The Yamaha TSX-130: Awaken Your Ears This is a mini review I suppose you’d call it of the Yamaha TSX130 which Yamaha calls a clock radio? Well I wouldn’t as the set is bigger than any clock radio I’ve seen but yet small enough to be placed on a bedside table. So to the first point about the unit and that’s cost, a considerable cost if you look at this beast in the scheme of things when compared to “Clock Radio” systems so is extra cost warranted out of your pocket? I have no hesitation in answering yes if you’re after extremely good sound but the only way I believe you’re going to know how good one of these things sounds is to actually go and hear one for yourself if at all possible. If you and your ears are familiar with the Bose Wave Radio then the Yamaha TSX-130 sounds very similar and even more impressive is the fact that this rich sound can be reproduced through 2 3 inch drivers with a 15 watt per channel RMS amp. You have a variety of audio sources to choose from: Ipod Dock, multi format audio CD player, Radio and Memory stick. The radio is interesting, with the Australian model you’re able to select from 2 radio sources which are FM and DAB+ digital radio. I’ve not been able to obtain specs for the U.K. model but I suspect that the same is true in that you can select between FM and DAB. It would appear that the American model only allows the user to hear the FM broadcast band from the radio and yet I do know of an FM/AM version of this model. Performance from DAB+ is what you’d expect from a quality unit as this, perhaps the radio isn’t as sensitive as it could be so I’d advise the use of an external aerial if you’re handy to one. The Yamaha comes supplied with a wire aerial which does not do the set justice at all. When the DAB+ band is activated for the first time the radio does a scan of the digital band and you’re then able to scroll through the channels the radio found, you can assign any of these to presets, 10 for DAB+ I’ve not been able to set the clock and alarms so I had to get sighted assistance here. The clock is set from the remote control whereas the alarms are set from the controls on the main unit. A variety of alarm tones are available and volume can be adjusted for each, note that volume can be adjusted to an extremely loud level. You can programme in a playlist from your Ipod, Memory Stick or MP3 audio CD loaded in the CD player as an alarm if that’s what you prefer. I use the Ipod dock more than anything else as I’m able to gain full access to the Iphone through it with the audio coming through the speakers of the TSX-130, I’ve been able to use the remote controller of the set to navigate menus in the Ipod of the iphone which is exactly what the remote controller is supposed to do. The yamaha doesn’t seem to have a problem with me using other audio players on the Iphone either such as Ootunes so here’s my fully accessible high quality Internet radio <smile>. The TSX_130 is about the size of a sewing box. Yamaha make various models of Clock Radio, the model below the TSX-130 is the 120, it has everything the 130 has except the USB port for the memory stick and the CD player, instead it has an auxilary in jack. The TSX-80 is a cheaper model again though not nearly as powerful as the 120 or 130. These clock radios run on AC mains power only and retain settings for a week if the power is switched off. They’re presented in a wooden vaneer cabinet which is very pleasing to touch and I’d imagine looks very easy on the eye too! The TSX-130 retails for $599.00 Australian dollars and the 120 is $100.00 cheaper.
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