{"id":20216,"date":"2016-07-31T08:54:27","date_gmt":"2016-07-31T12:54:27","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/?p=20216"},"modified":"2021-01-15T07:36:56","modified_gmt":"2021-01-15T11:36:56","slug":"wi-fi-radio-primer-part-1-radio-station-aggregators-and-alternatives","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/07\/wi-fi-radio-primer-part-1-radio-station-aggregators-and-alternatives\/","title":{"rendered":"Wi-Fi Radio Primer Part 1: Radio station aggregators and alternatives"},"content":{"rendered":"

I originally wrote this three-part WiFi radio primer and review series\u00a0for the April<\/a>, May<\/a> and June<\/a> issues of\u00a0The Spectrum Monitor magazine<\/a>.\u00a0\u00a0Each part of this series will be posted with the tag: WiFi Radio Primer<\/a>. I hope you enjoy Part 1 below:<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

I\u2019ve always been a hard-core shortwave radio listener.\u00a0 I like the tactile experience of turning the knobs of the shortwave, tuning in stations across the globe. So when online listening became popular, it never occurred to me to engage in this new, seemingly lesser sport; I put trying it on the back burner, and continued to enjoy my shortwave. After all, <\/em>I rationalized, why listen to anything other than an actual radio?<\/em><\/p>\n

Then, at the 2012 Winter SWL Fest<\/a>, an excellent presentation on the merits and technologies behind Wi-Fi radio intrigued me. I found myself downloading and installing the Pro version of the TuneIn radio app<\/a>. On the twelve-hour drive back home from the Fest, I tuned to local radio stations across the world via the TuneIn app. I had to admit, it was a pretty powerful listening experience…one I could easily get used to.<\/p>\n

And get used to it, I did.\u00a0 That\u2019s when I realized that streaming radio stations over the Internet is, essentially, content DXing<\/em>. For while there isn\u2019t any particular skill <\/em>required to listen to Internet radio, it offers convenient<\/em> listening opportunities I wouldn\u2019t otherwise have, and without the rigors of travel.\u00a0 For example, from my home in the southeastern US, I can listen to a station in Perth, Australia\u2013\u2013one local to that area and one that has never <\/em>been, nor is likely to be,<\/em> on shortwave. I found it frankly addictive.<\/p>\n

\"uneIn's<\/a>

TuneIn’s iPad app has a beautiful, simple user interface. If you purchase the TuneIn Pro version ($9.99 for the iPad) banner ads disappear.<\/p><\/div>\n

Since 2012, I\u2019ve relied on my TuneIn app and either a tablet or smartphone to listen to stations. I found I could hook up my tablet to a portable powered speaker<\/a>, an SStran AM transmitter<\/a>, or even a whole-house stereo, and enjoy music from all over the world.<\/p>\n

There was only one problem, however: while they enjoyed the music, my busy family didn\u2019t appreciate the complexity of my radio set-up. The truth is, it did require warming up a lot of equipment\u2013\u2013most of which is in my shack\u2013\u2013not to mention making sure connections were in place, logging in, launching apps, and then searching for stations.\u00a0 One day, referencing the cobbler\u2019s children (who, in the old adage, go without shoes), my wife asked in exasperation, \u201cIsn\u2019t there some<\/em> way to make listening to music around here just a little more accessible to all of us?\u00a0 Maybe something we could just turn on\u2013\u2013<\/em>?\u201d<\/p>\n

The Quest<\/h2>\n

Thus began my quest to purchase a dedicated Wi-Fi Radio, an Internet appliance with a singular purpose:\u00a0 to play online radio stations from across the globe.\u00a0 Simply.\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>\n

Fortunately, I reasoned, the process of choosing such a radio was likely to be just as simple.\u00a0 I mean, how hard could it be?\u00a0 I was already familiar enough with the wider radio landscape to know that these radios range from about $110 to $250 in price, and that they\u2019re widely available from a number of radio and online retailers. Moreover, I\u2019m lucky enough to count among my friends some of the most knowledgeable experts on the topic of Wi-Fi radio\u2013\u2013Rob De Santos, Richard Cuff, and last but not least, John Figliozzi, author of the recently updated Worldwide Listening Guide<\/a>\u2013\u2013all of whom had jointly presented at that 2012 Fest that ignited my interest in WiFi radio. No doubt, I thought, a group-email to these experts would rapidly solve our dilemma.<\/p>\n

