Aluratek Internet Radio Alarm Clock with Built in WiFi
Manufacturer: Aluratek, Inc. Part number: AIRMM01
- More product information:
- Editors' review
- User reviews
- Manufacturer info
- Bottom Line:
- 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.
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CNET editors' review
Aluratek Internet Radio Alarm Clock with Built in WiFi price range: $89.99 - $149.99
- Reviewed by: Matthew Moskovciak
- Edited by: John P. Falcone
- Reviewed on: 05/01/2008
- Released on: 05/01/2008
The good: Alarm clock with Internet radio capability; streams via built-in 802.11g Wi-Fi or Ethernet port; dual alarm functionality; reliable wireless audio streaming; can stream music from a networked PC; USB port; built-in FM radio; headphone jack and stereo analog output.
The bad: Mediocre sound quality; no auxiliary input; no ability to add additional Internet radio stations.
The bottom line: 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.
If you're anything like us, the idea of waking up to music is enticing, but we keep our alarm clock set on the buzzer mode because there's nothing worth listening to on FM radio. The Aluratek Internet Radio Alarm Clock with Built in WiFi (yes, that is the actual product name) has no such limitations, allowing you to wake up to Internet radio, music on a networked PC, a connected USB flash drive of MP3s, or even plain-old FM radio. The total feature package of the Aluratek ($200 list) is impressive, and our experience was sweetened by the fact that we had mostly trouble-free wireless performance whether we were streaming Internet radio from Albania or our personal MP3 collection. Our only major fault is that the Aluratek, well, sounds like a clock radio. In other words, don't expect a lot of sonic dazzle from the Aluratek--audiophiles are better off with a more substantial system such as the Grace Wireless Internet Radio or a digital audio receiver that connects to a home theater system, like the Squeezebox Duet. But if you're just looking to casually listen to some tunes when you wake up or before you go to bed, the Aluratek's excellent feature set and reliable performance certainly make it worthy of your consideration.
Design
While many Wi-Fi radios have alarm functionality, the Aluratek Internet Radio is the first one we've reviewed that actually looks like an alarm clock. The front features a big LED display, which is great for checking the time from across the room. Further to the right is a USB port, followed by a single speaker, which bubbles out from the rest of the body. Sleepyheads will appreciate the large snooze button on the top of the unit, and there are a few other buttons such as a Stop button for the alarm, a directional pad for navigating the menus, and a power button. We would have liked some more alarm-centric buttons, so you could, for example, set a new alarm time without navigating the menus. Some buyers might be turned off by the pedestrian look of the all-plastic casing, but we didn't mind the look for a product that will most likely live in your bedroom or kitchen.
The main menu on the Aluratek is well laid out and easy to use. First you select which function you'd like to use (Internet Radio, FM Radio, Media Server, MP3 Player, Alarm, or Setup), and each function is represented by an easy-to-understand icon. For Internet radio, you can browse by genre and location, which makes it easy to find, say, a big band jazz station in Germany or an alternative rock station in Arizona.
Aluratek includes a remote, which means you won't have to be standing over it to change the station or adjust the volume. The remote's button layout is fairly mediocre, and we really wished the volume controls were separated more from the other buttons. On the upside we appreciated the big blue buttons for major functions surrounding the main direction pad, and just including a remote at all is a step up over the Grace Wireless Internet Radio.
Features
The main feature of the Aluratek is its capability to tune into thousands of Internet radio streams that are freely available on the Web. Internet radio hasn't been that popular in the U.S., but that's too bad, because while your local AM/FM might be lame and satellite radio costs money, you're bound to find something you like on the thousands of free stations available on an Internet radio. Web radio offers online simulcasts of many of the world's broadcast stations (including many of the HD Radio stations you can't get on standard analog radios), as well as a wealth of Internet-only streams; in other words, even the most eclectic music and talk radio fans can find something worth tuning in.
The Aluratek gets streaming audio from the Internet via your home's broadband connection. The Radio has a built-in 802.11g, but it'll also interface with slower 802.11b and faster 802.11n Wi-Fi wireless networks. There's a single Wi-Fi antenna in the back, which can be rotated and is user replaceable. It's compatible with both WEP and WPA security, and we had no problem logging into our WPA network. You can also opt for a wired Ethernet connection, if Wi-Fi proves to be too unstable. For all its functionality, one noticeably missing feature is the capability to add Internet radio stations that aren't available in the preloaded list. While most people will probably find something they like out of the available options, it's always nice to be able to fill in the gaps. It also would be nice to be able to dial into a podcast's RSS feed, so you could, for example, listen to episodes of Radio Lab without downloading them to your computer first.
