While FM radio is still popular, there’s no denying the fact that millions of people today listen to online radio. So that the popularity of best internet radios player is increasing day by day.
But which radios are perfect for online broadcasts? To help you choose, here are our reviews of the top ten picks, and tips on how to find a good internet radio for your needs.
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Product Info
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Score
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SiriusXM Sound Station
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9. 9 |
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CC WiFi Internet Radio
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9. 8 |
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Grace Digital Radio
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9. 6 |
What are the Best Internet Radio Players?
Internet is part of our daily lives. We cannot do without Wi-Fi and hence even radios nowadays are internet enabled. Below we give you the top 10 best internet radios you can purchase.
Best Overall: SiriusXM Sound Station WI-Fi Internet Radio Player
It connects to the internet via Wi-Fi or Ethernet cable and can also get a SiriusXM streaming plan custom made for this radio.
Most Budget-Friendly: CC Wi-Fi Internet Radio
It is pretty affordable and allows you to stream 16,000 stations and get a great sound.
Best Sound Quality: Grace Digital GDI-WHA6021 Wireless Internet Radio
It has 4-inch speakers that allow you to adjust between treble and bass for good sound quality.
Best Looking: Ocean Digital WR230S Internet Clock Radio
This radio has a wooden finish that gives it a cool look for those who are stylish.
Most Portable: Ocean Digital Portable Internet Radio
It is small in size and is powered by a rechargeable battery giving you 8 hours of use.
Most User Friendly: Sangean WFR-28 Internet Radio
It has a large color screen that lets you see what you are listening to and allows you to search and listen to music according to location or genre.
Editor’s Choice: Grace Digital Encore Wireless Internet Radio
It has an app that allows you to control and use this radio at ease.
Best for FM: LEMEGA M3+ 20W Internet FM Digital Radio
It has 20 available memory slots for your favorite FM radio station and has good FM reception and excellent sound quality.
Best for Bedroom: Ocean Digital Wi-Fi Internet Radio
If you are looking for good Internet radio for the bedroom, this is the best. It looks great, has a good sound quality and dual alarm with snooze option, and even plays lulling sound.
Most Versatile: Ocean Digital Wi-Fi Internet Component Radio
This system allows you to connect to speakers of your choice to produce the sound quality you desire. It also connects to Bluetooth and Wi-Fi easily.
Best Internet Radios Player Buying Guide
So, what makes an Internet radio better than another? You should check the following features before purchase an internet radio for the money.
Internet Connectivity
Connecting to your broadband connection should be as easy as using your smartphone to go online. It’s great if you have both options for wireless and wired Internet connection. But wireless is the more convenient option, as you can carry the radio to any spot of your home and enjoy your online music.
Other Connectivity Options
Bluetooth is great, especially if you like to use your smartphone as your mp3 player. Bluetooth also lets you use your smartphone as your controller, after you download the right app.
With the aux-in, you can connect your smartphone or mp3 player using a cable. You may also want to check for a USB port, if your radio can play mp3 (or even wma) files. That way, you can put in thousands of songs in a single USB stick.
Audio Quality
Many of these radio receivers have speakers that sound much better than your smartphone speaker. You may even enjoy equalizer settings, or a nice booming bass. It’s also great if you have a line-out option so you can connect a set of better speakers.
Ease of Use
Adjusting the controls can be rather frustrating, but it helps if you have a nice large color screen to help you out. A remote controller is great as you can adjust the volume or change the station at any time.
An internet radio app is probably the best option, since you can use it to adjust a wide range of settings. You can also use the app to easily find the station you want.
Memory Presets
Finding the radio stations you want at first can be difficult, but it gets better with the memory presets. Just save your fave stations and then you can just pick among them next time you use the radio.
FM Radio
Despite the growing popularity of Internet radio, plenty of people still like FM radio. Stations are easier to find, and with FM radio you can listen to your favorite radio stations that you’ve listened to for years.
Just make sure your internet radio players have good FM reception. For this you’ll need a nice telescoping antenna. Check for memory slots for fave stations as well. You can save your favorite stations to the memory slots, so you can limit your search to only the stations you like.
Best Internet Radios Review
You can speed up your search and save yourself a lot of trouble by starting off with these fine Internet radios:
1. SiriusXM Sound Station WiFi Internet Radio Player By Grace Digital
This SiriusXM internet radio works with an optional Ethernet adapter for your wired high-speed Internet connection or you can go with Wi-Fi. This also has an aux-in jack to let you use it with your smartphone.
