[Leica] Re: Table radios

[len-1 at comcast.net (Leonard Taupier)]

Hi Larry,

Are you from Massachusetts? I am but from the Western Mass side. I  
would go into Cambridge and visit the audio shops frequently in the  
mid 70's. I recall AR had a little shop, almost a museum with all  
their products. I had AR3a's and then the Advent speakers which my  
daughter still uses in Texas. I still have the high end AR turntable  
with the beautiful wood base. I don't use it anymore but I can't part  
with it. My son works in Boston and likes to shop in Cambridge. He  
says it's not the same as it was years ago.

Len


On Apr 2, 2007, at 7:49 PM, Lawrence Zeitlin wrote:

>
> On Apr 2, 2007, at 1:08 PM, lug-request@leica-users.org wrote:
>
>> When I first saw the Tivoli radio I thought it looked surprisingly
>> like the KLH model that Henry Kloss designed in the 70's. After
>> reading further down in the ad it stated it was a Henry Kloss design.
>> Boy that guy gets around and likes to start new companies. His AR,
>> Advent, KLH, Kloss and now Tivoli designs are audio classics. If it
>> were me I would buy the Tivoli. I would agree that a Kloss design
>> would probably bring in a higher price. But the difference in the
>> Radio Shack price would be too good to be true if it were a rebranded
>> Tivoli. What you can do is try the RS radio and if you don't like it
>> you can always return it.
>>
>> Len
>>
>>
>> On Apr 2, 2007, at 12:07 PM, Peter Klein wrote:
>>
>>>
>>> LUGgers: My faithful kitchen clock radio has given up the ghost
>>> after many years. I want to replace it with something that has good
>>> sound and good FM reception. I mostly listen to classical music,
>>> NPR news and jazz. It doesn't have to replace my living room
>>> stereo, but I want good sound, as we spend a lot of time in the
>>> kitchen/dining area.
>>>
>>> After reading reviews, it looks like the Tivoli Model One has about
>>> the best cost/performance ratio, and many people speak highly of
>>> it. Any of you folks have experience with it?
>>> http://www.tivoliaudio.com/product.php?productid=139&cat=262&page=1
>
>
> Len and Peter,
>
> Indeed the Tivoli looks like the KLH radio. Henry Kloss and Edgar  
> Villchur started the modern hi-fi era by inventing the AR series of  
> acoustic suspended loudspeakers. When audio amplifier power became  
> cheap they realized that they could trade electrical efficiency for  
> small size and a good low frequency response. Prior to the early  
> '50s most loudspeaker design centered around bass reflex and  
> exponential horn implementations, culminating in the Klipsch six  
> foot tall corner horn. These speakers were 25% efficient at  
> converting electrical power into acoustic energy while the AR  
> design of Villchur and Kloss was only about 1.5% efficient. But if  
> you didn't need to fill a theater with sound, the bookcase sized AR  
> speakers were far more convenient.
>
> Kloss eventually left AR and started the Advent Company (also KLH).  
> The Tivoli radio is an evolution of the Advent 400, the first small  
> high quality tabletop radio. Both radios use high quality tuner  
> circuitry, and a small (about 5 watt) low distortion amplifier. The  
> Advent used a separate air suspension speaker which could be  
> positioned anywhere the 20 foot tether wire could reach. The Tivoli  
> uses a 3" long throw speaker in the cabinet. Both radios contained  
> circuitry which tailored the amplifier output to provide the most  
> linear response possible from the small speakers. It is sort of  
> like the software in a digital camera.
>
> The Bose Waveguide radio uses different technology. Bose managed to  
> cram a pair of two foot long ducts into a 12" wide cabinet. The  
> front of each of the stereo speakers radiates directly into the air  
> while the sound emanating from the rear travels through a folded  
> duct. This trick provides acoustic sound reinforcement down to  
> about 100 HZ. Truly phenomenal for such a small enclosure. The Bose  
> radios sound very good but they cost 4 times as much as the Tivoli.
>
> I had the good fortune to know both Kloss and Villchur during and  
> just after my student days. In 1963 I performed anechoic chamber  
> tests at my university on the newly introduced AR3 speakers and  
> wrote a favorable review for Radio and Electronics magazine.  
> Villchur gave me a pair of the new speakers in appreciation. I  
> hasten to say that the bribe came after the review was printed.  
> Villchur and Kloss are long gone but the speakers still grace my  
> living room.
>
> Larry Z
>
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