Legendary radio brand Tivoli Audio has blessed one of its most legendary tabletop radios with a thorough makeover for its third-gen outing, kitting it out with a fresh look and network streaming technology that will appeal to both Android and iOS users.
Indeed, while many desktop radios and smart speakers tend to opt for AirPlay 2 or Google Cast, Digital Trends can exclusively reveal the American company’s brand-new Model One Digital Gen 3 ($349.99) is about as streaming agnostic as they come, supporting both Apple and Google platforms, in addition to Spotify Connect, Tidal Connect and Bluetooth 5.2.
That gives owners super easy access to a range of music streaming services, including Spotify, Tidal, Apple Music, Amazon Music, YouTube Music and Deezer.
Of course, AirPlay and Google Cast support is also a gateway to hooking up multiple speakers together in your home, although you should know that multi-room functionality isn’t compatible with the company’s older, first-gen ART series radios, such as the ART Model One Digital.
Naturally for such a product, internet radio is a given, as are FM and DAB stations. You even get an aux input to plug in legacy devices, so it’s hard to knock the new wi-fi radio on the features front.
A striking new look
It is still a gorgeous little device, too, only this time its predecessor’s Scandi-style fabric-featuring front has been swapped out for a more visually striking brushed metal grille surrounded by walnut casing, in a choice of walnut and gold (pictured top), white and silver (below), or all-black finishes.
Tivoli fans will recognize this newly adopted design language from the brand’s recent Model Two Digital and Boutique speakers.
That modern design invites not only the eyes but also the hands, with that rotating ring around the bold text display actually operating as a neat, tactile control knob for playback and source selection. A handheld remote is also supplied in the box, although it’s arguably the least attractive control option considering the on-unit knobs and the mobile-controlled streaming integration on offer.
Tivoli has put its engineers to work on under-the-hood improvements, too, promising room-filling sound from a newly engineered full-range driver, which is driven by a 45W Class AB amplifier – decent considering the radio’s modest size and price – and is supposedly capable of delivering a broader frequency response (0-20kHz) than the second-gen model.
I was a big fan of the Model One Digital Gen 2 as a modern, compact and easy-to-use radio when it was released a few years ago – it looked good, sounded good, and ultimately showed that the desktop radio was still relevant in today’s streaming service-dominant world.
If this new-and-improved third-gen version performs just as well, mark my words that there remains plenty of life in the humble radio yet.
