WiFi Radio --recommendations?

[Pogo]

I like streaming radio from far-flung corners, but it would be nice to have one of these tabletop units that uses your wireless signal to plunk down in any room. Anyone have one of these that you especially like or dislike?

I'd want to be able to program anything I could find on the internets (IOW I won't accept what a manufacturer thinks is a comprehensive list of stations). I don't know how common that is but I've run across it in researching this.

I'm not picky about the built-in sound, as I'd mostly run it through an amp and proper speakers anyway. Ideally, ability to stream from my own PC and an alarm feature would be perfect.

Anyone using such a unit? Please share reviews.

 

[Ringel05]

Sorry Pogo, not my bailiwick, can't help ya.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

I have one through XMRadio.
This one: SiriusXM Tabletop Internet Radio : Internet Radios | RadioShack.com

It sounds really good, we have it in the kitchen which is three rooms away from the router and it picks up fine. In fact during the summer we have it on the back patio.

 

[Pogo]

I have one through XMRadio.
This one: SiriusXM Tabletop Internet Radio : Internet Radios | RadioShack.com

It sounds really good, we have it in the kitchen which is three rooms away from the router and it picks up fine. In fact during the summer we have it on the back patio.

I guess that's something like it except it's limited to Sirius. Do you have any idea who manufactures it for them?

Based on a lot of research and review-reading since I put this thread up, I'm looking seriously at either the Grace GDI-IR2600 or, a bit fancier, GDI-IR6000. The Logitech Squeezebox or updated UE Smart version are also in the mix.

 

[Michelle420]

I like streaming radio from far-flung corners, but it would be nice to have one of these tabletop units that uses your wireless signal to plunk down in any room. Anyone have one of these that you especially like or dislike?

I'd want to be able to program anything I could find on the internets (IOW I won't accept what a manufacturer thinks is a comprehensive list of stations). I don't know how common that is but I've run across it in researching this.

I'm not picky about the built-in sound, as I'd mostly run it through an amp and proper speakers anyway. Ideally, ability to stream from my own PC and an alarm feature would be perfect.

Anyone using such a unit? Please share reviews.

I like pandora

 

[Pogo]

I like streaming radio from far-flung corners, but it would be nice to have one of these tabletop units that uses your wireless signal to plunk down in any room. Anyone have one of these that you especially like or dislike?

I'd want to be able to program anything I could find on the internets (IOW I won't accept what a manufacturer thinks is a comprehensive list of stations). I don't know how common that is but I've run across it in researching this.

I'm not picky about the built-in sound, as I'd mostly run it through an amp and proper speakers anyway. Ideally, ability to stream from my own PC and an alarm feature would be perfect.

Anyone using such a unit? Please share reviews.

I like pandora

But again, like Sirius, Pandora is a service. What I'm looking for is the hardware -- one that will play not only Pandora, Sirius/XM, Lastfm, IheartRadio, all those services, but any of about 18,000 streaming radio stations around the world, plus any podcast I set up, plus a playlist from my own hard drive. Me like choice. Choice good.

 

[Michelle420]

I like streaming radio from far-flung corners, but it would be nice to have one of these tabletop units that uses your wireless signal to plunk down in any room. Anyone have one of these that you especially like or dislike?

I'd want to be able to program anything I could find on the internets (IOW I won't accept what a manufacturer thinks is a comprehensive list of stations). I don't know how common that is but I've run across it in researching this.

I'm not picky about the built-in sound, as I'd mostly run it through an amp and proper speakers anyway. Ideally, ability to stream from my own PC and an alarm feature would be perfect.

Anyone using such a unit? Please share reviews.

I like pandora

But again, like Sirius, Pandora is a service. What I'm looking for is the hardware -- one that will play not only Pandora, Sirius/XM, Lastfm, IheartRadio, all those services, but any of about 18,000 streaming radio stations around the world, plus any podcast I set up, plus a playlist from my own hard drive. Me like choice. Choice good.

Well Pandora is free I listen to it on my computer and tv.

Are you aware of any such units existing? It looks like you have found a couple.

I am sure you have investigated it somewhat given your interests you listed.

 

[techieny]

I have this and it's GREAT!

CC WiFi Internet Radio w/ Clock, Alarm & 99 Memory Presets - C. Crane Company (800) 522-8863

 

[Pogo]

I like pandora

But again, like Sirius, Pandora is a service. What I'm looking for is the hardware -- one that will play not only Pandora, Sirius/XM, Lastfm, IheartRadio, all those services, but any of about 18,000 streaming radio stations around the world, plus any podcast I set up, plus a playlist from my own hard drive. Me like choice. Choice good.

Well Pandora is free I listen to it on my computer and tv.

Are you aware of any such units existing? It looks like you have found a couple.

I am sure you have investigated it somewhat given your interests you listed.

Yes, that's the whole point -- there are a slew of them, and like anything, some are designed better than others, some more or less reliable, some more or less adaptable. That's what I'm sifting through.

 

[Pogo]

I have this and it's GREAT!

CC WiFi Internet Radio w/ Clock, Alarm & 99 Memory Presets - C. Crane Company (800) 522-8863

THERE we go, that's the feedback I'm looking for

I did check out the CCrane and it got mediocre reviews over its losing the WiFi signal. Do you get much of that?

I liked the 99 preset feature at first -- when first looking at these I was dumbfounded that many IRadios didn't have more than 5 or 6 presets, but then learned that (a) stream URLs change often, making the preset obsolete, and (b) they often (always?) use a web-based service to go through that keeps such URLs updated -- Grace uses the Reciva site, I think Logitech has their own.

Do you find the presets you use to be stable?