In addition to streaming Internet radio stations, you can also dial into your own digital music collection. There are two ways to do this: you can connect an USB flash drive to the front USB port or you can connect to a PC running a media server. We had no trouble listening to MP3s off of a thumbdrive, and we were surprised that streaming music off a PC worked without a hitch. Compared with our experiences streaming music in the past, we were pleased at how easily it worked.
It's easy to get sidetracked by all the digital audio functionality, but the Aluratek is a fully functional alarm clock. It has dual alarm functionality, so you can set different "his and hers" wake-up times. Some might be annoyed that setting the alarm is done on the 24-hour standard (military time)--even if you set the clock to be on a 12-hour system--but we didn't mind since we almost always set an a.m. wakeup time, and therefore never had to input a time like 14:30. Another perk is that you can set the alarm to play essentially any music source. Want to wake up to an MP3 off of a flash drive? No problem. Same for Internet radio, FM radio, and even tracks off your networked PC. And you can specify the alarm volume, so you can fall asleep at a quiet volume but have the alarm--whatever the source--be loud enough to wake you from a deep slumber.
The Aluratek has a good deal of connectivity for an alarm clock. There is the USB port for listening to MP3s on the front of the unit. Around back, there's a headphone jack for private listening, stereo analog outputs for connecting to a stereo system, and an Ethernet jack if you want a wired network connection. While the connectivity options are mostly solid, we felt the Aluratek should have included an auxiliary input, which would add the capability to connect an MP3 player or other external audio source.
Performance
How well a Wi-Fi radio is able to pull in a signal and hold it without dropouts and buffering is one of its most important attributes. Luckily, the Aluratek fared fairly well in our real-world testing conditions. As with all Wi-Fi radios, it takes a few seconds to tune into a station (as the radio buffers), but after that we never had the Aluratek rebuffer the signal. Dropped connections were also infrequent, but they did occasionally happen, and we generally had to turn the radio off and on again to regain a signal. It's an infrequent nuisance--and anyone expecting the rock-solid reliability of a stationary AM/FM will be letdown--but it wasn't a major frustration for us.
In terms of sound quality, there's no getting past the fact that the Aluratek sounds like a clock radio. If sound quality is a priority for you, you're probably be better off with a different Wi-Fi radio, such as the Grace Internet Wireless Radio or the Sony VGF-WA1. That said, the Aluratek's sound quality is perfectly acceptable given the lowered expectations. We tuned into a variety of stations--ranging from jazz to rock to classical--and the Aluratek generally sounded decent no matter what we threw at it. There's virtually no bass and the sound is anything but detailed, but uncritical listeners won't mind. We did run into a couple of rough patches. In one instance, we were listening to some talk radio, which sounded fine at about half volume, but started to sound pretty harsh when we cranked the volume higher. We ran into the same thing on some harder rock songs--it sounded decent at moderate levels, but once we pushed the volume close to maximum, we could hear some buzzing that is typical of an overdriven, low-cost audio system. As long as you're not trying to fill your room with sound, you'll be all right.
User reviews
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Internet Radio at its best
by massimj on June 19, 2009
Pros: Steaming content from the intenet, your computer, or your thumb drive. Is your favorite station missing, no problem, you can add it to the radio.
Cons: None, it does more than you could have guessed ,and the quality is the best you can expect for the size of the speaker.
Summary: As a radio, it will have you fooled into thinking it is a radio. While there are a few of the 1,00 stations that might not be up to ...
Summary: As a radio, it will have you fooled into thinking it is a radio. While there are a few of the 1,00 stations that might not be up to your standards, most will be better than you think. If you want a big sound, use the RCA jacks to port it to your stereo, or a good pair of computer speakers witha sub woofer. I did and it is great. We wanted a station out of Corpus Christy, Texas, BadlandsFM, and when I could find it on the radio, I submitted it as one of my favorites and it soon appeared on my dial. That's right, anything that streams from the internet can be directed to the dial of your radio. It will apear under your favorites so you don't have to search through 11,000 other stations looking for it. Be sure to check your radio to be sure to have the latest firmware for best performence.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Very very good. Very impressed with the technology.
by owenbrent on June 17, 2009
Pros: Easy to use. Nice sound from such a small radio. Connected my wireless internet connection without any problem.
