Myine Electronics IR001 WiFi Internet Radio Adaptor Review

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(More customer reviews)The press release from Myine Electronics states "Myine's Ira Wireless Internet Radio is designed to harness the universe of radio broadcasts available on the Internet and to allow user enjoyment anywhere a wireless internet connection, a speaker system and power sources are available." And that pretty well sums it up - and it does a great job at it too!
The general point of the unit is to not only give you access to the world of internet streaming radio and podcasts, but to do it easily, quickly, and without having to know a whole lot about what's going on with your network or connections. "There is a lack of good products available for people who are not tech savvy or just busy," said Jake Sigal, Principal and Founder of Myine Electronics. "Ira doesn't have any unnecessary bells and whistles, and sets up automatically right out of the box without a computer. We believe that with potentially confusing electronics, less is more."
When you first break the Ira out of the box, you'll see that it comes with the unit itself, a power cable, and a remote. It relies on WiFi being available to access the internet, and this is the first caution I would give potential buyers - make sure you have WiFi in your home, and that it is strong in the area you intend to put the Ira. The Ira seems very sensitive to interference and distance, so don't expect it to work as consistently and quickly as your laptop card does.
After plugging it in to the power and a set of speakers or a receiver, the next thing you'll need to do is configure it to access that WiFi broadcast. Although the Ira is geared towards `low-tech' users, it will definitely take some knowledge of networking and network configuration (plus a fair amount of patience) if you have any security enabled. Although it picks up the SSID if you are broadcasting that, and will tell you what type of security or encryption protocol, you'll need to be able to enter the passcode. If this is a WEP secure connection, this means you'll need to use the arrows on the remote and a pseudo keyboard on the screen to plunk out the 16 digits/characters/symbols - and unfortunately the Ira will not save incorrect configurations meaning you'll have to do it all again if you get one of the numbers wrong! It saves it if you get it right, so this may not be a big deal, particularly once you're past it.
Once you've got it all set up, you really start seeing the value and power of this unit. Users can filter by location or genre, and there are literally thousands of stations available. There are you're your typical shoutcast internet only stations, but also streaming live stations from around the globe. You've also got access to podcasts (including yours truly) and audio presentations, though you may find some of the more obscure ones missing. Myine selects the podcasts and stations that it will display through some mechanism that wasn't revealed to me. They did add podcasts that I requested (e.g., TechTalk on WRLR) without any questions or hesitation however, so I don't see this as a big hit.
If you're familiar at all with listening to radio or streaming audio on your laptop or desktop, you'll "get" this product immediately. What's really neat about it for me is how portable it is - I can listen to tunes up in my bedroom, then take the little unit downstairs to our porch outside, plug it into some speakers there and keep listening - without having to drag my laptop with it's rather junky soundcard all over the place! It's even small enough to throw in a jacket pocket and take to someone else's house to show off.
One area for future development and a feature that I really missed on the Ira is the lack of song information. Most stations broadcast the track and artist info with the song, but oddly the Ira unit does not display it. You can get a lot of other streaming and audio info, just nothing about the current track playing. The Ira software does have the capability to get updated over the wifi connection you use, so I would expect to see this fixed in a later release.
Overall Rating - 3 out of 5 Chips. It's a fantastic little product and idea, with portability and ease-of-use in the forefront of internet connected audio players (plus the benefit of not paying for XM or other similar options!). The lack of song tagging and weak reception strength make it just a little tougher to use than it should be however, and drops it down a notch. The price point is a touch high but still definitely within reach at around $130.
For more great topics and reviews like this, check out the weekly TechTalk show on WRLR 98.3 FM in Chicago, or listen anytime via iTunes or at our website:
techtalk.wrlr.fm

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Do you have wireless Internet? Do you want to get FREE music, sports, and news from around the world? Tired of confusing terminology and confusing features? Meet Ira – Our Internet Radio Adaptor that connects automatically to any wireless internet network. Extra features were intentionally removed so you can quickly listen to free music, sports, and news, without the extra hassles. Just take it out of the box, plug it in, connect it to your home stereo or boombox and use it. Automatically sets up in about three minutes and doesn't need a computer. All cables included. Ira has over 11,000 stations from just about every country in the world. Filter by location or genre to find new stations in under 30 seconds. Listen to NPR or your favorite local channels in CD like quality. Includes On Demand Podcast programming for many stations so you can listen to your favorite shows when you want. Includes a one-touch "STAR” button to store up to 40 of your favorite stations.

