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(Nov 19, 2009)
Matthew Moskovciak
For many people, local AM/FM radio is essentially unlistenable, but paying a monthly fee for a satellite radio subscription isn't attractive either. Fortunately, there are thousands of radio stations available on the Internet that aren't lame and don't cost any money. These include Internet-only stations, radio stations from other countries, and even many AM/FM radio stations in the U.S. simulcast online. Wi-Fi radios tap into this resource by giving you access to all the content on the Web via a tabletop radio you can tune into wherever you get a Wi-Fi signal.
While the products below have similar (or even identical) functionality to network music players such as Sonos, Apple TV, and the Logitech Squeezebox Duet, we differentiate these as Wi-Fi radios because they all have built-in speakers and don't require a PC to work.
Logitech Squeezebox Boom
The Logitech Squeezebox Boom is the best all-in-one tabletop Wi-Fi radio we've seen to date.
Price: $269.99 - $299.99 (check prices)
Review date: Sep 10, 2008
Excellent
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Logitech Squeezebox Radio
The Logitech Squeezebox Radio has an exceptional design, an unmatched variety of streaming music services, and solid sonics, making it the top value pick for Wi-Fi radios.
Price: $192.52 - $210.17 (check prices)
Review date: Oct 12, 2009
Excellent
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Philips Streamium NP2900
The Philips NP2900 is a great-sounding Wi-Fi radio with a unique color display, but it doesn't offer enough features to justify its price premium over competitors.
Price: $274.84 - $294.75 (check prices)
Review date: Jun 2, 2009
Excellent
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Grace GDI-IR2000
The Grace GDI-IR2000 Wi-Fi radio has an exceptional feature set for the price and a stylish design, but it doesn't sound as good as its predecessor.
Price: $147.87 - $202.99 (check prices)
Review date: Mar 2, 2009
Very good
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Grace Digital Bravado GDI-IRD4400M
The Grace Digital Bravado Wi-Fi radio has a unique component-style design and better sound than step-down models.
Price: $185.30 - $199.19 (check prices)
Review date: Jun 29, 2009
Very good
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Livio Radio
Despite some missing features and average sonics, the Livio Radio's beautiful design, simple controls, and affordable price make it an excellent Wi-Fi radio for Pandora fans.
Price: $159.99 - $182.85 (check prices)
Review date: May 27, 2009
Very good
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Aluratek Internet Radio Alarm Clock with Built in WiFi
The Aluratek Internet Radio Alarm Clock with Built-in WiFi won't wow you with its sound, but it won us over with its versatile feature set and solid streaming performance.
Price: $89.99 - $149.99 (check prices)
Review date: May 1, 2008
Very good
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Grace GDI-IR1000
The Grace GDI-IR1000 Wi-Fi radio does a great job streaming Internet radio, Pandora, Sirius, and podcasts at a bargain price, but it doesn't sound as good as its predecessor.
Price: $129.95 - $179.99 (check prices)
Review date: Mar 6, 2009
Very good
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Acoustic Research ARIR200
The Acoustic Research ARIR200 offers lots of unique features with an alarm clock-friendly design, but it has a few quirks and shortcomings that keep us from wholeheartedly recommending it.
Price: $95.51 - $129.99 (check prices)
Review date: Jul 27, 2009
Good
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Oxx Digital Tube
The Oxx Digital Tube's unique design allows it to put out more bass than other Wi-Fi radios, but it takes up a lot of space, is difficult to navigate, and lacks additional music streaming services.
Price: $120.00 (check prices)
Review date: May 20, 2009
Good
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