Boy, was I ever wrong. <\/em><\/p>\n

My expert friends all had excellent advice, but made me aware that there\u2019s much more involved to choosing a WiFi radio than simply selecting the best-priced or the latest model. Firstly, they advised, it\u2019s very important to identify a good station aggregator, and then select a good radio that relies upon it.<\/p>\n

Radio Station Aggregators<\/strong><\/p>\n

WiFi radios are Internet appliances with the ability to stream Internet content,<\/em> but they\u2019re not endowed with the ability to seek out stations in the wild and import their audio streams. WiFi radios, I soon learned, rely on \u201caggregators,\u201d or online databases of curated links to radio stations.<\/p>\n

In the early days of WiFi radio, there were several models of radios on the market that linked to proprietary aggregators, many of which eventually closed down. When a WiFi radio loses its ability to link to an aggregator, it becomes no more than a pricey paperweight, especially if the WiFi radio doesn\u2019t have traditional AM\/FM reception as a backup.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The CC WiFi radio uses the popular Reciva aggregator.<\/p><\/div>\n

So not only does an aggregator need to have some longevity, it also needs to be actively curated<\/em>. This means having to staff actual human beings to help manage additions, deletions, and changes to the large database of broadcasters. This is necessary because radio stations and radio networks often change their streaming server address or format with very little notice. Good aggregators have methods that allow for broadcasters and listeners to submit such changes for approval so that streaming can be fully reestablished across the network of subscribing WiFi radios.<\/p>\n

It should be noted as well that some aggregators may not support the protocol broadcasters choose to use for their streams. So, prior to purchasing a radio, buyers should attempt an Internet search to make sure their favorite broadcasters are listed among those offered by the radio\u2019s aggregator. This being said, buyers must be aware that a number of aggregators require a username and password to search through their listings, thus limiting any pre-purchase search.<\/p>\n

Types of Aggregators<\/strong><\/p>\n

Aggregators fall into two categories: those that are radio-dependent, <\/em>and those that are not.<\/p>\n

Radio-dependent aggregators<\/em> are those that you can use only if you own a compatible device. For example, to stream from the Reciva<\/strong><\/a> system, you must first own a Reciva-connected WiFi radio. With your radio model\/serial number in hand, you\u2019ll be able to create a login on the Reciva system. From there, you can create lists of favorite stations and manage them.\u00a0 If you don\u2019t <\/em>own a Reciva radio, however, you can\u2019t log into the Reciva database. The same applies to Frontier Silicon (Sangean)<\/strong><\/a>, as well as Pure<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

The dominant open <\/em>(or, non<\/em> radio-dependent) aggregator on the market as of this publication is TuneIn Radio<\/a>.<\/strong> TuneIn does not require a compliant device; you can create an account with TuneIn and stream from it via your computer, tablet, or smartphone. And of course, there are now radios that link to TuneIn as their aggregator.<\/p>\n

VTuner<\/strong><\/a> is another open aggregator that can be explored prior to purchasing a compatible WiFi radio. Note that in this WiFi primer\u00a0we will not explore the VTuner aggregator, however it will be covered in the upcoming review of the Como Audio Solo<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Following is a list of the most popular aggregators with a brief description of each.<\/p>\n

Radio-dependent Aggregators<\/h2>\n

Reciva<\/strong> (https<\/a>:\/\/<\/a>radios<\/a>.<\/a>reciva<\/a>.<\/a>com<\/a>\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"Reciva's<\/a>

Reciva’s station search function is more functional than that of Frontier Silicon. I can typically find a station by searching by call sign. When that doesn’t work–as in this case when I searched for CKUT–I simply searched by city.<\/p><\/div>\n

[Important Update:<\/em> Reciva has announced that they are closing for business on April 30, 2021. Do not<\/em> buy a new or used WiFi radio that relies on the Reciva aggregator as it will not function properly without the service.]<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Reciva aggregator has been around for many years. At one point, it was the most user-friendly and most actively curated aggregator on the market. Today, Reciva is still the most popular choice in a WiFi radio aggregator.<\/p>\n

I find the Reciva website easy to use, even if its design and user-interface are slightly outdated. Reciva also seems to be relatively quick to respond to stream-server changes. When my favorite Internet radio station changed streaming servers last year, Reciva was quick to update the link. Reciva also allows you to build folders of favorite stations that make it easy for you to navigate with your radio. Moreover, Reciva has an advanced search function that also makes finding particular stations relatively easy.<\/p>\n

