Tivoli Audio Model Two Digital

Scope of delivery

The Model Two Digital (available in white/silver, black and walnut/gold) comes with a power supply and a quick-start guide. The box measures 12.3 x 25.2 x 15.8 cm and weighs 2.2 kilograms. The shape and materials (veneered real wood body, aluminium front grille) evoke the slightly dusty charm of furniture from my youth. But there will be plenty of people who appreciate this austere, cubist design. After all, it’s what’s inside that counts.

Behind the fabric-covered front, a 3.5-inch full-range loudspeaker and a 0.75-inch tweeter do their work. The amplifier’s output is 20 watts. The frequency response is from 60Hz to 20,000Hz.

In one corner you’ll find the power/volume button, which is designed as a push-button rotary encoder. Two bright LED strips extend from it, providing coloured feedback on the various modes and states of the speaker. On the (non-veneered) rear panel of the Model Two Digital you will find a Bluetooth and WIFI button, an auxiliary input with a 3.5mm mini jack, a power input, a USB-A service port and the slotted bass reflex port. The speaker can be operated in either an upright or horizontal position.

Features of the Tivoli Audio Model Two Digital

There are three ways to control the speaker. The simplest is via the aux input using a cable. The source is selected by pressing the power button several times, the LED turns orange and the Model Two Digital is ready for use.

The second way is via Bluetooth 5.2 into the box. Press the Bluetooth button on the back once and the box will enter pairing mode. Select. Done. The LED on the front will flash blue. However, Tivoli Audio does not reveal which codecs are being used. Multipoint – pairing with two or three players at the same time – is also not included.

To use the speaker in a home network – either on its own or as part of a multi-room solution – press the WIFI button on the back or front until the LED turns green. Then find the speaker in the menu of the WIFI-enabled player and activate it as a new Airplay speaker (in my case under iOS). It’s a quick process, and the speaker is accessible system-wide.

It can then be assigned to a room via Apple Home and controlled either individually or in combination with other speakers – in my case, an iPod Mini and an Apple TV. You can also stream directly to the Model Two Digital from Airplay or Google Cast compatible apps such as Tidal or Spotify.

Even if I sometimes lose track of which source is being streamed from, it couldn’t be more convenient. It’s all the more surprising that there isn’t an app that would allow you to control, tweak or adjust the Model Two Digital’s equaliser even better. Tivoli Audio promises that the Model Two will update itself automatically, but if you are not using the speaker on a Wi-Fi network, this will not work, so an app would be useful.

The sound

In terms of sound, the speaker delivers a somewhat tired image.
What I mean is that it sounds exactly like what I imagine a kitchen radio to sound like. The bass, midrange and treble are so evenly balanced that it almost seems a little boring. For me, the bass could be a little crisper and the treble a little freer, which brings us back to an app that lets you tweak the sound to your liking. So the only options are the respective on-board tools, such as the iOS or Spotify EQ, which provide a more rounded sound here.

On the other hand, the speaker remains fairly stable across the entire volume range and does not slip into screeching or booming at full load, nor does it become whispy and thin-sounding at low volumes. The Model Two’s resolution and spatial depth are rather limited; I miss definition and freshness, especially with more complex music, where traceability and localisation quickly end at the surface.

Conclusion

The Tivoli Audio Model Two Digital performs well, but there is room for improvement. The sound is solid, but without an EQ unexciting for my taste. The lack of an app is a drawback. As for the box’s connectivity, via Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and cable, there is absolutely nothing to complain about. The shape and wood veneer may look a little old-fashioned to me, but taste is subjective and others would call it ‘retro’. Tivoli’s Model Two Digital could therefore be an option for those who like exactly this type of classic box.