Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
So good, wish sound quality were better, October 15, 2009
There are a lot of buzz about HD radio being the wave of the future. I tried an HD radio, and let me tell you, this internet radio has HD completely beat! I live in an area with poor reception for local stations, and I was tired of having to listen my favorite station through my laptop. Within minutes of taking the radio out of the box, I was connected to my favorite station but then I started exploring. I couldn't believe what I found! The radio connected to my Pandora account seamlessly. I've added stations to Pandora on my laptop and they appear on the radio within seconds! Controls on the radio link to Pandora for "thumbs up" or "down." Fantastic. But the really amazing thing is the intuitive interface that provides access to countless (there must be tens of thousands) of radio stations from around the globe! The interface is so intuitive that the stations can be selected either by region or by genre. All with no buffering! Incredible! For these features, I am deleriously happy with my purchase.
For all of its exceptional qualities, the sound quality is disappointing. With one speaker, the bass is truly lacking (and I don't like heavy bass). The sound doesn't seem "full." There are jacks in the back to connect stereo speakers but I'm not sure how that would work or whether I want to go through the effort. I bought this radio based on a review in the Boston Globe. They mentioned the Squeezebox Boom as having the highest quality sound. Of course, that radio was significantly more expensive and doesn't have Pandora controls. Neither radio has an iPod connection and they don't have back-up batteries. Neither has iTunes tagging (seriously?!).
All in all, I'm very happy. When they develop a radio with audiophile-quality sound, I'll be in line to buy one. Hopefully, wifi/internet radio will really take off. I'd love to have a receiver for my home stereo (since that sends sound throughout the house).
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20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Create your own Radio Station, August 4, 2009
if you can connect to the internet, you can use Pandora to create your very own "radio station" which will play the kinds of music you like, (you select it from a huge library of all recorded music, from the earliest days of radio until now). and if you can create a Pandora account, you can not only play your favorite music on your computer, but (and especially if you have a laptop with those tiny, little tinny speakers), you can improve on your computer speakers by buying and using an "internet radio" to listen to the music.
an "internet radio" uses your internet connection (it makes a wireless connection to your main computer or it makes a network connection -- via an ethernet cable connected to your main computer -- to SHARE your internet connection just as another computer might). then, as long as you remain connected to the internet, you can play music (as, for example, from Pandora) as long as you wish. you can use the single (but effective) speaker in the Livio Radio or you can connect the radio to your home music system via a stereo cable.
in addition to Pandora (where you, in effect, create your own radio station -- but may, in the future, have to pay a nominal monthly fee for copyright purposes), there are thousands (yes, thousands) of FREE internet radio stations that you can use this radio to listen to (by connecting you to these stations from all over the world via the internet). the livio comes with a small remote control, an internal "program" for easily setting up the radio to connect to your Pandora account, another for connecting to "Reciva" and all those free internet radio stations, volume controls, mutes, etc.
the radio is well-built and, after a few weeks of using it, i have no complaints whatsoever. it's a delight. one of the best investments i've ever made. oh yes, it also has a headphone jack and when it's powered up but not connected to the internet, it displays the time. all in all, a very well-thought-out device. i listen to it for hours every day while i'm doing my work (and play) on the internet. there are other "internet radios" out there (some cheaper, some more expensive), but i have yet to find a better one.
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14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Like Livio a lot!, August 3, 2009
The Livio radio is a gem. Easy to set up, with great customer service if you need assistance. I bought the radio specifically to use with Pandora, but you can listen to many other stations from around the world, and many genres. The sound is satisfying for me, and I have listened to a broad range of musical styles. The controls are simple and quite intuitive. I like the appearance of the radio very much, kind of modern retro, sleek and unobtrusive.
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by David Byrne
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