As a borderline audiophile, I was interested in finding a suitable radio for my office. I knew that size was a great concern, so I started with the three major gadget shops. The Sharper Image, Brookstone and Hammacher Schlemmer. The Sharper Image sold mostly stuff that looked like cheap plastic with tin foil. Brookstone sold stuff that looked ok, but sounded "not so great."
Then I went and looked at Hammacher Schlemmer. It's nice to deal with a company that has already done the research for you. I first listened to the Boston Acoustics Radio Receptor verses the Tivoli Audio Model One. There was no question that the Model One did everything better. Better sound, better clarity, fullness, neutral to flat sound. Pure music to my ears nothing unnatural.
On the other hand the Boston Acoustic played games with the sound. It was like listening to a child that played with the equalizer. Highs that were to high and lows that never quite got there.
The equivalently priced Model Two came standard with two speakers. An auxiliary input, 75-ohm antenna jack (plus basic wire antenna), cute little rubber feet and all the required cables. The sound is a pleasure to listen to, always very well balanced and very natural sounding. I can listen to it in the background for hours without any fatigue. It very good on the low volume, transferring the voices very effortlessly, and does NOT distort on high volumes.
I did opt for the matching subwoofer, but this is an unnecessary option for just radio listening. If you plan on listening to a lot of classical or jazz it might be worth the extra investment. I like the thought of an auxiliary input for a future device (or devices with a splitter sold at radio shack). The matching $200 cd player seemed a bit steep, but if I ever decided to bring it home it might be an option worth considering.
I just wanted to mention the reason I bought it at "Hammacher Schlemmer" was that they provide a lifetime happiness guarantee. I could not find a single place to buy this product at a discount except ebay, but is it really worth the chance to save a few dollars? Only quality retailers and audio stores will sell this product.
Tivoli Audio Cherry Model Two Stereo Radio - M2TPE/ 3 Magnetically Shielded Driver/ 5:1 Ratio Analog Tuning Dial/ Auxiliary Input/ Bass Ports/ Henry K...More at Abt Electronics
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