However, this may be your option if you are planning to get (or you already have) a subscription to SiriusXM Streaming. It’s actually custom-made for Sirius radio. You can play live radio, or even go back 5 hours of the live event. You can also save 10 of your favorite music channels to the radio memory slots.
SiriusXM internet clock radio to wake you up in the morning without any doubt. This comes with 5 alarm settings, so you can have different settings for different days. There’s a snooze function, too. There’s a sleep function too so you can fall asleep to Internet radio and it will turn itself off automatically.
A large speaker occupies half the front side of the radio, and the sound is much better. There’s a remote as well, so you can conveniently adjust volume settings or change stations wherever you are.
Highlighted Features:
- Large speaker
- Remote controller
- Works with Wi-Fi or ethernet adapter
- Has aux-in jack
- Customized for SiriusXM streaming
- 5 alarm settings, with snooze
- Has sleep timer
2. CC WiFi Internet Radio – Budget Friendly
If you have a broadband connection, you’re good to go with this radio for Internet music. This will stream more than 16,000 stations, even if you don’t pay for a subscription. You don’t need your PC either. This also permits UPnP music streaming.
This radio comes with a backlit LCD display, which shows you the radio station ID, the Wi-Fi signal strength, or the time. You get 99 memory presets for your favorite stations. This also comes with a remote, so you can control the settings without going to the radio.
There’s a sleep timer here, just in case you like listening to music as you fall asleep. You can then wake up using the alarm function of the radio. You can use the built-in buzzer, or you can wake up to the music of your choice.
Highlighted Features:
- Built-in speaker
- Wi-Fi connection
- Comes with remote
- 99 memory presets
- Simple controls
- UPnP music streaming
- Sleep function, with alarm
3. Grace Digital GDI-WHA6021 Classic Wireless Internet Radio with Wi-Fi
Think of this as a terrific alarm radio, except you can also use it to connect to Internet radio stations. That’s because it comes with Wi-Fi antennas, plus you also have Bluetooth connectivity and an aux-in stereo jack. Then you also have built-in audio apps. All in all, don’t be surprised that you’re able to access more than a hundred thousand radio stations.
Controlling this isn’t any trouble, as you have the remote and the front control panel. You can even use the Grace Digital smartphone app.
The sound is great with the 4-inch speaker. You’re able to adjust the treble and bass, and there are even 5 preset equalizer settings to pick from. There’s also a stereo line-out for an extra set of speakers.
The color screen is great, as you actually have 30 backlight settings to choose from for use in the day or night. You get the sleep function here, while you have 8 buzzers to choose from. These are even “humane”, which means they start almost inaudibly and then they get progressively louder. You can set 5 different alarm settings, and you also have the snooze function.
Highlighted Features:
- internet radio with Bluetooth
- Built-in audio apps for Internet radio stations
- Comes with remote, and smartphone app
- 25W digital amplifier with 4-inch full-range speaker
- Treble and bass controls, with 5 preset equalizer settings
- 5 alarm settings
- 8 alarm buzzers (with humane systems)
- Has charging pad plus USB jack
4. Ocean Digital WR230S Internet Clock Radio
This model looks nice and simple, with a subtle elegance due to the wooden finish. The front side offers 2 speakers, and with this radio you can listen to FM radio (and also Digital Audio Broadcasting). You can connect to your smartphone, using Bluetooth or the aux-in jack. But you can also connect via Wireless and Wired LAN. That way, you can use this to access Internet radio without your PC.
This features a 2.4-inch color screen for navigation and info (and the time). The light is dimmable, so you can use this in your bedroom and the light won’t disrupt your sleep. It’s easy enough to use, especially if you save your favorite Internet radio stations to the 99 memory presets. There’s also a remote for even greater convenience.
The sound is great, especially with the equalizer settings. The speakers work well enough, but you can the 3.5mm stereo line-out jack to use another set of speakers. There’s also a stereo headphone jack.
You can use the sleep timer, and then you can use the dual alarm functions to wake up to a buzzer or to music. Set an early wakeup time for your weekdays, then set a later time for weekends.