Frontier Silicon<\/strong> (http<\/a>:\/\/<\/a>www<\/a>.<\/a>wifiradio<\/a>–<\/a>frontier<\/a>.<\/a>com<\/a>\/<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"Frontier<\/a>

Frontier Silicon’s website is clean, simple and responsive. Their “My Favourites” page makes organizing your many station memories an intuitive process.<\/p><\/div>\n

As far as I can tell, Sangean is the only WiFi radio manufacturer using the Frontier Silicon aggregator. The Frontier Silicon interface is very basic, but gets the job done. Adding stations to a playlist also seems to be very straightforward.<\/p>\n

With that said, however, if you chose the option of browsing stations by category\u2013\u2013say, by language or genre\u2013\u2013Frontier Silicon doesn\u2019t allow you to search within the category\u2019s results for specificity. For example, I recently wanted to search for new French language stations in a certain town in France. Once I had chosen the French language, then the country, I was presented with a list of over 1700 stations arranged alphabetically with twenty results per page, and with no way to search among them. It was frustratingly imprecise. Not only could I not find the town, but the station list was simply too broad, too unwieldy, to navigate.<\/p>\n

Frontier Silicon\u2019s database of information can be incomplete\u2013\u2013and inconsistent.\u00a0 Nonetheless, there are some tricks to help you find stations; for example, an online search by call sign and name may lead you to the desired result (then searching Frontier Silicon for other station keywords). A quick Internet search can also help you find regional broadcasters.<\/p>\n

Frontier Silicon provides an easy means by which to submit new stations and provide updated information, should your station change server locations, but one must be patient. For example, I submitted a station\u2019s updated URL to Frontier Silicon; it took them almost a week to update the stream, whereas Reciva took only a day or so to do the same.<\/p>\n

All in all, the Frontier Silicon platform, though more bare-bones than its competitors, does the trick and seems to work quite well.<\/p>\n

Pure <\/strong>(http<\/a>:\/\/<\/a>www<\/a>.<\/a>pure<\/a>.<\/a>com<\/a>\/<\/a>) (Untested)<\/p>\n

\"purelogo\"The manufacturer, Pure, also has their own aggregator for their radio product line. Since I didn\u2019t test a Pure WiFi radio for this review, I haven\u2019t tried their system. I do have two friends that tout the virtues of Pure\u2019s radios as well as Pure\u2019s aggregator, claiming superb customer service and overall product quality.<\/p>\n

As Pure is a \u201cclosed\u201d ecosystem, I suppose there could<\/em> be concerns about their products should the company ever close its doors.\u00a0 But the company\u2019s strong consumer following makes this relatively unlikely. One pleased user of my acquaintance claimed that Pure is to WiFi radio what Apple is to computers\u2013\u2013in other words, it\u2019s a company that provides a quality product, excellent design, as well as a user-friendly interface. I can\u2019t speak to this comparison.\u00a0 But I do know that, also like Apple, Pure\u2019s products top the market in terms of price:\u00a0 their Pure Evoke F4 (without extra speaker or battery) retails for $225 – 250 US. To put this in perspective, the priciest radio I reviewed was purchased for $170.\u00a0 So, clearly, Pure\u2019s products can double the cost of their competitor\u2019s.<\/p>\n

Open Aggregators<\/h2>\n

TuneIn<\/strong> (http<\/a>:\/\/<\/a>tunein<\/a>.<\/a>com<\/a>)<\/p>\n

\"You<\/a>

Create a free account at TuneIn Radio (http:\/\/TuneIn.com), search for\/organize your favorites and changes will propagate to all of your TuneIn connected devices and apps.<\/p><\/div>\n

I have been using the TuneIn system for at least four years. It is, without doubt, the most user-friendly database of radio stations I\u2019ve tested. TuneIn\u2019s search functionality is exceptionally powerful; I\u2019ve found that I can almost always locate a station in a matter of seconds. And of course, you can hone in on a favorite station by region and genre.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a>

The TuneIn search screen.<\/p><\/div>\n

The great thing about Tunein is that you don\u2019t have to own an Internet device to use it. You can use a free account to organize your favorite stations, which will then propagate to the TuneIn app on your phone or tablet\u2013\u2013as well as to your web browser, should you decide to listen on your computer.<\/p>\n

