Whether you want music in the kitchen, bedroom or garden, an internet radio is an inspired choice.
Unlike traditional FM radios, the best internet radios provide access to thousands of stations across the globe for you to choose from. Want a station dedicated to troubadour jazz? Crunkcore? Psychobilly? Pirate metal? Chances are there's one out there for you.
And while internet stations do vary wildly in quality, these radios do not. Below we've selected our favourite internet radios from a wide range of brands, so you can pick the perfect model at a price that suits your pocket.
How to choose the best internet radio for you
Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test.
Allow us to furnish you with a couple of top tips. Firstly, look for wi-fi and wired ethernet capabilities (for the most stable performance), as well as Bluetooth to expand your range of listening options.
Secondly, while all the models featured below offer Spotify Connect built-in, some internet radios go further and include support for Google Chromecast, Apple AirPlay 2, or other streaming services such as Tidal and Deezer – and as our preferred streaming service, it's nice to get Tidal onboard if you can.
Lastly, you'll want to think about where you actually plan to use your internet radio. If you fancy taking it with you on your trips to the park, you might want something smaller and more portable with great Bluetooth support, while if you want something for the home, you might want something larger you can hardwire to your home network. The better the connection and the more the features, the higher the prices, though.
Ready to browse the best internet radios? Here's a look at the best in show...
The Roberts Stream 94L is the latest iteration of an Award-winning radio (Stream 94i and 93i before it has won multiple times) and its updates are simply a new logo, a faster processor, and built-in Amazon Music and Deezer support alongside Spotify. Its considerable talents as an FM, DAB and internet radio remain the standard to beat too.
It’s a smart-looking unit, with excellent build quality throughout. The full-colour display is large and readable at a distance, and it's easy to use with the unit's buttons and the smartphone app.
This radio is such an enjoyable performer. Voices come through crystal clear, it times well, is punchy and detailed, and dynamically so expressive too.
The Stream 94L’s smooth, unfussy nature masks just how talented a performer it is, especially in its ability to sound so fluid and capable with anything you play through it. At an unchanged price of £200, it remains the best sound-per-pound radio we've tested.
Read the full review: Roberts Stream 94L
The Model One Digital Generation 2 looks for all the world like a normal radio, complete with fabric grille, antenna and real-wood finish, but don't be fooled. At its core, the Tivoli is a wi-fi radio, with DAB+/FM taking the reins and now, Chromecast, AirPlay 2 and Bluetooth connectivity its valuable passengers.
This little gem scored five stars across the board in our testing, not just overall but for build, features and a clean, engaging sound – leaving us with no option but to hand it a What Hi-Fi? Award for the best DAB radio over £200. Its footprint is roughly that of a paperback (rather than a bigger shoe-box, say), it is thoroughly likeable and it could have come straight from a cover shoot with Livingetc.
It's pricey, but if that doesn't bother you, the Tivoli Model One Digital Generation 2 is a splendid and fully-featured wi-fi radio.
Read the full review: Tivoli Model One Digital Generation 2
The iStream 3 has been around since 2018 but remains one of the best internet radios we've tested. It's not short on listening options, either. In addition to the features of the Stream 94L, above, you get built-in access to Tidal, Amazon Prime Music and Deezer (providing you have subscriptions to these services, of course). So while it might look retro, it's very much a modern-day wireless.
Sonically, it's beautifully rich with a focus on the midrange – essential when listening to the vocal-heavy medium of radio. There's also great rhythmic agility and a nice sense of sonic organisation that makes this radio stand out from the crowd.
The Stream 94L is arguably better value and sounds a touch fuller, but some may prefer the looks of the Revival iStream 3. It's a hugely enjoyable listen at this price.
Read the full review: Roberts Revival iStream 3
If you're going to put the word 'Super' in the name, your product had better be something special. Thankfully the Revo SuperConnect is just that. You get the full suite of connectivity options, including wi-fi, Bluetooth aptX, and Spotify Connect, and it's easy to use, thanks to the clear OLED screen and large control dial.
And the sound? Impressively weighty, with serious scale and authority and not a hint of harshness or brightness. At times it can be a little too weighty – that bass could do with being reined in a little. Nevertheless, it remains a great option for anyone on the hunt for the best internet radios.
Read the full review: Revo SuperConnect
Note: There is a new stereo version of this model, the Revo SuperConnect Stereo, which will be put through the review process very soon.
With a handy handle, this is possibly the most portable of the bunch. And you don't have to worry about it surviving the journey: it feels satisfyingly weighty and solid.
Sound-wise, the presentation is nice and clear, with good body and texture, although the treble can sometimes sound a little harsh. It also has a good sense of rhythm for its size, whether listening from internet radio or Spotify Connect.
It has nothing on a dedicated wireless speaker, of course, but for a radio it’s very listenable. There's a slight hardness to the sound, but that is the only blemish on an otherwise impeccable record.
If you like the looks and the feature set, you’re unlikely to be disappointed by this retro-styled internet radio – a model that has stood the test of time.
Read the full review: Goodmans Heritage Portable
How we choose the best internet radios
We independently review hundreds of products each year, always as a team, at our state-of-the-art testing facilities located in London, Reading and Bath. This gives us complete control over the testing process, ensuring consistency and of course, impartiality, while ensuring no opinion goes unheard from our team of audio experts.
All products are tested against rivals in the same price category, and all review verdicts are agreed upon by the team as a whole rather than an individual reviewer, again helping to ensure consistency and avoid any personal preference. We test not only the raw audio quality of internet radio but all its advertised features from Bluetooth connectivity to streaming support to anything else.
Performance is important but only in the context of a radio's value. A much more expensive radio might come with lots more features, like various streaming service support and lots of connectivity options, than a much cheaper one, but it could have terrible value, making it a bad buy for most people who would be better served by something else. A five-star product both performs great and is an excellent value.
We choose only the best products from all of these reviews to feature in our Best Buys. There's no input from PR companies or our sales team when it comes to the verdict. At What Hi-Fi? we are proud to have been delivering honest, unbiased reviews for decades.
You can read more about how we test and review products on What Hi-Fi? here.
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