I have a component stereo system, with seperate receiver, turntable, CD player, and speakers. My 25-year-old receiver is getting to the end of its useful life (and is, quite literally, starting to fall apart). So, time to buy a new one, right?
But, I’m thinking, maybe it’s also time to upgrade the functionality of my stereo system, and add in a wireless Internet radio capability. I’d love to have a variety of stations to grab, and they’re right there on the Internet, just waiting to be connected to my stereo. But - and here’s where I need the recommendation - I want one that’s going to be easy to use and fiddle with stations and find what I want; otherwise I won’t bother much and I’ll wind up with an unused toy.
As I look around, I can find some receivers with built-in Internet radio wifi, but those also seem to be more A/V receivers rather than pure stereo receivers - I don’t really need any video/theatre capability, so I’d rather not pay for it if I don’t need it. There are a few less expensive stereo receivers with Internet radio capability (this Onkyo, for example), but then I wonder if these are really going to be easy to use.
Alternatively, it looks like I can get a standalone Internet radio receiver (like this Grace Digital) and pair it with a simple plain-vanilla receiver (like this Sherwood).This seems like an attractive option, and I’m more than willing to split up my “new receiver” into two components. If I had to buy something right now, without doing further research, this is what I’d probably get. But first, let me solicit opinions.
So, what I’m looking for is:
A reasonably-priced stereo receiver[ul][li]I do NOT need surround sound or video capabilities[/li][li]But I would be willing to pay a more for better quality[/li][li]With a phono input[/li][li]And (maybe obviously) AM/FM reception, because I do still listen to local radio a lot[/ul][/li]2. An internet radio receiver[ul][li]Which could be part of the stereo receiver, or could be standalone[/li][li]Which will hook up with my wi-fi[/li][li]I can get, say, Pandora, and scan through other stations.[/li][li]And will be reasonably easy to use.[/ul][/li]3. Any other features I should look for[ul][li]What are features of a stereo receiver that I might be forgetting?[/li][li]What are features of an Internet receiver that I might be forgetting?[/li][li]Anything I need to know about wifi connections before I make a purchase?[/ul][/li]Thanks!
If your desktop is in the same room as the stereo, or if you have a laptop, tablet or smartphone, the easiest way to do this is get a Bluetooth receiver and stream the music from your computer. You can get a Bluetooth receiver for around $30 and plug it into your stereo’s aux or CD input. For the best sound quality, look for one that uses the lossless Apt-X protocol. (This might not make a difference if your speakers aren’t good enough for you to hear the difference, or of course if your computer doesn’t transmit Apt-X.)
Your computer will work better than any Internet radio doohickey. It’ll have a better interface, and more options for where you get your music (Internet radio, Youtube, iTunes, whatever).
If your stereo receiver dies, with the Bluetooth receiver as a source you can buy any regular stereo receiver on the new or used market to replace it.
Not exactly the same but a few years ago I wanted an internet clock/radio. I found very few, expensive models. Then I realized that a clock radio with a dock & an old iPhone or iPod Touch and an App would be cheaper and more flexible - change the App for a better interface and not dependent on some server for a list of ‘tunable’ internet stations.
I have also used an original Roku SoundBridge and a fancy AV receiver for Internet radio through my main stereo. Most of the time I use AirPlay from an App on an iDevice to the receiver.
I once thought the same. While a computer will do the job, you would be surprised how well a dedicated internet player can be. I use the Squeezebox players (sadly discontinued but still supported) and a single purpose device works very nicely. I’d imagine that the Grace players work well and would probably recommend one of those to the OP, and after that a tablet or iPod touch connected via bluetooth or a 3.5mm/RCA cable. TuneIn radio and Live365 apps can deliver a great deal of radio and podcast content.
Squeezebox players are gone? Oh no! I love mine. I have a Radio on my desk. I also have the one that hooks directly into the stereo–no display or speaker. The RF remote controls both units and has a headphone jack to listen to either unit remotely. I can control them through a simple Internet interface. The whole system works very well.
Sorry, I have nothing to add to this thread as I was going to recommend the now-discontinued Squeezbox Duet player. The Gracenote device you linked to is almost identical to the Squeezebox Duet. It should do you well if my experience with the Squeezebox is any indication.
If you have ready access to real music, why would you settle for the badly-degraded signals from MP3/MP4/whatever compressions?
I remember the introduction of .WAV on CD - it was inferior to vinyl, but, the reasoning went:
As fast as the technology is changing, soon even digital will be as good as vinyl.
Instead, the technology went for even more compression and more signal loss.
If the only way you listen to music is through cheap headphones/buds it doesn’t matter.
Every once in a while I like to put some vinyl on the turntable and crank up the speakers - just for old-time’s sake.