Sangean WFT-1 Internet Radio Component Tuner Review

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(More customer reviews)Specifications and chips used in the WFT-1 set my expectations for this internet radio to be best in class. It may be if you could get past the rather clunky user interface and barely adequate user manual. If you have a wired ethernet connection everything is pretty straight forward and the device can be configured without incident. Setting up wireless connection is a different story. 1.) If you use wireless security and you happen to have down rev WFT-1 firmware the radio makes a nice door stop. For example, you try to enter a 26 character (128 bit) WEP key you find the display does not show the whole key value past a certain number of characters and the method to set the characters by using the tuning knob to select from a list of possible characters stops working as the display software / user interface has a bug(s) in it making it impossible to accomplish this task. Did anybody test these features?
If you are able to connect the WFT-1 using wired network access - you can get a newer copy of WFT-1 firmware which seems to fix the key entry and display bugs I mention. I still cannot connect successfully via wireless - why I am not sure - I don't think its operator error. You won't get any clues from the user manual if you happen to be that rare individual who actually reads product manuals. A couple of calls and an email to tech support in the USA, I was able to get a name and leave a message - no instant resolution and no useful FAQ or support information on the SANGEAN WEB site. Hopefully I'll be able to talk to someone knowledgeable .... soon!
The WFT-1 has an ethernet and USB port - it would be great if you could connect a computer to either port and configure it from there, at least to get the thing up and running. Another possible improvement is the IR remote which could be used as a keypad to enter and navigate the various configuration modes.
If SANGEAN fixes these product bugs it will be a nice and useful WiFi radio to own. Its other features and the Internet radio website www.wifiradio-frontier.com all work to make this a pretty cool way to find and enter internet radio stations and access all that content. I may be critical but these are core features and its a lot of money to pay for a "prototype" product. I did not exhaustively test the various configuration modes and features the radio has. I believe SANGEAN owes its customers a significant improvement in the quality of its firmware. The unit has been shipping for a while and it should work out of the box as advertised. If its fixed I'll be happy to revise my review - no problem - I think they have the makings of a great product.

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Connects to your entertainment system allowing access to over 10,000 internet radio stations.

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Myine Electronics IR001 WiFi Internet Radio Adaptor Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)This little internet radio device is jumping-up-and-down cool! Five minutes after opening the box I was listening to a newscast from France (in French, course) then jazz from Australia, rock from Iceland and later opera and classical music from Italy. How cool is that?
The device doesn't have any speakers of it's own, but comes with and RCA jack that you connect to your receiver, TV, boom box or even a little clock radio. There's an adapter included with a smaller plug for the later. There's a little LCD screen that you operate with a small remote control that's also included. The first thing I did after I connected it to my receiver was to turn it on and go through the menu and set the date and time and hook up to my home WiFi network. It came with a manual which is very well written and understandable, but I didn't even need it. When I clicked on "Network" the name of my WiFi network popped up, I selected it in the menu, entered the password, and it connected in about 15 seconds and it was ready to go. It was super easy. And since it uses Wi-Fi to connect, you don't need a computer. This goes directly to your receiver.
The IRA is classy looking, even though it's made of plastic. I posted some photos of it. I set mine of top of the Blu-ray player in my stereo cabinet. The display screen is easy to read and the menus easy to navigate. You can search by country, genre of music, stations, or new or popular stations. There is an automatic software update feature through the Wi-Fi network or you can check yourself to see if there are any updates available. It also has volume control on the remote.
The sound is crystal clear and since I connected it to our home theater system, I could hear the bass booming out through the subwoofer and music through all the speakers. I also tried it with the adapter, plugged into a little clock radio and that worked fine too. Connected to the receiver the stations I've listened to so far were CD quality. I could imagine this at a Caribbean themed party, playing reggae music directly from that part of the world, or a romantic French dinner with music from France. No matter what your taste in music, there is something here for everyone. And if you're learning a foreign language, what better way than to listen to a newscast from that country?
I love this thing! It's a great addition to our home entertainment system.


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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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