Best internet radios 2024: modern radios with streaming smarts

DAB radio: Revo SuperConnect Stereo
(Image credit: Revo)

Gone are the days of choosing from a small handful of FM stations, the best internet radios now provide access to thousands of stations from across the globe!

Whether you want music in the kitchen, bedroom, garden, or just about anywhere, an internet radio can add a nice touch to any setting. 

After extensive listening and testing both in our designated testing facilities and the real world, we've picked out a few standout internet radios.

We've selected a handful of our favourite internet radios based on differing criteria, however, all of our choices have been tested meticulously and had their sound, feature set, and overall build quality assessed and evaluated. 

Kashfia Kabir
Kashfia Kabir

Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand over 10 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products, been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found catching up with TV shows, tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and hanging out with her cat Jolene.

The quick list

Here's a quick breakdown of our picks for the best internet radios with a short summary and some of the key features that they individually offer. If you're after more details, click the photo of the radio to drop down to the in-depth entry.  

Best overall

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 winner. One of best internet radios you can buy right now.

Specifications

Radio: FM, DAB/DAB+, internet
Network features : Wi-fi, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer
Bluetooth : Yes
Connections : Aux input, line output, USB port, 3.5mm headphone jack
Dimensions (hwd): 16.6 x 25 x 13cm
Weight : 1.66kg
Finishes : 2 (black/natural wood, black)

Reasons to buy

+
Enjoyable sound
+
Easy to use
+
Plenty of radio and streaming options

Reasons to avoid

-
Not a huge leap over the previous model

The Roberts Stream 94L is the latest iteration of an award-winning radio (the Stream 94i and 93i have also been multiple prize-winners in the past), with this model's updates including a new logo and a faster processor as well as built-in Amazon Music, Deezer support and Spotify Connect. Better still, its considerable talents as an FM, DAB, and internet radio remain the standard to beat, too.

The Stream 94L is an undeniably smart-looking unit, flaunting its excellent build quality throughout that smooth, attractive design. The full-colour display is large and readable at a distance, and it's easy to use with the radio's buttons and the designated smartphone app.

Performance, thankfully, matches stylistic panache, based on our testing. The Stream 94L is an immensely enjoyable listen, with voices coming through with crystal clarity, the sense of rhythm conveyed expertly, and delivery coming through as punchy, detailed and dynamically expressive throughout.

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, this remains arguably the best sound-per-pound internet radio we've tested in a long time. 

Read the full review: Roberts Stream 94L

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Roberts Stream 94L scores in depth
AttributesNotesRating
SoundSmooth, enjoyable sound with a great mid-range focus.★★★★★
FeaturesNew processor, lots of connectivity options, full-colour LCD display★★★★★
BuildLooks smart and is built excellently★★★★★

Best premium

What Hi-Fi? Awards 2023 Product of the Year winner. If your budget can stretch to this, the Ruark R2 is an impressive internet radio

Specifications

Radio: FM, DAB/DAB+, internet
Network features : Wi-fi, Spotify Connect
Bluetooth : Yes
Connections : Aux-in
Dimensions (hwd): 18.5 x 34 x 15 cm
Weight : 2.9kg
Finishes: 2 (light cream, espresso)

Reasons to buy

+
Rich, detailed sound
+
Impressive dynamics, timing and texture
+
Beautiful design
+
Lovely to use
+
Great spread of features/connectivity

Reasons to avoid

-
Hi-res audio and AirPlay 2 support would have been nice

We called the last model “gorgeous”; the new Ruark R2 Mk4 is even more elegant and elevated. So much of the Ruark R2’s appeal lies in its stylish, sleek design that exemplifies the modern-retro trend so prevalent across hi-fi products today.

This sturdy unit is made for sound quality as well as beauty, with its damped polymer cabinet acoustically tuned. The R2 comes in two finishes: light cream or espresso, with ash or walnut grilles respectively. The rounded edges of the cabinet, the new handcrafted slatted wood grille on the front, and the bonded glass display are all are made to a very high quality.

The R2 has that naturally rich, weighty, and expressive sound signature, and features plenty of functionality and connectivity in the form of FM/DAB/DAB+ tuners, internet radio, Bluetooth, and alarms.

Read the full review: Ruark Audio R2 Mk4 review

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Ruark Audio R2 Mk4 scores in depth
AttributesNotesRating
SoundRich, detailed sound and impressive dynamics, timing and texture.★★★★★
FeaturesFeatures FM/DAB/DAB+ tuners, internet radio, Bluetooth, and alarms★★★★☆
BuildStudy cabinet build and bonded glass display are very high-quality★★★★★

Best system

The five-star Revo SuperConnect Stereo betters its predecessor with improved sound, more features and supreme build quality.