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Samsung YP-X5X NeXus 25 XM Ready Digital Audio Player with 25-hour Playback Review

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(More customer reviews)I spent a couple months looking at portable XM radios in search of one to meet my needs. I eventually chose this device and I've been more than happy with my decision.
My needs were fairly simple. I needed to be able to listen to new music daily from within the concrete installation that is my workplace, and be capable of delivering it for the duration of my day. I also wanted to listen to it in my car or through a stereo. I had no interest in playing MP3, nor did I care about online functionality or interface with my computer. The NeXus has met every one of my requirements(with the purchase of the car/FM transmitter), and has done so exceptionally.
The radio will only play live XM when it's in the cradle. This seemed strange at first, but made sense as I got familiar with XM and it's capabilities. The decoder is separate from the radio(likely to keep the radio itself small), which I imagine is needed to recieve the signal. You must plug the decoder into the cradle along with the radio to play live XM. Also due to the relative weakness of the XM signal, the antenna needs to be long. These factors are likely the reason for only having recorded content on the go.
The menus on the device are fairly intuitive, though not entirely elegant. You can navigate by artist, by recording session, or with a flat list of songs for your recorded content. Live XM will allow you to navigate through stations naturally. There is also additional functionality that I have yet to use that seems to allow you to keep an eye out for certain artists. Navigation from the device is fairly simple, using the arrows on the face to move around, and the middle XM button to select. The remote is more robust in functionality, but is less intuitive in spots. The remote is also fairly weak, and the display on the radio itself is small. This limits the distance you can be from the radio when using it and making the remote a little on the useless side.
Battery life for the radio is very good, and has performed better than advertised for me. I get over 8 hours of continuous play from a full charge. I haven't run the battery completely dead yet, but it lasts my entire work day and still has a bar or two left when I plug it into the cradle in my car on my way home. Charging time seems to be very quick as well.
Storage is very good, though it doesn't sound impressive with only 512MB. You can partition the drive into 50% MP3 and 50% XM or 100% XM. I have opted for 100% XM, as I am sick of my MP3 collection. I currently have over 200 songs on my XM player, 8 of which are 30 minute segments, and one which plays slightly over an hour and a half. Assuming the average track is 4 minutes, that puts my current load at about 17 - 18 hours of recorded content.
The device itself is put together well. It small enough to fit in the palm of my hand, and is about a half an inch thick. That makes it about the size of your average flip phone - which is easily pocketable. The earbuds that come with it are not good quality, and are uncomfortable. I already had a pair of higher quality earbuds that replaced those. The music quality is decent. I'm no audiophile, so if it doesn't sound crunchy, or like it's playing in a can I'm happy. The other pieces like the audio cables and the carrying clip thing are of average to below average quality, but get the job done.
All in all I'm totally satisfied with the NeXus 25, and have recommended it to friends who are in the market for a portable XM radio.

