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Grace Digital punts WiFi radio into a wireless bookshelf speaker system, can't escape Reciva's ghost
Just when we thought Grace Digital Audio had turned over a new, touch-friendly leaf, the company's back with another WiFi internet radio that uses the frustrating Reciva interface. We can't say we're pleased, but the firm's new $250 Wireless Stereo Micro System does have one new feature that might be worth checking out -- it comes with a pair of handsome bookshelf speakers that connect over the ether as well. This time, you can not only connect to your home wireless network (or auxiliary media player) and pull down loads of tunes from the typical array of services -- including Pandora, Live365 and Sirius XM -- but listen in stereo too, while hopefully hiding that ugly four-line LCD and its irksome nests of menus from ever disturbing your view.
Grace Digital Allegro review
Dedicated internet radios have always been niche products; when you can get all the same content on your desktop, laptop or even smartphone, it's hard to see the point of relying on WiFi. Without a traditional FM antenna, they're many are chained to your network -- if not your wall -- and the lack of keyboard input for setup and channel search furthers their plight. Even so, there must be something to it, as this gadget category refuses to die, so we thought we'd give one promising newcomer a good, thorough try. The Grace Digital Allegro caught our attention with a packed feature list (including Pandora) and a clean, mobile design. Did it enthrall or disappoint? Find out after the break.%Gallery-92306%
Scitec IR-001W RECIVA Internet Radio
Internet radio seems to be taking a foothold in Japan judging by the latest wares from Yamaha and Denon. Now England's RECIVA have stepped up to carve out some turf with the Scitec IT-001W which is almost certainly based on the same RECIVA reference design as that AE WiFi radio seen previously. However, the IT-001W brings the "g" in addition to that 802.11b WiFi, WEP 64/128 and WPA protection, and is capable of pumping out MP3/WMA/Real Audio/Ogg Vorbis/AAC/AU/AIF/WAV (PCM) audio formats streamed from any of the estimated 10,000 internet radio stations on the planet. Best of all, it's subscription free and RECIVA takes care of all the station updates daily so they show up on that 126 x 64 pixel display already sorted by country and genre. Oh, and did we mention it'll stream audio from your PC too? Well it does, presumably via UPnP but they don't specify. Expected in Japan July 12th for about ¥30,000 or $259.
Reciva's Wireless Household Internet Radio
A new wireless Internet radio from Reciva that doesn't need a PC to work, all it needs is WiFi and a broadband Internet connection. Their Wireless Household Internet Radio can streams stations that webcast in MP3, WMA, RealAudio, and Vorbis audio, and also has an optional FM tuner if you want to listen to regular radio broadcasts (who does that anymore?). Weirdly, the radio only has one mono speaker - you have to attach a second speaker if you want stereo.
