Do you find the selection of stations on FM and DAB radios limiting? If you fancy broadening your horizons, or have very specific tastes in music, you should probably consider a portable Internet radio device, which would allow you to choose from the thousands of radio stations available online. Whatever music you like, whether it's psytrance 24/7 or some new kind of jazz/funk fusion that you can't get on British radio, you'll find it on the Internet.
The Bush TR2015WIFI offers access to all of these stations via a small, light radio that connects to your home Wi-Fi network.
Strengths
At 826g, the TR2015 is pretty light for a radio, making it easy to carry around. The controls at the top of the player are simple and easy to use -- the dial is multi-functional and is used to select menu options. This system works well and is satisfyingly responsive.
The TR2015 is a doddle to set up. To get it online you simply enter the network details of the wireless network you want to use and enter your passkey. The radio will then connect, go online and grab a list of radio stations, which you will then be able to browse at your leisure.
In order to tune in, you can pick stations either by their country of origin or genre. If you are looking for a traditional radio station, like Virgin, Kiss or Radio 1, you'll be better off going through the 'by country' menu. If you just fancy picking a station based on what it plays, the genre menu is the one for you. There are about 512 stations listed for the UK, which should keep you occupied for some time.
Not only can you listen to live radio, but where a station offers an 'on-demand' service you can also listen to past shows. This feature works very well with the BBCs 'Listen Again' feature. When the radio finds a station compatible it will offer you a choice: either listen to live radio, or use the on-demand feature to hear a previously broadcast programme.
When using the on-demand feature, you can even choose the point in the show where you start playback from. The quality depends on what bit rate the broadcaster uses to stream the content.
Weaknesses
It's hard to fault the TR2015, however we do wish Bush had given us the option to power the radio from batteries --
being able to listen to this in your garden during the summer would be
fantastic. We would also have preferred more volume on a few occasions, especially when listening to on-demand content, which was particularly quiet for some reason.
The sound quality can be poor when you listen to a low-bit-rate station. We can't blame the radio for this, but there aren't any tone controls and there are no equaliser settings to help mitigate the problem.
The high-tech nature of this radio can also be one element of its downfall. It's not uncommon to find an Internet station unavailable, so you should be aware that you may temporarily lose access to your favourite channel. Again, this isn't likely to be the fault of the TR2015 -- with the tempestuous nature of Internet connections, it's bound to happen on occasions.
If you are used to the push-button immediacy of FM radio, you'll probably find it tedious to wait for the Bush to tune in to a station. It can take more than one minute -- we waited over three minutes to switch between certain stations -- for a selected radio station to start playing. On the plus side, the larger radio stations seem to start playing a lot faster than the smaller, independent ones.
Unlike other Internet radios, such as the Terratec Noxon iRadio, there is no way to add radio stations that the TR2015 fails to pick up. With the iRadio there's a site where you can enter the details of your favourite stations, which will then be accessible via the radio. This would have been a nice feature for the TR2015 to include.
Conclusion
Overall, we're fans of the Bush TR2015WIFI. It's simple to use, and if you want a background radio for the kitchen or study, it's a decent choice.
The quality isn't always perfect and there's no battery option, but as portable radios go it certainly offers a handy way to listen to Internet radio without being close to a computer.
Edited by Jason Jenkins
Additional editing by Kate Macefield
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User reviews2
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Johnny Aitken 26 June 2007
Good: Built in alarm to wake to radio, good sound quality, output
Bad: No batteries to carry it around without mains
Comment: Very simple and easy to setup with nice instructions, worked first time, but beware if you're using Vista, there is a security problem that prevents the radio accessing the media files on your PC (MP3s etc) otherwise the radio works fine. I am awaiting a solution to the problem from both Microsoft and Bush.
charles marx 23 May 2007
Good: World radio everywhere
Bad: No battery
Comment: Great little radio. Especially as it can be found for under £80 with some online retailers.
Review here was a little harsh - average time from power on to station loading is about 45 seconds, but if it's already plugged in (on standby) it's usually about 15 seconds - similarly switching between stations.
Review also says: "Unlike other Internet radios... there is no way to add radio stations that the TR2015 fails to pick up." This isn't true. Go to reciva.com and register you radio (easy) and you can save as many (non included in the database) stations as you want to your profile - which is then saved to your radio. They also have great community support here.
See all 2 user reviews