Tivoli recently opened up shop here officially, by partnering up with local distributor Nove, and to celebrate (somewhat), the brand sent over its Model Two Digital for testing.
Tivoli Audio isn’t a brand you’d typically hear about but if you’ve ever stayed at a JW Marriott or Ritz Carlton, chances are you’ve seen their speakers at the side of your room.
What Am I Looking At?
Launched last year, the Model Two Digital is Wi-Fi and Bluetooth speaker, although I think the more adequate description for it is that it is a bookshelf speaker. It is possible that I’ve said what I’m going to say next many times before – simplicity is a key and primary element to the design of all of Tivoli’s products, and this is no different.
On that note, the Model Two Digital that I have in my lab features a Walnut finish and body, along with a simple grille design and control knob at the front. Around the back, you’ll find the Aux In port, a USB-A port for diagnostics, dedicated Wi-Fi and Bluetooth buttons, and the barrel-shaped power port.
Unlike the Model One Digital Gen2, the Model Two Digital has no display, only an LED strip that glows white or blue, to indicate whether it is connected via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth.
What’s Good About It?
As a bookshelf speaker, the Model Two Digital has the ability to alter its sound signature just by changing its “stance”. Laid across and flat, the speaker has a fuller, and more solid sound signature. In this mode, the lows come off strong and overpowering, to the point that it overwhelm the highs and mids. This is made evident with tracks like Nina Simone’s Feeling Good, Yoko Kanno and the Seatbelts’ Digging my Potato, or even Hozier’s Shrike.
Stand it up on its sides (i.e. vertically), and that focus on the lows shifts to a balance between the mids, highs, and vocals. In this configuration, songs from singers like Carla Bruni, Joni Mitchell, and Emilie-Claire Barlow, are clear, full-bodied, and rich, without being overpowered by the instruments.
What’s The Catch?
At this point, I’m probably nitpicking but the build quality isn’t symmetrical. The grille, specifically, looks like it was cobbled together in a hurry. I’m not saying it should be a zero-gap fitting but some of the spaces between the frame are wider than the sum of it.
Also, regarding the lows of the Model Two Digital, I hate to say this but I have picked up the odd distortion or two during my testing, particularly when I pump up the volume past 60%. It’s amusing, to say the least, given how the brand is considered to be a premium speaker brand.
As is always the case with premium speakers and audio products, the Model Two Digital doesn’t come cheap, retailing at a steep RM2,299.
Should I Buy It?
Suppose you’ve got disposable income to spare and you want a taste of the luxury that the hotels I mentioned at the start of this review deploy, and you’re something of an audiophile. In that case, the Tivoli Audio Model Two Digital is an easy choice.
Not only does it produce some of the most decent audio overall, but it also makes for a nice, functional ornament for the coffee table, bookshelf, or kitchen counter, for when you want to fill the room with your favourite tracks or podcast, just to set the mood.
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