Customer Reviews

VTech IS9181 WiFi Internet Radio with Access to Online Content

5 star:		(42)
4 star:		(29)
3 star:		(9)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(9)

 

 

Length:: 7:52 Mins

Imagine playing music directly from Japan while eating sushi in your dining room. Or playing Hawaiian music from Hawaii at your next luau. With this WiFi internet radio you can listen to music from all over the world and save your favorites with just a push of the "favorites" button. Then the next time you want to listen you can go directly the the "My Stations" list and choose one of your favorites. I have a classical station in Italy, an oldies station in France, a Celtic station in Ireland and some radio stations in the midwest that I grew up listening to in my favorites list. I also have a French news talk station to keep up on my French. In my video I'll show you how to make some of the internet radio selections and find your own favorite stations.

One of the other options is to listen to music from your computer on this device. The included manual gives simple instructions, with some photos, for setting up your computer so that you can connect via WiFi with this internet radio and play your favorite mp3's, WMA's, Real audio, MP4 and M4A files. There are instructions included for Windows 2000, XP, Vista, Mac OS 10.4 and 10.5. I've listened to music from both my Windows and Mac computers without any problem. And the good news is that it's easy to set up, even for a non geeky person. The internet radio is also simple to set up. When you turn it on for the first time it asks you if you want to set the time, weather setting (your zip code) and wireless settings. It looks for your WiFi network and asks you to enter your password. I used both the little dial on the top of the radio and the remote to make entering it faster.

I mentioned in my video review that you can use the RCA connectors on the back of the unit to connect to other speakers, such as your stereo speakers. The RCA connector cord isn't included with the radio. There is an auxiliary audio cable included to connect another device such as an mp3 player to this radio (audio in). If you wanted to connect earphones, like the type from an mp3 player I think an adapter like this would work 2 x RCA Male / 1 x 3.5mm Stereo Female, Y-Cable, 6 inch

The sound on the video is limited not only by the camera, but by the compression into a video small enough to show here. It sounds so much better in person. But I hope the video gives you an idea of the different menus and features.

This impressive-sounding "device" is simply a radio with Internet capabilities, but so be it: we'll call it the IS9181.

The IS9181 is a cute little gadget that didn't take me long to get working, which is a plus, but there were various little annoyances that I thought detracted enough from using it that I have decided to give it a less glamorous review: 3-and-a-half stars.

I subject most electronics to what I call the "dumb male" test: is it possible to set it up without reading any manuals of documentation and if so, how long would it take to get the majority of the features working. I award a five-star rating if I can get it operational within 15 minutes. I'm happy to report that I was able to get the IS9181 working within 10. (5 stars)

Plugged in, the operating buttons are easy to read, but only if you're directly above them but even with that slight drawback, the menus were intuitive to navigate and the device to configure. Anyone who's used any electronic device within the last five years should not have too much difficulty working the IS9181. The rotating wheel used to move backwards and forwards had a pleasing feel to it while the colorized menu on the front was clear and readable. I soon had the device connected to my WiFi access point easily. The speakers are pretty good with the woofer hidden directly underneath adding a nice bit of depth to what could have been a teeny sound system.

Within another five minutes, I was streaming music from Internet radio stations around the world. I do wish I could choose/sort the stations according to their streaming speeds, however. In addition, all the stations are arranged alphabetically, which can be a real drag to sift through. (-0.5 stars)

The range of musical styles and genres is impressive as is the fact that with just a few clicks, it is possible to enter your ZIP code and get the weather report both for today and five days ahead. When not working, the display shows the time (although it is not intelligent enough to use Daylight Saving Time automatically; -0.5 stars). It is also a bit inconvenient that the rotating wheel used to highlight menu items cannot also be used to choose the item, instead of having to click on the "select" button to the side. (-0.25 stars)

A little weirdness happened when I chose the "Popular stations": of all the stations, the device thought was the most popular a *Dutch* talk radio station. Strange :-)

A small remote control comes with the IS9181 which, considering how difficult it would be to be fumbling around if you use it as a bedside alarm clock-radio, is a boon. However, mine simply stopped working after only one use . (-0.25 stars)

Apparently, it was also possible to add stations by registering on the manufacturer's website. I haven't bothered to try although that sounds like a good idea. The other slightly annoying bug is that, when the device is turned off, it disconnects from the access point and turning it back on and attempting to do anything related to online activity throws the device into a loop of error messages with no way of breaking out until the WAP is back online.

This is my third WiFi Internet Radio.

VTech really did their homework on this one.

I only just got it, but as I do have experience with these, I feel I can comment.

