Grace Wifi Radio (ITC-IR1000B)
by IntelliTouch
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List Price: Our Price: $110.00 You Save: $84.99 (44%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Category: CE See more product details |
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Customers in the UK,
Buy this product at amazon.co.uk
for British Pounds
Digital Cameras Photo Reviews of Grace Wifi Radio (ITC-IR1000B)
Customer Review: Buy it from JC Penney
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this from JC Penney's. It was outlet priced at $149.99. Shipping, handling and tax brought it to $174.32. The setup was according to the instructions. But, read all of them through first and follow them explicitly! That reduces the frustration quotient. The sound on its speaker is good, but it depends on the quality of the Kbps of the source.
64Kbps and above are excellent. 23Kbps is burbley. I have a Linksys router and the setup was according to instructions. My broadband is from Wild Blue over satellite. This item is a good value.
Customer Review: Sadly- I can't recommend any longer
Summary: 2 Stars
I liked the first one of these radios so much I bought a second... but now I'm looking for replacements. Why? After moving to a new house- both radios drop off the wireless network and won't "heal" on their own, even with strong wifi strength. I've tried static IP settings- a new/different router- etc. Basically- like many- I can play one until it hangs- then power off/on, off/on until it gets back. This does not make for a good "sleep timer" I have Logitech squeezeboxes (3 of them) - very similar functionality- on the same wireless network. NOT ONE PROBLEM. Secondly- they have a hum- even when off and plugged in. One of them came with a popping/bad amp brand new (which was replaced). In other words, quality is iffy. I'm getting another squeezebox or something with a wired ethernet port and selling these.
*EDIT* 3/25/09 - I've finally made both radios the most reliable they have ever been by disabling all wireless security, and turning off the SSID broadcast. That's hardly much of a secure network- but- at least now both connect in a minute or less and stay connected most of the time. I'll turn on MAC filtering at the router. I'm leaving this at a 2 though- because I shouldn't have to run the wireless net this way to make these work. I don't have to with squeezeboxes.
Customer Review: If you need it, you'll like it
Summary: 4 Stars
The internet radio (powered by Reciva) provides access to thousands of stations from all over the world. Reception depends on your ISP rather than a broadcast signal. We happen to have very poor broadcast reception but decent internet, and we installed a wireless router just to connect this radio.
The radio buffers data for a few seconds, but if the internet "signal" is dropped for longer than the buffering time, the radio will have to reacquire the signal and may then repeat an introductory comment or ad.
The HMI offered by the Grace is not as convenient as one would desire, but the reciva.com website provides a nice mechanism for creating a short list of favorite stations.
The sound quality (monaural) is good. A newly announced version from Grace offers battery-powered portability.
Customer Review: I love my GRACE!
Summary: 5 Stars
I love this thing! I spend way too much time in my kitchen cooking meals and washing dishes. I get lonely in there. Listening to my local radio stations is boring and repetitive. The Grace Wifi Radio is the perfect toy for me. I have dabbled in world music, public radio, radio theater, Pandora mixes...it just goes on and on!Customer Review: Excellent Radio Mostly
Summary: 4 Stars
I have had three Grace radios, two of the GDI-IR1000 model and the other the ITC-IR1000B. There are minor differences such as the B has a small antenna and the small push buttons have a different shape.
The B model was my first, bought from Sirius, and it worked fine out of the box once I discovered that pushing the large button was "select." I liked it so much that I quickly bought another. It arrived and it was not the B model. I set it up and it worked fine for about four hours when, after a buzz, the sound stopped and the display froze. The display then blanked and the radio did not respond to any buttons. I tried unplugging it and replugging it but nothing I did made it restart.
As it was within the 30 day warranty window, I called Sirius and returned the radio and got another. This, too, was not a B model (which I assume is a newer model). It worked fine and is still working after hundreds of hours but has developed a slight ticking in the background for all stations although the frequency and loudness of the ticking is different for each station. The ticking got worse and despite relocating in the house and ensuring that it was on different electric circuits within the house, it never lessened so I returned it, too. Should I order another, it will be the B model or the 2000 model which looks like the B model but has a remote.
Bottom line is that it is a great radio but I am concerned about its longevity based on my experience and the reviews I have read on Amazon. Buy it but make sure that it is new, the B model, and has a good warranty; buying from Amazon or another reputable vendor is required.