| The Tivoli Radios | |
| Henry Kloss did more to effect the pages of this
book than any other person. He was a true innovator in the world
of audio and video. He died February 15 2002, and the world lost
a great thinker. Around 1950, Henry Kloss met Ed Viller. Henry was good at wood working, and Ed had a new idea for loudspeaker. Instead of using a huge cabinet to make bass, he would use the air in a cabinet to control the woofer. It was called the acoustic suspension loudspeaker and now bookshelf size speakers were able to make low bass. They created AR or Acoustic Research. Stereo was introduced, which needed 2 speakers, and the acoustic suspension speaker allowed for smaller speakers which helped the consumer acceptance of stereo. Later Henry went on to form KLH. At KLH he introduced the compact stereo where the turntable sat on top of a receiver in one box, with separate stereo speakers. He introduced the famous KLH 9 full range electrostatic speaker. He introduced the KLH radio which didn't look too different than the radio above. He also introduced the first product with Dolby B noise reduction for home use, the Model 41, a reel to reel tape recorder. He later went on to form a new company called Advent with the idea of making front projection TVs for home use. To help get the company going they fell back on their expertise and introduced The Advent Loudspeaker. In 1977 he formed Kloss Video to make big screen TVs using his Novatron tubes. In 1988 he co-founded Cambridge SoundWorks with Tom DeVesto making speakers again. They sold Cambrige, and Tom and Henry joined together to introduce the Tivoli radio. |
Cambridge and Henry came out of retirement
to help Tom design the Tivoli radio. The Model One. $99. Before he died, he designed the radio above based on the vintage KLH radio. The Tivoli uses the most modern technology. For example, the Tivoli Model One radio uses advanced radio circuitry found in cell phones. Yet, instead of ICs, he used discrete components. This radio has amazing radio reception. It has amazing sound for a small box that sits on your desk. Frequency contouring, an idea he introduced with the Advent Powered Loudspeaker is used to mate the box, the amplifier and the 3 inch speaker to create great sound from this radio. Turn the knob and you go back to yesteryear where things had a quality feel and ease of use. The 5 to 1 ratio vernier tuning is easy with the little light to tell you correct tuning has been achieved. No digital here. The Model One has an Aux input for plugging in your TV or CD or MP3 player. It makes beautiful music. PAL. $129. Shown on the left below is the Personal Audio Laboratory... the portable version of the Model One. To keep it small a 2.5 inch frequency contoured speaker is used. A built-in rechargeable battery and rubberized, multi color case makes it portable. Plus, the tuner circuitry is stereo. Plug the line level output in a hifi system and you got a great stereo tuner. The Model Two. $159. Table top stereo version that includes another speaker which can be separated for stereo sound. The Model Three. $199. Shown below, analog clock radio version with snooze button. A stereo line output allows connection to hifi system. |
