A poorly designed remote control can sour your experience with an internet radio, so pay special attention to what comes with each internet radio. By picking out your favorites ahead of time, you’ll have a much better idea of which stations and apps you’ll need your internet radio to access, and you can rule out any models that don’t meet your needs.ĭon’t just compare models compare remotes. There’s never a bad time to explore the vast, near-endless number of radio stations out there, and you can start picking your favorites today with your smartphone.
If you’re new to internet radio, try it out on your smartphone first. (Some satellite radio devices have WiFi and can be easily confused with internet radios, so read product labels carefully.)īefore you buy an internet radio, consider these tips.
While it may seem obvious, it’s important to make sure that any internet radio you buy can easily access free online radio stations. Consider both common and rare music formats, including the following. As you’re shopping for an internet radio, consider your different music sources and which you’ll want to access. Internet radios are more versatile than their name lets on – most, but not all, models can play audio in several different formats. Internet radios with LCD screens are ideal for people who like to leave on a certain station, but they can frustrate people who like to change the station frequently. While LCD screens can be a little more clunky to work with, internet radios that use them are much more affordable than their touchscreen cousins. Many of the less-flashy internet radio models feature a small LCD screen that can be operated with buttons and knobs. Touchscreens are ideal for those who prize simplicity. Touchscreen controls have the smallest learning curve, but much like smartphones, the experience can be marred by bad apps.
(In fact, some interfaces are built on Google’s Android operating system.) Many internet radios have built-in touchscreens with interfaces similar to a smartphone. While models with built-in digital assistants are the most expensive, many find that the luxury of simply asking for what they want to hear is worth the price tag.
Digital assistantĪ few cutting-edge internet radios support cloud-based digital assistant services like Google Home or Amazon’s Echo service. Using a remote as the primary means of interacting with your internet radio can certainly take longer, but it’s perfect for anyone who misses the old days of using a remote to play tunes through a hi-fi system.
Nearly all internet radios include remote controls, but some of them can only be controlled through their remote. There are three main types of internet radio interfaces. As you’re shopping for an internet radio, spend time thinking about how you want to interact with your device, because your decision defines the experience you’ll have. But that’s pretty much where the similarities end because each internet radio brings its own interface to the table. On paper, most internet radios sport the same basic feature set: they stream music from the web either in the format of an online radio station or a streaming music service like Spotify. While paid services offer features like higher fidelity and wider selection, there are thousands of free stations available from all over the world, and you can easily enjoy an internet radio without paying any monthly fees. Most internet radios support both paid streaming services and free, ad-supported internet radio.