Whatever you want to do...Droid Does
Entered CNET Catalog: 04/16/2003
SKU: PALPRL
Manufacturer: Tivoli Audio
Manufacturer description
Everyone needs a PAL. Ever wish you could enjoy the Model One's trademark sound quality and reception outdoors? You can, if you have a PAL. The Henry Kloss Portable Audio Laboratory's treated 2.5" magnetically shielded driver and rubberized cabinet are weather resistant, so your PAL can keep you company by the pool or the patio. And its environmentally friendly rechargeable Nickel Metal Hydride battery pack has no memory and fully charges in about 3 hours, providing many hours of cordless playback. The clever little green LED serves as both a power and battery status indicator. The PAL borrows the same geared-down 5: 1 ratio analog tuning dial as used in the critically acclaimed Model One radio for easy, accurate tuning. Also on tap is an auxiliary input to connect a CD, MP3 player, or other device, and a stereo headphone output for private listening (headphones not included), as a recording output, or to use the PAL as a high-quality outboard tuner. The tuner features Automatic Frequency Control (AFC) which locks on to the center of the station for best reception and lowest distortion, while the adjustable telescoping FM antenna extends and rotates for improved FM reception (there is also a built-in AM antenna). Perhaps most amazing of all is its expansive sound which must be heard to be believed. Offered in a profusion of fun colors, your new PAL is sure to be the life of the party, and you don't have to feed him. Can't decide which color to buy? Why not collect them all? After all, you can never have too many PALs. NiMH battery pack and AC adaptor included. Playback time varies depending on volume level.Product summary
The good: High-end portable radio; rich sound; excellent AM and FM reception; powered by AC or a rechargeable battery; connectivity options.
The bad: Mono-only speaker.
The bottom line: While not stereo, this rugged portable radio's sound is full and rich.
Editors' review
- Editors' Choice: No
- Reviewed on: 12/04/2003
Editor's note: We have changed the rating in this review to reflect recent changes in our rating scale. Click here to find out more.
The Tivoli PAL (portable audio laboratory) was the last project of Henry Kloss, a great old-school U.S. inventor. He designed a slew of legendary speakers for AR, KLH, and Advent, and in 1972, he developed the world's first consumer video projector, the Advent Video Beam 1000. Kloss's PAL is an audiophile-grade portable table radio. The little guy, which is available in eight attractive colors, retails for $130.
As soon as you pick up a PAL, you know it isn't a flyweight plastic radio. Though it measures just 6.25 inches high, 3.75 inches wide, and 4 inches deep, it feels solidly built. The rubberized cabinet is weather-resistant so that your PAL can keep you company by the pool or on the patio.
The radio comes with two power sources: an AC wall wart and a built-in rechargeable nickel-metal-hydride battery. The environmentally friendly, high-tech cell fully charges in 3 hours and provides up to 16 hours of cordless music. It also includes a life-prolonging feature. A battery recharged whenever it reaches 50 percent capacity, for example, will often eventually stop running below that halfway point. The PAL's rechargeable doesn't suffer from this memory effect. Replacements cost $25 each.
A small, green LED tells you if the radio is on or off and indicates the battery status. The PAL uses the same analog tuning dial as its stay-at-home counterpart, the Model One. A magnetically shielded 2.5-inch midrange/woofer delivers the sound.
On the PAL's rear panel, an auxiliary input accepts a CD or MP3 player, and a stereo headphone jack doubles as a recording output. The tuner features automatic frequency control, which locks on to the center of each station for the best reception and the lowest distortion. An FM antenna telescopes or extends and rotates for improved reception. There's also a built-in AM antenna.
The PAL's rich sound belies its modest dimensions. With FM radio, audio quality was excellent, and reception was consistently clean. For kicks, we hooked up our iPod and marveled at the PAL's crisp MP3 sonics. We almost forgot we were listening to a mono-only speaker.
For just $130, the PAL makes a great traveling companion. For the same price, the iPAL version throws in a cable for connecting to your portable audio player but is otherwise identical.
User opinions
Select a User Opinion to view: 1 2 3 4 5out of 5 user reviews
Any improvements would be strictly subjective.
Pros: awesome sound great protability.
Cons: so popular I could only get "lime"
It has to be heard to believe. Easily performs as well or better than the wave radio (a gimmick anyway). tuner works great, but I live in the middle of the ocean.. hard to judge.. Its either local or too far away.
As for mono/stereo. The radio (like most) is far to small to make stereophonics an issue. Its too small to separate the sound. The other tivoli stereos have the ability to attach a separate stereo speaker. If you like stereo so much, put on some headphones.
Simple, does what its supposed to, well packaged. What more could you want.
out of 5 user reviews
Never really worked
Pros: Great Sound
Cons: Terrible battery and power supply
out of 5 user reviews
Nice Portable player
Pros: I've owned this thing (in bright yellow) for about 2 years, and it's fantastic. good sound quality, battery life, and fm reception. Aux input is cool too because I can plug in a DAP or CD player.
Cons: Plastic coating on body is peeling away in places.
out of 5 user reviews
magnificently simple, simply magnificent
Pros: Does everything it's supposed to do spectacularly well, Doesn't try to do too much. Tuner is unbelievably accurate. Better by far than my main system. Sound quality excellent, especially at midranges. Rechargeable. Stereo out. Aux in for MP3.
Cons: Needs a sleep timer. (Ha!) Price.
out of 5 user reviews
great radio, great sound
Pros: I've proudly owned a PAL radio in Basic Black for about six months. It has truly incredible sound. Great battery, recharges quickly, plays for a long time. The switches and tuning knob have a rich, high-quality feel to them. Sound is as deep and rich as
Cons: I've had a great deal of problems with the "weatherized" rubber cabinet. The covering is flaking off all over, lending a rather jagged, beat-up look to the whole radio. I have not exposed this radio to ANY elements other than a little sun and a bit of th
%20-%20Radios%20-%20CNET%20Archive&srcUrl=http://reviews.cnet.com/radios/tivoli-audio-pal-white/1707-7875_7-30101378.html&x_breadcrumb=8900:6450:7875){kind=small}