Hama DIR3100 Internet Radio Review

Eric Dillon — Thu, 22 Dec 2016 08:00:52 +0000

The Hama DIR3100 is an FM/DAB/DAB+ internet radio that can be controlled via your smartphone. It’s a very versatile piece of kit with lots of different functions. Let’s take a closer look…

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 has a lot of good qualities. It’s versatile and gives you a large choice of different ways to listen to the radio or podcasts. It’s easy to use via an app, but can be fiddly using the remote control or menu. The sound quality is good, but ought to be better for the price.

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.

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