Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor, Tom Ally, who writes:
I remember that article you wrote about Wi-fi radios and just saw this Kickstarter on Facebook that may interest you:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1209003580/mondo
[T]hey are saying it is supposed to ship out sometime next month. [S]ome of the things it has –over the old Mondo–is Bluetooth 4.1 and Chromecast built in.
Thank you, Tom! Here’s the product description from Kickstarter:
The home audio market is evolving, and Grace Digital is leading the way. We combined the latest Wi-Fi audio streaming technologies from Google, added Bluetooth audio streaming, and over 30,000 AM/FM/HD radio stations from around the corner to across the globe. The Grace Mondo+ can even be controlled by the Google Assistant on devices like Google Home, the front panel controls, free smartphone apps, or the included remote control. We wrapped the technology in a beautifully crafted cabinet, and drive the audio with custom made speaker drivers and high performance class D digital amplification, ensuring the best possible listening experience in a perfectly compact design. We hope you love the Mondo+ as much as we do!
This is an “all or nothing” campaign, meaning it’ll have to be fully funded for the production run to become reality.
As a Kickstarter supporter, the pricing is in line with the Grace Digital Mondo (we reviewed last year).
I am still quite happy with my Como Audio Solo, so will not plan to back the Mondo+ at this time. If I was interested, I would splurge for the $174 Early Bird package which includes a Lithium Ion battery pack. Shipping could be as early as April 2017.
Check out full details and a video on Kickstarter.
Thanks, Tom, for the tip! I would certainly welcome a review of the Mondo+ from any Kickstarter backers!
I’ve never had the need to buy an internet radio. My iPhone connected via Bluetooth to my JBL speaker does a better job than any internet radio out there. The only reason I would consider getting something like this would be for the Waves audio enhancements it comes with. Waves makes audio sound so much better. Its quite astonishing how much it improves audio.
Although I love my Grace Mondo Internet radio, I do not see a need for adding blue tooth and chromcast. The purpose of this radio is to listen to Internet Radio, not what’s on your cell phone. There are so many bluetooth gadgets out now that using the Grace Mondo as a blue tooth device or even for chromecast just doesn’t seem like a priority to me. Besides there are audio inputs in the back of the device that you can just plug in if you want to listen to your own music, etc., plus you can plug in a USB stick if you want to listen to your own music.
So, although, I think it’s cool that they’re adding bluetooth and chromecast, it really wouldn’t be the selling point in my opinion. The radio itself is fantastic the way it is. It’s kind of like adding channels to your TV subscription and paying more for something that you’ll rarely, if ever, use.
John,
You must not be used to how many people use chromecast if you are making remarks like that as quite a few Google Plus users go nuts about it and it’s more then just listening to what is on your cell phone.
I can’t say how it would work on a radio since I think this will be the first wifi-radio with chromecast built in but I know many people when the chromecast dongle came out for tvs would have fun letting cell phone users at parties and get togethers throw music and videos on their tv’s using chromecast and having a ball with it.
Also the radio supposedly comes with a 1 GB processor and reading the old mondo manual at https://gracedigital.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/UG-GDI-IRC6000.pdf , the manual there says the Mondo uses a ARM 9 processor running at 266 MHz so the new model should be zippier and may be needed to be able to use Chromecast without problems.
Also I have no idea what the Waves Audio does as I am still researching the new stuff they added to this over the current wifi radio offerings and also I believe with how Chromecast works you should be able to come home from work and pop on your radio and use your phone to cast one of your favorite stations to the radio and listen to it and then turn your phone off and let it go.
I believe this is how chromecast works from seeing how others talked about it as I never got in to chromecast myself but basically this would break the 10 preset limit the mondo has I would think since you could actually use your phone to save over 10 presets with and then just cast them at your radio as you see fit.
It should in theory be something like how I can use my squeezebox since I believe casting works when devices are on the same wifi network but will have to double check on that.
Quite a few apps now support chromecast due to the tv dongle Google sells but not sure how many sound apps support chromecast and am asking my favorite radio app maker now that I use if he supports chromecast after I found the kickstarter.
Yep I have 2 wifi radios now as it is and both still work so if the kickstarter makes it’s goal , I may give one of my radios to my niece that is studying in school since she loves pandora to make room for the mondo+ when/if it gets funded.
Sorry for the long post but I am really hoping the radio is made and thinking what will be possible that they have not thought of yet since it’s still so new to them that they may not know how users would use it due to a limited experience of not knowing how chromecast works as I understand it.
If I am wrong on how it works since I don’t have a dongle that uses it I am sure someone will correct me and hope they do.