The Phoenix Wi-Fi radio from COM ONE is more fun than a virtual barrel of monkeys. I am a radio head from way back. I listened to Celtics and Red Sox games on a crystal radio. I built a fox hole radio with a safety pin, single edged razor blade, toilet paper tube and a bunch of wire. The Phoenix radio is on the opposite extreme. This radio connects to your wireless network and plays all of your favorite online radio stations and podcasts. It includes replaceable rechargeable batteries which turn it into a portable radio.
Managing your stations is done online at www.wifi-radio.biz. There you will find a catalog of thousands of stations searchable by genre and location. The drag and drop interface on the website is pretty slick. You can also just type in the link information. The folders in which you keep your content links are easily customized. Podcasts are entered similarly. Serial podcasts are listed by date created. It can also access your music stored on your computer. Your radio is updated when you access the list of stations. There are 8 personal favorite direct access buttons.
The two small speakers deliver surprisingly good sound at pretty high volume. I have my radio attached through the auxiliary jack of my Altec Lansing expressionBASS speakers. The sound is great. The Phoenix Wi-Fi radio has a USB input which allows you to play media form a thumb drive.
Among the Phoenix Wi-Fi radio’s many talents is playing audio books. While playing podcasts and audio books you can fast forward or reverse. It is also a clock radio complete with dual alarms and sleep mode. Wake up to the most annoying sound you can find, or choose a radio station or music source and adjust the volume you prefer to wake up to.
Good Vibes: Listen to syndicated shows that are not broadcast in your area. Listen to your media without the need for a computer. Highly configurable. It is among the least expensive Wi-Fi radios.
Could Be Better: The menus can be a bit difficult to navigate. The battery life isn’t great, but you probably won’t be using it unplugged all that often.
Highly Recommended
Written by Jeff