Quick take: A quality WiFi Internet radio tuner with a decent feature set. It’s too bad that the somewhat complicated setup will confuse some.
The Good Stuff: It works! I can’t say how nice it is to receive a new product, set it up, and enjoy all the benefits without diving into a random forum site for help.
This Aluratek radio tuner is just what I needed. I love listening to the radio, but I moved my office to a location where I can’t get any radio reception. This solved my problem and allows me to listen to every station I want via the extensive radio listings on the Aluratek website.
The sound quality is as good as can be expected from Internet radio. Don’t think this device will enhance the quality. Expect to hear the same quality as if you were to hook up your computer to your AV receiver and stream the radio station over the Internet.
That’s fine with me though. The device hooks up via analog cables to any AV receiver. It’s that easy. Well, the hook up is that easy. Setting up the device’s software and adding the stations is something else.
The Not-so Good Stuff: I configured the radio tuner just fine, but I don’t think my moderately computer literate parents or friends could have done it as easily.
There are numerous steps before this device starts streaming. First you have to get it on the WiFi network – or just plug in an RJ45 cable. That requires painstakingly entering the wireless access code via the remote. Each button has a number and a set of letters assigned. It took me a few minutes to discover you have to hold the appropriate button down to input a letter.
Once that’s done, you have to jump online to setup a playlist. This isn’t the best designed site on the Internet. It isn’t the worst, but it could be so much better. It does allow you to find and add to a playlist the stations you want to listen too. Just don’t mislabel your playlist because I don’t think you can rename it. At least I haven’t figured out how.
Like I said, the setup isn’t that hard for our average CrunchGear reader. But I think the overall process will confuse others.
So…I like it. I like it a lot. It’s a good little device that works as advertised. If you are in need of a way to listen to radio but can’t pick up any stations due to reception, buy this. You won’t be disappointed.
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They apparently make several models, one which acts as an alarm clock as well.
In any case, If it had an as simple to use gui, like RadioSure’s software for pc’s, AND included a hdtuner for local stuff ota, it would be the new must have radio. For simple web radio, radiosure has the best gui hands down. I like it, in any case, for all those kpoa moments away from home.
My little Aluratek clock radio is just fine. I wanted to hear WBZ in Boston, and that’s nearly impossible in Detroit.
The little radio picks it up just fine. Of course,
you do need a broadband connection and the
radio, but it’s not expensive.
I’ve tried some other brands, but they didnt have WBZ on them.
Ah, happiness.
Jerry O’Dell
still holding out for an Android-powered picture frame that would make this thing totally unnecessary and do a billion other things too.
Man… How much? Where’s the link to the device’s homepage. Why can’t you tell us if we can enter a URL into this thing or do we have to beg some proprietary Web service to do it for us. Is there a subscription fee? At least – thank you for mentioning there’s a wired Ethernet jack. Please CG, be more thorough with your reviews!
I have an iPod Touch that I use as a net radio.
It sits on a dock in my bathroom.
Your article fails to mention supported stream types. This is an important piece of the puzzle for any internet radio.