Tivoli Audio iPAL Portable Audio Laboratory AM/FM Radio, Silver/White
by Tivoli Audio
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Our Price: $219.99 Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $145.77 (click here) Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Tivoli Audio iPAL Portable Audio Laboratory AM/FM Radio, Silver/White
Customer Review: One of the best purchases I've made
Summary: 5 Stars
I spend a lot of time working around the house and garden and this radio is an indispensable companion. I've had mine for about 4 years and use it at least once or twice a week. Mostly I listen to NPR but also hook up my ipod from time to time. The rechargeable battery is still going strong. I can easily get a whole day out of it. And Tivoli sells a replacement battery if necessary.
On the sound - yes it's mono but here's the thing... you cannot get stereo imaging out of a radio this small. Tivoli figured wisely that one good speaker is better than two so-so speakers that only give the visual appearance of stereo imaging. The sound has suprising depth and warmth for such a small package that never fatigues the ear. The volume is limited to about a 50ft listening radius.
On the reception - it is good but not as good as some of the other reviewers have reported in my experience. I have had occasional trouble with interference as I've walked past the radio even outdoors. And it was no better than any other radio at picking up the ball game at work. The reception is okay but don't expect miracles.
On the portability - yes it is a brick. I would strongly recommend the optional carrying bag if you plan to use it as I do. It has pockets specifically designed for the ipod and it does a good job of protecting your gear as you toss it around (it's a thick, soft canvas material). The long strap makes it a grab-and-go item.
On the quality - the iPAL has a quality feel to it. Sturdy construction and a pleasing feel to the controls. Unlike other electronic items I've owned the attached rubber protective caps for the inputs on the back are still intact after much use. And I have put mine through the paces. Dropped it off a ladder, left it out in the rain for a bit, tossed it into the car and around work. Have had no issues whatsoever. The carry bag is tough as well.
One final note - the iPAL is no different than any of the other PALs that come in different colors by Tivoli. The PAL predates the ipod and Tivoli just made a white one, included a white 3.5 cable and added the "i" to the name to cash in on the ipod craze. You can get any color you like and get your own cable for the ipod.
I'm not kidding about the title. I buy a lot of gadgets and this is my favorite simply because of the countless hours of hassle-free entertainment I've gotten out of it. If my house burned to the ground this would be one of the first items I would replace.
Customer Review: Which color to get? Read on....
Summary: 5 Stars
Finally got mine today from J&R, which sells their gear here through Amazon as well....
First off, the web photos of all the various versions of the PAL/iPAL are not very accurate and the actual radios look very different in person. Also, the SongBook from Tivoli is much bigger than the PAL for those considering that option.
For me, there is really 2 choices in the color scheme, either get the iPAL or one of the other rubberized solid colored PALs. Under the store lighting at J&R, none of the rubber versions look great, except maybe the black and white. The brown, blue, gray, red, yellow, and green all looked rather dull and cheap. I asked to see the yellow and red up close and was impressed by the feel of that rubber coating. It is very reassuring in transporting those radios around, as the skin is like a surgical glove. That's the best part. The bad part was that fingerprints, smears, and grease stains were all over that rubber skin. The saleman tells me that these display models had been there for 6 to 12 months. I figure these black marks must be hard to get off, as all of the colored PALs had them all over their surfaces. The lighter versions; white, red, yellow, and green showed the dirt more clearly than the darker versions.
If you want your PALs to look clean and don't care to wash your hands before every use, don't get the rubber versions. The iPAL had no rubber skin, so you simply wipe it clean with a cotton cloth. Easy. The bad part is that the handling of the iPAL is less secured. I can see how one can drop it by accident.
I had intended to get the yellow version, but after seeing one in person, decided to get the iPAL instead.
Sonically, I didn't find any major difference between the colored PALs when compared with the iPAL, but the rubber enclosures did seem to have a deeper bass.
I couldn't get many AM stations at the store, but the FM stations were coming in loud and clear.
At home, the AM stations were no problem here in Queens, NYC. The bass of this 2.5" speaker is pretty amazing.
Overall, I think this tiny radio is sonically better than my Bose radio with those stereo speakers.
Have fun picking one for yourself.
Customer Review: What are you waiting for?
Summary: 5 Stars
Buy this ultilitarian 'black box' radio if like me:
1)You want a practical (simple) analog tuner. Twisting the two dials Volume + Tuner combined with the outstanding reception capabilities should satify all but those who have esoteric and extravagant needs. Or course you'll have to jiggle the antenna, but, it can take it.
