Tivoli Audio Model One BT Review: Dialling Back To The Good Ol’ Days, With A Touch Of Modern Oomph

Tivoli Audio Model One BT Review: For those unaware, Tivoli Audio is a Boston-headquartered radio maker, founded 25 years ago by entrepreneur Tom DeVesto and high-fidelity guru Henry Kloss. Back then, the market was flooded by Japanese radios which almost always struggled to find stable FM signals in congested cities. Tivoli Audio’s very first product, the Model One, solved that issue, only two years before Kloss passed away. Ever since, the company has established itself as a trusted brand for luxury hotels and audio enthusiasts alike. The Model One BT retains everything that made Tivoli Audio’s maiden strike gold, adding a handful of modern-age trinkets to bring it at par with mid-range rivals.Tivoli Audio Model One BT Review: Quick PointersWhat we love:Gorgeous retro stylingsMassive radio antenna to cut through clutterSurprisingly finessed soundAlways-on-power mode is welcomeWhat we don’t:Not designed for portabilityLack of USB drivesAuto-tuning of stations could’ve been a welcome additionBack To BasicsFirst, let’s talk design. There are ample speakers out there that come with retro designs and wood-y designs. The prices vary from as low as Rs 3.2k (Swiss Military Retro Classic 2) to as high as Rs 38k (Marshall Stanmore III). With its price tag of Rs 15,990 (on Amazon), the Model One BT sits in the middle-order. However, its build quality and punchy sound can easily elevate it to the premium section.The power knob and the tuner dial move smoothly and don’t give off any cheap, plasticky vibe at all. Matter of fact, playing around with the radio dial reminded me of fooling around with my grandfather’s grand old General Electric radio as a kid. The Model One’s dial moves slowly, ensuring you don’t miss out on any channels. The Model One BT also supports AM radio and offers a separate port for an external AM antenna, priming the product for the most driven enthusiasts out there.Clean Sound That Doesn’t Let You DownWhile the design is classic, the sound signature - I’m happy to admit - is suitable for all your modern hits. While testing, I started off with some good ol’ New York Philharmonic performances, particularly “The Four Seasons” by Vivaldi. On high volume, you could clearly make out the brush of horse hair on taut strings in “Concerto No. 4 - Winter”.Then, I dialled down the volume and put on some Rafi. I must admit that the soulful melodies of “Abhi Na Jao Chhod Kar” hit a bit differently given the retro design of the Model One BT.Next, I wanted to test the bass and bite of the speaker, so I jumped forward to 2024 and put on “Lavish” by Twenty One Pilots. Tyler Joseph’s chompy synths gelled well with Josh Durden’s booming drums and I must say I was quite surprised to see the little subwoofer fitted within the speaker not falter a bit while dealing with the exceptionally complex sound signature of the number. Of course, I cannot finish any sound test without playing The Beatles’ “Blackbird”. Paul McCartney’s leather boots tapping on the studio floor as he played the guitar was immediately identifiable - the sign of a truly well-tuned speaker. The Tivoli Audio speaker might look small, but it does pack a punch. It filled up my big living room with party beats as needed and also quietened down as I listened to radio plays in my bedroom. Classic Meets ModernAlthough Tivoli Audio didn’t divulge which Bluetooth codec was used in Model One BT, it had a steady connection on both my Android and iOS phones and I could control them smoothly from a floor above or below, with negligible glitches. Of course, if you move a couple of rooms away, the connection did glitch a lot, which is to be expected anyway. The speaker also comes with a handful of connectivity options, including aux and 3.5mm headphone jacks. However, there is no slot for an SD card or a USB pen drive which means you will be limited to Bluetooth or radio tunes only. Also, even though the speaker weighs less than 1.8kg, it isn’t very portable due to its sharp, boxy design. Also, you’d need to plug in the speaker to a power input to be able to use it as it doesn’t work on batteries. However, I really don’t see it as a shortcoming as the Model One BT is meant to be a home speaker and not exactly an outdoorsy one. Tivoli Audio Model One BT Review: Final VerdictNow, let’s try and answer what you have been wondering for so long. Should you get the Model One BT, priced at Rs 15,990?The answer is simple really. If you appreciate speakers that don’t look like an LED-laden nightclub, Model One BT can easily appeal to your tastes. It’s built beautifully, after all. The sound signature isn’t ‘boombastic’, but it’s loud enough for parties as well as quiet enough for personal listening. For me, just the fact that the sound never faltered once on high levels, no matter which tracks I felt like listening to, is good enough to give the Model One BT a solid thumbs up. The fact that it brightens up my room corner beautifully and is almost immediately a conversation starter when guests are over, earns it an extra thumbs up from me.