Terratec Noxon iRadio for iPod review

The multi-talented iRadio for iPod has more going for it than even its protracted name suggests. Alongside the wireless internet radio and iPod dock features, the Noxon houses an FM tuner and media streaming facilities, allowing owners to play music stored on their PCs through the Noxon's integrated speaker.

Set-up could hardly be less demanding thanks to the iRadio's smartly-designed wizard: entering the wireless router's encryption key with the oddly-configured remote control is about as trying as it gets. The Noxon handily places a folder of "local UK radio stations" at the top of the menu, to help you get started. Unfortunately, it was completely devoid of stations, leading us to spend a futile 15 minutes wondering if the radio was actually connected to our wireless router.

We eventually managed to dig out the hundreds of British radio stations by hunting through the country-by-country menus, but the iRadio's handy shortcut is anything but.

That said, the iRadio's menu system is the model of efficiency. Click into the BBC Radio 2 folder, for example, and not only can you instantly click to listen to the live radio stream, but also shows available on the BBC's listen-again catch-up service, and podcasts.

Streams start almost instantly, and sound quality from the internal speaker is impressive: it's both crisp forceful enough to fill a living room, without the tinny vibrations you often experience with such small speakers.

Sadly, the iRadio seems to have problems locking on to a Wi-Fi signal, showing full signal strength and playing flawlessly, and then flailing around trying to find a signal the next time you switch it on. A flick of the power switch or manually forcing the radio to relocate the wireless network often solves the connection problem, but it's hardly a smooth experience.

The iPod dock can be used for both charging and playing music from your player too, with the iPod's albums easily navigable using the iRadio's sharp, five-deck LCD display and remote control. The FM radio is disappointing, however, with no RDS and it also has trouble holding down a signal, even if you use the supplied aerial.

While a firmware update may be enough to solve the iRadio's various performance issues, its biggest problem is its price: £237 places the iRadio in premium kit territory, and despite its wide array of features and smart design, the iRadio doesn't do enough to justify such a lofty figure.

Author: Barry Collins