2) You do not relish trips to the big box for enormous cellophane packs of batteries. This baby plays off the power grid as long as you need to listen. The rechargable battery concept works well. I have not drained it during my day or night usage.
3) You have need of comforting sounds in an exposed climatological condition. In other words; outside in the Sun, cold, heat or rain. It will not fail. If you can take it -it can.
4) Enjoy a lot of noise from a little package. I have a tin ear and am more concerned with the relative clarity and the ability to actually aquire a local FM station without the annoying conflict of competing stations or static. Volume is as much as the normal hearing person should require.
5) If one day when you as I become technologically gifted, the PAL will be capable of elevating my IPOD (Following my potential purchase of one) to the tactile boom box heights I prefer to the pathetic squeaks from isolated earbuds normally associated with micro sound devices. Hell,if I can hear it -Why should'nt the neighborhood.
My only extremely idle complaint is that the attached waterproof jack ports have attached covers that should have hinged skyward rather than on the downward side. In reality the rain does not penetrate, but, I like to keep things simple and would have placed the hinge on top rather than on the bottom. Buy or borrow one and you'll see what I mean. As long as the rain falls from above I like my idea. As far as the dynamics of circuitry, I'll leave that to the geniuses that design such products.
I have had numerous extreme outdoor radios that have not outlived me. Pound for pound this one probably will.
Just in case I am buying another.
Customer Review: My Little Radio Friend
Summary: 5 Stars
This is a sweet little item. I have used it to replace about 7 cubic feet of other, inferior equipment. The old stereo, radio and boombox will go into the yard sale. All my cds have been copied onto my iMac and iPod. ( These 3 items were purchased from Amazon, where I have always gotten very good service and price) Never again will a cd 'jewel box' burst open all over the floor after a life-and-death tussle. Now all my music, plus whatever radio show I am listening to, follow me wherever I go. I just pick the iPal up by its head, unplug it and travel on.
The sound is very, very good, whether I am playing from the iPod or the radio.. I know it is better than my old equipment. But there can be a little buzz. I would have given 4 1/2 stars if i could have. Don't forget to adjust your settings on your iPod to small speakers or spoken word. Also try turning the volume down. But the first time I listened to it, I was blown away. I can understand lyrics which were a mystery before. I can finally tell that the voices of the radio announcers are superior to most of us folks. And listening to a good singer well recorded-Ella, Nana Mouskouri, Billie Holiday, Sinatra, kd lang-wow! I can hear instrumentation I didn't know existed.
I have not timed the battery, but it seems to last and last. I tote it from the kitchen to the studio, outdoors to chop wood(me, not the iPal. It can't do everything) and finally upstairs to bed where I fall asleep listening to a book or playlist.
Because it is so small and good looking, it has improved my housekeeping (no huge equipment to clean) and I have more room to spread things out on shelves that formerly held the other stuff. When I want to disco, I use the iMac remote speakers. The iPal can get pretty loud if you want it, but it is best at a moderate volume. Most things are. Don't kill your hearing.
Customer Review: Superb Portable External Speaker for the iPod
Summary: 5 Stars
I truly believe the iPAL is currently the best option available as a viable portable speaker system for the iPod, or for any mp3 player/discman, for that matter...
The build quality is exceptional, as is true of all Tivoli products, and the elegant "retro" looks of the PAL have been tailored, in this case, to complement all generations
(including the new 4G's) of the iPod.
Connection to the iPod is achieved via an auxiliary input and an included "iPod white" minijack cable that utilizes either the headphone jack or the line out of the iPod dock. (A cleaner, highly attenuated and more dynamic connection can be achieved by purchasing a SiK imp, thereby utilizing the 3G/4G iPod's proprietary dock connector)
The iPAL is powered by an environmentally friendly rechargeable battery that lasts up to 15 hours at modest volume levels.
There is also a superb AM/FM tuner section on board, controlled by a smooth, 5:1 ratio tuning dial that also serves to aesthetically balance the speaker grille.
The iPAL's sound quality is rich, warm and detailed, with convincing instrument timbres. Some elements of the music, especially percussion and acoustic guitars, seem to "bloom" outside the confines of the cabinet, providing a lively soundstage that belies the iPAL's monaural output. The bass response is impressive for a single 2-1/2" speaker, and the unit can achieve sufficient clean volume levels to fill modest spaces with quality sound.
Forget about those "oh-so-cute" inMotion speakers. The iPAL is your best option for serious, near-audiophile sound reproduction in an elegant, portable package that will complement, if not upstage, your iPod while externalizing your digital music collection.