Wireless internet radio without turning on laptop?

July 27, 2010 2:18 PM

New to the concept of internet radio and would like some guidance please.

Can I buy a radio which would allow me to pick up internet radio stations through my wireless broadbannd connection without having to turn on my laptop? Ideally the radio would also pick up FM radio broadcasts and have a remote control.

I am in Ireland in case this is relevant.

posted by kenaman to technology (8 answers total)

I have a Squeezebox Boom. It does the first (tunes into internet radio directly over wired or wireless with no computer required). It doesn't have a FM receiver, though does have a remote control.

It's loud enough for my small apartment but won't win prizes for volume. Overall, I'm very happy with it.
posted by devbrain at 2:29 PM on July 27, 2010

Sure, what you're looking for is an internet radio device. There are plenty of them on the market, with varying feature sets.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 2:36 PM on July 27, 2010

After I posted earlier, I started looking for a specific device to fit your needs. I think the PURE EVOKE Flow is right up your alley. The manufacturer sells an optional remote control if that's something you really need.
posted by The Winsome Parker Lewis at 3:29 PM on July 27, 2010

I own a chumby one and love it.
posted by Gridlock Joe at 6:12 PM on July 27, 2010

Thanks for the responses guys I will check them out. I suppose I could/should just go into an electronics store and ask!
posted by therubettes at 2:32 AM on July 28, 2010

Seconding The Winsome Parker Lewis. I've bought a Pure Evoke Flow for someone else. They love it. It's a good product and if you're looking for something, simple, portable or are on a budget is an excellent buy.

However, I also bought the Pure Avanti Flow for Mrs MM and it is simply awesome. It's an ipod dock, FM radio, DAB radio, internet radio and can also interface with media files on another computer as a media streaming device (although in honesty this is its weakest point). Toggling between the various functions is easy. The sound quality is pretty good - certainly best in class for an internet radio. It comes with a remote control as standard.

A big USP of the Pure products is The Lounge, which to you and me is a way of favoriting the internet radio stations you want to listen to regularly so you don't try and scroll through the options on a small screen. I think it works brilliantly. My only concern would be whether Pure supported it in, say, 10 year's time. But hey, it works well and life's too short.

The Avanti Flow is £250. I initially balked at the price, but you know what? I barely use the more expensive hi-fi sitting in my living room. My old skool Pure Evoke is still going strong after many years, so I can vouch for product quality, too.

One question to consider - and this is what drove me, after a fair bit of research, towards the Avanti Flow and away from products like Squeezebox - is how you want to use your system. If you want to use a decent amp and speakers then a Squeezebox may be better for you. If you want DAB, an ipod dock and are OK with smaller, built in speakers then I'd go with the Pure.

Yes, I'm an unashamed Pure advocate. But then I own two and have given three as gifts and each person who got one raves about them
posted by MuffinMan at 2:49 AM on July 28, 2010

Hi,

I have an Aluratek Internet Radio and I like it quite a bit. It sells for less than $130. Connects via wifi or ethernet cable.

Also, if you have an iPod Touch or iPhone, you can get free internet radio apps, that will give you lots of stations to play through your headphones or external speakers. Connects via wifi. I use that method also.
posted by mbarryf at 5:15 AM on July 28, 2010

Get a Reciva model, preferably with 4 display lines instead of two because the interface is much nicer that way.

Lots of stations are still sending audio in RealPlayer format. Reciva's chipset can play them. Others cannot.

(My initial impression of the Pure box that a friend of mine has is that it looks nice and they clearly spent a bit of money on the display. But it took less than 30 seconds for me to start wishing they'd spent it on the bloody software instead because that fucker took AGES to start actually playing any station I selected, including the BBC ones which start more or less instantly on my Reciva device at home.)
posted by genghis at 4:37 PM on July 28, 2010