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July 8, 9:20 PM
Internet radio is very popular these days and there are many ways of listening to it. Today’s review looks at the MYINE Ira Wi-Fi Internet Radio.
In case you aren’t familiar with Internet radio, it is available free; it consists of over 11,000 stations from around the world. Virtually every genre of music, talk radio, sports, news, and even pod casts are available. Internet radio can be accessed from your computer, as well as many other devices. The MYINE (for brevity we will refer to it as the MYINE ) is a small device that can access internet radio and feed it to many different audio devices. No computers and no subscriptions are necessary to access Internet radio using the MYINE.
Let’s take a closer look:
The device is small and lightweight. It measures about 6 inches across, 3 and a half inches high and about 2 inches deep. It weighs 8 1/2 ounces without the power adapter. The front of the device is quite minimalistic with just a 2 ½” x 1 ½” monochrome display and a sensor window for the remote. The back of the device has an input for the power cord and two RCA jacks for attaching speakers. The remote control is approximately 3 1/2” x 1 ½”. The remote control seems a little flimsy, due to the fact that it is essential to operate the MYINE we hope it will hold up to heavy use. Build quality of the MYINE unit itself is fine and stands up to our squeeze test with no bending or creaking.
Setup is fast and easy and you don’t need a computer to do it. What you do need is a Wi-Fi network, the password for said network (you do have password protection on your network, right?), some external speakers, and the MYINE remote control.
The MYINE is purely a Wi-Fi device; there is no option for using a wired Ethernet connection. The MYINE device is not a standalone device; it has no speakers so you will need to hook it up to a stereo system, a boom box, a clock radio, or some other device that has speakers. The MYINE comes with an RCA to RCA cable as well as an adapter to connect to a device that uses a mini-plug for its input.
Set-up took about 3 minutes using the remote to move through the menus and to make selections. Selecting the network, entering the password and a few other options is all it takes to get it set-up. You don’t need to be a geek or a computer whiz to set up the MYINE and that will be an attractive feature of the device for many users. A note about the remote: the MYINE is useless without it so don’t lose it and consider having a spare battery on hand as well.
We connected the MYINE to a small stereo system for testing purposes. Wi-Fi reception seemed a bit weak and sensitive to placement. In some locations, the MYINE failed to find the network at all. No other Wi-Fi device we have used in our environment has run into this issue. To be fair, moving the MYINE a couple of feet in one direction or the other usually enabled it to connect to the network.
Using the remote to find the stations you want is menu based and easy. It can be a little tedious as there are many stations to scroll through at times. The stations are organized by genre and geography making it easy to find what you’re looking for. Fortunately, the MYINE lets you set up to 40 stations as favorites and it remembers the last 10 stations you’ve listened to.
What comes in the box?
MYINE Ira Wi-Fi Internet Adapter
Remote control
Cables to connect to your home stereo or boombox (RCA and 1/8")
AC power cord
Quick start guide
Conclusions
Frankly, the MYINE didn’t knock our socks off. On the plus side: Yes, it does what it claims to do assuming you have a good Wi-Fi signal where you will be placing it. It is easy to set up, especially for a casual user. It is quite light and compact so it’s easy to move around and it will fit just about anywhere. It’s not expensive.
On the minus side: The remote control seems a bit flimsy, the Wi-Fi reception is suspect, and the device is completely dependent on the remote control.
The MYINE has an MSRP of $149.99. The Livio Radio reviewed here a while back has had a recent price reduction and now has the same $149.99 MSRP as the MYINE. If size and weight aren’t an issue, the Livio Radio can do everything the MYINE can do and adds impressive Pandora capability as well.
Source: Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-5478-Consumer-Electronics-Examiner~y2009m7d8-The-MYINE-Internet-Radio-is-it-the-one-for-you
Into Tomorrow: Wi-Fi Radios
The MYINE Internet Radio, is it the one for you?
July 8, 9:20 PM
Internet radio is very popular these days and there are many ways of listening to it. Today’s review looks at the MYINE Ira Wi-Fi Internet Radio.
In case you aren’t familiar with Internet radio, it is available free; it consists of over 11,000 stations from around the world. Virtually every genre of music, talk radio, sports, news, and even pod casts are available. Internet radio can be accessed from your computer, as well as many other devices. The MYINE (for brevity we will refer to it as the MYINE ) is a small device that can access internet radio and feed it to many different audio devices. No computers and no subscriptions are necessary to access Internet radio using the MYINE.
Let’s take a closer look:
The device is small and lightweight. It measures about 6 inches across, 3 and a half inches high and about 2 inches deep. It weighs 8 1/2 ounces without the power adapter. The front of the device is quite minimalistic with just a 2 ½” x 1 ½” monochrome display and a sensor window for the remote. The back of the device has an input for the power cord and two RCA jacks for attaching speakers. The remote control is approximately 3 1/2” x 1 ½”. The remote control seems a little flimsy, due to the fact that it is essential to operate the MYINE we hope it will hold up to heavy use. Build quality of the MYINE unit itself is fine and stands up to our squeeze test with no bending or creaking.
Setup is fast and easy and you don’t need a computer to do it. What you do need is a Wi-Fi network, the password for said network (you do have password protection on your network, right?), some external speakers, and the MYINE remote control.
The MYINE is purely a Wi-Fi device; there is no option for using a wired Ethernet connection. The MYINE device is not a standalone device; it has no speakers so you will need to hook it up to a stereo system, a boom box, a clock radio, or some other device that has speakers. The MYINE comes with an RCA to RCA cable as well as an adapter to connect to a device that uses a mini-plug for its input.
Set-up took about 3 minutes using the remote to move through the menus and to make selections. Selecting the network, entering the password and a few other options is all it takes to get it set-up. You don’t need to be a geek or a computer whiz to set up the MYINE and that will be an attractive feature of the device for many users. A note about the remote: the MYINE is useless without it so don’t lose it and consider having a spare battery on hand as well.
We connected the MYINE to a small stereo system for testing purposes. Wi-Fi reception seemed a bit weak and sensitive to placement. In some locations, the MYINE failed to find the network at all. No other Wi-Fi device we have used in our environment has run into this issue. To be fair, moving the MYINE a couple of feet in one direction or the other usually enabled it to connect to the network.
Using the remote to find the stations you want is menu based and easy. It can be a little tedious as there are many stations to scroll through at times. The stations are organized by genre and geography making it easy to find what you’re looking for. Fortunately, the MYINE lets you set up to 40 stations as favorites and it remembers the last 10 stations you’ve listened to.
What comes in the box?
MYINE Ira Wi-Fi Internet Adapter
Remote control
Cables to connect to your home stereo or boombox (RCA and 1/8")
AC power cord
Quick start guide
Conclusions
Frankly, the MYINE didn’t knock our socks off. On the plus side: Yes, it does what it claims to do assuming you have a good Wi-Fi signal where you will be placing it. It is easy to set up, especially for a casual user. It is quite light and compact so it’s easy to move around and it will fit just about anywhere. It’s not expensive.
On the minus side: The remote control seems a bit flimsy, the Wi-Fi reception is suspect, and the device is completely dependent on the remote control.
The MYINE has an MSRP of $149.99. The Livio Radio reviewed here a while back has had a recent price reduction and now has the same $149.99 MSRP as the MYINE. If size and weight aren’t an issue, the Livio Radio can do everything the MYINE can do and adds impressive Pandora capability as well.
Source: Examiner.com
http://www.examiner.com/x-5478-Consumer-Electronics-Examiner~y2009m7d8-The-MYINE-Internet-Radio-is-it-the-one-for-you
Into Tomorrow: Wi-Fi Radios
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