The remote is a nice accessory.Cons: The display is too bright at night, but I found a simple solution. Go to your nearest window tinting company and ask for a scrap piece of window film. I used a 5% or 10% darkness.
Could use presets to make it quicker to start listening to the radio.Summary: When I saw this radio on the internet I was very excited. I was looking just for a plain old clock radio that used a digital tuner instead of the ...
Summary: When I saw this radio on the internet I was very excited. I was looking just for a plain old clock radio that used a digital tuner instead of the old kind that kept losing the station. I have gone through a lot of clock radios, but I think I have found the one that will last and keep me satisfied. Some of the best features of this radio that I have found are:
- Digital tuner that stays in tune. Picks up a lot of stations too.
- An antenna input that will allow you to improve the reception if you need it.
- An alarm clock that allows you to set a volume and it remembers it. It even gradually picks up the volume. No more heart attacks when the radio alarm goes off because the last person using it was ROCKING THE HOUSE DOWN (kids).
- More than one alarm. Its kind of neat that you can wake up to one radio station and then have the radio tune to a different radio station for the next alarm. You can also set what days to have the alarm wake you up. You no longer have to remember to turn it off on the weekends.
-13,000 radio stations to choose from. What else is there to say about that.
- RCA jacks in the back of the radio. I connected mine to an amplifier with a good set of speakers and was amazed by the sound quality. The display is large enough that I can see it across the room. I put the radio near my stereo and use the remote to control the radio. My bedside table is not cluttered with a large clock radio anymore, all I have is a couple of remotes and a lamp now.
- If there is an internet radio station that you don't find on vtuner, it is easy to add it.
I would like to see the following features added in the future. Since the radio is upgradable through firmware upgrades it may be possible.
- Presets that you can access easily. Perhaps through the numbers on the remote.
- Have the radio start where it was left off. I guess you can work around this by just muting the sound, but it would be nice if when you go to the radio it plays the last station selected, and when you go to the internet radio it also goes to the last station selected.
- The ability to record what you are listening to onto a usb drive, and the ability to program when and what station to record.
- A computer interface program that would make the unit easy to program.
- More control over the light! One thing for sure, if you have this in a very bright room, you will have no trouble reading the display.
Note: When I was trying to figure out a nice clean way to put the window film over the display, I thought that putting it inside would look the nicest so I took the unit apart. I ended up keeping it on the outside, because taking out the screen is difficult and could end up killing the unit. I was impressed with how the radio was constructed. The speaker is actually two speakers. One very small (Tweeter?) and one slightly larger. Hard to believe so much sound can come from those two speakers.
Anyway, to make a long story short, it works, its not too expensive, has lots of features, and it sounds good.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Good Value, Loaded With Features
Pros: Set up favorites online, Alarm functionality, Media streaming from home PC, Wired and wireless connectivity, fully functional remote control, Play music on USB drive.
Cons: Back light too bright, Firmware update required, Intermittent slow response time, Noisy buttons,
Summary: When the CD player on my old clock radio stopped working I started looking for a replacement. I thought it would be nice to be able to play MP3 files ...
Summary: When the CD player on my old clock radio stopped working I started looking for a replacement. I thought it would be nice to be able to play MP3 files stored on my computer instead of just CDs. I also like to listen to a distant AM radio station from my home town that only comes in at night where I live. When I found the Aluratek Internet Clock radio I thought I found the perfect solution.
I found out that you can change the display brightness by clicking the light button multiple times. There are three brightness levels. Unfortunately the lowest level is still too bright. I ended up covering the display with a dark piece of static cling window shade.
Internet radio is great! You can listen to stations from all over the world so now I can listen to my home town station anytime, not just at night. It's also nice to have access to thousands of other stations which is great because there are only about one station of each genera where I live -- thanks to corporations buying up all of the independent stations.
