Disclaimer: Best Radios UK is audience supported. If you buy via links on here we may get a small commission. This doesn’t impact the price you pay & lets us keep the site free.
The Hama DIR3100
Features
- FM/DAB/DAB+ radio
- Wi-Fi for listening to internet radio
- 8” colour display
- 2 x 5W speakers offering stereo sound
- Remote control
- Compatible with Spotify Connect
- Adjustable display brightness
- Alarm clock
- Save up to 30 preset stations on FM, DAB and internet radio, giving 90 presets in total
- Adjustable EQ
Dimensions: 29.3 cm wide x 12.3 cm high x 14.5 cm deep
Weight: 1.9 kg
Internet radio
It’s easy to connect this radio to the internet, especially if you have a WPS button on your Wi-Fi router. Once you’re connect, you have a large choice of ways to find things to listen to.
The Hama DIR3100 lets you use either vTuner or Frontier Silicon to access over 20,000 online radio stations as well as thousands of podcasts. You can connect to the internet wirelessly or via an LAN cable. The wireless connection is secure using WEP, WPA and WPA2 encryption.
You can control the internet radio on the radio itself, the remote control included, or from your tablet or smartphone using the Hama Smart Radio app.
One issue with the internet radio function is that the Hama DIR3100 needs to be quite close to the Wi-Fi router to work properly.
Sound quality
The Hama DIR3100 has a good sound for a small radio, but it is somewhat disappointing given its price. It has several EQ settings, but they all seem to either sound tinny or have too much bass. You can adjust the EQ to reduce both the bass and treble, which makes the radio sound better.
Pros
- Looks attractive, stylish and expensive
- Easy to connect to the internet
- Upgrades itself via the internet
- Solid build quality
- Generally good sound for what is a relatively small radio
- Easy to use and set up if you read the manual
- Display is very easy to read
- Can be turned up loud without becoming distorted
- High-quality construction
Cons
- No Bluetooth
- Seems overpriced
- Presets 10-30 can’t be easily accessed using the remote control
- Menu on the display isn’t very intuitive, but you can use an app on your phone instead
- The radio needs to be quite close to the wireless router
Verdict
The Hama DIR3100
Similar radios
One internet radio with a similar price is the Roberts Radio Stream93i. It has a great range of features and is made by respected British brand Roberts. For more recommendations, check out these reviews of the best internet radios.