Specifications

Radio: FM, DAB/DAB+, Internet
Network features : Wi-fi, Spotify Connect, Amazon Music, Deezer
Bluetooth : Yes
Connections : RCA analogue output, 3.5mm aux input, digital optical output, 3.5mm headphone
Dimensions (hwd): 18 x 36 x 15cm
Weight : 5kg
Finishes : 2 (walnut/black, walnut/silver aluminium)

Reasons to buy

+
Charming retro-modern aesthetic
+
Super range of features 
+
Engaging, well-balanced sound 

Reasons to avoid

-
May be a little big for some  
-
Needs a designated return button for navigating the display menu

We loved the original Revo SuperConnect internet radio (below), but nearly a decade later, the stereo upgrade has taken things to new heights. The SuperConnect Stereo is a certified five-star performer in pretty much every department, serving up superb sound alongside sleek retro-modern looks and a whole raft of features and connectivity options. 

In fact, the SuperConnect could well be your go-to alternative to a traditional multiple-box separates hi-fi system, such is the raft of functions on display and the level of sound produced. The range of physical connections is substantial (RCA analogue output, 3.5mm aux in, a digital optical output and 3.5mm headphone jack), while wireless options are accommodated courtesy of wi-fi and Bluetooth, with Spotify Connect, Deezer and Amazon Music music services supported. As a bonus, you can even stream tunes from connected devices on your home network. There’s also the usual access to FM, DAB/DAB+ and internet radio you’d expect from, well, a radio.

Hi-fi quality sound is the SuperConnect Stereo’s real trump card, though. It now has two 3.5-inch BMR drivers powered by a 30W Class D amplifier. Tracks feel balanced, weighty and properly substantial, with far more depth and subtlety than you’d normally associate with a single radio unit. Whether in our listening rooms or at home in the kitchen, Revo’s latest always felt balanced, in control and immensely enjoyable to listen to.

When we first heard that Revo was planning to charge £489 / $599 / AU$899 for its latest internet radio, it initially felt a tad steep. Having tested and lived with the SuperConnect Stereo for a number of weeks and experienced its class-leading sound and effortless usability, we can cheerfully confirm that it’s worth every penny. 

Read the full review: Revo SuperConnect Stereo

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Revo SuperConnect Stereo scores in depth.
AttributesNotesRating
SoundClear, wide sound. Deals well with dynamic range and dense compositions. ★★★★★
FeaturesAccess to tens of thousands of stations, as well as a range of streaming services★★★★★
BuildWell made unit, feels weighty and solid★★★★☆

How we test

How we test internet radios

Why you can trust What Hi-Fi? Our expert team reviews products in dedicated test rooms, to help you make the best choice for your budget. Find out more about how we test.

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 radio 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 (and FM and DAB) but all its advertised features from Bluetooth connectivity to streaming support to the alarms and presets.

Performance is important but only in the context of a radio's value. A much more expensive radio might come with lots of bells and whistles, like various streaming service support and lots of connectivity options, but if you're only ever listening to the same four radio stations, you might be better served by a more focused radio that caters to your needs. Equally, if your internet radio is doing double duty as your main audio system, it needs to be up to the task (and your budget). And if you're not getting outright audio enjoyment, it's not exactly great value. A five-star product both performs great and is excellent value.

We choose only the best products from all of our 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.

FAQ

What’s better: internet radio or DAB radio?

Internet radio gives you access to tens of thousands of radio stations from across the world, so you get far more choice than DAB radio. DAB is perfect if you're happy to listen to local and national stations. Internet radio is your portal to world music but remember, you will need a wi-fi/internet connection. Sound quality? Again, that depends on the radio station and the strength of your connection. It isn't necessarily true that one always sounds better than the other.

Kashfia Kabir
Hi-Fi and Audio Editor

Kashfia is the Hi-Fi and Audio Editor of What Hi-Fi? and first joined the brand over 10 years ago. During her time in the consumer tech industry, she has reviewed hundreds of products (including speakers, amplifiers and headphones), been to countless trade shows across the world and fallen in love with hi-fi kit much bigger than her. In her spare time, Kash can be found tending to an ever-growing houseplant collection and hanging out with her cat Jolene.

With contributions from
  • pvd72
    Great review.
    I doubted about one of the roberts but in the end got myself a kenwood CR-ST100S.
    It has good sound almost endless possibilities as fm, dab+, internet radio, usb, aux and bluetooth connectivity.
    A downside may be that it needs a fixed power connection because there is no possibility for battery or accumulator operation.
    Reply