Smart Radio Alternatives?
February 2, 2024 5:22 PM Subscribe
My beloved Logitech Smart Radio is on its last legs and Logitech has announced that it is discontinuing the server. I need an alternative. Specific needs/wants inside.
I currently use my Smart Radio to listen to internet streams of a variety of radio stations (both terrestrial and internet based). At a bare minimum, I want to retain this capability.
I would also like to be able to stream Sirius XM and maybe tap into my Apple Music account.
On Alexa: I know that Alexa is a very likely option BUT I am really against the wiretapping vibe I get from having a device in my home that listens to me. Is there a non-Alexa alternative?
I currently use my Smart Radio to listen to internet streams of a variety of radio stations (both terrestrial and internet based). At a bare minimum, I want to retain this capability.
I would also like to be able to stream Sirius XM and maybe tap into my Apple Music account.
On Alexa: I know that Alexa is a very likely option BUT I am really against the wiretapping vibe I get from having a device in my home that listens to me. Is there a non-Alexa alternative?
Well, its not Alexa, but isn’t any less wiretappy. But any google home product (the mini, for example) will do this just fine as well. Its about 75% of my google home usage, to be honest. The rest is just turning on and off my lights.
You could always turn off the microphone and just control it from your phone.
posted by cgg at 9:22 PM on February 2, 2024
You could always turn off the microphone and just control it from your phone.
posted by cgg at 9:22 PM on February 2, 2024
I have one of these things: Ocean Digital WR-336F. Cheap, works okay, gets FM and web radio. No Spotify or AirPlay or anything, though.
Probably a step down from the Logitech. It may actually be able to outlast the central server that it uses for directories, as you can program stream URLs into it directly over WiFi.
posted by BungaDunga at 10:50 PM on February 2, 2024
Probably a step down from the Logitech. It may actually be able to outlast the central server that it uses for directories, as you can program stream URLs into it directly over WiFi.
posted by BungaDunga at 10:50 PM on February 2, 2024
Best answer: 2nding above. You want a grace digital. Does all the things. I've had several and really like them. They sound really nice too.
https://gracedigital.com/collections/radios-tuners-amps
posted by chasles at 5:27 AM on February 3, 2024
https://gracedigital.com/collections/radios-tuners-amps
posted by chasles at 5:27 AM on February 3, 2024
I'm affected by this too, and my solution's definitely going to be to set up a copy of Logitech Music Server up on a home machine, maybe a Raspberry Pi (easy) or maybe an old Android phone (hard). I don't think there's anything that would feel as good on my bedside table or in my kitchen as a Squeezebox does.
But the other thing I use as a nice small cheap speaker that does multiroom and works nicely with Apple Airplay is a Roku Streambar. In theory you need it connected to a screen, and you do need one for setup, but once that's done, it works pretty nicely straight from the phone (Over Airplay at least. Google Cast is supported but is nothing like as reliable). So that works nicely for me.
posted by ambrosen at 5:32 AM on February 3, 2024 [2 favorites]
But the other thing I use as a nice small cheap speaker that does multiroom and works nicely with Apple Airplay is a Roku Streambar. In theory you need it connected to a screen, and you do need one for setup, but once that's done, it works pretty nicely straight from the phone (Over Airplay at least. Google Cast is supported but is nothing like as reliable). So that works nicely for me.
posted by ambrosen at 5:32 AM on February 3, 2024 [2 favorites]
Apple, of course, has the HomePod, which should be less surveillance-y and would obviously tie in to Apple Music.