Does the CCrane use such a web service too? And does it have line outputs, or just a headphone jack? Can you stream music to it from your PC?

 

[techieny]

I have this and it's GREAT!

CC WiFi Internet Radio w/ Clock, Alarm & 99 Memory Presets - C. Crane Company (800) 522-8863

THERE we go, that's the feedback I'm looking for

I did check out the CCrane and it got mediocre reviews over its losing the WiFi signal. Do you get much of that?

I liked the 99 preset feature at first -- when first looking at these I was dumbfounded that many IRadios didn't have more than 5 or 6 presets, but then learned that (a) stream URLs change often, making the preset obsolete, and (b) they often (always?) use a web-based service to go through that keeps such URLs updated -- Grace uses the Reciva site, I think Logitech has their own.

Do you find the presets you use to be stable?

Does the CCrane use such a web service too? And does it have line outputs, or just a headphone jack? Can you stream music to it from your PC?

I have no complaints. It does have a line out in rear of unit!

 

[Pogo]

Well if anyone's interested I ended up with two units, a Grace GDI-2500 and a Grace GDI-6000. Just happened to see good deals on both. They both arrived today, at the same time.

The 2500 is apparently an older version of the popular 2600 supposedly with sound improvements but upon review, I don't hear a difference between the two. The 6000 is a newer and more bells-n-whistles version.

Both of them booted right up out of the box and work great with very little RTM needed. So far. I'm elated. Especially since the 2500, which prolly serves all my needs, was $42.

 

[Mr. H.]

Check out WWHP. They're playing Blues now.

I use the TuneIn Radio app on my iBama Phone.

 

[Pogo]

Well since this thing got bumped I'll just report that six months on I've used my 6000 literally every day and I usually run it all night too. Wunnafula wunnaful.

The 2500 still works but the display went haywire after I plugged its output into a transmitter, forgetting that the xmtr uses the audio cable as a radiator - so it sent RF back into the internet radio. Oopsie.

I could try a factory reset, haven't bothered.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

My suggestion, save yourself a lot of money and get wireless speakers and run them off your computer.

 

[Mr. H.]

Well since this thing got bumped I'll just report that six months on I've used my 6000 literally every day and I usually run it all night too. Wunnafula wunnaful.

The 2500 still works but the display went haywire after I plugged its output into a transmitter, forgetting that the xmtr uses the audio cable as a radiator - so it sent RF back into the internet radio. Oopsie.

I could try a factory reset, haven't bothered.

Do tell us about some kick-ass stations out there.

 

[Pogo]

My suggestion, save yourself a lot of money and get wireless speakers and run them off your computer.

That would address the transmitter reflected power

Actually I've been running it through my stereo - four speakers in the living room pretty much fills every space I need. But the cool thing about the IR is I don't need a computer, don't need to go hunting down feeds, and don't need to tie up its resources to play radio. It's completely independent except for sharing the WiFi signal.

I've got the older one in my bedroom if I ever need it.

 

[Quantum Windbag]

My suggestion, save yourself a lot of money and get wireless speakers and run them off your computer.

That would address the transmitter reflected power

Actually I've been running it through my stereo - four speakers in the living room pretty much fills every space I need. But the cool thing about the IR is I don't need a computer, don't need to go hunting down feeds, and don't need to tie up its resources to play radio. It's completely independent except for sharing the WiFi signal.

I've got the older one in my bedroom if I ever need it.

It cost more enough you could have bought an Arduino for every room in your house to do the same thing.

 

[Pogo]

Well since this thing got bumped I'll just report that six months on I've used my 6000 literally every day and I usually run it all night too. Wunnafula wunnaful.

The 2500 still works but the display went haywire after I plugged its output into a transmitter, forgetting that the xmtr uses the audio cable as a radiator - so it sent RF back into the internet radio. Oopsie.

I could try a factory reset, haven't bothered.

Do tell us about some kick-ass stations out there.

Oh lordy, there are something like 17,000 radio stations in there. I shall now list them all...

No wait...

It depends what you want, obviously. I skim around from stations I used to work for that have a known program at a known time with people I know producing them, to stations where I used to live to keep up, to all over the world. I tune a lot of CBC through the day for their excellent documentary shows; there's a good show on KCRW on Sundays with Tom Schnabel; a ragtime show on KDHX St. Louis on the weekend...

At various times these are all worth a look:
KBCS
KBOO
KMUN
KUT
WWOZ
WEMU
WZBC
WERU

one of my favorites from time immemorial that I have on a preset is WFMU -- just because it's entirely unpredictable what will happen next at any given time. That's using radio to its potential.

That's just within the US - I got a station in Chéticamp Cape Breton put on the list, but it seems to have dropped off. Have several Canadian community stations on the list too, one in particular is CKUT.

Another cool thing, I can tell it to run a playlist from a computer -- I have an enormous amount of ripped music on a secondary hard drive in the old desktop. Just hit shuffle and say "surprise me".

Then again, if you want to you can tune in to control tower traffic at the airport in Ottawa.
A good thing to know if you have guests that just won't leave.

 

[Pogo]

My suggestion, save yourself a lot of money and get wireless speakers and run them off your computer.

That would address the transmitter reflected power

Actually I've been running it through my stereo - four speakers in the living room pretty much fills every space I need. But the cool thing about the IR is I don't need a computer, don't need to go hunting down feeds, and don't need to tie up its resources to play radio. It's completely independent except for sharing the WiFi signal.

I've got the older one in my bedroom if I ever need it.

It cost more enough you could have bought an Arduino for every room in your house to do the same thing.

Sure, there's all kinds of ways. I was more interested in the IR serving the transmitter than the transmitter serving the IR, if you know what I mean...