Initial set up was fairly straight forward. I had read about it needing a firmware update to fix problems so that was the first thing I did. Then I set up connectivity to my network. Since my home WiFi network includes WEP security and MAC filtering I had to use the advanced setup mode to configure it. But after adding the radio's MAC address to my router and entering the WEP shared key, the radio was able to connect without problems.
Setting up Windows Media Player sharing took a little longer. For some reason it couldn't find my radio on the network for quite a while. After fiddling with WMP settings for a while it finally found my radio. Now I have access to my entire music collection on my PC from the bedroom.
You can select stations through the radio but I found it easier to do through the web site http://aluratek.vtuner.com. After registering your radio's MAC address and creating an account, you can browse stations and add them to one or more favorites lists. The stations you add will automatgically appear in your favorites on the radio. You can also add stations not listed.
The alarm clock is configurable to wake to any audio source on specific day(s) of the week and at a specific volume level -- no more missing an alarm because the volume you fell asleep to was too low.
It can also play MP3 files stored on a USB drive. You'll also need a USB drive to update the firmware. The headphone jack is essential to me because I like to fall asleep to the radio through pillow headphones.
The main problem with this radio is the back light which is way too bright to be used at bedside. This is a major design flaw since the nightstand is a common place for clock radios. There is no way to dim the back light but It can be configured to turn off after a period of time, but this means the clock display is turned off too. A comment on the Aluratek knowledge base says they are "working on revisions to add the dimmer feature" but I don't know if this means through a firmware update or if it will be only available on newer models. I also read where someone put some removable window tint over the display to dim the light. I might have to try this until they provide a dimming feature.
Another annoying problem is it sometimes has a slow response to the remote control. I click the down arrow to scroll down just one menu item and nothing happens so I click it again. Eventually it scrolls down two items so I try to go up one item and nothing happens, so I click the up arrow again and it goes up two items. This can be very frustrating. It has an hourglass that shows when it's busy but it doesn't always display . . . probably because it's too busy.
Another minor annoyance is the loud clicking sound of the buttons on top of the unit. I listen via headphones in bed and the button clicks wake up my wife. The work around is to use the remote control which is silent. Luckily you can do everything and more with the remote. In fact you must use the remote to configure your network settings. It would be nice if the remote lit up to make it easier to use in the dark.
Overall I'm pleased with the radio for the price. It was the least expensive Internet radio I found with comparable features. Most other Internet radios I looked at lacked features and cost significantly more.
Updated on Jun 5, 2009
Aother design flaw is if you have headphones connected to the unit when the alarm goes of the alarm plays through the headphone instead of the main speaker. This is a problem since I fall asleep listening to the radio through a pillow headphone. Since the alarm doesn't play through the main speaker when headphones are connected you can easily sleep through the alarm unless you set it to a high volume.
Also, I didn't know that the alarm starts at the volume setting last used and gradually increases to the volume level you set for the alarm. I had to play around with it a bit to figure this out because it's not mentioned in the manual. This and the display level might have been added in a firmware update.1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Highly Recommend - Amazing!
by ralphw on January 8, 2009
Pros: Easy to set up and find and save "favorite" radio stations - which are listed by location and genre.
Cons: Sound quality of internal speaker is barely adequate for music listening. I will improve on this by attaching external speakers.
Summary: Vast selection of radio stations worldwide. Once found it is easy to save a station as a "favorite" for future listening. Was pleasantly surprised to find several stations dedicated to "...
Summary: Vast selection of radio stations worldwide. Once found it is easy to save a station as a "favorite" for future listening. Was pleasantly surprised to find several stations dedicated to "crime stories" and old radio shows such as "the shadow" . "Green Hornet", "Lone Ranger" "FBI" on and on, truly amazing! It reminds me of the old days before television when the family would gather together and listen attentively to radio dramas. For me this one feature is well worth the price.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent, well designed product - does what it says
by samazar on January 2, 2009
Pros: Satisfies the wishes of somebody who wants access to radios all around the planet.
Small, portable
USB Port & Remote control
Headset Output + RCA Stereo OutputsCons: - Screen too bright
- Too many clicks to access a station
- The most desirable feature to add would be the possibility of mapping 10 favorite
Stations to the numeric pad on the RemoteSummary: All in All : An excellent well designed, well priced item
Contrary to what is oftern stated, you "can" add stations to this radio thru your ...