You don't need the Logitech server (or any single server) to run an Internet radio as long as the stream you want is out there (1, 2, 3) for you to subscribe to and your gadget can subscribe to it. There are a number of projects (on Hackaday, etc) for turning Raspberry Pis into Internet radio players. For that matter, you could get an old tablet or smartphone, hook it up to a speaker, and call it a day.
posted by adamrice at 6:13 AM on February 3, 2024
You don't need the Logitech server (or any single server) to run an Internet radio as long as the stream you want is out there (1, 2, 3) for you to subscribe to and your gadget can subscribe to it. There are a number of projects (on Hackaday, etc) for turning Raspberry Pis into Internet radio players. For that matter, you could get an old tablet or smartphone, hook it up to a speaker, and call it a day.
posted by adamrice at 6:13 AM on February 3, 2024
We replaced our Logitech (beloved) system with the Scandanavian Audio Pro sypeakers. They are attractive; the sound is great; the bluetooth connectivity (how I stream my podcasts) and the wifi connectivity are excellent; and it's integration with Spotify is great. And they connect to physical stereo systems (if you still have a turntable or want to play a CD)
HOWEVER, it's mostly controlled by a terrible phone app (no web version to use on your laptop) which is entirely incapable of handling the tens of thousands of songs on our home server. So, we have to pay for Spotify to do things like make playlists. Which makes me really mad. Alternately, you can run MediaMonkey or something on your computer and connect that way. It's got physical presets for internet radio stations, but these too are controlled by the shitty phone app.
We searched for years to find a good replacement for Logitech and still don't have a solution that can do what Logitech does so seamlessly and so well. The Audio Pro is too expensive (in my opinion) for something that is only mostly doing what I want, but Spouse decided it was the better than nothing choice.
posted by crush at 6:39 AM on February 3, 2024
HOWEVER, it's mostly controlled by a terrible phone app (no web version to use on your laptop) which is entirely incapable of handling the tens of thousands of songs on our home server. So, we have to pay for Spotify to do things like make playlists. Which makes me really mad. Alternately, you can run MediaMonkey or something on your computer and connect that way. It's got physical presets for internet radio stations, but these too are controlled by the shitty phone app.
We searched for years to find a good replacement for Logitech and still don't have a solution that can do what Logitech does so seamlessly and so well. The Audio Pro is too expensive (in my opinion) for something that is only mostly doing what I want, but Spouse decided it was the better than nothing choice.
posted by crush at 6:39 AM on February 3, 2024
Best answer: We moved from a Logitech Smart Radio to the Sonos One SL, which likely has everything you're looking for. Support for a very wide variety of streaming stations, SiriusXM, Apple Music, and many more. The One SL does not have a microphone for voice commands (although the standard One does).
The thing the Sonos One SL lacks is a screen; while it has controls to pause/play, adjust volume and skip forward and back on the top, selecting a stream or building a playlist is performed from the "controller" app on a phone or a computer. (The One SL will play streams independently of whether a phone or computer is on; the controller app is effectively a remote control.)
The Sonos ecosystem is also expandable, and has ended up invading every room in our house. You can put two of the same type of speakers in a room for stereo, set up synchronized play in multiple rooms, play MP3s from a local media share, stream from a phone or computer with AirPlay, pretty much everything the Squeezeboxes and Logitech Smart Radios used to do, and these days more. There's lots of different models to choose from, the One SL is just the closest in terms of size and price to a Logitech Smart radio.
posted by eschatfische at 8:07 AM on February 3, 2024 [1 favorite]
The thing the Sonos One SL lacks is a screen; while it has controls to pause/play, adjust volume and skip forward and back on the top, selecting a stream or building a playlist is performed from the "controller" app on a phone or a computer. (The One SL will play streams independently of whether a phone or computer is on; the controller app is effectively a remote control.)
The Sonos ecosystem is also expandable, and has ended up invading every room in our house. You can put two of the same type of speakers in a room for stereo, set up synchronized play in multiple rooms, play MP3s from a local media share, stream from a phone or computer with AirPlay, pretty much everything the Squeezeboxes and Logitech Smart Radios used to do, and these days more. There's lots of different models to choose from, the One SL is just the closest in terms of size and price to a Logitech Smart radio.
posted by eschatfische at 8:07 AM on February 3, 2024 [1 favorite]
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