For me, listening to radio stations streaming on the internet, is not a new experience, but to hear it streaming over a wireless device has been exciting. If you have an internet connection and WiFi, you can listen to any radio staton, anywhere, through a WiFi radio. The radio shown above was my first choice. It's called the Mondo+ by Grace Digital, a California based company.
Far too long, media regulatons have locked us into a local market, hearing what they want us to hear. With a WiFi radio, you can hear any market, anytime you want and as long as you want. Your tailored personal preferences are right up front.
I'm an avid AM radio fan, but with poor atmospheric conditions, FCC regulations and marketing, I found a way to hear what I want to hear, anytime I want to hear it.
Let me tell you about the Mondo+.
The Grace Digital Mondo+ is the perfect combination of a Wi-Fi speaker and internet radio. The Mondo+ includes built in audio apps for access to over 100,000 internet radio stations, as well as Bluetooth and Chromecast built-in. Control the Mondo+ via the front panel controls, included infrared remote, the Grace Digital smartphone app controller, Chromecast enabled smartphone apps and even via Google Home’s voice assistant. The Mondo+ is the perfect bedside alarm clock with its 5 custom alarms settings, snooze and sleep timers, as well as custom day time and night time backlit display settings. With an integrated class D digital amplifier and custom speaker drivers you will appreciate the warm bass and crisp highs coming from such a small package. Put a Mondo+ in your bedroom, den and kitchen and play different music in every room, or synchronize your music throughout your home. Due to the Chromecast built-in function you can even group the Mondo+ with the Grace Digital Encore+ stereo system as well as any brand’s speakers that have Chromecast built-in for a superb flexible and custom audio experience everywhere in your home.
Interested yet? It is a bit pricey, circa $200. How about half the cost? $100. You can purchase the factory refurbished model for half price with full factory warranty. Click on the picture at the top of the page.
With my phone, I can totally control the Mondo+. With the Mondo app, I can turn the radio on, off, search stations, select presets, add presets, adjust volume, anywhere within the range of my WiFi.
Ok, so what are the drawbacks? Regretfully, there is one. Grace has not yet included Bluetooth transmit; only receive. That simply means you can send Bluetooth to the radio, but not transmit it to another Bluetooth device, such as a remote speaker. They're working on it, but it's not here yet. In the meantime, there is a fix. For $30, you can buy the TaoTronics Bluetooth transmit/receive device from Amazon. Plug this device into the provided RCA jacks on the back of the Mondo+ and it will send the auido, via Bluetooth, 65 feet to a Bluetooth speaker of your choosing. Volume can be adjusted on either device. Note: Bluetooth does not sync. There is a slight delay. The TAO comes with a USB cable for power and an adaptor from 1/8", to RCA, both connecting to the Mondo+.
Want a remote Bluetooth speaker? This is the one I chose. Can be found on Ebay. Great 50's retro design and matching audio. Great addition for another room.
We started out with WiFi internet radio, so let's go back. You don't need all the extras to hear internet radio, but like anything else, it grows and it did.