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Get ready for total music freedom with the Samsung Nexus digital audio device. The Nexus takes the concept of a personal digital audio player to the next level with the addition of XM satellite radio. Using the supplied dock, and an included XM Connect-and-Play antenna, you can record your favorite XM programming to the device. Then, listen to your tunes and talk radio while you're on the go. In addition to handling XM content, you can also play songs from your existing library of MP3 and WMA music files (including purchased downloads). Plus, you can mix your recorded XM content with your music files -- create a playlist with XM recordings and your own digital music.
Because the Nexus is an XM ready device, it's designed to interface with the XM Connect-and-Play antenna. Simply plug the home antenna into the Nexus and you're rocking to XM's 150-plus digital channels. No additional accessories or installation are required. In addition to charging the device's battery, the included home docking station lets you use the Nexus as an XM receiver to play live XM content through your home stereo (the dock features stereo RCA outputs).
Featuring a full array of programming -- from talk shows, comedy programs, and live Major League Baseball broadcasts to just about every musical genre from bluegrass to jazz -- XM Radio is the fastest growing satellite radio network in the world. All XM metadata is displayed on the Nexus' front panel display, including full song title and artist name, as well as information extras such as stock and sports score tickers. At 3.4 x 1.9 x 0.7-inches, the Nexus is pocket friendly and designed to go wherever you go. The embedded 512 MB of internal memory gives you ample space for storing your music -- up to 25 hours of content will fit on the device. Music is transferred between your PC and the Nexus via a high-speed USB 2.0 connection.
Another cool aspect of the Nexus is its support for the XM + Napster music service. If you hear a song you like on XM radio, simply "tag" it and easily purchase and download that artist or song via Napster. It's a great way to discover and own the music you like.
What's in the Box YP-X5X XM radio/MP3 player, XM passport, battery, earbuds, remote control, home dock/cradle, home XM antenna, AC power adapter, RCA audio cable, USB cable, carrying case/holster, user's guide, and software CD-ROM.

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SIRIUS Stratus 4 Plug-and-Play Satellite Radio Receiver with Vehicle Kit Review

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(More customer reviews)Display is easy to read. Setup was very easy. Sound quality is good (not as good as my iPod). Wish it had a "scan" option to autoplay a few seconds from each channel. Well worth the $40 I paid for it on Amazon. Overall I am very happy.
After contacting customer service I learned that the Sirius Customer Service Database has all account passwords available in plain text for CS reps to read and have access to. It is unacceptable that a modern technology company would not safeguard customer passwords from the eyes of employees, making my password vulnerable to theft by an unhappy employee, contractor, hacker or anyone else who could gain access to Sirius CS database records. Too many companies have been forced to disclose the theft of customer data due to human error and Sirius is leaving the door wide open to a future security breach. My warning: If you use Sirius, use a unique username and password during account step to safeguard your identity and confidential account info.

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One of Sirius' easiest to use and most affordable receivers, the Sirius Stratus 4 is a must for satellite radio fans who want a less-expensive entry into the satellite radio market. Just like other Sirius-compatible receivers, the Stratus 4 offers a large, easy-to-read display and an intuitive front control panel--a 2.5-inch, 3-line display, to be exact. But for people who spend a lot of time in the car, the Stratus 4 is designed to seamlessly complement your driving routine thanks to the bundled car kit.
As an added convenience, the Stratus 4 supports Sirius' universal docking architecture for easy compatibility with other Sirius accessories and docks in other vehicles and in the house. An intuitive three-line display tells you the channel name and number, artist name, and song title. The receiver also lets you program up to 10 presets of your favorite streams, as well as search by channel name and music category. And with a quick press of the one-touch jump button, you can instantly switch between the traffic and weather reports for your city or any of the other music, news, or entertainment channels. Other programming details include direct station tuning via the numeric buttons and a channel lock option.
The Stratus 4 also includes a built-in FM transmitter that sends Sirius radio programming to your vehicle's FM tuner, so you don't have to make a direct connection to enjoy the full array of channels. Simply set an empty FM frequency on your radio and tune the Stratus 4 to the same frequency. The transmitter also works with other FM tuners, such as the one on your home stereo, but is easily paired with the car thanks to the vehicle kit, which includes everything you need for listening to Sirius while driving. Other features include a real-time clock, a parental lock function that restricts listening to locked channels, and large easy to use buttons. The Stratus 4 measures just 9.5 x 7.5 x 3 inches.
About Sirius Sirius Satellite Radio delivers more than 130 channels of music and programming via crystal clear direct satellite feed. In addition to 69 channels of commercial free music listening, Sirius also delivers 65 channels of sports, news, talk, entertainment, traffic, and weather forecasts. Sirius--the official satellite radio partner of the NFL, NASCAR, and NBA--broadcasts live play-by-play games of the NFL and NBA, as well as live NASCAR races. All Sirius programming is available for a monthly subscription fee.
What's in the Box Stratus 4 (SV4) satellite radio receiver, vehicle docking cradle, vehicle power adapter, vehicle antenna, dash and vent mounts, FM extender antenna, getting started guide, installation/user's guide, accessory brochure, and programming guide.