Overall, the TuneIn user interface is pleasant and responsive; in short, it\u2019s my favorite among the aggregators I tested.<\/p>\n

\"Live365_logo\"<\/a>Live365<\/strong><\/p>\n

Live 365\u2013\u2013an aggregator with some history, which may very well have been in existence longer than any\u00a0other\u2013\u2013specializes in Internet stations rather than radio broadcasters who also happen to stream on the\u00a0Internet.<\/p>\n

[Update]<\/strong> Sadly, on February 1 st , 2016, Live365 closed for business<\/a>. It is unlikely another company will\u00a0pick up the reigns.<\/p>\n

Why did Live365 close shop? Here\u2019s what Forbes.com suggests<\/a>:<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is rumored that the service is being forced into early retirement because of new royalty rates\u00a0that digital radio producers now need to adhere to. Late in 2015, the Copyright Royalty Board\u00a0handed down its decision about what internet radio services will need to pay per stream, and it\u00a0apparently hurt Live365 so much that it can no longer afford for the rights to play music.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Among WiFi radios, Live 365 functions as an \u201cadd on\u201d rather than sole default aggregator. If your radio\u00a0has Live 365 functionality, the loss of service will have no effect on other radio functions.<\/p>\n

Network-Specific Aggregators and services<\/h2>\n

\"iHeart-Radio-Logo\"<\/a>iHeart Radio<\/strong>: iHeartRadio is an Internet radio platform owned by iHeartMedia, Inc. The iHeart radio app <\/a>functions as both a radio network for the 800+ iHeart radio stations around the world and also as a music recommendation system. There are no WiFi radios that use iHeart as a default aggregator, but there are several that include iHeart as a featured app.<\/p>\n

SiriusXM (paid)<\/a>:<\/strong> SiriusXM is a satellite radio subscription service; subscribers at a certain subscription level can also stream 130 channels over the Internet.<\/p>\n

Music and other internet radio services<\/h2>\n

\"Spotify-Logo\"<\/a>There are a number of Internet radio services that are not curated.\u00a0 Many of these services are adaptive platforms that create impromptu radio \u201cstations\u201d based on your preferences. These services may be included with a WiFi radio, but most are used in conjunction with smartphone apps, among them, Pandora<\/a>, Slacker<\/a>, LastFM<\/a>, Spotify<\/a>, <\/strong>and Aupeo<\/strong><\/a>. Note these services are outside the scope of this review for the simple reason that, as a content DXer, my interest is on actual radio stations rather than music services.<\/p>\n

A final note about aggregators<\/h2>\n

There are likely other aggregators and services in existence that I\u2019ve omitted from this review. Again, I focused on the better-known aggregators and services, most of which are considered relatively stable and well-supported by both manufacturers and WiFi radio enthusiasts.<\/p>\n

In conclusion, I\u2019ll say once more:\u00a0 it\u2019s important to check whether a particular aggregator supports your favorite radio station(s) and broadcast network(s) prior to purchasing the adjunct radio.<\/em> And if it doesn\u2019t, you need not necessarily rule out the system altogether; often an aggregator will have the capability to add the preferred station(s), so this is also worth investigating. The obvious exceptions are stations using streaming formats not supported by your radio or your aggregator (or both). In short, do check before you buy.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ve been testing WiFi radios supported by Reciva, Frontier Silicon, and TuneIn, and can say that I haven\u2019t been displeased with any of them. All seem to support my favorite stations and networks.<\/p>\n

Alternatives to WiFi radios<\/h2>\n
\"The<\/a>

The Roku 3<\/p><\/div>\n

Before we look at the WiFi radios on the market in Part 2 and 3 of this feature\u2013\u2013coming up in the coming weeks\u2013\u2013I should note that there are certainly cheaper alternatives to a dedicated <\/em>WiFi Radio, especially if you already own a device that can play Internet radio content. By and large, smartphones, tablets, as well as PCs offer the most convenient access to online broadcast streaming, though even some TVs and video streaming devices (Roku<\/a>, AppleTV<\/a>, Amazon’s Fire TV Stick<\/a>, Google’s Chromecast<\/a>, and so forth) contain basic audio streaming apps.<\/p>\n

