Terratec’s Noxon range of internet radios includes lots of models each with
slightly different features.
The new Noxon iRadio For iPod pretty much throws in the kitchen sink,
including just about every feature the rest of the range offers, all in one.
Like the other Noxon models, the iRadio for iPod can be connected to a home
network, allowing it to play hundreds of internet radio stations and podcasts.
It can also stream music from a computer to the iRadio, so you can listen to
music from the computer in any room.
And, of course, there’s the iPod dock that lets it play music from an iPod as
well.
In addition to the dock, the iRadio For iPod connects to both wired and
wireless networks.
There’s a line-in connector that's used to connect devices such as a portable
CD player or non-iPod music player, and a USB port that lets users plug in USB
memory keys or external hard disks.
If you want a little more power than the iRadio’s simple mono speaker
provides there are both digital and analogue outputs for connecting it to
external speakers or an amplifier. Finally, there’s an FM radio tuner and a
timer that lets you use it as an alarm clock too.
The internet radio features work well: we were listening to an enjoyably
bizarre German station within about five minutes of unpacking the iRadio. There
were no problems when we plugged in an iPod either. However, playing music from
a computer through the iRadio is a different matter altogether.
The program provided to do this, called Twonky Media, is unnecessarily
complicated – and not helped by a manual that simply tells you how to install
the software but doesn’t actually explain how to use it. In the end, only a
telephone call to Terratec’s technical support department and a fair bit of
trial and error enabled us to play our notebook’s iTunes library through the
iRadio.
Given the iRadio’s hefty price tag, a friendlier way to stream music would
have been welcome, but its internet radio qualities are very impressive.
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