sound out of such small speakers. And I don't even have the subwoofer speaker accessory.
The Sirius section works great. It's easy to program. It's got a great "Memo" feature to capture the name and artist of 20 songs you'd like to look up later.
I did invest in a serious outdoor Sirius Antenna prior to the arrival of the Tivoli, so it was just a matter of plugging it in. The FM and AM sections worked fine without any external antennas. It's impressive that they include a serious external AM antenna - something I haven't seen packaged with table radios since the 1970s, and then only expensive "audiophile" models.
As noted by others, the Satellite and AM/FM functions aren't at all integrated. This is basically the Tivoli Model 1 with a Satellite function tacked on as an afterthought.
The huge, bright, multi-line display is awesome at providing all of the information you want at a glance, with a minimal amount of annoying left-to-right scrolling. While the display does automatically adjust to ambient light (a feature that can be turned off and on) it may be too bright for the bedside table for some people.
The Tivoli Model Satellite is to radio what a beautiful 52" flat panel plasma display is to HDTV. It's the best audio you can get for satellite, possibly short of a console deck connected to studio monitors. But, again, given the various compression artifacts on Satellite radio (and the compression is often horrible on talk-only channels) this may be about as good as you dare get.
Unless you have space limitations, it's kind of a waste to spend so much money on a radio only to have mono sound, so plan on buying the (right channel) speaker for stereo.
I have no problem that they didn't include a CD player. An integrated mechanical device would only shorten the useful life of the unit. As just a radio it should last 10-20 years if you're trying to justify the high price tag.
Will Sirius be around in 10-20 years? I don't know. We also hear talk of HD radio coming to AM/FM (but then we've heard about HDTV for 20 years too and it's still not here).
At this price point, it would have been nice if there's been a time-shift feature, sort of a digital VCR (DVR) feature to record shows you want to hear later.
The remote is pretty awful for such an expensive radio, it's just a cheap "membrane" type remote. Inexplicably I got a real remote with my Kenwood Sirius car radio (what good a remote does in the car is beyond me).
Let's hope with the merger of the two satellite services they make more of an effort to create better looking, more functional hardware AND clean up their sound quality. I'd rather they have half as many channels with better sound and produce better programs that are re-run several times a day.
Digital camera Review: Beware of antenna aiming limitations
Summary: 3 Stars
Hard to get activated. Spent over 2 hours trying to find where the antenna could be aimed. Reception fluctuates during the day. The radio itself is high quality with excellent sound.