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Wednesday May 7, 2008
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Nearly a year ago, Tivoli announced the the NetWorks, a free-standing device designed to let you tune into and stream Web radio independent of a PC. It didn't quite happen. But today, Tivoli CEO Tom DeVesto announced that the NetWorks is finally going into production and will be shipping within a few weeks. The price? $600, which DeVesto defended by claiming terrific audio fidelity. More details after the jump.
The NetWorks we saw today looks quite different than the prototype device shown last year, but it definitely looks like a Tivoli product, with a wood case and simple, elegant design. It's a standalone unit but can be expanded with a CD player, a subwoofer, or another speaker, for surround sound. It connects to the Web via Wi-Fi or Ethernet and can also be used with your other music sources: there's a USB port for flash players as well as an audio jack for headsets or other players--such as iPods, since the NetWorks supports only WMA and MP3 formats.
Other features: a simple EQ, five presets that can be customized, up to 100 favorites, and automatic software upgrades. DeVesto said that future upgrades will include more languages (the NetWorks will support 10, initially); compatibility with iTunes and satellite radio; and compatibility with online music services like Pandora.
PC Magazine's audio analyst, Tim Gideon, was at the event with me. His take:
The price seems quite high for a mono radio unit. The stereo add-on speaker is app. $100 extra, making this a $700 investment if you want to hear anything in stereo...whoa! With Tivoli, however, I always keep in mind that it's as much about the style as it is the sound: these are design pieces. It's also worth noting that most devices that stream content from your computer don't have built-in speakers, much less nice built-in speakers. In essence, you're getting a nice sound system and access to HD radio, the ability to stream shared files from your computer (not iTunes, though) and it comes it a beautiful wooden box. Some people will not balk at paying for that. It was a bit distressing, however, that Tivoli didn't think to secure more content partners--this is a device that would compliment free services like Pandora and Slacker perfect, and it would seem easy enough to do.
By the way, DeVesto is always a pretty charming speaker. My favorite quote from today: When asked to compare his company's NetWorks with the Sonos, he said, "I guess people who like little white plastic boxes go for Sonos."
Oh, snap!
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May 28, 2008 5:31 PM
Please do your readers a favor and check up on Tivoli's and Devesto's claims. Tivoli has had no successful or original designs since Henry Kloss's Model One and PAL radios simply because Tivoli has no engineering capabilities or on-staff engineers. It is basically a shell company with sales and office staff based in Boston. This product is ridiculously priced, offers no new capabilities, likely cost Tivoli no more than $70-$80 to make, and offers no functionality or feature that several other radios offer for much less money.
For that price it should at least have a larger full color display, a real remote control instead of just a little cheap IR one, two-way driver, best in class sound, come with the extra speaker, professional and unique industrial design, and a solid wood cabinet instead of paper thin veneer over a rectangular MDF box. No delays or excuses on the available content providers or the radio station website, either.
Also, ask Mr. Devesto where he got his engineering training, or if he has any degrees at all. The truth is that he is a marketeer masquerading as a designer and engineer, and that shows clearly in Tivoli's "me-too" products.
June 4, 2008 12:19 PM
Ridiculously overpriced. Compare this to the Freecom MusicPal at $169 - no wood veneer, but all the functionality:
http://www.freecom.com/ecproduct_detail.asp?ID=3593&CatID=400
June 19, 2008 6:15 PM
As President of Tivoli Audio, I appreciate the objective comments of both Tom Gideon and Carol Mangis. I have now lived with an early sample of Networks for two months, I am totally addicted even with 30 years in the audio business. It's design and style is warm and inviting, so unlike any PC product, the software is remarkably friendly (so uncommon in many electronics product), the sound quality great, and its so much more than an internet radio product...it's the brains and center of an audio system, a terrific networking system, so much more...I'll leave it to reviewers and consumers to judge Networks against all others in this new arena.
I think this may be the first time I have responded to a post in any journal, since criticism, as well as praise, usually balances out and consumers are entitled to ANY opinion and are rightfully the final judge of a product.
The comments made by "HEK," who begins "Please do your customers a favor," actually do your customers a disservice. These slanderous obviously personally-driven remarks bear no resemblance to the truth. They certainly don't help readers exchange objective feedback on product.
Forgive me for a lack of complete and pure objectivity, but I have known Tom DeVesto for 30 years, and knew Henry Kloss from the same time period until he passed (RIP). Tom has always been willing to stand in front of consumers at any function, dealers in any forum, reporters at press events, sales representatives at trade shows, distributors at events anywhere around the world....and take the toughest of questions about his product and his company. Years after Henry's passing, Tivoli continues to grow succesfully as a company and a brand. This growth has been based on the ideas of it's founder Tom DeVesto, developed with Tivoli's "real" engineers, who together with "real" customer service staff in a "real" cool office in the heart of Boston. All of Tivoli's wonderful employees work every day to bring a little music into people's lives ....and by the way, love doing it. I feel bad that our staff -who know better- might even read such rubbish or have it brought to their attention. My decision to answer this post is primarily for them.
I take nothing away from Henry Kloss by the way, who was a brilliant man, but who didn't have an engineering degree! Many of the most acclaimed people in history never went to college or a number of them even high school.
If your readers need information about Tivoli, they can write to me personally:
Tivoli Audio
70 Fargo Street
Boston, MA 02067
or email at: bbrown@tivoliaudio.com
If "HEK" would like to meet Tom DeVesto personally and visit our office in Boston, I would gladly arrange such an interview and even buy lunch (ah...maybe...have to think about that). Call me at 617-345-0144.
Sincerely,
Bob Brown
President
Tivoli Audio
June 20, 2008 12:07 PM
Its certainly encouraging to see the president of Tivoli weigh in here- but I think you may have missed the point. Like many Tivoli fans, I can say I have been pretty disappointed with your offerings other than the original HK products.
I bought the isongbook and frankly- it didnt work well. The three radio stations I listen to do not come in- unlike my pal and model one. I even placed them all in the same spot. No reception with the isongbook. How do you explain this? Inferior tuner?
And what about the doubling of prices?? The pal was great deal at $129- and even I would even pay $150-175, but $219?? And please dont say its the cost of doing biz in china- I am in the mfg biz- we have over 2500 products- yes we had to raise prices- but certainly did not have to double them.
Frankly- like most fans of the orginal products- we have doubts about your companies future- especially when the products that made your company are disappearing and the new ones are priced well over $500 !
Have you seen Sonys new HD radio?