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Audiovox XM XMFM1 FM Direct Adapter (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)If you are installing an XM radio in your car and thinking about utilizing the XM radio's ability to broadcast music to a specific channel on your car stereo - FORGET ABOUT IT!!! Just assume you will NOT be doing it that way, and buy one of these instead. This unit doesn't require any external power hookup, won't require you to string thin fragile wires from the front of your car to the back, is fairly small and easy to install, and sends wonderful, static-free sound to your car stereo. On your XM radio, you will still have to select a specific FM channel for reception of XM music, but you won't get any static even if you select a strong local FM channel. And, if you turn your XM radio off, you will be able listen to the FM channel normally. The FM channel is only blocked out when the XM radio is turned on. Check to see if your car stereo has a non-standard antenna input that will require inexpensive adapters. My car, which has a Blaupunkt radio, required "Volkswagen style" adapters. All these do is change the shape of the plugs that connect to the car radio and antenna. Note that I say "adapters" (plural) because, if you DO have a non-standard antenna input, you will need 2 adapters: 1 to mate the Audivox plug to your non-standard car stereo antenna input, and another to mate the antenna wire that used to plug into your car stereo but now needs to plug into the Audiovox adapter. The Audiovox unit goes between your car stereo and the end of your existing antenna wire. So, you will need a standard-to-nonstandard adapter + a nonstandard-to-standard adapter.

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The Audiovox XMFM-1 FM Direct Adapter for Xpress XM7 Satellite Radio Receiver is designed expressly to turn the internal FM transmitter in Audiovox's XM7 receiver into a wired FM modulator. This unit plugs directly into the vehicle radio antenna jack in your car stereo, and connects to the XMC-10 cradle via the docking station's audio line-out jack. This is especially useful for when you are taking advantage of your XM7 XM satellite radio receiver's FM transmitter because your vehicle's car stereo does not have an audio line-in jack accessible, and you are driving through areas with strong FM radio signals that are interfering with your car's reception of the XM7's FM transmission. In order for this unit to operate, your XM7 receiver must be set to FM On in the Xpress XM user's menu.

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Delphi XM Signal Repeater Review

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(More customer reviews)XM reception inside buildings can be frustrating - especially for those of us living outside the range of the terrestial repeaters in many large cities. This repeater setup gives us mobility in an apartment or modest house (even two stories).
It is important to understand that this system repeats the XM digital signal on a different (900 MHz) frequency than that used by the satellites and the urban ground stations mentioned above. This means that the XM radio can't pick up the repeater signal directly. Each radio will need its own attached 900 MHz antenna, and will need to be in a dock to use it. This set includes one such antenna - more can be bought seperately. One repeater can drive any number of XM radios, so equiped, within its range (a few rooms).
I use mine with a Pioneer Inno, mounted on a Delphi SA10221 XM Portable Satellite Radio Boombox. The 900 MHz antenna mounts on the back of the boombox, in a provided slot, held by a screw. So, the repeater doesn't noticably effect the portabality of the boombox, which we move from room to room, plugging into AC power, but not using batteries. It should work with batteries, but at what cost to battery life I don't know.
A TIP: It can be hard to find a good inside location for the satellite antenna, an issue this repeater fixes, if ANY single good location can be found for the repeater transmitter and its attached satellite antenna. Our trouble was that no CONVENIENT location could be found. The ultimate solution is an outside antenna, perhaps with an in-line amplifier, driving this repeater system. My son in rural WY needed such a set-up to get reliable reception in the winter. But, like me, you may get away with a simple trick.
Attach the satellite antenna directly to your XM radio (suitably docked or boomboxed), and select the signal strength display from the radio's menu. Use this to move the antenna to likely receiving locations, looking for a convenient place with room nearby and power for the repeater transmitter, where a strong signal is displayed. If you find such a spot, leave the antenna positioned and swap its cable from the radio to the transmitter. If you CAN'T find a good signal, here is the trick: Locate the antenna in a likely convenient location (2nd floor, southern wall, etc) where you'd expect the best signal and move & aim the antenna while watching the signal strength. THEN TRY PLACING A METAL PLATE OR PAN, or similar size metal decorative object a few inches away. Slowly reposition the antenna and the metal object. Even a fraction of an inch can be significant. If your preferred location has any signal at all, you may find a precise arrangement that yields a strong signal. Then, swap the antenna plug from the radio to the transmitter and as long as you don't disturb the magic setup you should get good reception, which then gets passed through the repeater to your radio(s).
Final caviat: older 900 MHz wireless phones will disrupt the repeater signal, even from several rooms away, but only when they are in use (talking/ringing). This could be a problem in an apartment or closely spaced houses if a neighbor has one. The newer 2.1 GHz and 5.4 GHz phones (and WiFi Internet routers) don't seem to interfere though.

