VTech moves from cordless phones to cordless music

In the me-too world of wireless music streaming, it’s unusual to find a device that does something a little different. And while the latest offering from VTech doesn’t manage to add too many features to make itself stand out from the crowd, its $199 price tag ought to distance it somewhat.

The confoundingly-named “IS9181 WiFi Internet Radio” is the first streaming audio device from VTech, a company more commonly known for its cordless phone products. The IS9181 has two forward facing 3-watt speakers and one 10-watt subwoofer all contained in the product. The unit works with any MP3 device via the standard 3.5mm jack connector.

Here are a few more features from the press release:

# Best-in-class 802.11 digital Wi-Fi technology, providing superior range and streaming rates
# Internet radio streaming from 11,000 stations; ability to search for any stations that stream online
# Internet radio station search from VTech’s site or on the device itself
# Ability to preset favorites on the product or online
# PC or Mac-stored MP3, WMA, AAC, WAV, Real music file playing
# Ability to connect an MP3 player or any audio device with a 3.5mm headset jack using the provided cord
# Ability to connect the IS9181 (via RCA connections) to other audio systems for streaming access
# Internal 2.1 speakers
# Convenient remote to browse, select and control music from across the room
# AC Power Adapter
# Battery-operated option (requires six AA batteries, not included)
# MSRP: $199.95
# One-year limited warranty

Pretty standard fare for a wireless music streamer, although the ability to add presets online is certainly a nice feature and VTech does promise “better sound quality than other similarly priced offerings,” so if you’re down with dropping a couple hundred dollars on a streaming audio box it might be worth a closer look.

VTech IS9181 WiFi Internet Radio [VTech.com]