Highlighted Features:
- Wired and wireless Internet connectivity
- Bluetooth connectivity
- Aux-in jack
- FM radio with DAB/DAB+
- Dual alarm clock (great for separate weekday and weekend settings)
- Sleep timer
5. Ocean Digital Portable Internet Wi-Fi/FM Radio with Bluetooth Speaker
Like many portable internet radios these days, this comes with a built-in rechargeable battery. But it’s not your garden variety radio that gives you FM radio, or in this case also DAB (Digital Audio Broadcasting) radio. No, what makes this tiny radio special is that in addition to Bluetooth, you’re also able to connect to the Internet wirelessly if you have a broadband connection at home.
Connecting with your Wi-Fi is easy enough. With a full charge for your battery you’re able to get up to 8 hours of music. Just find your favorite Internet stations and then save them to the 99 memory presets.
This also connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth, so you can use your smartphone as your music player and enjoy the bigger speaker on this radio. There’s really nothing to it. It’s simple to use and small enough to bring anywhere.
Highlighted Features:
- Wireless Internet radio
- FM radio with DAB
- Connects to your smartphone through Bluetooth
- 99 memory presets
- Rechargeable battery
- Sleep timer function
6. Sangean WFR-28 Internet Radio
This is so small that it looks like any portable radio. Except that it isn’t. It connects to your Wi-Fi, which means you’re able to use this to access Internet radio. That’s in addition to FM radio, and it even plays mp3s along with wma music files.
It’s easy enough to use, though at first you may want to experiment and fiddle a bit with it. The color screen makes things a lot easier though. You can even search music according to genre, or by country.
The speaker is nice enough, but it sounds great considering how small this portable radio really is. This is small enough that there’s no handle, since you can hold it in one hand. But you do have a line-out option so you can connect much larger speakers.
All in all, this is a portable radio that gives you the music you want. With Internet radio, FM radio, and connection to your mp3 player, you’re all set for music.
Highlighted Features:
- Wi-Fi connection, with
- FM radio
- Plays music tracks in USB sticks
- 5 presets for FM, and 5 for Internet radio
- Color display
- Compact design
7. Grace Digital Encore Wireless Stereo Smart Internet Radio
There’s an app for your iPhone or Android phone to let you control the settings or change stations with relative ease. But the controls on the unit itself is very easy to use, especially with the 3.5-inch display.
With this, you can connect to your Wi-Fi with no problem at all. It’ll take you about 2 minutes. With the color LCD display, navigation from one station to another is effortless. You’re able to program the ten 1-button presets, and adjust the audio settings. When you play music, this screen can also display the relevant track info.
Chromecast is built-in, and the radio also gives you direct access to more than 30,000 radio stations. These include AM and FM radio stations in case you still have favorite stations on those bands.
You get a built-in speaker here, but you can also connect this to your stereo system so you can enjoy superior audio. There’s an integrated input jack, along with a headphone jack. The class-D digital amplifier is terrific, and you’re able to modify the sound with the equalizer options.
Highlighted Features:
- Offers Internet, FM, and AM radio
- 5-inc color LCD
- Chromecast built-in
- Can work with Google Assistant
- Plays mp3s
- 7-day alarm clock
- Works as two-way speaker system
- Can be a power bank for your smartphone
- Comes with remote
8. LEMEGA M3+ 20W Stereo Internet FM Digital Radio
This radio looks elegant and simple, and it works simply too. Just turn it on, and it connects to your Wi-Fi broadband Internet like your smartphone does. There’s an option for a wired connection as well. Either way gives you access to thousands of Internet radio stations.
You can use the controls on the unit or the controls on the remote, with the 2.8-inch color screen making things a lot easier. There’s an app you can download as well, as the radio offers Bluetooth connectivity for your smartphone.
This plays FM radio, and you have 20 memory slots for your favorite stations. This also offers an aux-in jack for your mp3 player, along with a USB port that you can fill with mp3 files.
The sound is fantastic, with the 2 speakers here offering very nice bass no smartphone speaker can duplicate. You’re even able to set your own equalizer settings for really nice audio.
Highlighted Features:
- Wireless and wired Internet connection
- FM radio, with 20 presets
- Aux-in jack
- USB port, plays mp3s
- Comes with remote and app
- 8-inch color display
- Built-in woofer low bass with equalizer
- Sleep function
- Dual alarm for weekends and weekdays, plus snooze
9. Ocean Digital Wi-Fi Internet radio with Bluetooth Speaker
Here’s another simple-looking radio that works as a wireless internet radio. Add Bluetooth to that, along with aux-in and FM radio, and you’re able to access a truly wide range of music sources.