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The Delphi SA10116 Indoor XM Signal Repeater allows you to enjoy XM programming even in interior environments without direct satellite reception (e. g., away from a window with a clear view of the sky). The compact transmitter works with any Delphi XM home kit or audio system, rebroadcasting more than 150 XM Satellite Radio channels of sports, talk, news, comedy, 100 percent commercial-free music, and more.
The Signal Repeater can transmit the XM signal to one or more Repeater Antennas, placed up to 75 feet away, even through walls and floors, and comes with a transmitter, repeater antenna, AC power adaptor and mounting hardware. Wireless XM eliminates the need to run long, unsightly and impractical extensions between your home antenna and receiver.What's in the Box Delphi SA10116 transmitter, antenna, AC power adapter, mounting hardware, quick start guide, and owner's manual.

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Audiovox Sirius FMDA25 FM Direct Adapter (Black) Review

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(More customer reviews)I must say I was pleasantly surprised by how well this product works.
I have an 07 Accord so it was a bit of a PITA figuring out how to get to the radio antenna in the dash. If you google around for your car and "remove radio" you will undoubtedly find directions for accessing it. That was the most difficult part and it only took me about 30 minutes from start to finish.
I recently got the Starmate 4 for my car. I had one of the old original Audiovox units from when Sirius was first starting up. It was huge, bulky, I had lost the mount for it, and it got VERY hot when in operation. Almost so hot that you couldn't touch it. Hence I decided to upgrade to a newer model. When I received and installed the Starmate I was surprised to see that the built-in FM modulator was horrible. And when I connected the FM antenna extender it came with, it made the sound WORSE. The static made it almost unlistenable through my radio. I googled around and found that the FCC had stepped in and regulated the amount of power the FM modulators were allowed to emit. So my Audiovox unit was better in that fashion since it was built before the FCC rules were established.
To fix the problem I got this Wired Relay Adapter. Basically you plug your car's antenna into it, then plug the wire into your radio. The other end routes through your dash and goes into your Sirius radio. The reception is 100% clear now. No more static. The downside is that you have to a) remember to turn off the Sirius radio if you want to listen to FM because it kills all of the stations, and b) regardless of whether it is on or off it kills AM reception. I don't often listen to AM and guess I don't have a need now (except for local TV stations).
All in all I am VERY happy with this product. It took a Starmate that sounded worse than an old Audiovox I had, and made it MUCH better in the end. 100% worth the $19.99 for this item if you have the know-how to get into your dash.

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Tired of relying on your FM transmitter to send your Sirius satellite radiosignal to your car stereo? Turn instead to this wired FM adapter, which provides a directconnection to produce a crisper overall sound. Unlike FM transmitters--which oftensuffer from static and interference, as with traditional FM stations--the FM adapter plugsdirectly into the rear of your factory or after-market stereo, thus requiring a bit ofinstallation expertise. But once connected, you can tune to your favorite Sirius channelsin seconds without searching for unused FM frequencies. More importantly, the signalwill be clean and uninterrupted, with no pops or fizzes as you drive from one part of thecity to another. The FM adapter, which works with all Sirius plug 'n' play and personalradios, includes plugs and wires for most installations, although antenna adapters may berequired for select car stereos. It's also backed by a one-year warranty.
What's in the Box Direct FM adapter, plugs and wires, user's manual.

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