Home > Consumer Reviews > Aluratek AIRMM01 Internet Radio Alarm Clock with built-in WiFi (Black)

This was very easy to set up and does the job.

Here are some issues I ran into:

1) If I encrypt my wireless network, the device had issues keeping the connection to the router (not sure if this was an issue with the router itself Linksys WRT54G2 Wireless-G Broadband Router)

2) I could not find a way to add other internet stations.

3) When I tried the FM radio it crashed the system (but I didn't purchase this for that reason)

4) If you choose to wake up to internet radio and the site is down, it doesn't default to beeping.

I was looking for a replacement for my old clock radio after the CD player died. I hadn't even considered an Internet radio until I saw the AIRMM01F with it's integrated clock and dual alarms. Plus it can play MP3 and WMA files stored on a USB drive or via WiFi on a home PC. So now I don't even need a CD player in the bedroom. The price made it a viable solution since most other Internet radios cost much more and have less features.

Initial setup was fairly straight forward. I had read about it needing a firmware update to fix problems so that was the first thing I did. Then I set up connectivity to my network. Since my home WiFi network includes WEP security and MAC filtering I had to use the advanced setup mode to configure it. But after adding the radio's MAC address to my router and entering the WEP shared key, the radio was able to connect without problems.

It took a while before the radio showed up in the Windows Media Player shared device list. It also sometimes takes a couple of attempts to connect to the "Media Server" but this could be due to the HDD on my PC in sleep mode and takes a while to spin back up.

You can add favorite stations through the radio but I found it easier to do through the web site [...]. After registering your radio's MAC address and creating an account, you can browse stations and add them to one or more favorites lists. The radio then connects to your account and lists the favorites you selected. You can also add stations not listed if you know the URL but they need to stream MP3 or WMA, it does not play Real Audio format stations.

The alarm clock is configurable to wake to any audio source on specific day(s) of the week and at a specific volume level -- no more missing an alarm because the volume you fell asleep to was too low.

It can also play MP3 files stored on a USB drive. You'll also need a USB drive to update the firmware. The headphone jack is essential to me because I like to fall asleep to the radio through pillow headphones.

Now the flaws:
There is major delayed response time when you click buttons to navigate through the menu when using the FM tuner. It also struggles to update the screen on the menu and even the clock display. It gets so bad the clock seems to lose time because the display can't keep up. This seems to only happen when tuned to stations that broadcast RDS text (station name, current song, etc).

The main problem with this radio is the back light which is way too bright to be used at bedside. This is a major design flaw since the nightstand is a common place for clock radios. There are three brightness levels -- Bright, Brighter and Brightest. The lowest level is still way too bright. You can set it to turn off the display after a period of time, but this means the clock display is turned off too. I ended up doing what other people have done and covered the display with a piece of 5% window tint. I used a static cling tint that can easily be removed.

If you use the headphone jack the alarm won't sound through the speaker. This is a problem if you fall asleep using pillow speaker. Even my old cheap-o clock radio played the alarm through the speaker when the headphone jack is used.

The sleep timer won't allow you to set it if the time it would turn off spans midnight. For example, if the current time is 11:01pm you cannot set the sleep timer to 60 min. If the current time is 11:46 you cannot set the sleep timer at all.
*** EDIT:I reported this to Aluratek and the sent me a beta firmware update that fixed the problem.

A minor annoyance is the loud clicking sound of the buttons on top of the unit. I listen via headphones in bed and the button clicks wake up my wife. The work around is to use the remote control which is silent.

Some other things to consider before buying:
*No AM tuner
*FM tuner is not HD
*Mono sound unless you connect to an external device.

If Aluratec ever fixes the flaws this will be a great clock radio.

Great product, simple to set up, as long as you remember the password on your secured wifi connection (enter using the remote) and IF you first log onto aluratek.vtuner.com and select either stations you already know and like or select stations in the preferred genres to create your own favorite list. Aluratek must have improved/updated the application because I did not have any of the problems other reviewers mentioned. I HAD a sirius radio and it was great in the car but LOUSY RECEPTION RETENTION indoors this Aluratek works great with NO MONTHLY FEE!!! I love radio and I love simplicity, this product checks both those boxes.

I LOVE this radio and recommend that you buy it. As a longtime radio fan, this is a dream and will work well if you do a little legwork BUT if you want to get the most out of the unit you have to look out for a couple things:

1. Update The Firmware...it is necessary to get it working with WPA security.

2. Note that YOU CAN add stations directly to this radio (contrary to what most reviewers say) via a website at http://aluratek.vtuner.com where you register your radio and get access to this feature. However, I can't blame other reviewers for not knowing it! For some reason, this key feature IS NOT included in the documentation! I only stumbled on this at one of the forum posts here at Amazon.

I have not gotten into the media server function but as an internet radio this is absolutely amazing! I LOVE IT, its sound is perfectly good for unit of its type plus you can output it to better speakers if you wish.

The remote is very nice. Do a little legwork and you'll love it too.

Easy to set up. Simple to operate. Huge selection of stations all around the world. Good quality sound. The unit is smaller than expected with no compromise in sound or functionality. Fits easily on my nightstand. We're enjoying the BBC World Service and LBC radio in London from here in Santa Monica. This is a wonderful product!