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the Tivoli Audio PAL

Popular item on the blogs lately is this desk radio by tivoli audio. They are nenowed for makign some of the best desk radios in terms of tuning and of crisp audio playback, but now they added a 20-hour battery and a 1/8 mini jack; and dubbed it the iPal.


Gorgeously retro Model One. My bedroom (and office) wants one of these.

To me, I think it is a step-down from their sexy Model 1 radios, but the battery makes for a compelling sell. (toss it in a backpack and go camping)

In any event, I might get one of these if the price is right, as it would be a perfect bedroom radio and iPod playback station.

Update: I played with both the PAL and the model 1 today at Magnolia HiFi. Reception on both devices seems a tad flaky, but the building is very-indoors and I didn't spend a lot of time tweaking the antenna. I will say, though, that both sounded great when they got a lock on a station.

When it comes to sound quality, I did a test with my iPod. Both devices sounded incredible at normal volumes, especially the vocals, which were crystal clear and razor sharp. Neither device did particularly well with bass-heavy tracks, like Rage Against The Machine songs, but then again, these tracks may just be distorted on the CD to begin with because they were recorded too loud. That said, the Model 1 does a little better, sounding distortion-free to about 85% volume vs 75% on the PAL.

Summary: Both sound great at reasonable volumes. The model one really is as sexy in person as it is in pictures (sexy may be a odd description of this retro wood box soundsystem), and the PAL really looks as plasticy as you might expect. If I could get a model one with a battery and the 99$ pricetag I would have it already, however at 129 for a cheap-looking device the PAL is a hard sell.