Why I still use a radio

About a year ago I bought a Tivoli Audio Model One radio to play in my bedroom/office as background music.

I already know what you’re asking, “A radio? Why?” Sure, I could have plugged my iPhone into a pair of speakers and played Pandora, Rdio, or my personal iTunes collection. Sure, that gets the music playing, but it also adds clutter and complicates things. Instead of simply being able to enjoy the music, I would be faced with more problems, such as not being able to use my phone while the music is playing. I’ve also found that having to select my own music is a huge distraction. Sure these problems may seem small, but let me tell you, they noticeably effect my music listening habits.

The Tivoli has three knobs. No screen, no buttons, no Internet. Is that a downside? I don’t think so. Sometimes the simplest solution is the best, even if it means paying for another product. The Tivoli does one thing, and it does it well. It plays AM/FM radio with excellent sound quality and reception. It is a standalone product, manufactured to preform one specific task.

“But don’t you want to listen to your own music?” No, not really. Sure I listen to my own music when I’m out and about, on my way to school or running errands. I have my radio on almost 24/7 in my bedroom as background music. I listen to it when I do schoolwork, sleep, you name it. There’s a great local jazz station that I listen to, and I hardly ever change it.

Sometimes it helps to take a step back from our complicated gadgets and find a product that solves one specific problem. A product that you don’t have to worry about, that you can use for weeks on end without touching a single time. Sometimes simplifying things means owning multiple devices that overlap in functionality.

Sometimes you just want to have music playing in the background without having to worry about it. That’s what a Radio is for, and that’s why I still use one.