Tivoli Model Three Clock Radio

I bought this looking for a true clock radio- one with hands, so that when waking in the middle of the night I could actually tell what time it was, without having to read digits. I got a decent clock- but found a fantastic radio attached to it.

First, the clock: Yes, the hour hand could have been a bit shorter, but it's not that hard to discern the difference. If you wake up at 3:00 AM, and think that it could possibly be 12:15... well, you've got other issues. The alarm is easy to set- there's an LED next to the alarm button. Yes, you can't have the radio playing with the alarm set to "on" without the sleep enabled, but again, not that big of a deal. I find the backlight to be pleasant, and not depriving me of sleep. Is it the greatest clock I've ever used? No... but it's not the devil's wristwatch, either.

The real surprise is just how great the sound is from this radio. I had my doubts, but the tuner is more sensitive than any other fm rig that I have in the house. The sound quality is terrific- it's hard to believe that such a small box is producing such great sound. We inherited a Bose WaveRadio last year (one of the original units, not the clock-radio type)- and my wife, hearing the sound of the Tivoli model three, commented that it sounded just as good as the Bose. I really think she's right.

It's a terrific radio, coupled with and average clock- but the clock and alarm work, the radio has a great sound. If you can stand independent clutter, by a Model One with a $10 battery analog alarm clock. If you want a stylish box, with a working clock, and the best radio in it's class... then buy the model three.