Updated on Jan 2, 2009Summary: All in All : An excellent well designed, well priced item
Contrary to what is oftern stated, you "can" add stations to this radio thru your computer.
Updated on Jan 2, 20091 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Solid, full featured product
by jski1977 on November 23, 2008
Pros: Access to 11,000+ stations, dual alarms, ability to access music files via USB or home network, ability to add new stations (not sure what previous reviewers are talking about here...), useful remote control, size, ease of use, time and date display
Cons: Very bright backlight, speaker quality (you CAN connect external PC speakers), cannot connect to all stations on vtuner for some reason
Summary: I read countless reviews of internet radio products before deciding to go with the Aluratek. And I am quite pleased I did. Many of the comments about this radio are ...
Summary: I read countless reviews of internet radio products before deciding to go with the Aluratek. And I am quite pleased I did. Many of the comments about this radio are valid, but put simply, if you are lookng for a clock radio or an entry radio to the Internet Radio space, this is a great way to go. The speaker is weak, no question - BUT...if you are looking for a clock radio, or something to have out in the garage or rec room, you probably aren't looking for room filling sound. The speaker can be bypassed by adding a set of computer speakers, for instance. I am sure many considering this product have at least one set of these sitting around!
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Excellent Product
by putt4dough on November 4, 2008
Pros: This device is so easy to use and is really fun! The sound quality is really good and there are two alarm modes to wake up to. A must have for music lovers but also offers a wealth of sports talk and news radio.
Cons: Nothing as of yet.
Summary: I love this device! I instantly connected to my wireless connection at home and was listening to thousands of radio stations. No more trying to tune in an AM/FM ...
Summary: I love this device! I instantly connected to my wireless connection at home and was listening to thousands of radio stations. No more trying to tune in an AM/FM signal which is great because I only could receive a few stations that were decent where I live (OHIO). This device levels the playing field regardless of where you live! Easy Easy Easy to use.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Works As Advertised
by Halas0403 on August 29, 2008
Pros: This worked right out of the box and I didn't have to read the manual. It picked up my wireless connection and I entered the WPA password with the remote and I was able to get instant access to thousands of stations all over the world.
Cons: The sound quality could be a little better but it's still really good for such a small radio. It also has an audio port so you can hook it up to your home theatre speakers.
Summary: I keep mine in the great room area to entertain guests or play while I'm cooking. It's so amazing that this type of technology exists. I don't ...
Summary: I keep mine in the great room area to entertain guests or play while I'm cooking. It's so amazing that this type of technology exists. I don't even listen to am/fm radio stations anymore. It's really fun to listen to so many genres from different countries it never gets boring. Most importantly, there's no subscription fees. I also have music streamed from my networked computer as well as play mp3's from my flash drive. This radio is versatile and the quality is exceptional. I definitely recommend.
1 out of 1 users found this user opinion helpful.
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Stops working for no reason
Pros: Can get both wifi and wired connections. Reasonable wifi and FM radio reception.
Cons: Stops working for no reason. Freezes completely, needs to be shut off and restarted. Convoluted menu, no preset buttons so you need to scroll through many choices to get to your favorites.
Summary: Right away from the box, the radio would not connect to the wi-fi. Called tech support & was with them for close to an hour. Finally the guy remembered to ...
Summary: Right away from the box, the radio would not connect to the wi-fi. Called tech support & was with them for close to an hour. Finally the guy remembered to check the firmware version and it was outdated. The radio was able to finally connect to the wi-fi after firmware update. Then it started acting funny - it would completely freeze when the favorites option was clicked on, requiring complete shutdown. After a while it started freezing after playing a station for a few minutes. I packed the thing in its box and sent it back to Amazon. I'll never touch this product again.
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Not very good for what it's supposed to do
by DigitalScience2 on September 19, 2008
Pros: Not a whole lot
Cons: Tinny sound and a *** purple screen. Not versatile and pretty ugly. Can't add more Internet channels. What were these guys thinking of?
Summary: Wait until someone with a sense of style designs a decent looking and sounding component before you buy.
Summary: Wait until someone with a sense of style designs a decent looking and sounding component before you buy.
0 out of 2 users found this user opinion helpful.
Manufacturer info
- Aluratek, Inc.
- Manufacturer profile
- Browse Aluratek, Inc. products on Shopper.com
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- Website: http://www.aluratek.com/