Just a few points:

- The color screen is very high-quality and a really nice thing to have (more than I expected)
- Set-up and programming are very easy (similar to all the others, but there's a set-up wizard that's helpful)
- Sound quality is as I expected; very good, with good base and treble, and levels (different stations have different volume output).
- Found all the stations I looked for via the radio, except one, but I was easily able to add it via the website.

Cautions:
- No network jack -- wifi only (not a problem for me)
- Not really a proper clock radio. The controls and alarm silencing sequence aren't very much like a true clock radio, so if that's a primary function for you, try the Sagem/Aluratek unit.

I really haven't found a single thing that's been a disappointment or "negative". It's just as good as I hoped it would be, if not better. I suppose one could say it's "big", compared with the AE radio or the Freecom MusicPal, but compared to the Logitech Squeezebox, it's of a similar size. It looks better in real life than in the photos.

No Pandora, but don't care. My iPhone does that, and it's limited anyhow. It's easy to find an internet radio station that plays music similar to any channel I might devise.

The remote is a wonderful feature to have in conjunction with the forward-facing color screen, and it does RSS fees (identifies station, song, program, etc..., unlike any of the Reciva units [I could be wrong on this point, but most of those seem to be essentially similar on-screen]).

I fiddled with the file streaming feature. Worked immediately and well (Windows machine). All shared folders were easily found and explored and mp3's playable.

There is ONE huge negative that I've found: NO TIMER!! This is a major oversight, but it's not unfixable. The AE WiFi Internet Radio lacked one too, at first, but it was implemented via a Firmware Update. Hopefully VTech will do the same. I don't see why they couldn't too, and I fully hope and expect they will (I will write them and ask them to).

Delighted with this unit, otherwise!! Highly-recommended!

Vtech's WiFi Internet Radio is almost perfect for home use. I opened the box, plugged it in, and followed the well-written instructions to set up this radio in 12 minutes flat (I actually timed it). Lovely! You don't have to be a super-techie to get this radio going.

Here's my take on this radio:

PROS:

1. Once you've set up the radio to access your wireless network, you're ready to select stations, and there are many, many to choose from - by location, by genre, language, or most popular.

2. As luck would have it, my favorite station was not on the list, but I was quickly able to set it for myself. Now it comes in much clearer than it did on my old clock radio.

3. The alarm is easy to use and includes a snooze feature.

4. The sound is fine for news and talk, and you can add speakers for better quality music if you like.

5. A five-day weather forecast is available as a text/graphic display. I plan to add a weather station tomorrow.

6. The size of the radio is about right for setting on table or counter. It's not as small as my old radio but not so large as to be awkward on an overnight table.

7. The users' manual is clear and helpful. It includes complete instructions for just about anything you might want (except see CONS 2.).

CONS:

1. The remote is very small and flimsy looking and not of the same quality as the radio. For me, it works only part of the time, and it frequently does not cause a response in the radio.

2. While there's a snooze feature, there's no "sleep"(timer). I like to drift off listening, so I'll hang on to the old clock radio until there's a firmware update that includes "sleep." Hint, hint. Hope, hope!

And while I'm dreaming of additional features, how about a place to store the remote? It's so small that I can imagine it will get knocked out of place by a pet or just lost by me.

We're having stormy weather tomorrow, an excellent day to see how it performs in bad weather. Update on this point to follow.

Overall, this is a very nice radio - easy setup, good sound, lots of listening choices. I'm a happy listener.

Four stars (minus one for the remote).

UPDATE: September 22, 2009

Here in Dallas, we've been experiencing a series of wild thunderstorms. I am happy to report that my VTech radio performs better than my regular radios in storms. How's that for performance? Really great!

PS - still hoping for a firmware update for this model rather than the next.

I purchased this device to hook up to my home stereo system as an alternative to XM/Sirius. I find that there is a lot of great content without having to pay 15-20 per month for XM/Sirius. This item is easy to set up and delivers exactly what it promises. The station search options are plentiful giving you access to all types of music genres (many of the available stations appear to be the "internet" versions of terrestrial radio stations around the world) I especially like how you can access content from your own PC over the wireless network. Sound quality is great (especially for such an inexpensive device).
I would have given this 5 stars if it was able to access Pandora. If you don't mind not being able to listen to Pandora over this device, then I would highly recommend it!

