Tivoli Audio comes to Australia

To be fair, Tivoli Audio’s products have been here for many years. But until now there has been a third party importer. With the company taking its own Australian presence, it is relaunching its line of desktop radios, wireless speakers and compact music systems. And celebrating by reducing the recommended retail prices by one fifth to one third.

It’s leading off with the introduction of the Tivoli Audio Model One Digital tabletop radio. The original Model One has been around for seventeen years, more recently supplemented by the Model One BT (for Bluetooth, of course).

The word “radio” understates its capabilities. It does FM in addition to handling DAB+ digital radio, but it also supports Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity to stream Internet music from Spotify and Tidal (subscriptions required, of course).

Tivoli Audio Model One Digital tabletop radio (Top: Music System Plus)

Despite the up to date digital stuff, it comes with a pleasingly retro look, including a wooden case – walnut, white or black wood available – and a tweedy-looking speaker grille fabric by Gabriel, a big European fabric house which supplies for quality furniture, amongst other things.

The problem with DAB+ radios is that while they usually include an FM tuner, I’ve yet to see one with AM. I expect it to be many, many years before DAB+ will completely displace FM. Only now is the Government changing the rules to allow it to spread to regional and rural areas.

Tivoli says that “Knowing how important AM radio still is in country and regional Australia, we have had a dedicated model made specifically for Australia. This will arrive later in 2017.”

The Tivoli Audio Model One Digital retails for $449. Pricey for a desktop radio? Not so much for a DAB+ one. Importantly, these Tivoli Audio models do tend to sound a cut above the competition.