Ocean Digital WR-23D Portable FM Internet Radio 2.4” Color LCD Built-in Battery Wi-Fi Bluetooth UPnP & DLNA Player (Black)

Belong I paste a 2019 review of the earlier Ocean Digital portable model, a fine radio with one minor defect, a small screen that was greyish and rather dim. I have poor vision but still managed. The new version, the one I am reviewing, has all the features of the earlier model and now a GREAT large color screen that is much more user friendly. I gave one of these radios to a skeptical friend who said he probably would never use it, and now he writes to say he uses it throughout the day. Sound is clearer on this one, and the equalizer for tone not so hard to find. The designer of this new one noted all the weakish spots of the earlier model, and not only fixed them but went way beyond in fine tuning. One reviewer seemed unhappy with this device, and my sense is he or she expected it to be like an AM radio with a dial for stations. Of course wifi does not work that way, but you can search by continent, or country, or genre, and within a country for genre -- so if you want "talk" from Italy you can find it and, in this newer model, find it quickly An electrical device as well thought out and pleasing as something made by Steve Jobs. A strong recommendation. And now here my 2019 review of the earlier model: ....... "Immensely impressed. I have had internet wifi radios for many years, and was one of the first in the US to get one. This is a superior radio in many ways. The internet in my home is cheap and weak, and yet this picks up easily and securely, when two of my other wifi radios, table models, often get no signal. The radio is so small I can carry it with me easily from room to room, or in a suitcase. About the size of a paperback book. The setup, once you read the instructions and realize that the OK button is often the wrong one, and the arrow-forward button is the one you need to SET a command, is smart and intuitive, easy, and very sane. I put twenty stations into memory in not much time, and suspect that will hold me for a long time. The sound is good, and although the volume maximum is by no means loud (perhaps a little too low on some stations), generally the volume is good enough – at least for voices, for BBC, for NPR – but not perhaps for music. Yet in the headphone jack I can stick in an aux speaker if I want a crowd pleaser, or a headphone, and the volume is good. And in STEREO with headset or auxiliary speaker. This radio has been well designed and very well thought out, even I think with a slight delay when you hit a button – in case you got it wrong and want to retract your finger. I am accustomed to RECIVA and PURE networks, but the one this radio uses SKYTUNE, although different, is just as good and maybe better. I have found a few stations, like NYC WQXR Q2 or New Sounds band, here, and not elsewhere (andnot, for example, on Alexa). A solid feel, good broadcast FM with antenna (although I set my necessary FM stations on internet wifi and they are better there). My eyes are not good and the screen is small, maybe too small, but I can live with it. Yes, READ THE INSTRUCTIONS carefully, and they are very clear, clean, and helpful, with some welcome surprises for easy setup and use. I suspect I will be in the market for other WIFI radios by this manufacturer, OCEAN DIGITAL. I’m happy. And not much makes me happy these days (December 2019) in Washington DC "

I am one of those people that sleeps at night listening to a radio using headband earphones. Over the years I have owned a couple of the Mutant brand pocket internet radios that the Ocean Digital radio now replaces. The Ocean Digital radio is larger, but in return has a much better and larger display and a better interface. On startup it quickly starts playing within just a few seconds, and I have not had interruption issues due to the radio buffering. In my experience the radio will run several hours on a charge, long enough to run all night. For internet stations, this radio uses a service called "Skytune", that compiles the internet stations for the radio. Skytune has many stations to choose from, but if there is a station they don't list you can put a request on their website, skytune.net, and go to "Suggest a Station" where you can fill out a form for the new station. As for FM, I have not used the FM band very much, but in my limited experience it works well.But I do have a couple "gripes" with the radio - although they are not deal breakers. First is the headphone jack being on the back. Every other portable radio I've owned has had the headphone jack on the side, which allows the radio to be used laying down on its back without damaging the headphone plug. As it is, I use a 90 degree headphone jack adapter so the radio can lay on its back when listening in bed. Another more minor issue is the circular navigation control buttons. They are flat and nearly flush with each other and the cabinet that it can be difficult to discern between them. If they were made slightly raised from the cabinet and each other it would make the navigation function buttons more tactile & easier to use.Overall it is a fun little radio that overall works very well, and am very satisfied with it and would recommend it to anyone that would be interested in an internet radio.