SETUP -- The first thing to remember is that this radio requires you have a wireless Internet connection (router) and in close proximity in order to work properly. More important, you have to know the "name" of your wireless Internet network (Not the brand name - but the name you or someone assigned to the network when it was initially set up) AND you'll also need to know the "password" for your wireless network. Without this information, you'll not be able to proceed. When you have (1) "network name" and (2) the "password" your setup is relatively easy. If all this makes you feel a little uncomfortable, call your neighborhood teen computer wizard and they'll have it humming for you in no time ---but they'll still need to know network name and password. (**make sure they don't write it down and put it in their pocket or you'll most likely have uninvited guests on your network very soon thereafter**)

GREAT SOUND - Being one who is very particular when it comes to "good" sound from a radio, I'd have to rate the Vtech IS9181's audio fidelity outstanding. Very impressive. Exceptional in fact...though you should remember that audio streams originating from different stations across the world will have differing levels of quality and volume. Otherwise, not everything you hear is going to be of "exceptional" audio fidelity. Different stations (individuals) stream at different rates and their fidelity will not be the same. For those with a big budget (stations in major cities - The WBBM's, the WBZ's or KCBS's of the world make it sound like they're in the room with you --- reason is ... they can afford to "fill that (Internet) pipe" with all the data that provides this truly awesome sound you'll hear. Remember, small operators and even many radio stations in mid-size cities often stream at a "lesser rate" due to smaller budgets. When they do, the result is a lower quality (and less intense) signal to your Internet radio. So...don't be surprised if you find yourself adjusting the volume if you scan through your favorites stations frequently. I did not find this to be troublesome, however, as I'm not continually changing stations.

STATION AVAILABILITY - There are just tons of stations/streams from which to choose on the Internet. They are NOT all listed in your radio, though there are many from which to choose. You can go to your Vtech website account to add stations you may not initially find available. I have not yet tried this feature so don't know how well it works. If your neighbor down the street is streaming a show to the Internet you'd like to listen to, I presume you'd go to your VTech online account and plug in his Internet streaming address, then it would be available as a selection on your radio. If there's anything troubling about stream availability is that many stations' (in smaller cities) who are listed, are not reliable when it comes to a constant and "reliable" signal for your radio. You'll often see on the VTech's screen, after it searches for a signal, "Check back later. " OK -- This is not good if you want to count on this station to supply your entertainment/information with certain reliability. I was surprised to find a number of rather well-known radio stations from around the U.S. falling down on this count.

REMOTE CONTROL - Vtech decided to go the "chintzy" route on their remote control for this radio. Unimpressive... and I can see where this thing, when subjected to much use, could be troublesome in no time. Only thought by engineering in this instance seems to have been to "keep it cheap" ...and they succeeded. Too bad, this is an otherwise well-designed radio that works and sounds great. The remote control has those awful membrane buttons and overall.. just feels like junk.

MOST PROBLEMATIC on the VTech IS9181 - Disappearing Favorites - Don't take my word as gospel on this as I have so little experience in using this radio. Check some other reviews here...but my impression is: If you have your radio on, blasting great sounds and are seemingly elated with your gift or purchase, you're going to be really disappointed with this. The most annoying problem I found with this radio is that if you "unplug" or lose power for any reason, all those stations you have selected and programmed into your on screen "favorites" list will disappear. You'll then be required to manually search for ALL of them again and re-add to your radio's "favorites" list. If you only have a few favorites this is not going to be a big issue...BUT if you have added up to a 100 stations in memory (favorites)... or 20 FM stations (this is also an FM radio) you're going to really be upset when the power goes out or you happen to unplug this device; if only for a few seconds. I found this to be a very disappointing aspect of an otherwise well-designed radio. This is the only issue that prevented me from giving the VTech Internet radio a 5 Star rating. This radio does have a battery compartment but I don't believe it has any bearing on keeping your "favorites" list from disappearing. I have not put batteries in this radio but after a cursory glance at the manual, it appears the batteries most likely maintain the clock's time, nothing more. I may be mistaken on this point.

OTHER FEATURES - You can plug an IPOD or mp3 player into this radio or your stereo. Haven't done it, but the plugs are available on back of radio if you want these options. Tuning Controls and buttons located on top are easy to use but not easy to see if you're in bed. Then you'd use the small remote control that comes with the VTech IS9181 Radio. Radio not only sounds great...it looks great too and isn't too big. Easily will fit on a nightstand in your bedroom or on a counter top.

OVERALL... this radio should rank as a TOP CHOICE for anyone interested in listening to high quality sound from stations on the Internet. Remember, the faster your Internet connection, the better the chance of having good/great results. While it probably will perform well with a DSL connection, a cable broadband connection will be better. If you're still using a dial-up connection I'd say you'd best wait to buy this, it's just not going to work out for you.

I have owned this unit for about 4 months now, use it almost everyday, and I love it. It is very easy to set up - found my wifi connection in about a minute, and connected straight away with no trouble. One of the things I love about it is it has real "Aux Out" jacks - which means you can use it as a good quality source to your hifi. Just get a stereo RCA type cable and you're all set. The sound quality of the unit stand-alone is fine, maybe a little better than your average clock radio. But as an input source for your hifi, its really great and you are no longer limited by the built in speakers of the VTech unit itself.