With your Internet Wi-Fi, it helps that you’re able to save your favorite stations to the 250 memory slots. That’s in addition to the 99 reserved slots for your favorite FM stations.
The color LCD is a lot of help, as it can give you the time and date on standby, after securing your radio station. There’s a dual alarm function, so you’re able to set an alarm for weekdays and another alarm for weekends. You also the snooze feature.
This also comes with the sleep function, but the machine can actually help you sleep with more than just playing Internet music. It has built-in sounds that can lull you to sleep. These include bird sounds, the pattering rain, gentle piano tones, soothing waves, and other white noise options.
The sound is terrific, as the 3W speaker here is way better than your smartphone speaker. You can even adjust the audio with the equalizer settings.
Highlighted Features:
- Internet radio, with 250 presets
- FM radio with 99 presets
- Aux-in, plus stereo headphone jack
- Sleep function with sounds to make you sleepy
- Dual alarm with snooze
- 3W speaker with equalizer settings
10. Ocean Digital Wi-Fi Internet Component Radio Tuner
This internet radio tuner for home stereo lets you get music in a lot of ways. As this is an Internet radio, you can get music online. That can be through Wi-Fi or ethernet connection. This also comes with Bluetooth so you can connect your digital music player, and it can even get you FM radio.
Its main drawback is that it doesn’t have built-in speakers. But with the right set of speakers, it sounds great.
It also relies on Skytune.net to pick your Internet radio stations and to adjust the radio settings. The good news is that you can download the Skytune app so you can make your adjustments via your smartphone or laptop.
Highlighted Features:
- Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and Bluetooth connectivity
- Up to 99 presets for Internet radio stations
- Classic RCA sockets for your speakers
- FM radio, plus Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+)
- Great sound with the right speakers
- Works with Skytune app
Popular Internet Radio Station List
Once you have your Internet radio, you may want to check out the internet radio service site:
Spotify
This has a free and a premium version. It has a huge library of songs, and you can enjoy collaborative playlists. With a premium account, you may even listen to albums that haven’t been released yet.
Google Play Music
The audio quality is great. But what sets this apart is its link to YouTube videos, plus easy option to buy tunes from Google Play Store.
Pandora
With a premium account, you can replay songs and skip others without limits. You also don’t have to deal with ads. The recommendation engine is great, and you also get easy access to lyrics.
iHeartRadio
This is great for live radio, and it offers informative bios and news articles of your favorite artists.
SiriusXM Internet Radio
This has lots of stations, especially live stations with talk radio. It offers lots of customization options, along with terrific song recommendations. It has plenty of exclusive content as well.
Tidal
There’s no free version, but you get your money’s worth. You get high-quality audio, themed playlists to try out, and live streams. You can even get first dibs to various concerts and sporting events.
Amazon Music
This offers a large music library, with scrolling lyrics to help you sing along. It also offers HD audio, for those with expensive audio systems with high-quality speakers.
Apple Music
Check this out—more than 50 million tracks to choose from! If you already have Siri working for you, you may as well get this too.
LiveXLive
This offers knowledgeable DJs to guide you, plus a large library along with plenty of live streams. Try out the fun playlists here, as you can enjoy your favorite tunes even as you discover new songs that will intrigue you.
Also Read:
1. Our favorite camping radio of all time.
2. Latest SDR radio with antenna.
FAQs on Internet Radio
Why is an Internet radio better than a regular radio?
That’s because the number of FM and AM radio stations you can access pales in comparison to the Internet radio stations you can reach. Even without paying for a subscription, there are tens of thousands of radio stations that you can check out.
Why is the internet radio better than your PC?
It’s true that you can set up your PC to act as your internet radio. But the problem is that you’re stuck at that point. You won’t be able to set this up in your garage or your backyard at a moment’s notice.
Why is the internet radio better than your smartphone or laptop?
True, these are also portable options that you can use to connect to the Internet. The problem is that your smartphone and laptop come with terrible-sounding speakers. They don’t compare to the larger speakers already built-in with the better internet radios.
Conclusion
With AM/FM radio, you’re limited to just a handful of stations you can listen to. So why not go online for your music?
With the best internet radios, you really enhance your music listening options. The Internet can give you more than 100,000 new radio stations to try out, and an Internet radio offers the most convenient access with the best sound.