Smartphones<\/strong><\/p>\n

Since the majority of us have a smartphone or tablet, you\u2019ll find this provides a convenient and readily accessible means by which to enjoy the functionality of a portable WiFi radio.\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t already done so, the process couldn\u2019t be easier:\u00a0 simply download the TuneIn app (Android: http:\/\/bit.ly\/1gB1DAh<\/a> and iOS: http:\/\/apple.co\/1O9aZxI<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Though TuneIn offers a monthly premium plan (primarily for those who want coverage of sporting events), even the free plan unlocks the full database of radio stations across the globe.<\/p>\n

With the app installed, you can plug in headphones and tune in thousands of stations. If you want improved audio, simply plug in an external amplified speaker, or connect a speaker via BlueTooth.<\/p>\n

\"iPodTouch-TuneIn\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The app is lightweight and doesn\u2019t rob you of much of your device\u2019s resources. And of course, it can play in the background as you do other things.\u00a0 As a bonus, TuneIn can stream thousands of podcasts\u2013\u2013including those from the Shortwave Radio Audio Archive<\/a>. There\u2019s a curious pleasure in riding a train or subway while listening to an archived off-air recording of Radio Moscow from the 1970s!<\/p>\n

While we\u2019re talking about apps, there\u2019s also an excellent one written by shortwave listener, Steven Clift, called the 1 Radio News app<\/a>.\u00a0At the moment, it\u2019s only available for Android devices. There\u2019s also a free version with some banner ads and a Pro version ($.99) with no ads and more stations.<\/p>\n

WiFi radio?\u00a0 We\u2019re hooked<\/strong><\/p>\n

For many\u2013\u2013myself included\u2013\u2013this was my WiFI set-up for many years:\u00a0 a smartphone and headphones, plus a tablet hooked up to a powered portable speaker. I never felt the need to have a dedicated Internet appliance for tuning radios stations…until, that is, my family needed something more, launching this investigation into the world of WiFi radio.<\/p>\n

Now, having experienced the benefits of dedicated WiFi radio, I don\u2019t think I\u2019d choose to be without one. It\u2019s just incredibly convenient to tune in a station on a simple device which has as its sole purpose streaming audio. All of the units I reviewed have excellent audio via the internal speaker, too.<\/p>\n

Best yet, I\u2019ve now found a radio that my entire family\u2013\u2013yes, even my wife\u2013\u2013enjoys. With the touch of a button or a voice command, they now tune to favorite stations in Brazil, Africa, Europe, or Canada.\u00a0 And our house is now full of their <\/em>music choices, too.<\/p>\n

Coming up in the next two issues: Parts 2 and 3 which include reviews of four popular WiFi radios.<\/em><\/p>\n