Pros:
+ Very easy to set up.
+ Easy to locate a very wide range of internet radio stations - the buttons and navigation are intuitive and easy. A minor complaint is that you browse a hierarchical list - Genres, Countries, Stations, etc. It can take a while to click through all the folders to get to the station you want. It would be nice if there was a way to search as well as to browse. But this is a minor complaint.
+ Maintains rock solid connection to my home wifi network. Even after many hours of streaming, I never get the "Buffering..." messages I do when using iTunes on my PC or iPod Touch. This alone makes it well worth it to me
+ Access to literally thousands of internet radio stations for free! Want reggae music from Jamaica? Done! Ambient techno from Holland? No problem! Connections to hundreds of conventional radio stations (like personal favorite KCRW in Santa Monica)? Easy as pie! All for free!
+ Battery or wall power operation makes it very flexible
+ Easy to set it up to stream using music files on your computer to the Vtech unit.

Cons:
+ My only complaint is that is does not seem to be able to stream playlists set up in iTunes. It only allows you to select folders - for example all the music you have by John Coltrane, but not a jazz playlist of your favorite jazz artists. But since my main use for this product is to get access to the literally thousands of free internet stations, this is not a huge complaint.

All in all, a great product. Nice job, VTech!

I've got a couple of the higher end internet radio/media streaming devices and they each use DNLA servers to stream music and playlists from your network. This unit does not require the DNLA server but it doesn't recognize playlists either. This is a big downer for me. I listen to playlists. The VTech unit can only play songs by subdirectory. When I looked for a firmware update to see if they had addressed this issue in an update, I couldn't find anywhere where they even mentioned that this unit could get firmware updates. Hopefully it can and wll.

What they got right:

- Built in FM tuner -- Very nice and easy to use. Tune to your local FM stations right away without the internet.

- Battery Power -- Using AA batteries you can move this around the house and not have to use a plug.

- File Sharing -- Finding music files on your network is share based and does not require a DNLA server. This is nice since DNLA servers can be a pain especially when each device has it's own version of the server software.

- Sound -- The sound is decent for such a small unit.

- Controls -- There is a remote and the unit itself has full function controls. You can operate it without the remote.

- Internet Radio is easy to use -- You have to search through lists to find the stations you want, but it works fine. I found my local AM station fast and it sounded great.

- Design - It looks nice and the color screen is great.

What they missed:

- No Playlist support on network music -- This unit searches your network for computers and windows shared drives. It will then play subdirectories of MP3 files. It does not recognize playlists. This means you can only play subdirectories. You could copy the songs you want to play into a temporary folder, but that's a pain. Especially if you have a bunch of playlists already set up.

- Firmware Updates -- Usually these types of products have the ability to get a firmware update. This allows the company to fix bugs and add features (like playlist support). I was unable to find anything about the firmware being updatable. Nothing in the menu, the manual, or on the VTech website. Hopefully there is one, but I don't see it.

- No Headphone Jack

Conclusion:
If the firmware can indeed be updated and they add playlist support, then this unit would be a good deal. Until then it is lacking in the media sharing department.

This is the third dedicated (not part of a TV etc) internet radio in our home. I bought it for its battery capability but it has proved to be so good that it has taken the place of one of the other internet radios and is plugged in all the time. The sound quality is amazingly good - the speakers are clear and it even has pretty good bass for its size.

Pros: Great sound. Easy to setup and use. Fast tuning time when plugged in. Looks great. Readable display.
Cons: On battery it takes too long to turn on (a minute or so). Battery life not stellar.

Oddly the firmware cannot be updated. This is unusual in such products due to bugs, changes in media etc. However the device is great, so not a con so far.

I would recommend this to anyone seeking their first internet radio. It is superb.

I stumbled across this device and decided to take a chance. I am so glad that I did! I absolutely LOVE this device! I love the time I have spent in Hawaii and now I am listening to "Hawaii Joe" on a daily basis and it makes me feel like I am still in the islands! I lived in Australia for two years and I am able to pick up the local Auzzie news and their wonderful lingo whenever I want! I have traveled the world extensively and this radio gives me such an amazing experience as I am eaily able to dial in any country of my choice! This is a treasure trove of magic for me. I highly recommend it! It automatically found my wireless Internet signal and so the set up could not have been easier. Do yourself a favor and get one, you will never regret it! It's very well made and has the look and feel of high quality. It's easy to use and I just can't think of a single negative.