I will post each part of this three part series with the tag: WiFi Radio Primer<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I originally wrote this three-part WiFi radio primer and review series\u00a0for the April, May and June issues of\u00a0The Spectrum Monitor magazine.\u00a0\u00a0Each part of this series will be posted with the tag: WiFi Radio Primer. I hope you enjoy Part 1 below: I\u2019ve always been a hard-core shortwave radio listener.\u00a0 I like the tactile experience of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[8,3781,627,442,3,1557,26,129,1113,998,4652],"tags":[5305,2475,5306,5298,5304,4733,5300,5295,5296,5299,5302,5301,1000,5303,4724,5294,5297],"class_list":["post-20216","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-articles","category-fm","category-how-to","category-music","category-news","category-podcast","category-radios","category-reviews","category-tutorials","category-web-radio","category-wifi-radio","tag-aupeo","tag-frontier-silicon","tag-iheart-radio","tag-internet-radio-reviews","tag-lastfm","tag-live365","tag-pandora","tag-pure","tag-reciva","tag-siriusxm","tag-slacker","tag-spotify","tag-tunein-radio","tag-vtuner","tag-wifi-radio","tag-wifi-radio-primer","tag-wifi-radio-reviews"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pn3uc-5g4","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":20419,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/wi-fi-radio-primer-part-2-review-of-the-cc-wifi-and-sangean-wfr-28\/","url_meta":{"origin":20216,"position":0},"title":"Wi-Fi Radio Primer Part 2: Review of the CC WiFi and Sangean WFR-28","author":"Thomas","date":"August 7, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I originally wrote this three-part WiFi radio primer and review series\u00a0for the April, May and June issues of\u00a0The Spectrum Monitor magazine.\u00a0\u00a0Each part of this series will be posted with the tag: WiFi Radio Primer. You can read Part 1 by clicking here--I hope you enjoy Part 2 below: As I\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"CCWifi-Front-2","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/CCWifi-Front-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/CCWifi-Front-2.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/CCWifi-Front-2.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/CCWifi-Front-2.jpg?resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":30566,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2018\/01\/ivan-reviews-the-sangean-wrf-28-wifi-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":20216,"position":1},"title":"Ivan reviews the Sangean WRF-28 WiFi radio","author":"Thomas","date":"January 28, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post contributor,\u00a0Ivan (NO2CW), who writes: Hello, I posted on YouTube my review of the Sangean WFR-28 FM and Wifi Internet radio receiver. In particular I was able to sideload my directory of English Language broadcast stations from over 100 countries using their \"Favorites\" menu. It now\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Sangean-WFR-28-Front.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Sangean-WFR-28-Front.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Sangean-WFR-28-Front.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Sangean-WFR-28-Front.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":20592,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2016\/08\/wi-fi-radio-primer-part-3-review-of-the-grace-digital-mondo-and-amazon-echo\/","url_meta":{"origin":20216,"position":2},"title":"Wi-Fi Radio Primer Part 3: Review of the Grace Digital Mondo and Amazon Echo","author":"Thomas","date":"August 14, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"I originally wrote this three-part WiFi radio primer and review series\u00a0for the April, May and June issues of\u00a0The Spectrum Monitor magazine.\u00a0\u00a0Each part of this series will be posted with the tag: WiFi Radio Primer. You can read Part 1 by clicking here\u00a0and Part 2 by clicking here--I hope you enjoy\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Broadcasters"","block_context":{"text":"Broadcasters","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/broadcasters\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"WiFi-Radio-Lineup","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/WiFi-Radio-Lineup-1024x439.jpg?resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/WiFi-Radio-Lineup-1024x439.jpg?resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/WiFi-Radio-Lineup-1024x439.jpg?resize=525%2C300 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":37098,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2019\/05\/wifi-radio-dave-experiences-aggregation-aggravation\/","url_meta":{"origin":20216,"position":3},"title":"WiFi Radio: Dave experiences “aggregation aggravation”","author":"Thomas","date":"May 6, 2019","format":false,"excerpt":"Many thanks to SWLing Post reader, Dave Mackie, who writes: I have a Sangean WFR-28 that just stopped working recently and through a bit of internet spelunking I happened across your site and explanation about Frontier Silicon as \u2018aggregator\u2019 for Sangean. A phone call to Sangean confirmed that Frontier Silicon\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Sangean-WFR-28-Front.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Sangean-WFR-28-Front.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Sangean-WFR-28-Front.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/08\/Sangean-WFR-28-Front.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":47781,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2021\/03\/reviewing-a-pilot-c-crane-cc-wifi-3-and-taking-a-closer-look-at-radio-station-aggregators\/","url_meta":{"origin":20216,"position":4},"title":"Reviewing a pilot C.Crane CC Wifi 3 and taking a closer look at radio station aggregators","author":"Thomas","date":"March 3, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"In January 2021, C.Crane announced the latest addition to their radio line-up: the C.Crane CC WiFi-3. C.Crane was one of the first radio manufacturers that embraced the world of Internet radio with their CC WiFi product line. The WiFi-3 is the latest iteration and offers the following upgrades over previous\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "New Products"","block_context":{"text":"New Products","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/new-products\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jazz-e1614790552508.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jazz-e1614790552508.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jazz-e1614790552508.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/Jazz-e1614790552508.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":44611,"url":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/2020\/08\/a-review-of-the-ocean-digital-wr-26-fm-dab-internet-and-bluetooth-radio\/","url_meta":{"origin":20216,"position":5},"title":"A review of the Ocean Digital WR-26 FM, DAB, Internet and Bluetooth radio","author":"Thomas","date":"August 11, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"A few weeks ago, I was contacted out of the blue by a company I'd never heard of: Ocean Digital. They asked if I would be interested in reviewing one of their radios. I almost deleted their message out of habit because (no kidding) I get at least one or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "News"","block_context":{"text":"News","link":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/category\/news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-04-at-9.11.28-AM.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-04-at-9.11.28-AM.jpeg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-04-at-9.11.28-AM.jpeg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-04-at-9.11.28-AM.jpeg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/08\/Screen-Shot-2020-08-04-at-9.11.28-AM.jpeg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20216","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=20216"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20216\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=20216"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=20216"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swling.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=20216"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}